“It’s a sacred ceremony. While the glory of Calep is good, it would be even better for Latifah to receive glory in the name of the Basilii Dynasty.”

Squeeze. Hades tightened his grip on Latifah’s hand again.

“Although the glory of the Basilii Dynasty is immeasurable, she is the Goddess of Calep.”

Squeeze.

Latifah, pulled back and forth with each statement, could only look at them with a bewildered expression, unable to do anything.

‘What is this? What are they trying to do? Hades’ plan was supposed to end here!’

After ruining Hades’ proposal, Latifah didn’t know what to do next.

At that moment, Asti appeared, leaping onto Latifah’s back.

“Latifah! What are you doing here so absentmindedly?! The music has started, seriously! Are you going to miss the ceremony?”

“Ceremony?”

“Let go of this, you crazy people! What if Lord Luhann stays here and plays around with you!”

As the sound of the drum grew faster, Asti, after hitting Luhann and Hades on the back of the hand that was holding Latifah, grabbed Latifah’s hand and started running out.

“Asti!”

“Well, for a moment, Pig Princess!”

Staring at Luhann and Hades with a pathetic expression, Latifah, being dragged by Asti, walked away.

“There’s no time for this! We have to go!”

“Huh? Wh-where are we going?!”

Latifah was too confused by the sudden turn of events to know what to do.

‘What should I do?!’
Reacting to their provocatively revealed male beauty, Latifah gasped and took a step back, but the martial artists, moving faster, approached, swaying their hips to the beat of the drums.

‘Why, why are they undressing so shamelessly!’

Approaching with the resounding drumbeat, they soon surrounded Latifah, bowing neatly with their waists as they knelt down.

“Dance! Latifah, dance! We need to start the ritual!”

“D-Dance…?”

At the word ‘dance’ shouted by Asti, Latifah’s eyes widened as if about to pop out, and her pale face started turning even whiter.

Latifah had only danced the waltz in her entire life.

However, judging by the intensified melody of the sitar, the drumming, the martial artists of Vanra, and the cheering desert people, it was clear that the dance Asti was talking about was not the waltz.

Even if it were the waltz, Latifah had never danced in front of so many people.

‘What should I do?!’

With a slightly opened mouth, Latifah looked at Asti with an embarrassed expression. Asti, who seemed to be aware of Latifah’s plight, gestured vigorously. Latifah, like a puppet, stood still, one arm stretched out in front, and mimicked bouncing her hips as if wringing sweat.

“Latifah! Like this, like this! Left, right, left, right!”

The long, golden tassels on her bracelet swirled vigorously with Asti’s gestures, and the edges of her long caftan fluttered boldly but beautifully.

However, for Latifah, who was from the empire, this was undoubtedly an embarrassing movement!

‘Wait! I’ve never tried dancing like this! I’ve never heard that I should dance like this! Hades…! I need to find Hades!’

Staggering and rolling her eyes anxiously, Latifah looked for Hades. However, Hades, whom she barely found in the crowd, seemed to be barely holding back laughter at Latifah’s great confusion.

‘Hades! Help me.’

As Latifah made a pleading expression with her eyes, Hades eventually burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Ahahaha!”

‘Ugh! Laughing like that in someone else’s embarrassing situation! What should I do?!’

In the end, Latifah glanced at Luhann standing next to Hades, asking for help with her eyes.

But Luhann could only smile as if to say there was nothing he could do, and playfully extended one arm, imitating Asti’s princess-like gestures.

‘Luhann too! There must be a reason why he’s friends with Hades!’

The martial artists surrounding Latifah continued to bend their waists, and only the drumbeat echoed rapidly, as if everyone was waiting for her to move.

“Nobody here expects anything from you, coming from the empire. So enjoy to your heart’s content! Hahaha!”

With Hades’ cry, barely holding back his laughter, Latifah realized that she had to dance.

“Hah….”

With a deep sigh of resignation, Latifah touched her forehead.

‘Yeah. It’s not like I have to live quietly anymore.’

After all, since coming to the Grand Bazaar, thanks to Hades who kept ordering her around, it was difficult to live a good and quiet life.

After becoming a goddess in front of many people, receiving the Sultan’s judgment, and ruining Amira’s party, would it be too much to dance once?

Feeling her face burn with embarrassment, Latifah took a deep breath and took a step forward. The white sole of her foot was exposed as she stepped onto the heated red marble tiles.

The heated stone, the scent of colorful flowers, exotic music, the martial artists’ rough breath, and the gazes of countless desert people watching Latifah. Feeling all of it with her entire body, Latifah indulged herself.

‘It’s okay, Latifah. It’s just a debutante ball. Think of it as a debutante ball.’

“Latifah, you need to take off your robe!”
At the sound of Asti’s shout, Latifah brought her hand down, adorned with a white rose crystal pin, securing her white robe.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

Was this the sound of drums or the beating of her heart?

Taking a deep breath once again, Latifah loosened her robe, revealing the beautiful garment underneath.