Chapter 118

On any other day, she would never have said it aloud, but tonight, she found herself wanting to mix a touch of sincerity into her teasing. She also wanted, for once, to see more of that startled expression on his face. However, contrary to her expectations, Axion only inclined his head in quiet acknowledgment.

After a brief silence, he spoke again.

“And what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Does it suit your tastes?”

His bluntness caught her off guard. She had never once considered his looks in the light of her own preferences, nor had their relationship ever been of the sort to invite such thoughts.

When she couldn’t easily respond, the man curved his lips smoothly.

“Well, we can adjust to each other now.”

“……?”

Meeting the flicker of uncertainty in her green eyes, Axion murmured low.

“I’m confident in my patience.”

“….!”

“Of course, only with you.”

The moment her gaze tangled with his crimson eyes, Evelyn’s steps faltered, her movements tangling. With unhurried ease, he slipped an arm around her waist, steadying her, and guided her seamlessly back into the dance as though no misstep had occurred at all.

Maybe it was the relief of having been saved from embarrassment by her fiancé, but her heart pounded like a small drum beneath her ribs.

The music was already drawing to its close, and she could hardly recall how she had managed through their first dance at all. With visible relief, she moved into the final step, intending to release his hand, until a sudden, firm pressure kept it in place.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

She hissed under her breath, chiding him.

Now that the variation was beginning, courtesy dictated that they either find new partners or step aside for others. But Axion, staring fixedly at something across the floor, clicked his tongue in quiet displeasure.

Following his gaze, she barely swallowed the sigh that rose to her lips.

It was no wonder since, across the floor, she spotted a young nobleman making his way toward her with the clear intent of asking for a dance. Not wishing to embarrass the man, Evelyn made another attempt to release Axion’s hand, only for his solid arm to curve firmly around her waist.

“What are you doing?!”

As she hissed, brows knitting in faint exasperation, the man met her gaze squarely with a steady and unruffled voice.

“What’s wrong with wanting to remain with my fiancée?”

He replied in an utterly flat tone.

Ugh, that shameless bastard…

At a loss for words, she could do nothing but dance several consecutive songs with him.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

By the time the grand banquet had reached its height, Evelyn slipped away to the palace gardens for a breath of fresh air. In contrast to the lively clamor of the banquet room, the gardens were wrapped in tranquil stillness.

Perhaps it was simply being free from the weight of so many watchful eyes, but she felt her shoulders ease at once.

“It seems tonight’s banquet will pass without incident.”

She had spent nearly the entire evening at Axion’s side, and time had passed without trouble, though she had left the banquet hall midway while he was still engaged in discussions of business with several nobles. Before stepping out, she had told Chloe, confident her words would be relayed to him.

Avoiding places where couples were likely to linger, she wandered toward a quiet section of the garden.

‘So the imperial palace has a place like this!’

Her clear eyes shimmered as she took in the sight of flowers in full bloom. Since she had intended to steal a moment’s respite anyway, she resolved to fill her gaze with the blossoms of spring. She stepped deeper into the secluded garden—

“….!”

The instant she caught sight of the figure whose chestnut-brown hair glimmered faintly under the moonlight, Evelyn’s pupils widened in shock.

No…

Pressed by the urge to escape this place at once, she began to edge back as quietly as she could.

Crunch—

However, her foot came down on a branch she had failed to notice, and the sharp crack split the stillness. Unwittingly, she squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again, curling her fingers tight as she bit down gently on her lower lip.

“Lady Inevasel?”

The man, standing at a slight angle, tilted his head, a glint flashing in his deep eyes.

Erden Liam Maximilian. He was the Crown Prince of the Baltian Empire.