Everywhere in the academy on the night of the ball was bustling. Female students were gathered in groups of two or three wearing gorgeous dresses, and male students stood dressed sharply in formal wear like escort knights.
“Excuse me, but are you an academy student, Lady? You don’t seem to be on the outside guest list.”
As I entered the Grand Hall, a security guard approached, so I held out my invitation. Of course, since I was under disciplinary action and couldn’t receive one, it was Lucy’s invitation, but the guard didn’t recognize me and let me in without suspicion.
“Who’s that woman?”
“She’s quite pretty. Was there a kid like that at our academy? Must be an outside guest, right?”
‘I feel like my face is going to explode. Maybe I shouldn’t have come!’
How humiliating. It feels like someone might shout at me any moment, ‘Isn’t that bastard a man? Cross-dressing pervert! Strip his lower half!’ Then I’d sob and beg the people.
No, it’s not like that. This all happened for reasons…! Sob sob.
I could picture it vividly. Me sobbing in a pitiful heroine pose with my dress torn, and the student council’s expulsion punishment. I’d avoid the guillotine ending by getting expelled like that, but I couldn’t avoid social death.
It was dismal thinking that in some future economic magazine, under the headline “Everyone, hard work doesn’t betray you!” with a portrait of me giving a thumbs up, the parenthetical tag ‘—Lionel Mellans (age 3N, cross-dressing merchant magnate)—’ would follow me for life.
Should I go back? Yeah, let’s go back, Lionel. My life goal is to live peacefully and happily. It’s not too late even now!
Just as I was about to return to the dormitory with an expression on the verge of tears, someone called out to stop me.
“Are you a freshman? I haven’t seen your face before. I’m curious if the Lady has a partner tonight.”
One male student sending greasy looks was extending his hand to me, asking for a greeting. Sensing it was the right moment, two or three more male students crowded over and spoke to me.
“It’s a shame I missed my chance, but I’ve been keeping my eye on you since the Lady appeared. This is like… destiny.”
“Shall I get you something to drink?”
“Uh, I… have a partner…”
“Do you need an escort knight?”
Then, with a familiar voice, someone stood next to me with their hand around my waist. Creak, creak. Barely turning my head that wouldn’t rotate, I looked back… and unlike usual, it was Cesare in a deep navy formal wear with black hair stylishly swept back!
‘Crazy. You’re a fox bastard worth spending money on!’
The moment I saw him, I really thought I’d go blind. His face goes without saying, and from his cufflinks to his epaulettes, belt, and shoes, every accessory was shining. He’d definitely picked out the most perfectly matching outfit from the 7 formal wear sets and 50 accessories I’d bought him. So in Korean terms, it was like a celebrity wearing the gift I bought them and going to a concert—I couldn’t have been happier.
“Cesare Yanox!”
“Gasp, Yanox? I-I apologize!”
“My destiny… goodbye. Sob.”
When I called Cesare, the male students beside me hesitated then quickly ran away. Cesare smiled with satisfaction as they fled with their tails between their legs, then lightly kissed the back of my hand.
“The honor of being with a beautiful Lady.”
Starting today, I’m never washing my hand for the rest of my life.
“G-gladly…”
Frozen from the hand kiss, I barely moved my lips to answer. He cheekily stood next to me, leading me inside the hall while dropping formalities.
“You’re my partner who came through Lionel’s introduction, right?”
“H-how did you know?”
At my question, he chuckled and answered.
“When my woman is standing right in front of me, how could I not recognize her?”
The words “my woman” made my heart sweetly melt while also aching.
“What were you going to do if I wasn’t your partner…”
“If you weren’t, I think I would’ve stolen you. No, I would’ve taken you before you could be stolen.”
My heart clattered noisily at the confidence and deep possessiveness contained in those crimson eyes. But at the end of this gaze isn’t me, but Lucy Franceau.
“You’re a junior too? What’s your name?”
“…Lucy Franceau. We’ve taken several classes together.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
A manly furrow appeared on his handsome forehead. He was probably recalling the appearance of the bespectacled bookworm he originally knew. I quickly added.
“I cast a confusion spell! So no one would recognize me… That’s why I might look a bit unfamiliar.”
“You don’t really need to do that.”
“It’d be troublesome if a scandal broke out with someone like me.”
“If it’s you, I wouldn’t mind a scandal.”
Anyway, convinced, he let out a laugh and extended his hand to me.
“Shall we go dance then?”
Right now? It was early, just when people were starting to gather, and since the senior upperclassmen, especially Crown Prince Cedric, hadn’t appeared yet, no one had started dancing.
As I glanced at the empty dance floor, Cesare suggested with his characteristic confident eye-smile.
“How about it? Right now we can dance on the pristine white floor no one has stepped on. Isn’t it thrilling? We’ll be the first to dirty it.”
Wow! You really are a #smoothvillainesquemalead!
He’s the only one who could make flirting about dirtying a pristine white floor together work. At this next-level smoothness, my truthful cheekbones wouldn’t stop rising.
“Right. Stuff used by others first isn’t great. Hehe. New things are always better.”
At my smile, the bastard momentarily hesitated with a subtle expression. When I looked at him with a ‘Why?’ gaze, Cesare composed his expression again and gently led me.
“…Your way of speaking resembles someone too much. Don’t mind it.”
When I’m Lionel, he calls me clueless or stupid whenever I ask anything. It’s a bit bitter.
‘When the other person is a woman, he’s this sweet.’
As we headed to the hall, everyone was looking this way. In the strange silence with everyone holding their breath without music, my body stiffened.
“Uwah, Yanox. Everyone’s staring at us.”
“It seems they’re staring at you, not us.”
Meaning Lionel’s eye is that excellent. After muttering that, he glared at the orchestra, and the musicians who were still preparing hastily began playing.
Cesare brushed away the blonde hair covering my ear with his fingers, then bent down and whispered softly.
“To you who is dazzling as if holding sunlight, I offer this year’s first dance.”
It was a cliché phrase used when unmarried men and women request a dance. With trembling hands, I received his escort and carefully sent my reply.
“…To you who are magnificent like the night sky embracing the red dawn… I entrust this year’s first dance.”
“The night sky embracing the red dawn. I quite like it.”
Cesare grinned, then wrapped his hand around my waist and began the steps.
‘It’s starting, Mitche…!’
Over my pounding heart, I could see Mitche cheering me on. Gaining courage from that cute sight, I moved my feet diligently as I’d learned, and soft laughter leaked out.
Thinking I’d done something wrong, I raised my head and immediately met his gaze.
“Haven’t done much ballroom dancing? Well, it’s sloppy but not enough to fall.”
“Ah, yeah! I practiced a lot because I was told I’d be Yanox’s partner.”
“Honestly speaking, it’s because it’s me that I can match you—other guys wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“…Is that a pick-up line by any chance?”
“If I said yes, would the Lady fall for it?”
“You’re not even planning to make me fall…”
Instead of answering, Cesare shrugged once and skillfully led the dance. His crimson eyes were gentle and romantic, and the rhythm of the marble floor touching his hard shoes rang out lightly and smoothly. My heart fluttered so much that the uncomfortable high heels didn’t even bother me.
“That Lady is the Young Duke of Yanox’s partner?”
“That’s the sapphire necklace from Lawrence Workshop! It’s incredibly hard to get, but as expected, Cesare’s partner is different. Could she be his fiancée?”
“Starting to dance before His Highness the Crown Prince? What family is she from to act like that?”
With each elegant turn that made the hem of the aqua dress flutter, the murmuring voices of surrounding people grew louder. Everything felt like a dream. If not for the heat from him transmitted through our touching hands, I might have really thought it was a dream.
But.
‘Would my heart have pounded like this… even without Addiction?’
Is the pounding I’m feeling now because of that bastard or because of Addiction?
I’ve sacrificed everything right now to become Cesare’s partner. My reputation, my shame, my pride. If I’d been in my right mind, could I have done this much for him?
Right now it’s just a ball partner, but later? The fortune our family built over a lifetime, and my grandfather, my sickly aunt?
Cold sweat gradually flowed at the doubts endlessly eating away at me.
‘Later I might have to sacrifice not just myself but them too. Because of me, who’s caught by Addiction.’
Lionel. Can you escape from Cesare?
‘Right. If it weren’t for magic, I wouldn’t have done such a reckless thing… This is that bastard’s scheme. I’m stupidly being played by it.’
As my suddenly anxious heart made my gaze wander here and there, the rhythm subtly went off.
“You’re doing well, so don’t be nervous. Why the sudden change?”
“Ah, mmm. It’s nothing.”
“Is there someone better than me around?”
Cesare pretended to sweep a look around the Grand Hall. His fingers playfully stroked my waist gently, and our lower bodies pressed closer together.
“Don’t look away and focus on me, Lady. I’m getting jealous at the end of that gaze.”
That’s cheating, that kind of behavior.
Suddenly, a curious thought about Addiction came to mind. How can he make me fall deeper when I’ve already fallen hard for the bastard—that question.
“There’s no need to look around, Lucy. I’m hands down the empire’s best man.”
