It wasn’t a simple dance invitation. It was a reproach and warning to Odette and all who sided with her.

To stop this shameless behavior.

It was truly befitting of a holy knight, an impeccably righteous act.

However, he, so upright and proper himself, seemed not to have noticed.

That at that moment, Odette’s face was stained with anger. That she was glaring at Kasha as if she wanted to kill her.

Unfortunately, Kasha at that moment didn’t realize it either.

No, perhaps she did notice. She was just too distracted by the heat transmitted through Leon’s gloves, forgetting about Odette.

“Um, thank you… for helping me.”

It was only after the dance had started that she finally managed to mutter those words.

“It’s what a knight ought to do. Think nothing of it.”

However, his reply was exceedingly formal.

Nevertheless, the dance that followed was a midsummer night’s dream. One she would never forget in her lifetime.

Leon’s expression was so plain it might have seemed cold at first glance, but his face alone was unrealistically beautiful.

His amethyst eyes, so beautiful they earned him the nickname ‘The Empire’s Jewel’, scattered dazzlingly every time they caught the light of the chandelier.

His platinum blonde hair, softly draped along his forehead, shone smoothly, and his high, straight nose and strong jawline exuded masculinity.

His angular shoulders fit his uniform perfectly, and the arm around her waist was long and firm.

His dancing skills were also impeccably excellent. He calmly led the stumbling Kasha, stabilizing her with his strong arms.

He was a man one couldn’t help but fall for. Anyone would.

Even if it was the crazy lady Kasha.

Even if he hadn’t been beautiful, it would have been difficult not to take to heart a man who had saved her from such a predicament.

But he was beautiful on top of that. He was righteous. At that moment, he was superior to anyone else in the ballroom.

Held in his arms, turning around the ballroom, Kasha’s heart kept pounding seriously.

However, as soon as the dance ended and Leon escorted her out of the ballroom, she had to quickly return to reality.

“Well then. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Leon bowed politely to her. On the surface, he still looked calm and proper.

“Are you… alright?”

But Kasha, who had danced with him, knew. That his breathing was strangely rough, that his earlobes and nape had reddened. That as the dance went on, his posture had become subtly awkward.

Whatever was wrong, she wanted to help him.

“Of course, I’m fine.”

But his response was unexpectedly sharp.

A face flushed red as if her very asking such a thing was unpleasant.

An expression so fierce and eyes so unsteady it was hard to believe this was the same person who had just saved her from crisis.

Anyone watching would have thought she had insulted him.

“Ah, sorry…”

Flustered, Kasha swallowed even her words of apology, mumbling them inside her mouth.

As if disgusted by her behavior, Leon turned his back coldly and disappeared.

Such a change in his behavior hurt in a different way. Even more than the ostracism of the pathetic nobles.

Was she such an unpleasant existence that even someone who had helped her with good intentions would ultimately turn away?

It was a moment when bottomless despair opened its mouth at her feet once again.

Of course, Kasha who has regressed now knows. The reason why he had to act that way. What kind of pain he was enduring at that moment.

He was a far more righteous man than she had dared to imagine then. Enough to take the hand of an outcast lady while enduring his own curse.

However, the nightmare of that day did not end there.

Splash.

“Oh, sorry. The wine glass slipped.”

Someone spilled a glass of wine on her dress,

Clank, clank.

“P-please open the door. There’s someone in here!”

The door of the bathroom she had entered to clean the stain on her dress was locked.

She had clearly seen attendants standing at the entrance before entering the bathroom.

It was Daril who found her crouched on the bathroom floor, dazed, after the ball had ended and everyone had gone home.

After that day, she was sick for a full week and didn’t step a foot outside the mansion. Until she fell for Simon’s trick and fled to the tower.

“Count Lyuschino’s son Daril and Lady Katiana!”

At the cry of the servant opening the door to the ballroom, Kasha awoke from her reminiscence.

The scene in the banquet hall was eerily identical to before the regression.

The gazes of people standing here and there fixed on Daril and Kasha. Odette, standing in the center of the crowd like the main character, also noticed Kasha’s presence.

Odette’s eyes, as pretty as blue glass beads, looked at the two arrogantly.

‘The Lyuschino Count family’s leftovers.’

Although the Lyuschino Count family is a prestigious family guarding the northern border of the empire, they have little standing in social circles. In other words, they were of no interest to Odette.

But one of the count’s siblings walked straight towards Odette.

“Hello, Lady Odette. I’m Kasha… Lyuschino.”

“……”

“It’s been a while. I really missed you.”

She was clearly introduced as Katiana Lyuschino, but she seemed to prefer being called Kasha in the northern style.

But at the gaze of the woman looking straight at her, Odette’s throat became strangely dry.

‘Wasn’t she supposed to be unable to make eye contact with people?’

She was clearly a woman with no presence at all during her debutante. She was laughed at by people and stuck in a corner of the hall like an idiot.

That sight strangely touched Odette’s sadistic side.

It was amusing to see her looking like she couldn’t fight back even if poked.

She was considering using her as a toy to play with if the ball got boring today.

But what’s with that look in her eyes now? Daring to burn fiercely as if she could devour the Tyrot lady.

Odette deliberately straightened her neck and elegantly opened her folding fan.

Snap.

Kasha’s eyes looking at the fan she opened were strangely chilly, but ignoring that, Odette lowered her voice while covering her mouth. With just the right amount of mockery in her eyes.

“You… missed me? My, were we that close?”

Chuckle chuckle.

As if flattering her, laughter spread around them at the right timing.

At that blatant mockery, the face of the stolid Lyuschino young count hardened. However, Kasha, who was actually the target of the mockery, remained calm.

“Ah, you don’t necessarily… have to meet often… to leave an impression.”

“…?”

“Sometimes, there are people… who leave a deep impression… with just one meeting.”

The strangely colored eyes, like crushed flower petals, were intensely disturbing. The slightly awkward speech made the content of her words even more striking.

“What on earth are you saying?”

Odette muttered audibly behind her folding fan. The Lyuschino young count’s eyes grew fiercer, and he opened his mouth as if to say something. However, Kasha spoke first.

“And, you don’t have to be… close to miss someone.”

“…?”

“There are relationships… where you have to see each other. Whether you like it or not.”

“So now—”

“I hope this will be a memorable ball for you. Lady Tyrot.”

Subtly cutting off Odette’s words, Kasha Lyuschino slightly bent her knee and retreated.

Daril cast a warning-like glance around before disappearing, holding her arm.

That bear-like Daril Lyuschino. At the last debutante, he seemed to mind his own business whether his sister was embarrassed alone or not, and now he’s trying to act like a good older brother?

‘I don’t know what it is, but it’s irritating.’

But if Daril acts like that, playing with that woman today is out of the question.

Even though they don’t have much power in social circles, they are still the Lyuschino family, known as the Emperor’s shield. There shouldn’t be any face-reddening incidents between families.

Watching the fluttering hem of the splendid dress moving away, Odette bit her lip.

She was even more heated because the color of the red dress that matched perfectly with that woman’s dark pink eyes caught her attention.

‘Of all things, it overlaps with the color of my dress.’

Odette didn’t realize that she was angry because she wasn’t confident that she pulled off the dress better.

Swish. Snap.

Closing her folding fan, Odette furrowed her brow.

But even the atmosphere around her seemed somehow distracted. Usually, her followers would keenly react to even the slightest furrowing of her brow.

Looking carefully, their gazes were fixed on Kasha’s back.

“Doesn’t that lady seem different today somehow?”

“The atmosphere. Right? It’s not just me?”

“And pulling off such a splendid dress.”

“Her face also seemed a bit different.”

“A bit? It was more than that.”

Odette’s hand holding the fan trembled.

It seemed she needed to find someone to vent her anger on, to draw everyone’s attention back to herself.

“Are you alright?”

As they reached the end of the hall, away from the crowd surrounding Odette, Daril asked Kasha.

“…What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about Lady Odette. I knew she was an arrogant woman, but her behavior just now seemed to be ignoring you.”

Seeing Daril speak with such a fierce face, Kasha tilted her head.

He must have been so indifferent to Kasha until now to think this level of treatment was being ignored.

However, it’s a good change that he’s paying attention to Kasha anyway.

Thinking Kasha’s silence was affirmation, Daril continued seriously.

“Although Duke Tyrot is a great power, our Lyuschino Count family is the Emperor’s shield guarding the empire’s frontier. You don’t need to feel intimidated.”

‘…Is he trying to comfort me?’

Kasha blinked, her head slightly lowered.

His attitude, still lacking in tact but sincere, was new, so she didn’t particularly feel like stopping him.

At that moment, people scattered around the ballroom started forming pairs of men and women in lines.

The first dance was about to begin.

The air became noisy with alternating excitement and tension. The sound of musicians tuning their instruments. Her stomach churned unnecessarily at the recreation of the same scene from before the regression.

‘Then, the next thing to happen is…’

Completely unaware of what Kasha was thinking, Daril faithfully continued speaking.

“I’ll introduce you to my friends today too. Ah, there’s the Fenilton Viscount’s son coming just in time.”

Right.

Kasha muttered inwardly. It was time for the Fenilton Viscount’s son to separate Daril from Kasha on Odette’s orders.

“Ah, Daril. Is this your famous sister who’s the talk of today’s ball?”

“Theo. It’s been a while. This is my sister Kasha.”

Now he’s going to abruptly drag Daril away. Just as Kasha thought that,

“Lady Kasha Lyuschino. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“?”

Kasha turned to look at the Fenilton Viscount’s son, Theo, in surprise. He had clearly ignored her before the regression, so what was this polite greeting?