Chapter 20
The Noble Young Lord
Those who had eagerly been waiting for those words nodded broadly, embracing their joy as they stepped forward.
It didn’t take long for the gentlemen and ladies to pair off. In front of Sena, a middle-aged man came straight toward her without hesitation.
It seemed he had decided from the beginning that he would dance with Sena.
A dignified gentleman, in contrast to her black mask, his eye area was adorned with royal blue and diamonds, making him resemble some great sea creature swimming leisurely through the ocean.
At the very moment his hand was about to reach Sena, it was stopped by another gentleman who had just stepped in.
Though he did not openly show anger—which would be against the etiquette of the dance—he cast an unmistakably rude glare at the newcomer.
However, once he realized who that man was, the gentleman stood frozen in astonishment. Understanding that his role had ended, he immediately replaced his previous indignation with a perfectly polite bow, then withdrew from the scene.
As Sena watched their exchange with bewildered eyes, her own heart seemed to stop entirely.
When she finally took in the sight of the newcomer standing before her, time began to move again.
“Your Highness…”
The crown prince stood before her, head slightly lowered.
His eyes were shining with the joy of reunion, glowing like the most beautiful red moon among the three moons that colored the sky.
“Good evening, my lady. May I have this dance?”
He was royalty.
Yet—he was using this form of etiquette?
Sena’s heart became a swirl of confusion, disbelief… and bliss.
The dance request Robert performed was not of the Kingdom’s style, but of the Empire’s.
It was also the traditional method said to originate from the first emperor himself, who used this etiquette when choosing his empress.
Sena had practiced it tirelessly as a child, dreaming of one day being invited by the emperor… It was exactly the proposal she had wished for deep in her heart.
Of course, the one standing before her wasn’t the emperor, but the crown prince—rumored to be the next king.
But status didn’t matter now.
Receiving this exact invitation at a social gathering had been Sena’s long-held dream.
She had never imagined it would come true like this.
With her deep blue eyes, Sena gazed into Robert’s vividly shining crimson ones.
Her conscious mind gave up control; her instincts moved on their own.
Just as she had practiced, just as she had imagined, Sena bent her knees elegantly in a courtly greeting.
Robert placed a hand on his chest and bowed deeply in return.
It was the moment their partnership for the dance became official.
The crown prince guided Sena’s hand with his left and placed his other hand gently at her waist.
Just from his touch, Sena’s fingertips trembled.
An indescribable happiness washed over her, lifting her heart from the depths of all her worries.
So long as she was with Robert, she felt freed—if only for now—from her painful past.
Following the etiquette she had learned, Sena placed her left hand on his right arm.
The ball’s opening number began to play.
With the music behind her, Sena stepped with Robert into the center of the hall.
Surrounded by countless dancers, Sena moved among them in the crown prince’s arms.
My first dance partner…
And to think it’s the crown prince of the kingdom.
It feels like a miracle!
Robert’s heated gaze never left her. With a confident smile, he danced through the gaps between other couples.
Each time, Sena’s body followed his lead, moving gracefully like a doll drawing perfect arcs.
And she could not tear her eyes away from him either.
From the moment she first became aware of him in that corridor, his presence had grown into something that completely captured her heart.
Her curiosity about him was endless—the charm in his eyes, that playful smile hinting he was planning some mischief—all of it drew her in.
In the midst of forgetting even to breathe, his intoxicating scent stirred her instincts… and with that, her awareness slowly returned.
No matter how enchanted she was, Sena’s mind warned her:
This will be the last dance with him!
Her rationality scolded her like a strict tutor or overbearing mother.
Remaining at his side could lead to unimaginable danger.
That was the warning.
Even as she was exposed to his alluring gaze, a part of her still prayed not to let go.
She also hoped Robert would not focus on deepening his interactions with the other women eagerly waiting for their turn.
But that was something she had no right to wish for.
He did not belong to her alone.
After this dance, Robert would surely move away from Sena and toward other ladies—
To identify a true candidate for his future bride.
She couldn’t allow her selfishness to ruin such an important event.
Thus, the dreamlike moment between them ended in an instant.
The many couples once again parted to left and right, creating a wide path in between.
Sena exhaled—a relieved sigh like that of a slave freed from long suffering—and quietly whispered her farewell to him.
“I have to go now.”
“No. I still want to dance with you.”
“That’s… impossible…”
In her despair, a single ray of hope returned, and her darkening vision lit up again.
Robert showed no intention of letting her go.
