Isabella, who danced the first waltz of the ball with the prince, felt as if she could fly into the sky.

It was disappointing that she couldn’t stand in the center of the stage, but while Ariadne merely danced her life’s first official waltz with Count Cesare, Isabella herself had danced with none other than Prince Alfonso!

Isabella’s friends flocked to her in groups of three or five to hear the news.

“Isabella! It’s amazing that you danced with the prince!”

It was the rough but always genuinely adoring Viscountess Leonetti. Isabella flipped her hair by her ear, feeling proud.

Even Marchioness Camelia de Castiglione, who had earlier been praising Ariadne while disparaging Isabella, now subtly offered her own praises to Isabella as if forgetting her earlier actions.

“Your dress is so beautiful too. Is this perhaps a Collezione design?”

Isabella’s nose lifted high. Of course it was from Collezione, hmph! It was a new organza dress that she had barely managed to procure in time by offering an extra 50 ducats, since not just anyone could make a reservation there.

The layered, round skirt looked like precious candy.

“I heard reservations were difficult, how did you manage it?”

The puffed-up Isabella lied smoothly without even licking her lips.

“Well, I made my reservation a bit late so I thought I wouldn’t be able to get it in time. But then Madam Clemenza herself proposed, ‘We would love for Lady Isabella de Mare to wear our clothes, so would you let us tailor a dress for you’!”

In truth, as soon as the date for Ariadne’s debutante ball was announced, Isabella had contacted Collezione. But what she received from them was a reply that reservations were backed up so it would be difficult.

However, Isabella did not give up. She separately contacted Collezione again and asked if they could make her a dress if she opted for their higher-end 50 ducat line (about 50 million won) instead of the commonly tailored 20-30 ducat dresses (about 20-30 million won). She barely managed to get a slot by agreeing to this. But she kept her mouth shut about these details.

The girls, unaware of the truth, collectively let out dolphin-like screams of envy towards Isabella.

“Anyone would think Lady Isabella was the star of this ball!”

Although Viscountess Leonetti said this meaning it as a compliment, Isabella deftly sensed that it could be taken badly and responded with humility.

“No, no, not at all. My sister Ariadne is so beautiful. I can’t even compare to her!”

“You’re being too modest!”

“No, if you say that about me, what does that make the young Lady de Mare?”

The praise was thrilling. It felt like nourishment for the soul. Isabella greatly enjoyed the exclamation point on ‘I, who am superior to Ariadne’, and showed her friends an intentionally kind demeanor.

At that moment, Countess Julia de Valdesar asked a sharp question.

“But Lady de Mare, is it alright to wear white at your sister’s debutante ball?”

Isabella didn’t like perceptive opponents, but she had the perfect alibi ready. With a sugary sweet smile, she recited the answer like a parrot.

“My sister and I have such a strong bond that she told me to match colors with her and wear a white dress first.”

What could a third party say if the person in question was fine with it? Isabella added one more thing with a warm smile.

“Our Ariadne is just so sweet, you know.”

This outwardly seemed like praise for Ariadne, but was actually elevating Isabella herself. Great sister Ariadne who loves Isabella enough to yield her own things to her amazing older sister.

Julia couldn’t further question Isabella and closed her mouth. It wasn’t something she could directly ask Ariadne about, as they weren’t close.

Ah, to be able to shut up even that snooty Countess Valdesar, what a truly great day it was.

There was an end to all things. Even Ariadne’s seemingly endless first waltz finally concluded as the orchestra’s bows stopped moving.

Ariadne bowed to Cesare to show her manners and hurriedly fled from her partner. Not only did she dislike being with Cesare, but the front of her dress had been uncomfortable for a while now.

‘Should I find the powder room…?’

As Ariadne was debating whether to just return to her room on the second floor and rest comfortably, she spotted Prince Alfonso. At the same moment, Alfonso also noticed Ariadne and approached her with a bright face.

“Ariadne!”

“Alfonso!”

Ariadne smiled brightly upon seeing the prince, with a heartfelt sense of gratitude.

“I thought you might have left.”

It was true that Cesare’s appearance had put the prince in an awkward position. Strictly speaking, one could even say he had been humiliated.

If he were a prickly noble, it would be more than enough reason for him to angrily return home. However, Alfonso had silently remained at the party out of consideration for the hosts.

“I can’t very well leave before having danced even once with the star of the day.”

Alfonso grinned and held out his right hand.

“What do you say, young lady? Would you grant me the honor of a waltz with you?”

The suit Alfonso wore was also pure white, the outfit of the debutante’s partner. Ariadne, who could hardly tell him ‘I need to use the powder room so let’s dance later’ when he was dressed like that, ended up taking his hand.

Just then, the orchestra began playing the second waltz piece. They glided smoothly to the center of the main hall and began to dance.

“Cesare wasn’t giving you trouble, was he?”

He seemed to remember the time Cesare had chided Ariadne in the Chivo ducal gardens. Ariadne shook her head as she stepped lightly in time with Alfonso’s lead.

“No, he was oddly gentlemanly today.”

Sensing something suspicious, Prince Alfonso furrowed his brow. Ariadne’s counter-question flew at him.

“By the way, what did you do for the first dance?”

“Me? I danced with your elder sister.”

A dark cloud cast over Ariadne’s face. Beautiful Isabella. She whose fatal charms no man could resist.

“Well? Isn’t our elder sister pretty?”

Although she hated fishing for compliments, the words left her mouth of their own accord. The composure she had cultivated over 9 years of reigning over high society as the regent duke’s fiancée always vanished when it came to Isabella.

As Ariadne was chastising her own unsightliness, thinking she must seem unappealing, Alfonso’s answer returned.

“Pretty? She doesn’t look like you at all.”

It was a much drier response than Ariadne had expected. Unable to help herself, Ariadne added more.

“Everyone was saying how pretty our elder sister is.”

“Oh really? Ah, well, she does look a bit different from ordinary people.”

Isabella had a distinctly slender figure, puppy-like large eyes, and delicate features. She stood out alone even in a chapel filled with ten thousand people. But it seemed she hadn’t made much of an impression on Alfonso.

“I don’t really see it.”

Living in the royal palace, Alfonso had seen countless pretty things.

Pretty faces, pretty wardrobes, pretty fans and pretty jewels. While he could appreciate the pleasure of looking at them, ultimately, physical beauty was replaceable to Alfonso.

In the end, beauties grow old, and younger, more beautiful women always appear. Just as it was foolish to stake one’s life on wardrobes or fans, the same went for beauties.

Alfonso preferred loftier things. A noble spirit, soaring pride, chivalry that didn’t compromise its principles, and noblesse oblige that sacrificed oneself.

Only values that remained untarnished by the passage of time captivated him. The black-haired girl before his eyes and her unfathomable wit was one of the things that mesmerized him. But was that all?

In time with the music, Ariadne made a large turn. Alfonso raised his hand to give her space to spin, and Ariadne also lifted their joined hands high.

– Snap!

Ariadne felt something was wrong. The moment the hooks on her back were put under strain, they spread apart like taffy without any resistance. This was followed by the sensation of the linen cloth ripping apart.

With a loud noise, the seam running down the center of the V-shaped neckline of her dress burst open, revealing her luscious cleavage.

Ariadne froze like a statue in the middle of the waltzing couples, startled. Standing alone amidst the dozens of spinning pairs made her stand out all the more.

People soon took notice as well.

– “Gasp!”

– “Her dress is torn, right?!”

– “Heavens, you can see her cleavage fully exposed.”

“Whew, impressive!”

Amidst this, there was a man who openly whistled. It was Giannobi de Rossi.

Giannobi’s behavior was not only lacking in etiquette by San Carlo high society standards, but by the standards of the entire Etruscan Kingdom. The glares of not only the noblewomen but also the gentlemen all focused on the crude Giannobi who had whistled.

– “Who is that rude man?”

– “His manners are completely boorish.”

Giannobi seemed to realize he had made a huge mistake and shrank his neck like a snake before hurriedly fleeing the ballroom.

The ballroom was in an uproar. That’s when it happened. Alfonso unfastened his ceremonial cloak and wrapped the petrified Ariadne inside it.

The snow-white cloak largely embroidered the ballroom floor like flower petals for a moment before shrinking into a small bud, enveloping Ariadne.

“Pardon me. Let me through.”

With Ariadne in one arm, Alfonso pushed through the crowd towards the powder room set up behind the ballroom. But upon seeing it teeming with other young ladies, he asked Ariadne’s intention.

“The powder room is crowded, do you still want to go there?”

The moment Ariadne heard ‘crowded’, she shook her head while wrapped in the white cloak. The first floor powder room was already packed with Isabella’s friends chattering noisily.

“Let’s go to the second floor, to my room.”

Alfonso took Ariadne up to the second floor and headed to her room at the end of the west wing.

As they entered Ariadne’s sitting room, Sancha and Ariadne’s close maids hurriedly came and took Ariadne from Alfonso’s arms.

“My lady, I’ll bring a dressing gown for now!”

After seating Ariadne on the sofa, Sancha dashed into the inner dressing room. Seeing Ariadne’s face a mess with tears, Anna ran to fetch cosmetics while Maria left to get tea to calm the young miss.

Left alone in the sitting room, Alfonso finally realized Ariadne was crying so hard she could barely breathe.

“Ariadne, are you alright?”

Finding no cloth and making do by wiping Ariadne’s tear-streaked face with his own sleeve cuff, Alfonso asked. Sobbing, Ariadne managed to choke out a single sentence.

“It’s humiliating…!”

Ringing in Ariadne’s mind was something Isabella had said.

– “Your breasts are so big and saggy, I thought you were a milk cow.”

She had ended up exposing in front of countless people an intimate part that a modest lady should keep hidden. Moreover, that part was truly ugly and unsightly in Ariadne’s opinion.

In her head, Ariadne was automatically replaying the criticisms of others that she hadn’t even actually heard.

– ‘So hideous.’

– ‘A woman with nothing to offer, throwing herself at men like that.’

– ‘Shameless daughter of a lowly maid!’

– ‘Vulgarly enticing Count Cesare with your milk jugs on display?’

Alfonso pulled the crying Ariadne, cloak and all, into his embrace.

When Prince Alfonso broke into sobs as a child, Queen Marguerite would always hold him like this. Conveying warmth through physical touch was the best way Alfonso knew to comfort someone.

“Don’t cry, Ariadne. It’s alright. Everything will be fine.”

Ariadne’s weeping gradually subsided, matching the rhythm of Alfonso patting her back. Once she seemed to have calmed down somewhat, Alfonso quietly looked at her tear-soaked face.

“Feeling a bit better now?”

Hiccupping, Ariadne nodded. But she couldn’t stop the worries from rushing in.

“Everyone saw, didn’t they? It must have been ghastly…!”

To both questions, Alfonso’s answer was ‘no’.

“It was really brief. Most probably didn’t see much. And ghastly? What was?”

Ariadne couldn’t bring herself to say the words ‘saggy breasts’ out loud. Alfonso continued comforting Ariadne.

“Nowadays, many older ladies wear necklines that low! They probably thought it was fashion.”

Ariadne bowed her head between the cloak to check how much the neckline had ripped. Blushing, Alfonso turned his face away and pretended not to see.

The neckline was torn open all the way down to right above her navel. Through the ripped seam, her lush cleavage perched atop gaunt ribs could be glimpsed. Ariadne’s face crumpled again. Alfonso unthinkingly blurted out his true feelings.

“It, it was pretty.”

That’s why I covered you with my cloak. So no one else could see.

I want to be the only one to see you. I don’t want to show your lovely appearance to others.