The ballroom fell silent as if someone had poured cold water over it.

It was Ileon who broke the quiet stillness, in which not even a breath could be heard.

“I’d like to know the reason you turned down my dance request.”

“…….”

“I do hope it’s a convincing reason. I’d be somewhat, no, greatly disappointed otherwise.”

Celia Brillion quietly gazed at Ileon, whose face showed no sign of disappointment.

Celia knew Ileon was interested in her.

The emotion Ileon felt toward her was fainter than greed, yet stronger than the pure passion of a curious seeker.

“The reason I declined….”

Celia deliberately let her voice trail off, softly chuckling.

“There happens to be someone else who desires me.”

Gasps rose from the crowd at Celia’s bold words.

Noblewomen began gossiping about her.

“Isn’t she truly insane? To say such a thing before His Majesty while being escorted by Duke Calypso?”

“Now that I see it, the Brillion angel is rather foolish. She’s loved just for breathing, so she’s forgotten her place.”

“What good is beauty if she behaves so brazenly, regardless of the setting?”

Celia paid no mind to the whispers around her.

What others thought of her didn’t matter at all.

She was used to biased glances—by now, they didn’t even tickle.

Back at the Viscount Brillion’s estate, Celia had tried her best to stay quiet.

She stayed low, like one flattened on the ground, silently enduring as multiple blades sharpened around her.

Yet people never left her in peace.

The people of the viscount’s estate constantly sought to twist her back and squeeze money from others, while men endlessly craved and desired her.

So, to Celia, it made no difference whether the man before her was an emperor or a beggar.

“His Imperial Majesty will surely punish her, won’t He? The fair Emperor wouldn’t just let such insolence go unpunished.”

“Of course He will.”

The noblewomen seemed to secretly hope Celia would be punished.

But Ileon cleanly betrayed their expectations.

Far from being displeased at being rejected, Ileon burst into hearty laughter.

“Since there’s someone else who desires you, there’s nothing I can do.”

Ileon did not punish Celia in any way.

“The night is shorter than one thinks, so I sincerely hope you enjoy every happy moment with that person.”

Ileon’s gaze shifted toward Dietrich Calypso.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

With those final words, Ileon calmly exited the ballroom.

Celia glared at Ileon’s retreating back.

Suddenly, a hand was thrust before her.

Celia looked up at the owner of the hand.

Tightly pressed lips, a broad forehead, and gentle, tender eyes directed at her.

The one who had extended his hand was none other than Dietrich Calypso.

“Would you care to dance with me?”

Celia smiled warmly at Dietrich, who spoke with formal politeness.

“Gladly.”

The orchestra played a soft melody.

Dietrich’s large hand wrapped around Celia’s waist.

Their hands met, fingers intertwining at each joint.

Celia began dancing with Dietrich at the center of the ballroom.

The two moved in perfect harmony.

For this moment, they cast aside everything that hindered them and focused solely on each other.

Celia’s graceful waist dipped into Dietrich’s embrace and then lifted away.

As they drew close, dancing passionately, their eyes met at a distance where their lips nearly touched, and both burst into bright, unreserved laughter.

People kept stealing glances at the beautiful pair.

To the two, lost in each other, no one else existed.

Reina Gredrick, wearing a red half-mask, watched the entire scene from behind a marble pillar.

“…Freaking mad.”

The man beside Reina flinched at her sharp curse.

Reina glanced sideways at him.

He was a pitifully thin man, hunched like a turtle, with a body as dry as dried anchovies.

His bangs were so long his dark blue hair completely covered his mask—she wondered if he could even see.

Frowning, Reina followed the direction his gaze was fixed on.

His eyes were locked onto Celia, dancing with Dietrich.

“She’s mine… she’s mine. Celia is. She promised she’d only look at me…”

The man muttered darkly to himself.

His voice, grating like metal scraping, carried intense desire toward Celia.

Observing the man, Reina suddenly had an idea.

“What do you want?”

Reina suddenly spoke to the man, interrupting his muttering.

“I’m someone very powerful. If you desire that woman, I might hand her over to you directly.”

At Reina’s words, the man’s head twisted unnaturally toward her.

“Hand her over? Celia?”

The man’s informal tone angered Reina, but driven by her determination to ruin Celia, she chose not to confront his rudeness.

“She was originally mine. She belonged to me. From the moment she smiled at me in that mansion, she was mine.”

Reina judged the man’s delusion to be more severe than expected.

But she thought it was fortunate.

She continued egging him on.

“Oh? If she was originally yours, then you should take her back.”

“Take her back?”

“You had something you wanted taken from you—would you just stand by and watch? Of course you should take her back.”

“That’s right. Why… why did I just stand by and watch?”

The man clenched his fist tightly, then dropped his head weakly.

“But… I’m weak.”

Reina inwardly clicked her tongue and glanced around.

Perhaps because they were behind a pillar, luckily no one else was nearby.

Reina personally placed a vial filled with red liquid into the man’s hand.

“It’s a potion.”

“…A potion?”

“Yes. It takes effect within a minute. It causes intense excitement, strong enough to cloud one’s mind. If you give this to that woman, she’ll desire only you.”

“C-Can I really have something so precious from you?”

Reina shrugged.

“It’s very valuable, so don’t tell anyone I gave it to you.”

Reina planned to firmly deny any involvement, even if the man caused an incident.

It was far easier to handle others by using someone else’s hands than by dirtying her own.

She had learned this from her older brother, Ileon.

Thinking she was wearing a mask and it was dark enough that the man wouldn’t recognize her, Reina quickly left the ballroom.

Celia and Dietrich.

The day these two happily danced together would end today.

Reina ground her teeth.

—You should find someone else to warm your bed. Seems I’m just too much of a perfectionist.

The same man who had spoken so coldly to her could smile so tenderly at that woman.

When she’d gone to her older brother, seeking help out of frustration, his reply was:

—Poor Reina. You’ve lost completely to Lady Celia. You’ll never have Dietrich, not for all eternity.

Reina couldn’t accept those words.

Celia? That woman had nothing but her looks.

An orphan from the streets, with no real power or status.

How could such a worthless woman become Dietrich’s lover?

It was unbelievable that Dietrich, with his immense power and impeccable lineage, would choose such a pitiful woman over someone as outstanding as herself.

Worse, her brother, knowing how Dietrich had treated her, still gave that woman the first dance.

Reina bit her lower lip until it bled.

She wanted Celia ruined.

Only by seeing Celia flailing in the depths of despair would this suffocating frustration ease, even slightly.

The potion she had given to the sinister man was extremely potent.

Originally intended for Dietrich, Reina had changed her plan.

She wanted to see Celia utterly destroyed by that potion.

It was Reina who had spread the rumor that Celia was a witch who devoured men.

But that hadn’t hurt Celia much.

She needed something bigger. Something stronger.

As soon as Celia and Dietrich finished dancing, people approached them as if they had been waiting.

“Your Grace, Duke Calypso.”

Despite the change in emperor, Dietrich’s power remained firm.

He still held the title of duke and served as commander of the Imperial Knights.

People showered Dietrich with flattery, trying to win his favor.

“I thought it was just a rumor. I had no idea Your Grace was actually involved with the Brillion angel.”

The men said this while subtly scanning Celia with their eyes.

Dietrich blocked their gazes, using his broad frame to shield Celia.

“I’d appreciate it if you stopped staring.”

Caught in their intentions, the men gave awkward smiles.

“Apologies. She’s simply too beautiful.”

“We’ll take our leave now.”

Dietrich took Celia’s hand and left the ballroom.

Celia softly smiled, gazing at Dietrich’s dependable back.

Yet as she exited the ballroom, she spotted someone waving at her—and her expression quickly turned cold.