Chapter 32
For a moment, I thought I must have misheard.
Blinking in shock, I slowly turned my gaze toward the entrance of the ballroom.
Under the chandelier’s light, a man with dazzling silver hair and blue eyes, dressed impeccably in a white formal suit, was walking into the ballroom.
Every noble in the hall turned their eyes toward Rixion Luhanes, and I, too, found myself staring at him as if spellbound.
No matter when or where he appeared, he always drew attention effortlessly. So at first, when he wasn’t there right away, I just thought he might be running late — and felt slightly tense.
But even after the Emperor and Empress arrived, he still hadn’t shown up. So I figured, oh good, maybe he’s found another excuse to skip the ball again, just like always.
I never imagined he’d actually dare to skip the Founding Festival Ball of all events.
But of course, I was wrong.
Rixion Luhanes was a man who shattered my expectations in the most audacious ways possible.
He arrived after the Emperor — an act of breathtaking boldness — making his entrance with all the confidence in the world.
Still, perhaps he had some sense of propriety left, because he ignored the nobles flocking to him and walked straight to the imperial couple, bowing his head.
From the look of it, he seemed to be apologizing for his lateness. The Emperor and Empress accepted it with the practiced smiles of people long used to this sort of thing.
Surrounded by nobles who all fell silent, watching the exchange, I let out a small, incredulous laugh.
Seriously — Rixion Luhanes really was something else.
It was already irritating enough that he strutted around acting superior, standing on the grand stage that his sister, Empress Serena, had laid out for him.
And now that he himself had appeared, my mood hit rock bottom.
Feeling petulant for no reason, I threw him a mocking glance.
And then — our eyes met.
It was as if he somehow knew I was looking at him that way.
In that fleeting instant when I let out a sarcastic smile, his gaze locked onto mine — precisely, directly, across the great distance of the ballroom.
The look he gave me landed so unerringly, it felt like he had known I was there all along.
…No, that’s just my imagination, I told myself.
He’d been so cold when we last parted, and we hadn’t seen or spoken to each other since.
Whatever he’d said back then — about wanting to get closer — must have been a passing whim.
There was no reason for him to acknowledge me now.
And I had no reason to acknowledge him either.
I still didn’t know why Empress Serena had suddenly started acting all friendly with me, and the rumors about me being engaged to Rixion Luhanes were annoying — but that was all.
As long as he didn’t approach me, those rumors would eventually die out on their own.
So, this feeling that he was staring straight at me — it had to be an illusion.
I wanted to believe that, but… it didn’t seem to be an illusion.
Because Rixion Luhanes, after saying something brief to the Emperor and Empress, started walking directly toward me.
His eyes were fixed on me as he advanced, and the nobles began turning to look, whispering amongst themselves.
Thankfully, no one yet realized that I was the one at the end of his gaze.
No way. He’s not seriously coming to greet me, is he?
I was already being tormented by all sorts of nasty rumors — was he planning to hammer the final nail into the coffin by confirming that “rumored engagement”?
Was he trying to carve my name into the original novel The Saintess of Erendel as his official ex-girlfriend?
I prayed that wasn’t the case.
But judging from the way he was walking straight toward me… it probably was.
Damn it!
Panic surged through me.
“Brother, brother.”
Normally, I would address him properly as ‘Elder Brother’, but my sudden informal tone and desperate arm-waving made Michael turn toward me with a puzzled expression.
Without meeting his eyes, I blurted out in a rush:
“I—I’m not feeling well. I’ll just step outside for some air.”
“Did you eat something weird without telling me?” he asked, frowning.
I barely even heard him. My only thought was escape.
I quickly stepped back, lowered my body slightly, and slipped into the crowd.
If I could just move out of his line of sight…
“Ah!”
In my haste, I collided hard with someone standing behind me.
The young lady I bumped into gave a startled cry and turned to me with teary eyes.
“I—I’m so sorry! Are you hurt anywhere?” I stammered, guilt washing over me even amid my panic.
The petite, cute-faced lady checked who had bumped her — and when she realized it was me, her expression grew even more distressed.
Ever since the rumor that I’d caught the red plague was proven false, the atmosphere at court had shifted dramatically.
But there were still nobles who disliked my presence at the ball — whether out of jealousy or old grudges against my family.
And this young lady in front of me was probably one of them.
“Are you all right, Lady Ellen?” someone asked.
“Isn’t it rude to walk around without watching where you’re going?” another added coldly.
A few other young nobles, clearly her companions, cast me uneasy glances while consoling her.
I couldn’t hear everything they whispered, but I caught the phrase, “Just think of it as bad luck today.”
The implication wasn’t pleasant, but since it had been my fault for bumping into her, I could only look awkward and apologetic.
Hoping for some backup, I turned toward my brother — but to my confusion, Michael wasn’t looking at me.
In fact, neither he nor the surrounding nobles were looking at me at all.
They were all staring at the same spot — somewhere behind me.
What… why are they all…?
I was just starting to frown in bewilderment when—
“Lady Christener.”
A smooth, low voice — deceptively gentle — fell from behind me.
And that’s when I remembered the crucial fact I’d been trying to forget… and understood exactly why everyone’s eyes were fixed in one direction.
Ha… so it’s come to this, after all.
Any hope of escaping vanished. I laughed silently to myself.
My feet twitched, aching to bolt, but I couldn’t move. The air around us was too heavy — everyone was watching.
Frustration bubbled up inside me.
I knew I couldn’t just stand there, but my body wouldn’t listen.
I seriously considered kicking off my heels and running, but just the thought of my brother’s horrified face kept me rooted.
I couldn’t embarrass him like that — not in front of the Empress.
With a deep, resigned sigh, I slowly turned around.
When our eyes met, Rixion Luhanes’s expression shifted strangely.
The faint smile on his face faltered for a moment, vanishing briefly before he masked it again with an easy, charming grin.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The nobles nearest to us audibly sucked in their breath — a mix of awe and disbelief.
And yet, Rixion didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
Those calm blue eyes were fixed solely on me — so steady and unwavering that, in a strange way, it was almost impressive.
“I wasn’t planning to attend the ball tonight due to some… circumstances,” he said, lowering his gaze slightly as he stepped closer, “but I thought I might have the chance to see Lady Christener… so I came after all.”
Each word he spoke sent another murmur through the hall.
As he approached, the nobles around me automatically stepped aside to make room.
“I’m glad I came,” he finished with a faint smile.
He looked genuinely pleased to see me — or at least, that’s what he made it seem like.
Was this the same man who’d turned away coldly before, after claiming he wanted to “get along”?
What was he playing at now?
Of course, I couldn’t just blurt out, ‘Well, I was hoping never to see you again.’
So, I summoned every last shred of my social composure and managed to reply:
“Ah… yes…”
Apparently, my social skills were a lot more limited than I thought.
