Chloe's Request
The day after Chloe's request, on Thursday afternoon with the grand social ballroom debut just around the corner.
In the reception room of Chloe's annex palace, a soft and lively piano melody echoed endlessly.
One of her exclusive maids who knew how to play the piano had sat down at the instrument herself to accompany our final practice session, gracefully performing a beautiful waltz.
Warm afternoon sunlight poured through the windows, casting long shadows across the carpet, and we glided our steps along those trails of light.
"Yes, that's perfect, Ian! Your gaze during the turns is so natural now!"
"Haha, it's all thanks to Your Highness's excellent teaching. At first, I kept nearly stepping on your feet—it was tough."
"Everyone's like that when they first learn. But now, it's utterly flawless?"
Chloe and I spun around the spacious reception room to the piano's tune, relying on our lightly clasped hands and the arm around her waist.
The awkwardness and tension from when we'd first taken our positions had completely vanished.
From start to finish, we danced joyfully at close range, eyes locked, beaming smiles on our faces.
The faint lilac scent wafting from her with every slight movement tickled my nose, and her white dress skirt elegantly fluttered with each turn.
"……Hoo."
At last, the maid's fingers stopped rolling over the keys, and the performance came to a graceful close. In the lingering echo of the music, we exchanged light bows and stepped back from each other.
Chloe let out a slightly quickened breath, fanning her flushed face from the dance. Her purple eyes brimmed with deep satisfaction and pride.
"Perfect. Ian's learning ability deserves real praise. There's truly nothing left to critique now. It was splendid and refined footwork."
"I'm relieved. At least I won't embarrass my one and only dance instructor, Your Highness, with any mistakes at the ball."
"……To be honest."
Chloe, who had laughed at my playful reply, soon cast her gaze downward with profound regret and murmured softly.
"I wished I could formally request you as my partner for this ball…… Standing in the center of that glittering hall, receiving everyone's blessings, and dancing the first song with you."
"……Your Highness."
"I even considered using the excuse that since I taught you, as your teacher, I should lead the first dance. But…… Realistically, that's too difficult."
Chloe tried to smile, but she couldn't hide her disappointment.
I felt the same regret, but I'd never realistically expected us to dance together at the ball. I was a hostage from a defeated nation, and she was an imperial princess.
Noticing my expression darkening and stiffening, Chloe quickly smiled brightly and added in a cheerful voice.
"Well, even as a debutante, I'm an imperial princess, after all. Unlike ordinary noble ladies, I don't have to desperately hunt for a partner. No one would dare say a word if I enter alone with dignity."
"……That's certainly true. Your Highness would shine the brightest even standing alone."
"Hee-hee, thank you for the kind words. Alright, let's end today's practice here. Rest well, and see you at the ball next week, Ian."
After a light farewell with Chloe, I picked up my outer coat from the sofa and headed toward the large, heavy oak door of the annex.
But just as I grasped the cold doorknob and was about to turn it downward—
"Um, wait, Ian!"
Chloe's urgent, trembling voice flew at my back.
When I turned, she stood there fidgeting, her fingertips clasped together.
Her hands were pressed tightly in front of her, lips slightly bitten and flushed, eyes darting to the carpet before she took a deep breath and looked straight at me.
"What's wrong, Your Highness? Is there something you want to say……?"
"Ah, well…… You helped me with dance practice day and night so I wouldn't embarrass myself in society or get looked down on by others…… And now to bring this up…… Even I think it's incredibly shameless, selfish, and sorry to ask, but……."
Her voice trembled faintly, carrying the weight of hesitations she'd probably swallowed hundreds of times.
"At this ball, as I said earlier, I won't choose a partner. I plan to just keep my seat without dancing with anyone. So…… Could you please not partner with anyone else at this social event either?"
"Pardon? A partner?"
"It's absolutely, absolutely not a demand! If you really want to dance with someone else, of course you should—it's not a demand, just……!"
Chloe squeezed her eyes shut and added in a rapid-fire burst.
"Just…… I know it's my selfish desire, but I wanted to throw a tantrum just once. I had to ask. At the ball, I don't want you dancing with any other woman but me. Could you please not use the steps I taught you for anyone else?"
"……"
"I hated the thought of you dancing with Brother Arthur, and with other ladies…… It would feel awful."
Her face flushed beet red like a ripe tomato, whispering in a petulant tone—I froze, momentarily stunned.
"……"
My answer was decided. I swallowed a wry chuckle inwardly.
Who could coldly refuse such a cute, sincere plea?
I slowly released the doorknob and took a step toward Chloe.
Then, I gently extended my right pinky finger in front of her eyes.
"……!"
Chloe's clear, transparent purple eyes widened round.
I smiled faintly and spoke tenderly to ease her anxiety.
"Understood, Your Highness. I promise. Even if any beautiful, highborn lady extends her hand to me at this ball, I won't take it. I'll just sip some wine in the corner of the hall."
"……Really? Don't you want to try dancing?"
"I have loyalty to my teacher. If my teacher isn't dancing, how could her student dare step out? I promise."
At my deliberately playful response, a radiant smile finally bloomed on Chloe's tightly pressed lips, impossible to hide.
She approached cautiously and hooked her small, white pinky firmly around mine.
"You have to keep the promise. I'll be watching."
"Of course. I'm not bold enough to break a promise with an imperial princess."
The warmth traveling through our pinkies felt exceptionally cozy.
And at precisely that same moment.
In the corner of Chloe's sunlit annex reception room, behind the thick, luxuriously draped velvet curtains—in a pitch-black, narrow shadow.
There crouched a tiny, emaciated mouse no bigger than two finger joints, utterly silent and still.
The only difference from an ordinary mouse was the eerie, artificial silver gleam faintly flickering in its tiny eyes.
That silver gaze was fixed precisely on Ian and Chloe, who smiled tenderly at each other with their pinkies linked.
At the same time, far from the annex in the outer imperial palace, in a lodging prepared for noble guests—a woman’s eyes gleamed.
In the pitch-dark center of a room with curtains drawn against every ray of light, a silver-haired woman in a beast-fur cloak sat with her chin propped, watching with interest.
"Hmm."
She was perfectly dominating the mouse's mind, sharing everything it saw and heard from its hiding spot in Chloe's annex.
A fairly advanced black magic among such spells: controlling a lowly creature's mind to make it her eyes and ears.
Of course, the subject usually suffered massive brain damage or total mental collapse once she released control—but who cared about a mere rat?
Watching Ian smile warmly and link pinkies with Chloe in her field of vision, Ella soon curved her red, alluring lips into a smooth arc.
"Hng……."
A lazy, sticky hum escaped her mouth.
"Not kids playing house anymore, yet linking pinkies? So green and cute, our little princess."
Ella's silver eyes flashed with a dangerous, intense hunger, like a predator's.
Blood will tell—a lion cub is still a lion.
The lion-like Northern Duke had perhaps birthed a child even more dangerous than herself.
"You won't keep that promise, Princess. I'll steal him away."