Julia walked around the table for a while and went to Patrick’s side. Without asking, she touched the chair next to him.

An approaching servant pulled out the chair and helped Julia sit down.

“Your Highness Patrick, this is the first time we’ve met since graduating from Tane Academy. It’s nice to see you.”

“Lady Leak. It’s nice to see you too.”

“Your Highness, aren’t you dancing the waltz?”

At Julia’s clear voice, Carolina looked at him, waiting for Patrick’s answer.

“I will ask for a dance shortly.”

Carolina, barely holding back the laughter that automatically burst out, took off her lace gloves and wiped her hands with a handkerchief.

At that moment, there was a commotion at the entrance of the banquet hall and the orchestra music quickly changed to a march.

“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, the newlyweds, are entering.”

Everyone stood up at once and applauded. The imperial party went to the table where the empress dowager and neighboring kings were seated.

The emperor wrapped his arm around Patricia’s waist and whispered briefly in her ear about the dignitaries they needed to greet. Patricia curtsied slightly and greeted them with a bright smile.

As the imperial party went around greeting tables, they came to the table of the empress seated next to the emperor and Emperor Kazan to greet them, as the waltz had just stopped. Alesia was in the middle of a long congratulatory speech when Isabella interrupted.

Julia sat in her seat while Chris moved to sit next to Alesia.

The orchestra that had paused briefly played a preparation piece for the waltz after tuning.

Patrick grinned as he handed Harchen a pewter cup and poured him green Panian wine.

“Harchen. Congratulations.”

Then Patrick grabbed Harchen’s arm and said in his ear:

“My Risha, in exchange for taking the first night rights, concede the first waltz to me.”

This bastard till the end.

“Is that a threat?”

“Yes.”

Patrick bowed to Patricia, bending his knee and leaning his upper body.

“Patrick, Crown Prince of Tane, requests a waltz from Her Imperial Majesty the Empress of Karsik.”

Patricia responded by tilting her head to the side.

Patrick kissed the back of her hand gloved in lace embroidered with silver thread, then took her hand and leisurely walked to the center of the hall.

People waiting to dance the waltz next were surprised, their eyes widening as they automatically made way for their appearance.

“Wow. What’s this? The empress’s brother? Elder brother?”

“So beautiful. A perfect pair.”

“They look exactly alike. But the atmosphere is strange.”

Everyone in the hall and those seated at side tables murmured, focusing their attention on Patrick and Patricia.

The orchestra conductor noticed this and continued playing the waltz preparation piece for two more bars until they took the best position.

Patrick asked Eva, who came to help the matron, what Risha’s evening dress looked like today.

Eva, who loved to talk, excitedly explained how Madame Terra had arrived in Karsik the day after to select fabrics and design for Patricia’s wedding dress and evening gown, carefully considering even the maids’ opinions to match the emperor’s balance.

“No, Eva. I don’t need that explanation. What is the evening dress like?”

After hearing Eva’s explanation, Patrick carefully examined the formal attire he had prepared from Tane. He chose all white for his culottes, chausses, vest, and justaucorps.

“Eva. There are about five hours left until the ceremony. Embroider flower patterns with silver thread here and here, and make all the epaulettes, brooches, and sleeve decorations uniformly silver and crystal.”

“Your Highness. If we do that…!”

The quick-witted Eva realized Patrick’s intention. Her handiwork was unrivaled in Tane. She was confident in anything done by hand.

*

“My Risha. You’re so beautiful today.”

Patrick took Patricia’s hand and gently turned her around in a preparation move, carefully examining the front and back design of her dress.

The pure white satin covered only the basic body base. The rest was overlaid with silver-embroidered tulle lace.

Without a pannier, the dress clung tightly to her body down to the waistline and hip line, with a slit on one side just below the hip line.

On her slender back with delicate bones exposed, a thin silver string with scattered diamonds ran from the middle of the back of her neck to the waistline.

Patrick took the final position to show off the dress and lines well.

He took Patricia’s right hand with his left hand and supported her bare back with his right hand. Patricia smiled, elegantly holding her upper body centered, and lifted her chin.

After confirming their close position, the orchestra conductor signaled and the waltz began.

After an elegant moving, double reverse, and spin turn, Patrick said to Patricia:

“Risha. Let’s show off our skills.”

Probably, Harchen’s eyes would be rolling with jealousy.

Patrick made eye contact with the emperor, whose face had already turned pale, and nodded slightly.

Dressed as if matched in a set, with white backgrounds decorated with silver thread and golden hair with distinct features, they had already caught the attention of everyone in Helios Hall.

Patrick and Patricia had danced the waltz in the west tower garden of Tane’s annex palace. Having danced for ten years, they were in such perfect harmony that they could dance with their eyes closed.

Mother, Empress Aldisha, wanted Patricia to thoroughly become Patrick’s shadow.

At dawn when she was thirteen, going to observe a conflict zone by the emperor’s order, Empress Aldisha put silver armor on Patricia.

“You are Patrick Calian Evas.”

She strictly taught imperial dining etiquette in case Patricia had to attend imperial banquets in place of Patrick in an emergency, but didn’t teach dancing as there would be no occasion to dance.

After the empress’s death, Patrick taught Patricia the waltz in the west tower garden. Patricia, with her inherently bright nature, enjoyed dancing. She learned the waltz, minuet, and mazurka holding Patrick’s hand.

“Risha.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll become the emperor of Tane.”

Patricia looked at him with affectionate eyes.

“So now you put down your sword and become a lady. Become a loving wife, a warm mother, a wise empress.”

“Yes.”

Patricia maintained her chin position and gaze as if putting up a glass wall, not being drawn into Patrick’s space, keeping a distance.

Their gaze at each other from a fixed distance was tantalizingly ambiguous enough to make onlookers’ hearts race.

While their upper bodies maintained distance, their legs naturally intertwined, making viewers dizzy.

With each turn, Patricia’s slit skirt wrapped tightly around Patrick’s legs.

Grind.

Harchen gritted his teeth as he saw Patrick’s leg press against Patricia’s thigh between the slit of her skirt.

He suddenly slammed the empty pewter cup down on the table. Carolina grabbed his arm, which was propping up the table with a clenched fist, and sat him down in the seat next to her.

“Your Majesty. What kind of relationship are those two?”

“If that bastard weren’t a twin, he’d have died by my hand.”

“Your Majesty. Why did you concede the first waltz?”

“Raven. Be quiet. What about you, I heard you even kissed, why?”

“Does it look like there’s room to squeeze between those two? Elder brother, I have no intention of wasting my emotions on shallow jealousy.”

“You’re composed, Raven.”

“Elder brother. If it looks like they’re going to dance a second waltz, come out with me. And during the third waltz, you naturally change partners, okay?”

“Raven. Good idea.”

The waltz piece ended.

“Risha. We should dance one more song.”

“Of course, Patrick.”

The orchestra conductor quickly scanned the hall. When the hall and tables were far apart, up to the third waltz would continue without free time, playing a preparation piece before the next waltz.

The conductor confirmed the pair like silver-winged birds standing in the middle of the hall, catching their breath.

For him, he felt a thrill at the experience of his performance piece harmonizing perfectly with their dance like the flapping of wings.

If possible, he wanted to keep them in the center of the hall until they were exhausted. Overwhelmed by the elation of completing a total work of art, his shoulders naturally bounced with excitement.

“It looks like they’re going for another song?”

“Let’s go, Carolina.”

Harchen took his younger sister’s hand and slowly walked into the center of the hall. With his teeth clenched.

Patrick, who first saw Carolina and Harchen take their place right next to them, acknowledged them with a nod. His expression was calm.

Carolina wanted to show Patrick her delicate neckline and shoulder line more elegantly while maintaining her dignity.

However, Harchen, whose eyes were rolled back with jealousy, couldn’t control his strength and yanked her, causing her head and shoulders to awkwardly fall into Harchen’s space.

Carolina’s expression darkened as she gradually became irritated. Patrick and Patricia, seen up close, did not lose their breath and their gazes remained naturally fixed on each other like magnets throughout.

Oversway.

Patrick supported her white, delicate back with minimal touch. Patricia leaned her upper body back as far as possible, relying on Patrick’s harmonious strength. And ending promenade.

“Patrick. Let’s change partners.”

Harchen shoved Carolina into Patrick’s arms and grabbed Patricia’s hand tightly.

Patricia, who had stepped back half a step, gracefully curtsied, holding up the hem of her dress. Harchen, unable to bear even that gap, quickly bowed and stood close.

Patricia, who had been able to meet Patrick’s gaze without lifting her head as they were of similar height, now had to raise her toes and stretch her neck to lift her chin high as she switched to the tall Harchen.

The emperor touched her back with an angry expression, then frowned and tensed when he touched bare skin.

Even through his gloves, he clenched his teeth and swallowed a curse at the bumpy feel of her spine.

This emperor is clumsy at dancing.

Thanks to this, Patricia, who now had some leeway, met the emperor’s eyes and smiled sweetly.

You’ve gone mad, Harchen. Your legs are giving out just because she smiled once.

In fact, Harchen was a bit clumsy at dancing. He knew the basic movements and steps but didn’t enjoy it.

He already wanted to go straight to Aster Palace as soon as he took Patricia’s hand and touched her bare back, whether it was a waltz or not.

As soon as we arrive at Aster Palace, I should take off my gloves and touch this bony bare back. What if I dismiss all the maids and say I’ll personally attend to her bath?

His mind was entirely at Aster Palace.

Patricia.

“Empress.”

“Yes. Please speak.”

Tonight on our wedding night.

“I will do my best.”

Patricia thought he was expressing his resolution for married life.

“I will do my best too, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, the first night education… I heard your learning ability is excellent, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Only then did Patricia realize that the emperor’s direction of “doing his best” was different from hers, and she bit her lip.

“When this waltz ends, we’ll go straight to Aster Palace.”