Although she understood the situation logically, she strangely didn’t feel entirely pleased.

“For the Crown Princess and the Empire, perhaps?”

In response to the sudden question, Klaus, who was trying not to look directly at Roselia, looked down at her in surprise.

“What are you talking about?”

“The reason you asked me to dance.”

For a moment, Klaus lost his words and looked at her eyes in bewilderment.

“Well… that’s a true story, but…”

Suddenly raising his lips, Klaus smiled broadly.

Caught off guard, Roselia had to take in a surprised breath.
Claudius, the cold-blooded, is smiling like that?

While Roselia was bewildered, Klaus pulled her closer, whispered low over her shoulder.

“I didn’t want you to be taken away by the Crown Prince.”

What did she just hear? Her shoulders felt hot with his breath over them.

Amid Roselia’s confusion, the music suddenly accelerated, leaving her no time to think.

Leading the dance skillfully, Klaus, with his head lowered towards her, murmured as if to reach her beyond her shoulder.

“Do you know what?”

It felt like feathers were standing upright along her exposed shoulders and neckline.

“Good fragrance comes from you.”

Suddenly, Roselia’s head froze.

She remembered Klaus asking her if she was wearing perfume similar to Antonio’s a while ago.

He warned her not to wear it because it didn’t suit her. And now, he was saying that it smelled good.

The situation was peculiar, but looking at it from another perspective, it was undoubtedly a risky situation.

If, as the Crown Prince claimed, she emitted a fragrance, and if Klaus noticed that Roselia and Antonio had the same scent…

Roselia quickly stepped away from Klaus, who was sticking close to her.

Fortunately, the music was reaching its end.

With a puzzled look, Klaus, who was looking at her, received Roselia’s graceful smile and a polite bow.

“I feel a bit dizzy, so I’ll step back for now.”

Leaving those words behind, Roselia turned casually and moved away from Klaus.

As the dance partners changed with the change of the song, nobles bustling with dances crowded between Klaus and Closet.

Klaus realized he had no reason to chase after Roselia, and reluctantly withdrew his hand.

As Roselia returned to the ballroom, Closet and Icellia, pretending not to know, greeted her as if they were waiting.

“Roselia! Dancing with Klaus, of all people… Are you okay?”

Closet, who knew about Antonio, asked with concern.

Then Icellia interpreted it differently and chimed in.

“Roselia, dancing with Duke Valtezare… Is your heart okay?”

Upon Icellia’s words, Closet and Roselia’s gazes turned inquisitively toward her.

Icellia, who was making an odd expression due to their suddenly focused attention, chuckled.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Ah… Closet, you might not understand since Duke Valtezare is your brother-in-law. He’s quite famous in the social circle of Duke Valtezare.”

In response to Icellia’s words, Closet raised her eyebrows as if displeased.

“What’s so famous about him?”
“He is famous for never dancing with anyone. With his cold and charismatic aura, he always keeps a barrier, making it impossible for anyone to approach. Among all the ladies, there are many who admire the Duke.”

As Closet made a disgusted expression as if the statement was absurd, Icellia smiled and continued the conversation.

“Oh, there was only one exception. A lady who danced with Duke Valtezare before you, Roselia.”

Upon Icellia’s words, Closet fell silent, seeming to quickly guess who it was.

Roselia, unable to resist her growing curiosity, opened her mouth.

“Who was that?”

“Her Highness, the Crown Princess.”

In a somewhat natural turn of events, Roselia felt uncomfortable.

Her inexplicable reaction made Roselia’s forehead tense.

Icellia, unaware of Roselia’s feelings, quickly shifted the topic, looking at something.

“Oh, I wonder how surprised Her Highness was when the Crown Prince approached Roselia earlier. Fortunately, he’s now by the Crown Princess’s side, welcoming the ambassadors from Raphelios.”

As Icellia spoke, the Crown Prince was engaged in conversation with the Raphelios envoys, with the Crown Princess leading most of the dialogue while the Crown Prince responded.

At that moment, the Crown Prince’s gaze seemed to briefly turn towards Roselia.

Roselia felt an inexplicable chill, swallowing dryly.

Surely, that lunatic wouldn’t come to her even in that situation.

Then, Closet, who was scanning the Raphelios envoy, opened her mouth with a puzzled expression.

“Didn’t you say the representative of the Raphelios envoys is an incredibly handsome man? They’re all just middle-aged men, though.”

In response to Closet’s disappointed tone, Icellia chuckled and replied.

“The envoy representative had some urgent matters, so he left late. He’s expected to arrive in a few days, making it unlikely to see him at today’s banquet.”

With a regretful tone from Icellia, Roselia quickly scanned the envoy.

The representative of the Raphelios envoys, who would probably be the sub-male at the event, might not attend this banquet.

In the novel, they had praised his appearance, so it was easy to deduce that there was no sub-male among them.

The sub-male was a viscount who held a prominent position in Raphelios, where there was a vacancy in the positions of duke and marquis.

While Roselia was lost in thought, the Crown Prince’s gaze turned toward her again.

Unlike before, when she attributed it to her mood, Roselia felt a distinct gaze this time.

Surely… Steffan began walking towards them, changing his direction.