The Imperial Ball (4)
I knew I was doomed the moment I extended my hand.
My fingers were curled into a tight fist. Aria, on the other hand, had all five fingers spread out like a sheet of paper. No matter how you looked at it, this was my defeat.
“Hehe, I win.”
“…Let’s do it again. You started too suddenly just now, so I couldn’t play properly.”
“What do you mean? The game’s already over.”
“No, I mean—”
“Don’t tell me the young master of the Stuart family is going back on his word?”
“…….”
This woman really… I barely managed to suppress the anger boiling up inside me. Deep down, I knew I was just being a sore loser, throwing a tantrum after losing. But what could I do? I had already lost.
“Here, young master. Your hand!”
Aria had already taken a silver ring out of the box. She smiled brightly and held out her hand to me, as if she were calling a pet. Was I a dog?
I couldn’t completely hide my crumpled expression, but in the end, I had no choice but to place my left hand on top of the one Aria offered.
Every time I looked at the silver ring on Leo’s left ring finger, a smile naturally crept across my face. And on my own left ring finger was a silver ring of the exact same design.
The fact filled me with overwhelming joy.
The bet I had just made was admittedly a bit of a gamble, but fortunately it had succeeded without any surprises. I knew that Leo always led with a fist on the first round of rock-paper-scissors. It was a little underhanded, but I had no choice if I wanted to win.
Leo, no matter how much you struggle, you’re still right here in the palm of my hand. Hehe.
Incidentally, this simple ring design was the closest match to the engagement ring Leo and I had chosen together in our previous life. Although we hadn’t bought them at the same place, wearing something so similar made me feel as if I had returned to those happy days.
As we walked down the corridor leading to the ballroom, I casually slipped my arm through Leo’s. I could feel his well-trained, firm forearm. The moment I touched him, Leo turned to look at me with a puzzled expression, but with so many nobles around us, he couldn’t openly shake me off.
Deciding to take full advantage of the situation, I hugged his arm tightly and pressed my chest against it. I could somehow sense the gazes of those around us turning in our direction. Were those looks filled with envy, or perhaps jealousy?
“Haa…”
I heard Leo let out a small sigh. It was almost certainly a lament about my behavior. But I couldn’t help it. It was all because Leo was just too handsome.
“Lady Aria.”
“Yes, Lord Leo.”
When Leo called my name, I responded softly in kind.
“Just what exactly are you doing right now?”
Leo demanded. Of course, I already had an answer prepared.
“Escorting.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s an escort. It’s perfectly natural for a man to escort a woman at a party, isn’t it?”
“…….”
It wasn’t exactly wrong. In the end, Leo closed his mouth with a complicated expression.
With my arm linked through his, I stepped into the banquet hall. As expected, the hall was bustling with a dense crowd. Most of them appeared to be young noble sons and daughters, which perfectly reflected the purpose of the imperial ball—to find future partners.
The overall atmosphere of the hall was bright, filled with the gentle melody of music. Large crystal chandeliers hung in a row from the high arched ceiling. Beneath them stretched long food tables covered with white tablecloths. On the tables, which must have been at least fifty meters long, were all kinds of mouthwatering dishes and drinks, including massive roasted turkeys, steaks, and wine.
By principle, balls were meant to be enjoyed while standing, but for nobles who disliked crowds or wanted some private time, individual table seats enclosed on three sides by walls had been prepared along one wall. Since the banquet hall was so spacious, there was still plenty of room left over.
Personally, I would have preferred to stay quietly in a corner without running into anyone and leave once Leo’s business was finished. Unfortunately, that hope was shattered almost immediately.
“Oh! Leo! Come on over!”
By a tactless man who called out to us right in front of me.
The brown-haired man who had been chatting with other noble children, spotted Leo, and greeted him was the third son of the Lyden family. In our previous life, he had been one of the people quite close to Leo. Naturally, he was also acquainted with me, who had been Leo’s fiancée. While I was grateful that he was friendly with Leo, I had always been somewhat wary of him because he occasionally tried to lead Leo down strange paths.
“…Hey, Fred.”
Leo responded to Fred’s greeting in a slightly awkward manner. It was probably because of my presence beside him. And naturally, Fred’s gaze shifted to me, standing next to Leo.
“Oh my! So this is the fiancée I’ve only heard about in rumors! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Fred Andrew Lyden.”
“Hello. I’m Aria Luna Grace.”
When I returned the greeting with a modest demeanor, Fred smiled warmly and introduced us to the group he had been talking with.
“Everyone, say hello. This is my best friend, Leo Spencer Stuart, and his fiancée, Lady Aria Luna Grace.”
“Ah, I’ve heard the rumors. So the two of you got engaged recently? My sincere congratulations.”
“Lord Leo, you really are incredibly handsome, just like the rumors said!”
“That’s right, that’s right. He’s so tall and his face is just…”
The noble sons and daughters around our age—four men and four women already paired up—each offered a word. By the way, that woman was shamelessly flirting with Leo even though his fiancée was standing right there. Because Leo was tall and had such warm features, he was popular with women. The thought that one of them might have sent him a letter made my blood boil with irritation.
Feeling the persistent gazes of those vixens, I deliberately clung even closer to Leo’s side and subtly showed off the engagement ring on my left ring finger. The young ladies who had been eyeing Leo flinched and quickly averted their eyes in an unnatural manner.
“…Thank you.”
In contrast, Leo responded in a rather calm voice. I knew. I knew that Leo didn’t particularly enjoy this flashy, noisy atmosphere. And the same was true for me. In our previous life, we had both been quite introverted, which had suited us perfectly.
“How about it, Leo? Care to join me for a drink? The lovely ladies here will be joining us too.”
I couldn’t ignore those words. I tightened my grip on Leo’s arm and gave him a meaningful look. Under my sharp gaze, Leo made a slightly troubled face and spoke.
“No, I’m fine. Actually, I ran quite a long way to get here, so I’d like to sit down and rest for a bit.”
“Ah… I see. That makes sense.”
After hearing Leo’s words, Fred waved his hand to call over a passing waiter. Then he pointed at Leo and made a request.
“If there’s an empty table, could you guide my friend there? He says he wants to drink quietly.”
“Yes, understood.”
The waiter bowed politely and began to lead the way. At times like this, Fred really was a decent person.
“By the way, Jenny, you’re going to drink with me until the end tonight, right? I already reserved a room.”
“Oh my, Lord Fred, you really are…”
…If only he weren’t such a womanizer.
The waiter guided us to a quiet table in a somewhat secluded corner. It was a table surrounded by a semicircular sofa large enough for about four people. Compared to the center of the hall, the lighting was relatively dim, creating a rather calm atmosphere.
After thanking the waiter, Leo and I sat down together. As expected of an imperial ball, luxurious desserts and fine wine had already been set out on the table as appetizers.
Now that we were in a secluded spot and the noise of the ball had faded into the distance, Leo finally wiped his forehead and let out a low sigh.
“As expected, I can never seem to get used to it no matter how many times I come. This flashy atmosphere…”
“I feel the same way. I think so too.”
We both looked down at the table and let out a deep sigh at the same time. Then, when I turned my head, our eyes met. Leo stared at my face silently for a moment before awkwardly averting his gaze. I, too, hesitantly looked away.
If it were up to me, I would have clung tightly to his side and rested my head on his shoulder… but Leo’s expression had stiffened slightly, making the atmosphere feel difficult to approach.
“…….”
“…….”
An awkward silence settled between us. The elegant music flowing through the ballroom. The cheerful laughter of people chatting. It would have been wonderful to spend this cozy, intimate time alone with my fiancé while watching the brightly smiling crowd… but unfortunately, we weren’t at that stage in our relationship yet. As a result, only an unbearably awkward stretch of time passed.
I fidgeted with my hands for no reason and kept stealing glances at Leo. He didn’t seem much different from me. The way he awkwardly adjusted his sleeve or scratched his head looked somewhat cute. Before I knew it, a smile had slipped onto my face. It was probably too dark for Leo to notice.
Perhaps he couldn’t stand the uncomfortable atmosphere any longer. Leo was the first to break the silence.
“Now that I think about it, we haven’t decided in advance how to contact Her Highness Princess Edeline.”
“Ah… she’ll probably approach us first, won’t she? It could be dangerous in many ways if the meeting place becomes known.”
“…Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
In my heart, I didn’t want Leo to meet that woman at all. In our previous life, Princess Edeline had persistently contacted Leo and flirted with him even though he already had a fiancée. If it hadn’t been related to family matters, I would have stopped it by any means necessary.
Really, Leo. Why do you have to be so handsome? It would be fine if you were only handsome in my eyes.
With that thought, I shifted my gaze to the table. My eyes landed on the golden-brown cookies and cakes. These seemed to be for display only; the cooked dishes apparently had to be ordered separately.
I picked up one red macaron and brought it to my mouth. I took a small bite from the edge of the round macaron, and it crumbled softly, filling my mouth with a sweet flavor. As I looked at the strawberry-flavored macaron I had bitten into, a sudden thought occurred to me.
Would Leo eat it if I fed him?
In our previous life, Leo used to happily eat whatever I fed him. And I remembered that macarons were his favorite dessert. Should I try giving him one?
With that in mind, I glanced sneakily toward Leo, and our eyes met instantly.
“……!”
Leo, who had met my eyes, flinched and immediately whipped his head in the opposite direction. Oh ho. So you were sneaking glances at me too, Leo?
“Pfft…”
The situation was so delightful and funny at the same time that I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“Ahem. Hm!”
Leo cleared his throat awkwardly, as if embarrassed. How cute. Maybe I should tease him a little more. With that thought, I put on a slightly mischievous smile and held out the macaron I had taken a bite of toward Leo.
“Young master. Would you like to try this?”
“What is it? Ah…”
Leo’s face hardened the moment he realized what I was offering him. Meanwhile, I tilted my head with an innocent look, as if I had no idea what the problem was.
“It’s a macaron. It’s delicious.”
“Didn’t you already take a bite of it, my lady?”
“Do you really care about such a trivial thing, young master?”
“What kind of nonsense is that… I don’t particularly care.”
“Then go ahead and eat it.”
“I don’t really like sweet things.”
Liar. I know you love sweet food. Especially macarons.
“Hmm~ I see. Then I suppose I’ll have to eat all the desserts here by myself.”
“…All of these by yourself, my lady?”
“Yes. You said you don’t really like sweet things, didn’t you?”
“I said I don’t like them. I didn’t say I don’t eat them.”
“Then you can eat this macaron.”
Once again, I subtly held out the red macaron in my hand. Leo made a troubled face.
“How did it come to that?”
“I heard that red macarons are supposedly the most delicious. Unfortunately, this is the only red macaron here.”
“I don’t particularly mind if it’s not red.”
“…….”
Goodness. He’s really playing hard to get. What should I do? How can I get Leo to eat this macaron?
I was deep in thought when—
“I’m sorry to interrupt while you’re enjoying yourselves, but may I join you for a moment?”
At the sudden sound of a soft female voice, both Leo and I turned our heads at the same time.