Chapter 21
The Lady’s Secret
That was the line of an arrogant young nobleman.
Yet it was also the very line Sena had been longing to hear from the depths of her heart.
She felt something irresistible in his sweet whisper.
“Won’t you stay with me? I don’t want to let you go.”
His gentle breath brushed softly against Sena’s cheek.
That alone sent another wave of excitement through her.
Sena desperately searched for a reason to leave him and step away from the spot.
But as if rebelling against her will, her unconscious mind ignored her intention and kept her body there.
Her hand once again reached out toward Robert’s arm, fingers closing around his strong, firm limb.
Around them, new couples were forming, and the second song—with a lively rhythm—began to play.
From the tips of her hair to the tips of her toes, the rhythm ignited her body like lightning running through her.
Sena tried to think of escaping before the steps began, but that possibility was no longer within reach.
Her walking pace gradually dissolved her rationality, wiping it away somewhere out of sight.
Couples in masks danced everywhere, the vibrant dresses filled her vision, and the beautiful music stirred her instincts.
And held in the arms of Robert—her perfect partner—Sena felt unparalleled bliss.
Soon the dance ended, and the host announced the beginning of the third song.
It was a piece in the kingdom’s traditional dance style, and Robert looked down at her, wondering if she might not know it.
Receiving his gaze, Sena gave a small nod to indicate she could dance it.
The two exchanged smiles, then rejoined the flow of couples—occasionally switching partners, before returning to each other again.
Even when Robert was dancing with other young ladies, Sena never let him out of her sight.
In the same way, Robert chased after Sena with his eyes, following her wherever she went.
Despite the countless couples between them, it felt as if the two remained one.
After several more dances, Robert finally led Sena out from the center of the dance floor and toward the bar area beside it.
Sena willingly intertwined her arm with his, accepting the crown prince’s escort.
Every gaze in the hall now seemed fixed solely on her.
“If I let go of your hand, I feel like you’ll disappear somewhere.”
If she answered him, she feared she’d lose the ability to leave at all—so Sena stayed silent.
Robert ordered wine, watching the center of the dance floor while subtly trying to shield Sena from the attention around them.
Two glasses of wine arrived, and the two of them took their drinks.
Among the guests were a handful of people from the press.
Even if she didn’t intend it, being escorted by the crown prince put Sena at risk of public scrutiny.
Robert worried about that behind the scenes, signaling the bodyguards—who kept a polite distance—to block the press.
Sena, unaware of any of it, continued answering every attempt at conversation with silence.
Not out of coldness, but from embarrassment.
Robert interpreted it differently.
“You were silent in the corridor too… You really don’t talk much, do you?”
“…If there’s a topic, then I’ll talk. Your Highness.”
Her answer softened Robert’s expression without him noticing.
The women he knew—his older sister, younger sister, cousins—most of them loved to talk.
Just moments ago, one of his younger sisters had been chattering nonstop while dancing, clearly overwhelming her partner.
He must have regretted asking the princess for a dance, only to find she was a woman who adored word games.
In that sense, Sena—who preferred silence—carried a quiet grace.
Robert’s long-held belief that women were born to converse began to fade, replaced by something new.
“So you mean you have no topics you’d want to discuss with me?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Didn’t your school, Balshard, teach you what subjects to talk about at parties like this?”
“When I tried to attend that lesson, the teacher happened to be called away. Always. No matter the day or time.”
“But your social dancing was truly magnificent.”
“I love dancing.”
Sena’s blue eyes sparkled innocently at his teasing question.
When he asked whether she attended many society events, she kept silent again.
Besides tonight, she had never been invited to a genuine social occasion.
More accurately, before she could debut as a noble lady in high society, she had already lost the chance.
“At times, speaking eloquently can be one of a woman’s charms, don’t you think?”
“I’m not sure.”
Sena smiled faintly, giving a small shake of her head.
Robert laughed—a warm, amused sound.
She danced so flawlessly, gliding through the ballroom, yet he would never believe that tonight was her very first time.
“I want to know more about you. Your age… what your life is like now.”
“…A lady keeps her secrets.”
Sena tightened her lips and looked away.
Whether she could truly become Mia Palstein, and not Sena Loengrin…
That uncertainty weighed on her as she spoke.
