Somehow it felt like it had been a long time since I met his gaze. On the day of the dress fitting, I was busy avoiding his eyes, and on Tuesday, he left as soon as he saw the performance, so there was no chance to bump into him separately.

Is he not touching me because I’m being obedient? But speaking of that, wasn’t there a time before when I was troubled because he gently scratched my insides? Emilia slowly approached him and placed her fingertips on the large hand extended in front of her.

His body temperature was still high. It was like this even though only this much was touching. It was so different from his cold nature. He gently grasped her hand.

She looked down blankly at her held hand, then looked up at him as he turned around, with a faint smile on her lips. Well, there was nothing new. To her, he was just a being that was inherently different.

The magnificent golden palace was softly enveloped in the blue moonlight. The carriages arriving one by one and the people gathering in the ballroom were all adorned with luxurious things from head to toe.

Among the people who were so lavishly decorated that even their masks had no gaps, some women in particular were entering with exposed skin, forgetting the cold.

Next to a woman who wrapped a thin scarf around her body as if to hide the goosebumps that had risen, clinging to her to show off her figure, was a man who did not hide his desire.

Although it was a gathering of the upper class who boasted of being noble with their own mouths, they comfortably enjoyed tonight’s party as if everything was hidden behind a single mask.

“It’s better than I thought? I was going to leave if it was an old-fashioned party.”

Watching people enjoying themselves as they entered, as the masked ball started as soon as they entered, the woman wearing a red mask smoothly raised the corner of her mouth.

The man standing next to her, Alessandro, wearing a silver mask with huge horns, let out a soft laugh.

“I hoped you would enjoy yourself comfortably since you came here. We’ve already had the conversation we wanted anyway.”

“That’s right. I gained a moment of freedom and you gained justification.”

Vivian Caernt looked very satisfied. Although she was the first princess of the Caernt Kingdom, she had a bold personality and enjoyed partying recklessly, so she quite enjoyed these secretive parties.

The problem was that the king, knowing her nature, absolutely refused to send her to foreign countries, but when Alessandro mentioned harmony and invited the princess, he couldn’t refuse, so this situation inevitably occurred.

Vivian, who suddenly received an invitation, wondered what it was about when she was invited to the Treano Kingdom, but demanding exclusive rights to parts and in return promising to invite her to these debauched parties occasionally? It was too satisfactory.

Of course, if the royals of the Caernt Kingdom knew this fact, they might say something like giving that away for just a party, but it was a deal that wouldn’t be a problem because there was nothing to lose by giving exclusive rights only to Treano.

Originally, the Caernt Kingdom was the first place to make trains, so wealth accumulated day by day and it was a place where money was not scarce. In this world where science is developing day by day, the condition of giving away one of the small parts belonging to the train and guaranteeing part of the newly developed car was not a bad condition at all.

‘We can’t invent the car now. Rather, it’s not bad if successful ones buy a lot of our parts, and in the process, we foster thick harmony.’

Alessandro took a glass of champagne from a passing servant’s tray and handed one to Vivian. Vivian smiled seductively, gently curving her red-painted lips as if hiding her true feelings.

“To your success.”

“To your freedom.”

The conversation was more uninhibited as they refrained from using titles to hide their identities. Vivian sipped her champagne and slowly scanned her surroundings.

“By the way, didn’t you say you had someone to introduce me to?”

“Yes, he’ll be here soon. If you have to have an arranged marriage anyway, wouldn’t it be better to have someone who won’t touch you even if you live freely?”

“Well, that’s true. But who is it?”

“Who is it, ah! He’s coming over there just now.”

He could spot him right away due to his noticeable build even from afar. Alessandro smiled as he saw Enrico entering from afar, but his expression hardened when he saw the woman entering alongside him.

Vivian stared blankly at Enrico, whose aura seemed unusual even though he was wearing a mask, and then downed the rest of her champagne when she saw him looking down at the woman next to him.

“It seems like he already has a partner.”

A disinterested laugh escaped her. Vivian carelessly handed her empty glass to a passing servant and glanced at Alessandro.

Alessandro’s mood, which had seemed good until just a moment ago, somehow looked low. Feeling that if she stayed like this, she might get caught up in something tiresome, Vivian quickly backed away.

“I don’t particularly want to get in between others. I’m busy enough enjoying myself with men who approach me first, so why bother?”

She shrugged, raising both hands. Then she pointed to the direction she had been eyeing for a while and waved her hand gently.

“I’ll go over there and enjoy myself now. Please make good excuses to our kingdom for a while.”

Alessandro’s gaze was still fixed on Emilia next to Enrico. His purple eyes darkened as they sank.

As soon as Vivian left, Count Valemont, who had been watching from afar, approached Alessandro. His brown eyes, which were cunningly curved despite his abundant white hair and white eyebrows, were full of lewdness.

“Is the princess staying for long?”

He seemed to show more interest only in Vivian, as if he hadn’t noticed Enrico’s arrival yet. Alessandro’s head tilted slightly towards Count Valemont.

“Get your act together. Unless you want to be completely taken advantage of.”

“Pardon? What do you mean, gasp… Duke Michele.”

Although he knew Enrico was coming, he had tried not to encounter him. However, now that he had come this close, Count Valemont smiled broadly, revealing his wrinkled face as if to hide his embarrassment.

“You’ve arrived.”

It was a greeting that omitted formalities due to the situation requiring anonymity. Count Valemont stood slightly behind Alessandro and looked at Enrico, who was smirking.

“You’re late. There was someone I wanted to introduce to my uncle.”

“Ah- I came late on purpose because I didn’t want to receive it.”

“…Haha, but weren’t you supposed to come alone? I didn’t know you’d come with a partner.”

Doesn’t our uncle prefer to be alone? Alessandro whispered very softly.

“Oh my, should I have told our nephew about this?”

“It’s not that, but I was a bit surprised.”

Alessandro kindly asked Emilia, who was standing beside him, looking around cautiously.

“Your beauty isn’t hidden even with a mask on, is it?”

“…Thank you.”

Emilia uncomfortably accepted the compliment. At first, she didn’t know who it was, but after hearing the two men talking, she belatedly realized that the man wearing the horned mask was Crown Prince Alessandro.

But where is Count Valemont? Emilia’s gaze briefly scanned the surroundings. As if reading her thoughts, Enrico bent down and put his lips to her ear. Her shoulders shrank at the sudden ticklish breath.

“The old man right in front is Valemont.”

Enrico gently stroked her round shoulders, as if to soothe her, while holding them. Emilia, who had flinched for a moment at the chill running down her spine, turned her gaze towards Count Valemont.

Count Valemont was wearing a very petty-sized mask as if he had no intention of hiding his identity. He slowly came forward, scanning Emilia up and down with his unpleasantly glistening brown eyes.

“Pleased to meet you. Would you share the joy of greeting this old man?”

His wrinkled hand was extended towards Emilia. Just as Emilia was hesitating on how to handle this, about to move her hand slowly…

“…!”

Enrico’s hand, which was on her shoulder, slid down her arm and grabbed her wrist. Her body was pulled tight against his. She flinched in surprise and tried to pull away, but she felt the pressure of his arm holding her, as if telling her not to move.

“I have no desire to share.”

Despite the loose smile he wore out of courtesy, his words were tinged with a cold sneer. Emilia wasn’t the only one surprised by his sudden action. Count Valemont opened his mouth in shock, and Alessandro narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

“…You’re both being rude. She’s not an object to be shared.”

The clenched voice gradually loosened. At the end, Alessandro’s voice sounded kind, and Enrico’s head tilted slightly to the side. The handsome lips under the white lion-shaped mask formed a languid curve. It was as if he was watching to see how far things would go.

“If you were offended, I apologize on his behalf.”

“…It’s alright.”

“Our uncle tends to be a bit cold, you see. That’s why I wanted to introduce someone who might be a good match for him, but it’s a shame.”

Suddenly? Wasn’t that conversation supposed to be glossed over? Emilia blinked and glanced at Enrico.