“Would you be my first dance partner at the ball to be held after the lottery ceremony today?”

Daisy Antoine asked me.

“Your first dance partner? Ah… Is it okay for it to be me?”

I’m not sure, but as the youngest daughter of a restored count’s family, she should receive many dance requests from young masters of distinguished families today.

When I conveyed this thought, Daisy said,

“They’re all boring, can’t even talk to them. Hmm… I guess we have nothing in common to talk about. Ugh.”

She waves her hand rather haughtily and even clicks her tongue.

“Heh… Hahaha.”

I ended up laughing because her appearance was so cute. The girl opened her mouth again with sparkling eyes.

“Would you please? My first dance?”

“Yes, if that’s what you want. But I’m a bit clumsy at dancing, please understand.”

“I’ll lead! Kyaa~.”

The girl smiled brightly like a pink flower.

I smiled along with the girl.

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Uniform, sword, and mask.

The preparations were quickly finished.

In the distance, the heavy sound of bells heralding the start of the ceremony was heard.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes!”

Somehow, I ended up heading to the grand assembly hall with the youngest daughter of the Antoine family who had waited for me.

I took one stem of sky-blue baby’s breath that the girl was holding and strung several baby’s breath blossoms on that stem.

Then I tied that stem in a circle and put it on the girl’s finger.

“This is a gift I’m giving you in return for waiting for me. I hope you’ll serve His Highness the Grand Duke with loyalty.”

Daisy exclaimed with great joy,

“I’ll be loyal a hundred times! No, two hundred times!”

I thought that perhaps when Count Barkun, the old family head, asked me to take care of the Grand Duke, his feelings might have been the same as mine now.

The vast grand assembly hall was filled with numerous northern nobles.

As I entered the hall with Daisy Antoine, Count Antoine, who recognized us from afar, came running in one breath.

The count pinched Daisy’s nose very lightly, as if she was cute.

“Dad! People are watching!”

“Our little filly, where have you been? You’ve been causing trouble for the knight!”

“Trouble?”

Daisy looked up at me worriedly.

“It’s alright, Count. I enjoyed it.”

“That’s right, I enjoyed it!”

Daisy smiled. The count gave in to his youngest daughter with an expression of hopelessness.

“This kid, really. Thank you, Sir Knight.”

“Congratulations, Count.”

I bowed my head to Franz Antoine.

“It’s truly an honor to receive congratulations from you, Sir Knight.”

A gentle smile spreads across the old retainer’s face.

They say love and happiness cannot be hidden. Seeing his happy face made me feel good too.

Just then, the servants shouted,

“May the blessing of Belfast, the Shield of the Empire, be with you all! His Highness Grand Duke Sion Belfast enters!”

The blue sapphire door on the platform opened. And the Grand Duke entered.

“Your Highness!”

Everyone knelt on one knee. I did the same.

The Grand Duke was wearing the northern uniform.

The dark navy uniform matched very well with his blue eyes. The black cloak made his black hair stand out even more.

The tall Grand Duke walking out was like the cool wind of the north.

His beautiful proportions and broad shoulders are like a majestically sculpted statue of a god.

“I saw him when I was very young and it’s been a really long time… Wow… He’s really handsome…”

Daisy Antoine murmured in admiration.

“Right? He’s really… handsome.”

I looked at the Grand Duke, feeling strangely proud.

Is it a coincidence?

His blue eyes seemed to find me for a moment, staring in my direction. But soon his gaze turned elsewhere.

‘There’s no way our eyes could meet with so many people here.’

I smiled bitterly at my own foolish delusion.

The ceremony proceeded swiftly.

The Grand Duke read the letter from the Emperor, the order to restore the title. Count Antoine knelt on one knee before the Grand Duke and listened to the Emperor’s order.

“Thus, from today, the Antoine family is restored to the rank of count.”

At the Grand Duke’s final words, the banquet hall was filled with people’s cheers and applause.

I watched the scene from right in front of the platform along with the other knights.

The Grand Duke said,

“I’m sincerely sorry it took so long, Count Franz Antoine.”

“Not at all, Your Highness. I know it’s a restoration you worked hard for!”

Count Antoine exclaimed.

The Grand Duke added words of request,

“I also ask for your help as the Chief Administrative Officer.”

Count Antoine became the new Chief Administrative Officer of the North, replacing the deposed Infidel Nugent.

The Grand Duke spoke to Infidel, who stood behind Antoine.

“Infidel Nugent, I’m counting on you.”

“How could I not, Your Highness? I will assist the new Administrative Officer sincerely and to the best of my ability.”

Arcadia’s older brother bowed his head with a sincere smile.

“I will learn a lot from the former Administrative Officer. Nugent, I need your strength.”

Count Antoine extended his hand to Infidel. The two men shook hands, smiling at each other.

[This is the timeline separator]

After the ceremony, the ball naturally began.

It was the Grand Duke’s role to start the first dance.

Brigadier General Moby standing next to me asked Ergo,

“Who will be His Highness’s first partner?”

“Hmm. Lady Lauren of the Count family? Or Lady Sophia of the Viscount family?”

Although they were whispering, their voices were so loud that I could hear them.

The commander of the 4th Division – Brigadier General Dag, who lost one arm in the battle with Caligari – also chimed in.

“Isn’t Count Barkun’s granddaughter also making her debut in society this time?”

“Oh, is that so?! I heard she’s very beautiful and wise!”

Moby spoke with great excitement and at the same time as if worried,

“It’s about time for him to get married, tsk.”

“It’s already late, he’s been wandering only on battlefields.”

Ergo retorted.

I silently looked at the opposite side.

Beautiful noble ladies were gathered there.

Is it because of the cold of the North? There were many ladies with exceptionally white and clean skin.

They looked less worn and kinder than the noble ladies of the Empire.

‘That’s good. He can meet one of those ladies.’

At that moment.

Why?

Suddenly, a corner of my heart ached as if being cut.

But I couldn’t show that I was in pain, so I forced a smile.

The Grand Duke, who had come down from the platform, slowly walked towards the ladies.

The attention of all knights and nobles was focused there.

The faces of the ladies, which were more visible from the opposite side, were flushed.

They all pretend not to look at the Grand Duke while watching him.

Unconsciously, they tuck their hair behind their ears or fan themselves even though it’s not hot.

I lowered my head. Looking at the silent and constant stone floor seemed to calm my inexplicably stirring heart.

That’s when it happened. People started to buzz.

When I raised my head, I saw the Grand Duke extending his hand to Daisy Antoine.

“Oh! A wise decision!”

Ergo said excitedly. Moby also smiled.

“That’s right, after all, the Antoine family is the protagonist of today. The only lady of the Antoine family is the partner for the first dance, hoho!”

Other ladies looked at Daisy enviously.

I see. Today’s protagonist is Antoine.

I found myself smiling slightly without realizing it.

‘It’s a wise decision, Your Highness.’

But Daisy, who should have been happy, looked at me with a tearful face.

Huh? Why is she like that?

Count Antoine, standing next to Daisy, cleared his throat and said something to his daughter.

Only then did Daisy quickly take the hand offered by the Grand Duke. She lifted the hem of her mini dress slightly and curtsied.

“Cute!”

Someone’s exclamation burst out from among the ladies.

Then Daisy haughtily raised her nose and glanced at the direction where the exclamation came from. As if to say, how dare you call me cute.

The Grand Duke and Daisy walked to the center of the hall. The musicians seated in a corner of the hall began to play.

A slow and beautiful dance tune that matched the ending winter of the North.

I watched the two of them with a willing heart while listening to that music.

Due to the Grand Duke’s tall height, Daisy ended up dancing while hanging with her arms raised high.

When the Grand Duke bent his waist to accommodate the young lady, that sight also became a very amusing and cute scene.

In between dances, Daisy kept looking at me with a tearful face. Each time, I gave her a questioning expression.

Because I really didn’t know why.

‘Surely it’s not because she couldn’t have her first dance with me.’

Surely not.

But after a while, after exchanging a few words with the Grand Duke, Daisy laughed brightly.

‘She looks like she’s having fun.’

I found myself smiling continuously as I watched that scene.

And so the Grand Duke’s dance ended.

But as soon as the dance ended, Daisy walked towards me as if she was about to fly. Then she extended her hand to me.

“First dance! I wanted to dance with you, Sir Knight.”

She puffed up her cheeks in a sulky manner.

“Sir Knight, did you forget? My first dance?”

‘Ah…’

I smiled.

“I didn’t dare think I would take precedence over His Highness the Grand Duke. I told you, didn’t I? That I’m not good at dancing.”

When I joked as if making a threat, Daisy laughed.

“It’s okay because I’m good at it!”

I was dragged to the center of the hall by Daisy’s lead.

A melody slightly faster than the first song.

I’d prefer a slow song, but a fast one… For a moment, my mind became complicated.

‘Should I move quickly? How should I move my feet?’

When I danced with Medeia in the Imperial Palace, the situation was so fierce that I didn’t even think about having to dance well.

That dance was nothing more than moving while blindfolded and swinging a sword. But now.

People’s gazes were pouring on Daisy and me. I could faintly hear whispers saying that’s the Sword Master.

The eyes of the northern ladies looking at me contained strange curiosity and envy.

Thanks to that, I became stiff.

“Ouch!”

Daisy, whose foot was stepped on by mine, wrinkled her nose.

“Ah, I’m sorry!”

Daisy laughed.

“It’s okay. Now, one, two, three! Turn now!”

“Ah!”

“Ack!”

When I, taller than Daisy, grabbed the lady’s arm and turned, the lady screamed softly as if in pain.

“Oh! I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay.”

The lady tried to smile bravely.

“I think you need some special dance lessons.”

“Ah… I guess so.”

I laughed awkwardly out of guilt.

When I looked up then, my eyes met with the Grand Duke who was watching me.

The Grand Duke was smiling at me with lazily curved eyes. But when our eyes met, he turned his gaze towards Daisy.

‘I must be dancing pretty badly.’

At that moment, Daisy said,

“Sir Knight, earlier when His Highness the Grand Duke asked if I didn’t want to dance, I honestly told him. That I had promised to have my first dance with you.”

“Ah, really? Is that true?”

I asked back in surprise.

“Yes, and then he just laughed. So I asked why he was laughing, and he said he laughs without knowing when he thinks of you.”

“?!”

“He says he becomes happy, even when he’s not happy. I didn’t understand what it meant because it was too difficult, so I just pretended to understand and laughed a lot too.”

The lady laughed.

He becomes happy even when he’s not happy when he sees me? His Highness?

“Perhaps… he’s happy because I handle the sword well.”

I said that to the young lady. Then Daisy nodded her head greatly as if she understood.

The first dance, like an aerial bombardment, ended like that.

[This is the timeline separator]

That night.

At the time when an unusually bright moon illuminates the darkness.

I headed towards the garden of the Grand Duke’s castle, where I heard wild flowers had just started to bloom, looking up at the moon that shone like a silver sculpture.

The natural garden that is said to occupy most of the high and wide plateau on the outskirts of the castle.

I had wanted to visit it at least once after hearing about it from Arcadia, but I couldn’t because I was busy.

I wanted to walk freely there, breathing in the clear air.

I started walking barefoot, without even carrying a sword.

The fragrance emitted by the lush forest and subtle flowers tickled my nose. I took a deep breath.

It was when I had come to a distance neither far nor close from the main castle.

– Rustle

A low sound of stepping on fallen leaves was heard.

I tensed for a moment.

‘What is it? Walking with such a low sound.’

I stopped walking.

Could it be an assassin?

I looked around. But no one was visible.

‘I should have brought my sword.’

I scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.

After a while.

– Rustle

That sound was heard again. It’s definitely not the sound of an animal.

I quickly hid behind a large tree. And silently approached towards where the sound was coming from.

Finally, I found a large shadow moving slowly.

The surroundings were dark night.

I pounced on the owner of that shadow.

At that moment, the owner of the shadow wrapped his arm around my neck.

‘An attack?’

We tangled in the darkness.

When I aimed for his vital points, he grabbed my solar plexus.

‘If only I had my sword! Hand-to-hand combat is not enough.’

Just then, the moon reappeared from behind the clouds.

I froze when I saw the owner of the black shadow revealed in the moonlight.

“Your Highness?!”

It was the Grand Duke.

The Grand Duke also looked at me as if surprised.

I’m grabbing the Grand Duke’s collar. His bare skin is exposed through the collar I’ve torn.

“You…”

The Grand Duke was also holding my collar as if about to throw me, pressing me down.

As a result, I ended up in his arms with my waist bent backward.

His hand is holding my clothes as if about to tear them. Without realizing it, I looked at my body.

As the moonlight moved, my bare skin started to be revealed.