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As the day of the banquet that Joachim mentioned arrived, the gates of Winter Castle were bustling with carriages coming in since morning.

The House of Edelweiss was not only a ruler of the North but also the owner of one of the seven Magic Towers on the continent, so I didn’t think only the vassals under the house would attend this banquet. However, seeing the sheer number of people gathered in front of Winter Castle, I began to wonder if this was a bit too much.

Of course, it was not my concern whether the castle could accommodate all those people. After all, only a few of them would actually be allowed into the banquet hall.

What I truly needed to worry about was how to conduct myself in front of so many people.

Though it was just a short two days, thanks to my practice with Elena, I had managed to accomplish movements that could be called dancing, even if I couldn’t say I was proficient at it.

After all, I wouldn’t have any more opportunities to dance with anyone other than Elena, so as long as I was somewhat in sync with her, I wouldn’t embarrass myself at the event.

“You look quite burdened, young master.”

“I’m not exactly at ease.”

I responded to Ken’s words while glancing at the ring on my right hand.

The small dragon engraved on the ring held a red jewel in its mouth.

I didn’t have a particular hobby for wearing such rings, but considering the events ahead, I had no choice but to wear it, even if I didn’t want to.

This ring, whose creator’s taste I questioned severely, was not merely a piece of jewelry but one of the items symbolizing the Lord of Kraus.

According to the principle, the ring is an item that I, holding the title of Count Kraus’s Lesser House, shouldn’t casually handle, but my father entrusted it to me before I left for Merohim.

At that time, I didn’t understand why he did that, but now, thinking of the banquet today, it all began to make sense.

The ring was a sort of token.

It signified that I was a person of status that they couldn’t ignore, and it conveyed the message that if one didn’t want to mess with Kraus, they should back off.

Unless the guests attending the banquet were clearly ignorant, there wouldn’t be anyone who wouldn’t recognize this ring.

If one couldn’t recognize the divine artifact of a power player from the Empire, it would be an amusing occurrence in its own right, but firstly, the host of the banquet, Joachim, would never allow such a person into the venue.

Thus, while the ring was a device to inform others of my status, thinking a bit deeper revealed my father’s true intentions.

In fact, this ring was too extravagant for just announcing my position.

At the start of the banquet, Joachim would introduce me to the audience, and just the crest embroidered on my ceremonial attire would make identifying me an easy task.

Even without wearing this ring, there would be no problem with people knowing I was a Kraus.

So, my father entrusting it to me was a message directed not at the public but at me.

He wanted me to remember that during the time I wore this ring, it was not Arthur Kraus who represented Kraus but Damian Kraus, and he was asking me how I would carry the weight of the family before others.

It was akin to the saying, “Those who wish to wear the crown must bear its weight,” but I felt a twinge of guilt towards my father because, honestly, I was more concerned about my dance with Elena today than the meaning behind the ring he gave me.

“Ken, there’s no way I can skip the dance, right?”

“After practicing so hard with the lady, how could you say something so disappointing? Don’t worry. You’re doing just fine, young master. So set aside your worries and enjoy the banquet today.”

Ken smiled and told me not to worry, but despite his reassurance, I couldn’t shake off my concerns.

Certainly, thanks to the practice with Elena, my skills had improved dramatically compared to before, but the evaluation of that will be up to those who watched.

For me, I didn’t mind what people said, but I couldn’t help but worry if my performance would negatively affect Elena.

However, the start of the banquet was just around the corner, and since I had no magical power to turn back time, I left my room to welcome Elena, recalling all the practices we had done together.

This banquet was also aimed at announcing my engagement to Elena, so it was only natural for me to escort her into the hall.

I hadn’t memorized the exact layout of Winter Castle, but I had danced enough in my room over the past two days to know the way to her room.

Standing in front of her door, I checked my attire one last time, making sure that everything was in place, even though I had already done so several times before stepping out.

Satisfied that I looked the same as before, I knocked lightly on the door and called out to her.

“Elena, may I come in now?”

“Yes, you can come in.”

Once I received her permission, I cautiously opened the door.

And as soon as I peered into the room, I felt deja vu wash over me again, frozen in place as I gazed at her, almost forgetting to step inside. It felt like that morning in the Isilia Pavilion when I saw her. No, it was even more radiant than that time.

Though there was no sunlight in this room, she, as always, shone like a star.

The pure white dress contrasted with the black ceremonial attire of the Kraus family I was wearing, glittering alongside her hair, transforming her into a celestial being captivating enough to catch my eye.

We stood there for a few minutes without saying a word, simply taking in each other’s presence.

“Um… how do I look?”

As Elena’s voice reached my ears, my mind, which had come to a stop, began to reset. Realizing the foolishness I was displaying, I hurriedly turned my gaze back to her and extended my hand, speaking.

“You look extremely beautiful.”

“I-I’m relieved to hear that! I was worried it might be too much, but if Damian says that, then I can rest easy…”

Elena said this as she grasped my outstretched hand.

As her soft touch made contact, I realized I had unconsciously tightened my grip. Just as the thought crossed my mind that I hoped I hadn’t hurt her, Elena, holding my hand, seemed to put some strength into her grip as well.

So, hand in hand, we walked through the corridors of Winter Castle.

The gentle scent of lavender wafted from her, who was close beside me.

Feeling her pulse and warmth flowing through my hand began to fill my thoughts, previously occupied by worries, with notions of her.

Perhaps it would be better not to head to the banquet hall and just continue walking like this with Elena.

I thought so and had no choice but to take reluctant steps toward the banquet hall.

*

In front of me, a mirror reflected a stunning figure in pure white.

“Madame Charlotte, you’ve outdone yourself.”

The dress she created always enamored me.

I wasn’t one to overly trust in my appearance, but with this dress, I felt confident I could captivate his heart today.

Moreover, having Hailey assist me for hours, I felt perfect, with not a single flaw that I could see.

“Elena, may I come in now?”

As I heard his voice, I hurriedly told him to come in.

During the two days I practiced dancing with him before the banquet, realizing that he could be charmed by my appearance felt like the greatest achievement of late. This meant that the distance between us had diminished compared to before.

Each time our eyes met from such proximity, I became flustered, and his face would blush slightly—a sure sign he was falling for me, which filled me with gratification.

So, I had no doubts that this appearance would be a decisive blow.

I looked at myself and knew I was perfect, and with him becoming more susceptible to my charms lately, I was confident this would stir his emotions more than ever.

However, there was one thing I had overlooked: I was already quite taken by him.

When he entered, he wore a black ceremonial outfit that matched his night-sky-colored hair.

The attire featured a dragon entwined around his arm, which symbolized Kraus, embroidered in gold thread. It was the same outfit he had worn the first time I met him, a staple of his wardrobe, so it might seem at first glance that nothing had changed.

Yet, the distinctive aura he carried, combined with his hair partly swept back, made his sharp, dragon-like eyes stand out, and I found myself momentarily lost in thought.

I, who had been so confident and smiling, lost my composure when he walked in, staring at him blankly.

Then, silence enveloped us.

It was as if we had silently agreed from the start not to speak as we gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Get a grip! Elena Edelweiss!!”

“Um… how do I look?”

In the quiet, I barely clung to my mental faculties and managed to open my mouth. He blinked a few times, then turned his head slightly and extended his hand to me, saying.

“You look extremely beautiful.”

“I-I’m relieved to hear that! I was worried it might be too much; if Damian thinks that, I feel at ease…”

I said this while holding his hand and leaning against him, but unfortunately, he seemed to have gathered himself by now and didn’t show the same reaction as before.

What a foolish girl I must be.

I had felt the thrill he experienced in seeing me countless times, and yet I hadn’t even considered how he must have prepared for the banquet. This was indeed my mistake.

That said, his appearance today didn’t seem to pose any noticeable changes.

The only difference was a subtle change to his hairstyle; yet, it seemed unfair that I had invested so much effort in my appearance and ended up in a standoff.

But having seen the way he couldn’t take his eyes off me, I was content with that much for the time being.

Just then, I felt the grip on my hand tighten.

Though it tightened, it was not painful. Instead, I felt the warmth in his hand even more intensely, and it made me feel good.

With this, I wondered why he suddenly gripped my hand tightly.

The answer to that question came from the sound of his heartbeat ringing in my ears.

Now that I was holding his hand, my own heart was racing more fiercely than ever, but the trembling I felt flowing through my hand came from him, not me.

Leaning against him confirmed it: right now, he was feeling the most exhilarated he had ever been during our time together.

I quietly smiled at his state and tightened my grip on his hand.

 

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