“You go first.”

“Should we… dance?”

“Ah….”

When it comes to dancing… I did learn from my mother.

Mother taught everything that seemed utterly useless. Dancing was one of them. I never thought I would have an occasion to use the dance moves I learned from her. Thinking about it now, it seems like Mother taught her children everything she learned as a princess growing up.

However, my only waltz partner was my elder brother, and we were always indifferent to each other so we didn’t learn diligently. I wasn’t confident that I could dance properly in this grand ballroom just based on my childhood memories. Even without that, I was already being careful, not knowing if I was doing even the smallest movements properly.

Chloe, who was standing right next to the duke and just observing the atmosphere of the banquet, was only flustered by the duke’s words.

“Ah, it seems you’re not fond of dancing.”

“Yes. I’m not good at it.”

“Hmm… besides climbing trees and jumping around, try learning some dancing too.”

Chloe whipped her head around to look at the duke. The duke was smiling. Chloe gave him a glare and then turned her head away sharply. Anyway, this man seemed to really enjoy teasing her.

“Shall I teach you?”

The duke spoke to her again as she was staring intently at the people dancing vigorously.

“No thanks!”

“I thought you would learn quickly since it’s physical. That dance isn’t difficult.”

“Hmph!”

Giving medicine after a beating, indeed. It felt like he was lifting her up and putting her down.

That’s when she saw it. Reina Tilbut was coming closer from over there. Actually, it had been bothering her for a while to see her coming and going, and it seemed she was finally approaching.

Remembering the slander that woman had hurled at her last time, Chloe didn’t want to face her again. However, since pretty much all the famous nobles on the continent were invited, there was no way to avoid that woman today.

Moreover, Reina Tilbut was not alone. She was approaching with no less than three men, ranging from an elderly man who looked quite old, to a middle-aged man, to a young man. Chloe could tell they were all representatives of werewolf families. Because as they got closer, the smell of werewolves wafted over.

It was the same scent as the duke, but a disgusting feeling that she had never felt from the duke rose up. It seemed that werewolves other than the duke invoked a sense of rejection in her.

Emitting such an unpleasant odor, it suddenly seemed strange how she never got that feeling from the duke at all and even wanted to get closer to him.

“Duke Ulpaz, it’s been a while.”

Reina Tilbut didn’t even glance at Chloe.

“It has been a while, Miss Tilbut, Count Watts, Marquis Schreiss, Marquis Tilt.”

The duke greeted the people who had flocked over briefly. Since the duke was the tallest, he was looking down at everyone even with just a nod of his head.

“So you finally reveal the companion you’ve been hiding so tightly.”

Although speaking about Chloe, Reina Tilbut’s gaze was still fixed only on the duke. On the other hand, the other three men were looking at Chloe’s face with curiosity mixed in their eyes.

“Yes, I’m pleased to be able to show my companion to the elders like this. This is Chloe Liden, who will become my wife.”

The duke formally introduced Chloe. The men who had gathered seemed to be the ‘elders’.

“Hello, I’m Chloe Liden.”

Chloe smiled at the men. Since Reina Tilbut wasn’t looking at her anyway, Chloe didn’t give her any attention either.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a chance to see each other, now that the Emperor of Elysion has changed.”

The elderly man shifted his gaze from her to the duke and spoke.

“The count still looks well.”

“If only my knees were alright, there would be no problem. But my face has gotten a bit better these days after hearing the news that the duke finally got a companion.”

The kind-looking elderly count said with a broad smile. At that moment, Reina Tilbut was seen biting one side of her lip.

‘That woman still dislikes me. I dislike you too.’

“Even though the Emperor of Elysion has changed, it doesn’t seem like there will be significant changes, what do you think?”

One of the two marquises struck up a conversation with the duke.

“That’s probably the case.”

“Rather, the movements of King Staxton could be said to be suspicious.”

Their voices had become very low at some point. Ordinary people probably wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation even just a step away. However, Chloe, who ended up hearing their conversation all too clearly, flinched slightly at the mention of Staxton’s name. And at that moment, her eyes met Reina Tilbut’s.

Reina Tilbut slightly raised and lowered her eyebrows.

For a moment, a strange feeling arose. It was as if she was watching to see if Chloe would react to the name ‘Staxton’.

Why was that woman looking at her like that when she shouldn’t know anything about Chloe?

That’s when a woman came close and asked the duke for a dance in Tigrian. While Chloe hesitated, debating whether she should translate the woman’s words or not, Reina Tilbut translated for her.

Based on her scent and atmosphere, she seemed to be a human noblewoman, not a beastman. Since she was using Tigrian, she was probably Tigrian.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to. Lady.”

The duke rejected her outright without any pretense of an excuse. Seeing the woman’s face turn red, Chloe felt like her own face would turn red too.

“Lady, your name?”

The young marquis who had been standing next to her asked the woman. Once again, Reina Tilbut translated.

“Arabel Rhein.”

The woman answered with eyes that looked like she might cry at any moment.

Considering the duke’s reputation must have spread to the Tigrian Kingdom as well…

Thinking about how the duke had been turning away all the women flocking to him even before he got a companion named Chloe, Chloe thought it wasn’t something to be so hurt over, so she was a little puzzled as to why the woman was so embarrassed.

‘Ah! The nobles who aren’t werewolves might not know that I’m the duke’s companion!’

She finally seemed to understand the reason why the woman had boldly asked for a dance. Seeing the duke with women for a change, she may have come running with the hope that the duke’s iron wall had finally disappeared. As an Elysian, she might not know much about the duke.

“Miss Rhein, then how about you dance with me? The duke has a lady accompanying him here.”

This young marquis seemed to have considerable thoughtfulness. It was evident that he was trying to prevent the woman who had courageously asked for a dance first from being rejected and returning alone.

“Oh! You would do that for me?”

The woman said with a faint smile. Even if the partner wasn’t the duke, it would have been really embarrassing to turn around and go back alone, so it was fortunate.

“Marquis, shall we go out?”

As the two walked out alone, Reina Tilbut said to the middle-aged marquis. As expected, Reina Tilbut seemed to know well that asking the duke to dance was futile.

Once the middle-aged marquis and Reina Tilbut had also walked out to the hall, the elderly Count Watts looked back and forth between Chloe and the duke.

“Duke, why don’t you go out with your companion too? I can’t go out now that I’m old and creaking here and there, but young people should dance when they come to a banquet. Yes, that’s only proper.”

The count said, bending his body slightly and tapping his knees. His manner of speech, which had been respectful at some point, had also loosened up a bit. Whether it was the leisureliness or the pushiness unique to the elderly, or both, Chloe became increasingly anxious at the count’s urging. She was worried that if she made a mistake while dancing, it might harm the duke as well.

“Seeing Duke Ulpaz, who was such a little kid, now dancing with his companion would make living this long worthwhile. The previous duke, I must say, did a really good job of having one son. There was no better man among alphas than the duke. Come to think of it, have I ever seen the duke dance? I don’t remember.”

The old man was immersed in his memories one moment and in deep emotion the next, showing a variety of emotional changes. Pushed by the flood of the old man’s emotions, it felt like she had to go out to the dance hall even if only out of pressure.

“You probably haven’t. I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’ll see it in the future either.”

But then suddenly, the duke cut off the count’s expectations and emotions. Chloe stared blankly at the duke. He wasn’t someone who particularly catered to others’ whims, but he didn’t seem like such a cold-hearted person either.

‘You said you didn’t want to learn.’

The duke, who met her eyes, spoke only with the shape of his mouth.

‘Ah…! He refused because of me.’

The duke’s coldness was because of her. Meanwhile, the song changed.

‘Ah…’

I know this song. I think I remember the dance too.

“Miss Chloe Liden, the duke’s companion, you probably already know, but werewolf men, you see, they can’t refuse what their companion asks them to do. If the companion says to dance, the male wolves have no choice but to dance. I don’t know if the young lady has any intention of showing this old man the duke dancing with his companion.”

“Count, forcing my companion…”

The duke immediately began to caution the count.

I didn’t know that among the things a companion had to do, there was also complying with the demands of an old werewolf like this. But it was really hard to ignore the earnest yet somewhat stubborn request of the old man.

Alright, I’ll just go out and give it a try.