‘A crow?’

When Litania stopped in her tracks, startled, Bain who was beside her asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Bain, over there… Oh?”

The crow that was sitting on the windowsill peering inside disappeared in that brief moment when it turned its gaze towards Bain.

‘Did I see wrong?’

A large body with wings as black as ink. It seemed like their eyes had definitely met.

Litania’s heart began to beat rapidly. As if sensing her unease, Bain gently wrapped an arm around Litania’s shoulders and spoke softly.

“If you’re feeling unwell, shall I escort you to the lounge?”

“Ah, no. I’m fine.”

As Litania smiled awkwardly, Bain’s eyes softened and a warm light settled over his green irises. He slowly led her into the hall while maintaining eye contact.

“Would you dance with me? …Litania.”

His voice trembled slightly, as if he felt awkward calling her name. The masquerade ball was a place to conceal one’s identity. So calling the princess by name wasn’t necessarily disrespectful.

Litania also felt a bit more relaxed at Bain’s polite approach, as if trying to reassure her. As she took his right hand and placed her arm on his left shoulder, his large hand enveloped her lower back.

Startled by the unfamiliar man’s body heat, Litania missed the first beat and ended up stepping on Bain’s foot.

“Ah! Bain, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. Please lean on me.”

Bain lifted Litania naturally, as if water flowing, and took the first step. Her skirt fluttered lightly with his movements.

Though not as much as Orbis, Bain also seemed quite adept at dancing. She had heard he hadn’t attended many balls due to his long service as a guard knight, so where and how did he practice dancing?

As Litania tilted her head up slightly, her eyes met Bain’s.

“If you’re concerned about people’s gazes, you can just look at me.”

“…Alright.”

As she listened to the calm voice enveloping her ears and was about to entrust herself to Bain’s arms, one side of the hall became noisy and a familiar face suddenly appeared.

It was Miller, Bain’s subordinate and deputy commander.

“Your Highness, excuse me!”

It was forbidden to use titles revealing one’s identity during a masquerade ball, but Litania couldn’t point that out due to Miller’s extremely urgent expression.

Just as Bain was about to scold Miller with a stern face, Miller spoke first.

“Commander, I apologize, but you need to come for a moment.”

“What happened?”

“All the magic stones decorating the lighting in the outer corridor of the Crystal Palace have disappeared. There might be a thief in the imperial palace.”

Bain’s eyes sharpened and his arm holding Litania tensed. When she let out a small groan of surprise, Bain quickly released her and stepped back, bowing at the waist.

“Excuse me, Your Highness. I must go investigate.”

It was not as her dance partner, but as the guard knight protecting her and the imperial palace’s safety. Litania nodded slightly.

“I’m fine. Go ahead, Bain.”

“You granted me the honor of accompanying you… I apologize for this discourtesy.”

When Bain raised his head, his eyes were full of regret. The moment she faced that, Litania felt a strange sensation.

Unlike him, who seemed reluctant to part from Litania, she didn’t feel particularly perplexed or embarrassed that Bain stopped dancing to go investigate the scene.

The weight of emotions is so different.

Realizing this, a shallow sense of guilt seemed to prick her heart, and Litania quickly averted her gaze.

“I don’t think it’s discourteous at all. I… like how responsibly you approach your duties, Bain.”

She thought his adherence to chivalry was admirable.

She was moved by his consideration for her and felt immensely grateful.

However, her feelings did not grow beyond that.

Litania liked Bain when he was her ‘guard knight’.

“…Yes. I’ll be back.”

He replied in a much more subdued voice before quickly leaving the ballroom with Miller.

The hall, which had been briefly noisy, was once again filled with music and laughter as if nothing had happened, as soon as the two men disappeared.

‘I’m a bit tired.’

Ilena and Barbara must have also attended the ball, but when she tried to look for them, they were hard to spot.

‘Is it because everyone is wearing masks?’

Several people looked different from usual. Watching the colorful masks changing partners and dancing under the brilliant lights quickly made her feel dazed, as if drunk even though she hadn’t had any alcohol.

It was only when she saw a man who looked like Vapor watching her from afar, then quickly hiding among people as soon as their eyes met, that Litania came to her senses a bit and slipped into a corner.

‘I need to drink something.’

Thinking she would rest for a while before returning to the Glass Palace, Litania received a glass of champagne from the bartender.

Small bubbles rose in the shimmering golden liquid. The glass, sparkling in the chandelier’s light, looked as if it contained waves of light.

‘Waves of golden light…’

Fearing she might think of someone who wasn’t present again, Litania took a deep breath and sipped the champagne.

Along with the fresh fruit aroma, the refreshing carbonation bubbles spread throughout her mouth, giving a cool sensation.

Is it peach flavor? The sweet, tangy taste was unexpectedly pleasant.

As Litania, having emptied her glass, looked for a place to put it down, someone took the glass from her hand.

“Huh?”

Neat, long fingers placed the transparent glass on the table. A silhouette composed of flowing lines, as if painted with a brush, approached her side.

“Excuse me. You seemed to be looking for a place to put your glass.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you…”

Litania replied with a slightly dazed expression.

‘Who is this?’

He was a tall man with slightly wavy silver hair. Wearing a teal mask decorated with azurite, he had familiar blue eyes.

Even with the mask, it was difficult to completely hide his beauty.

If such a handsome man existed, rumors would surely spread.

When their eyes met, she felt slightly tipsy and hiccupped, so Litania covered her mouth and took a step back.

“You’re weak to alcohol, I see.”

“P-Pardon?”

“Your face has turned red.”

The man smiled gently, his eyes crinkling. The corners of his red lips lifted slightly.

It was an enchanting expression.

Beautiful silver hair. Deep, vivid blue eyes. An elegant coat that looked black at first glance, but appeared dark teal where the light hit it, and a neat attire.

At a glance, the man looked like a high-ranking nobleman.

Litania stared blankly at the man, then realizing she had been staring too intently, quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry. To show such rudeness to someone I’ve just met…”

“I don’t consider it rude, but if you feel sorry towards me just now.”

A large, elegant hand was extended before her.

“Would you dance with me? Beautiful lady.”

“…Pardon?”

At a masquerade ball, people dance and converse without knowing each other’s identities, or pretending not to know even if they do.

So it wasn’t strange at all to ask for a dance without introductions between strangers.

It wasn’t strange, but.

She felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

“Um. Perhaps your name…”

“My, isn’t tonight a time to enjoy without asking anything of each other?”

“Ah.”

“Then, lovely lady. Will you give me your answer?”

The way his long eyelashes gently covered his eyes was just like a bird’s wingbeat.

Can a person be this beautiful? Litania raised only her hand, avoiding his gaze for fear she might stare blankly again if their eyes met.

“If, if it’s just one song.”

“Then I shall wish for that one song to never end.”

The large hand gently grasped her small one and led her, then smooth lips descended on the back of her hand.

It felt as if a moist flower petal had been placed there, and Litania parted her lips slightly, letting out a soft sigh.

Along with a sweet fragrance, the delicate lace-trimmed cravat drew closer.

Fearing she might bump her nose into his chest, Litania consciously tried to pull back.

No, she tried to, but.

“If you try to run away before we’ve even started, what shall I do?”

“Ah, no. This is…”

“Perhaps moving your body lightly will help clear the effects of alcohol a bit.”

A low, deep voice settled by her ear. As Litania flinched and shrank back, the man embraced her waist and began to dance to the languorous melody.

It was an elegant movement, as if gliding on water.

She heard someone exclaim in admiration. Looking up, she saw a large chandelier above their heads.

The two of them, having drifted to the center of the hall without realizing, were now dancing surrounded by sparkling lights.

Eyes behind different masks widened in surprise as they watched the pair.

“Who could that be? That beautiful person.”

“We know the brown-haired lady well. But that silver hair…?”

“Oh my. Come to think of it, wasn’t she with a red-haired gentleman earlier?”

The whispers that had been too quiet to hear when Litania appeared with Bain were now audible.

Intriguing whispers and murmurs collided with the string instrument’s melody and scattered into fragments.

Litania looked up at him while leaning against the firm arm embracing her.

She had clearly said just one song, but strangely, being in his arms made the dance feel unusually long.

“The song… is long.”

“Indeed it is.”

“You didn’t cast a spell, did you?”

Litania gently buried her face in his chest. The cool silk felt pleasant against her cheek, flushed from the alcohol.

“Orbis.”