That Man Is Mine
Leaving behind the small commotion at their first foray into high society, the two returned to the ballroom together. In the meantime, Shuri—who had briefly stepped away somewhere—tilted her head at the sight of her mistress hanging her head in complete silence.
“Mr. Edgar, why is the young miss acting like this?”
“Ask her yourself. I doubt she’ll answer, though.”
Edgar barely suppressed the laughter threatening to burst out of him and jerked his chin toward Ariel. She frantically waved her hands in every direction, making it clear she had no intention of speaking.
What the hell was that, you idiot!
She must have been possessed. There was no other explanation for spitting out words that would invite misunderstanding in front of so many watchful eyes. The only reason she had been able to call him her beloved in front of Diliert yesterday was that no one else had been present besides the four of them.
What do you mean, stay by my side? Have you lost your mind!?
The reactions of those around her when she had said those words were still painfully vivid. The young ladies standing beside Edgar had let out tiny shrieks and immediately begun pressing for details about their relationship. When Ariel—unlike her usual self—had frozen and failed to respond, Edgar had taken pity on her and dragged her away. Looking back now, however, she wondered if that had truly been the best course of action.
The rumors must be spreading like wildfire by now. What am I supposed to do?
It was absurd to be worrying about this after the fact, but the situation left her no choice. If Diliert still had his wits about him, he wouldn’t carelessly repeat what had happened yesterday. That meant the rumor—“The Robeheim young lady has a beloved”—would have to circulate as mere hearsay. Something along the lines of I heard it from someone, and it seems fairly credible.
But what had just occurred was entirely different. She had essentially declared in front of a crowd, This man is mine, so don’t even look at him. It had gone far beyond rumor; she had stepped forward and proven it herself.
“How long are you going to keep that deathly expression? We should head inside.”
“…Shut up, you idiot. This is all your fault.”
Why had he gone and gotten tangled up with women he didn’t even know? If he had come as her attendant, the least he could do was keep his eyes from wandering elsewhere—even if he couldn’t literally stick to her side. The more she thought about it, the more she realized this entire humiliating episode was his fault for forgetting his role.
“Yes, yes, I understand. Let’s just go in already. We can’t stand here forever.”
“Hmph. Escort me, then.”
Ariel snorted and rose to her feet. Edgar promptly extended his hand in front of her. Seeing the bright grin on his face, she pouted but eventually placed her hand atop his. A soft smile curved Shuri’s lips as she watched them.
Just before they entered the ballroom, Shuri carefully checked Ariel’s dress and makeup. It was astonishing that after all that chaos, not a single strand was out of place.
“There isn’t any fixed order of events, is there?”
“I don’t think so. We just go in, dance a little, and leave.”
“You really have no dreams at all.”
“It’s the truth. What can I do about it?”
While many young ladies had dreamed of their first step into high society, Ariel’s attitude was almost painfully pragmatic. The sense that she simply wanted to finish her obligations and be done with it was so strong that even Edgar could feel it.
Without any particular excitement, the two stood before the doors and took a steadying breath. Then Edgar reached out and pushed open the massive ballroom doors—far taller than he was. They swung open with a long creak.
“Oh.”
Before them unfolded a scene like a galaxy of stars. Marble floors stretched in every direction, and an enormous centerpiece dominated the middle of the room. Young couples danced around it, while even more people could be seen leaning over the second-floor railings. Colorful lights spilled from every corner, almost dizzying to the eye, and the gowns enveloping the carefully chosen flowers of the evening seemed to sparkle as they caught the glow.
“You looked pretty surprised yourself a second ago.”
“S-surprised? I just thought it wasn’t bad, that’s all.”
Edgar didn’t miss the opportunity. He poked his childhood friend in the side and spoke in a teasing drawl. Only then did Ariel realize she had been standing there dazed; she whipped her head away. The young lady who was usually so curt was, after all, a woman at heart. To Edgar, her desperate attempt to hide it was utterly adorable.
All that remained now was to escort her as requested. Still, the countless eyes pouring over them were impossible to ignore. Even in this massive crowd, Ariel stood out dramatically. As the man standing beside her, he felt the weight of that attention settle on his shoulders.
“Shall we, my lady?”
“Pfft—what is that? So cringeworthy. Just act normal.”
When Edgar stepped forward with an exaggerated flourish worthy of an opera performer and formally offered his hand once more, Ariel couldn’t hold back her laughter. He had jokingly called her “young miss” or “duchess” with ridiculous titles before, but those times it had only felt burdensome. Today, for some reason, the words felt welcome. She couldn’t fathom why the feeling was so different now.
“I’m trying to set the mood a little, so play along, will you?”
“Hehe. Then I suppose I have no choice. I’ll consider it an honor.”
“As you should.”
Ariel laid her hand over his in acceptance, lightly lifting the hem of her dress as she gave a small curtsy. She matched his sincerity with her own. The melody filling the ballroom was bright and lively. Though she knew nothing of songs and couldn’t name the piece, its cheerful tempo suited Edgar far better than any slow, gentle tune would have.
The pair walked carefully to the center of the floor and assumed their positions. Ariel whispered provocatively that he probably didn’t know how to dance, but Edgar merely raised an eyebrow in quiet confidence. The basic etiquette training he had received from his family had included dance, and the Robeheim household had drilled him relentlessly before the ball. At this moment, his skill might actually surpass hers.
“Sally, look over there. It seems the Robeheim Duchess has arrived.”
The moment the two became visible, the eyes of two nearby women widened. They were none other than the culprits who had nearly humiliated Ariel earlier—though unintentionally.
“It really is her. I was looking for her to apologize for what happened, and it seems she’s only just arrived.”
“Still, they make such a lovely pair. The way that gentleman is so solidly embracing the Duchess…”
Edgar’s build was exceptionally solid even by the standards of this ballroom. Though young, the muscles honed through years of steady training and his height—superior to his peers—gave him a commanding presence. In fact, it was that very sturdy frame that had drawn the women’s eyes so sharply outside the audience chamber earlier. Most noblemen, unless they were heirs to martial houses, tended to be slender or slight.
Meanwhile, Ariel—still dancing—caught the women’s gazes. She leaned close to Edgar’s ear, the one supporting her waist, and whispered.
“You’re popular.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Those wenches from earlier. They’re staring at you.”
Wenches? The sudden downgrade in terminology for people who had done nothing wrong made Edgar smile bitterly despite himself.
“After this, shall we go apologize together?”
“Am I crazy? Why should I apologize when I did nothing wrong?”
Whether he was pretending ignorance or truly didn’t understand, Ariel had her reasons for being angry. Still, growling threats at complete strangers had been wrong. Whether an apology was necessary, however, was another matter. Edgar didn’t particularly want her to apologize; he simply wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. Strange rumors would only cause trouble for Ariel.
“I worded it badly. Apologize only if you want to, but at least let’s clear up the misunderstanding.”
“Can’t we just ignore rumors like that?”
“Is that really so easy?”
When Edgar earnestly asked her to follow his lead just this once, Ariel eventually nodded with clear reluctance. He was right, after all. Still, one point continued to nag at her.
“You’re not doing this because you’ve taken an interest in those women, are you?”
“Why? If I said yes, would you help me?”
“Do you want to die?”
The joking remark was met with a sharp, crimson glare. Edgar quickly looked away. She had asked in earnest. Taking one more step here could end very badly. The safest option was to tell the truth and calm her anger first.
“It was a joke. Would those people even be interested in someone like me?”
“True. At least you know your place. That’s a relief.”
“Hey, is that how you talk to your friend?”
In the end, the two fell back into their usual lighthearted teasing. By then the lively song had shifted to a calmer melody, yet laughter still slipped from their lips.
“Anyway, I have zero interest, so don’t worry. You’re the one who said it first.”
“What did I say?”
Ariel tilted her head, genuinely unable to recall. Edgar took a step back, drew her hand, and gently pulled her into his arms. In a low voice, he murmured the very words she had boldly declared earlier.
“At least while we’re here… I’m yours.”
“……!”
Ariel’s face flushed crimson all the way to her neck. She hung her head, still nestled against his chest. To think she would be caught by her own words. This man was truly an expert at teasing her. No matter the time or situation, he never missed a chance to slip in and strike.
Thump. Thump.
A fierce heartbeat pulsed somewhere nearby. Ariel convinced herself it belonged to Edgar and deliberately turned her thoughts away from reality.
There’s no way I would feel fluttery over a guy like him. He’s pretending otherwise, but holding someone like me must be making his heart race, right? In that case, I’ll stay in his arms and pretend not to notice until that heartbeat calms down. As his friend, I can at least do that much. Be grateful for my generous tolerance, idiot.