Ernant waited for me calmly, without withdrawing his outstretched hand.

Like a gentleman asking a lady he fancies for a dance.

Before taking his hand, I asked Ernant:

“What if I refuse…?”

“Then I’d be very angry. I might plan something bad.”

“You’ll do something bad if I refuse to dance? Is that a threat?”

“Of course it’s a threat. How about it, now you have no choice but to dance with me, right?”

Such brazenness to openly admit it’s a threat.

I let out a deep sigh and finally took his hand.

“…I’ll dance one song, just for practice.”

Hearing my answer, Ernant signaled to the violinist standing in the corner.

The violinist was someone who had come with Ernant, likely brought along from the start with the intention of dancing with me.

At this point, I really had no choice but to dance, so I lightly began to step.

As I moved my body, Ernant spoke with a slightly surprised look:

“I thought you didn’t know the basics, but you dance well?”

“I’ve watched the other ladies dance at every event with my eyes.”

“You’re this good just from watching, without formal lessons? That’s impressive. With a week… no, just three more days of practice, you’d dance much better than others.”

Thanks to my training as a knight since childhood, I was much more agile than ordinary ladies.

It may be natural for me to learn dance easily.

Ernant, who was holding my waist as we danced, nodded as if he had expected this.

“At this level, you definitely won’t embarrass yourself. In fact, everyone will be surprised by your dancing skills.”

“That’s a relief, but… I’m still not keen on it. I don’t want to do anything that stands out to others. Above all, I feel bad for the guy I had agreed to be partners with before promising His Majesty…”

“Still going on about that…? That partner you had prior arrangements with, Karl was it? He’s not suitable for you anyway. Being part of the knighthood, it would be a bit awkward for him to be your sole partner. Or—”

Ernant lowered his voice at that point and whispered in my ear.

“Are you just using that guy as an excuse because you don’t want to be with me?”

“…”

I couldn’t respond immediately to that question.

Because it was true.

The perceptive Ernant seemed to have already realized that I was using Karl’s name as an excuse because I didn’t want to be his partner.

When I didn’t say anything, he let out a dry laugh as if he had known all along.

“I don’t know how much more I need to try to appease you. I thought I’d already done enough.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“…”

“Sometimes there are things that can’t be undone even with effort.”

This wasn’t a lie to irritate Ernant.

I really didn’t care if he didn’t try to mend our relationship.

No, I’d rather he didn’t do anything at all.

Once a relationship is broken, it can’t go back to how it was before, no matter how much you try to patch it up later.

Useless efforts would only cause unnecessary emotional drain for both of us.

“…”

Hearing my cold reply, Ernant kept his mouth shut for a while.

We continued dancing quietly without exchanging any words.

Ernant opened his mouth again when the song was almost over.

“At least tell me why you’re acting like this. Did you hear some false rumors about me somewhere?”

“I haven’t heard anything like that.”

“Then what’s the reason for suddenly changing your attitude? Just tell me.”

I wanted to open up to him too, but I couldn’t reveal the fact that I had regressed.

So I pondered for a moment on how to make him understand.

After such a long deliberation, I suddenly confessed to him.

“As you probably knew long ago, I once had feelings for Your Majesty.”

“…”

“I had feelings even though I knew it was one-sided. I believed that at least Your Majesty cared for me. I thought that maybe someday… I might have a chance.”

Ernant’s body flinched for a moment upon hearing my sudden confession.

He probably knew long ago that I had feelings for him, but this was the first time I had openly said it out loud.

For that reason, he seemed quite shocked, but soon replied calmly.

“I do care for you, Yulia. Sincerely.”

“You care for me?”

Ernant didn’t even blink as he told this lie.

Thinking again how remarkable this was, I posed another question to him.

“Then would Your Majesty cry for me?”

“What?”

“When I’m dying from drinking poison, will you cry by my side?”

It was a question I already knew the answer to.

Even knowing the answer, I waited for Ernant’s response.

Would he tell the truth? Or would he lie to gain my favor?

Curious whether what came out of his mouth would be truth or lies, I waited patiently.

Unfortunately, what Ernant chose was a lie.

“…Of course. If you die, I’ll be truly sad. I’d shed tears incomparable to others crying.”

“…”

“So don’t even mention dying.”

When he said ‘I’d shed tears incomparable to others crying’, I almost burst out laughing.

How could he tell such a blatant and cunning lie without changing his expression?

I still vividly remember the smile you wore as I was dying, how can you tell me such a lie?

Barely calming my inner turmoil of unidentifiable emotions, I called out to him.

“Your Majesty… No, Ernant.”

I had called him ‘Your Majesty’ my whole life, but I didn’t want to do so now.

A look of surprise flashed across his face as my lips and tongue pronounced Ernant’s name.

The hand holding my waist also trembled slightly.

I pressed my body closer to him as he exhaled a moist breath, and then whispered in his ear.

“You won’t cry even if I die.”

“…”

“I can guarantee it. And that’s… the reason why I avoid Your Majesty.”

After saying that, I distanced my body that I had pressed close.

Then Ernant, who had been embracing my waist, flexed his arm muscles to pull me back into his arms.

For that reason, our bodies were about to press together again, but fortunately the music ended just before that.

He had been persistently holding onto me until the end, but finally let go of my waist when he saw Johannes approaching us.

“…We’ll continue our unfinished conversation at the event.”

With those final words, Ernant turned to leave.

He quickly moved away from Johannes and me, and I sighed as I watched his retreating figure.

Continuing the conversation ‘at the event’…

I thought it would end if he just let me go, but somehow I had an ominous feeling that our connection would continue much more persistently.

On the way back to the imperial palace.

Inside the carriage, Ernant chewed on his innocent lips.

It was because the conversation he had with Yulia kept disturbing his mind.

Earlier, while dancing with Ernant, Yulia had said:

You won’t cry for me, and that’s why I avoid you.

Yulia’s expression was quite serious when she said that, so Ernant could easily tell it wasn’t a joke.

However—

“…Nonsense.”

Ernant dismissed Yulia’s words as nonsense.

How could she guarantee whether Ernant himself would cry or not after her death?

It’s not like she had died before.

That’s why he didn’t believe Yulia’s words.

There must be another reason why Yulia was avoiding Ernant himself.

There were many factors around that could have changed Yulia’s heart.

Did Martin entice her? If not that… did she find out about what I’m secretly preparing?

Ernant chewed on his fingernails while making such conjectures.

If Martin had enticed Yulia to his side, that would actually be fortunate.

If it wasn’t that, and she had discovered the plan Ernant was secretly preparing, their relationship would truly be irreparable.

The plan he was preparing was that dangerous.

It must not be discovered by anyone.

For now, I should assume she’s been swayed by Martin.

Ernant stopped biting his fingernails as he thought this.

It felt dirty, but it didn’t matter.

He just had to get her back.

Yulia was still useful.

It wasn’t just because she was a knight that she was useful.

Yulia’s thin, firm waist that he had held while dancing together.

The cool scent that brushed his nose with every movement…

Although the time they danced together was short, during that brief time, everything about Yulia was clearly imprinted in Ernant’s mind.

It was the first time ever. The first time Yulia’s waistline, scent, and skin felt so stimulating.

He felt the sensation of ‘being aroused’ for the first time, which he hadn’t felt when he saw her in the knighthood uniform.

“…”

Ernant, who had been closing his eyes and recalling Yulia’s image, suddenly clenched his fist.

With that hand that had held her… he made a resolution to grasp Yulia again.

Translation complete. 100% of original text translated.