Chapter 26
There wasn’t a single young lady in society who didn’t remember the first time Aksion Dierick set foot in the social scene.
That day could almost be said to have gone down in history.
The beginning of that history was the first ball he attended, around the year he turned fifteen.
The venue was the ball of Countess Menela, who was dominating society at the time.
As the sun set and floating lanterns cast a shimmering glow over the ballroom—
Aksion Dierick entered with the former Grand Duke.
The hush and breathless tension that fell then… the distant strains of music… and, at the same time, the sound of a celestial harmony—it wasn’t just a figure of speech, but something that really happened. Every young lady present heard it at the exact same moment. Some even swore they heard church bells ringing.
“Th-that’s him…”
“How old is he this year?”
“Does he have a fiancée? Surely he must be looking for a bride?”
No one could answer the flurry of urgent questions.
Ladies who had been dancing hurried off the floor to fix their hair and dresses, urging their mothers to go speak to the Grand Duke.
But that night, not a single young lady danced with Aksion Dierick. Not one.
And though many continued to look for opportunities afterward, that was both his first and last public appearance.
He only appeared in society again when he became the fiancé of the Regent Princess, Jenaiah Enaheim—a man no one could now lay a hand on.
Truth be told, Princess Jenaiah had never been a particularly noticeable figure. Even after her younger sister, Princess Yulia, married into the Kingdom of Gerolta, no notable marriage proposals came her way.
There were even rumors that the princess was in poor health.
But when she finally appeared as Aksion Dierick’s fiancée years later, she was perfectly healthy.
No one knew how, even as a princess, she had managed to arrange such a match with the Grand Duke’s family.
The only people who might have known were the late Emperor and Empress—and they had both died in an accident long ago.
“I’m so jealous of the Regent Princess.”
“Who wouldn’t be? She gets a fiancé like the Grand Duke without having to exhaust herself chasing around every corner.”
“But wasn’t her vow last time rather unexpected?”
A group of young ladies whispered as they watched Jenaiah dance with her fiancé.
“I know. Honestly… I thought she might…”
The speaker trailed off, but everyone understood what she meant.
“Me too. She always seems so resolute in everything she does.”
“It’s kind of admirable, actually. The late Empress was kind, but she never involved herself in affairs of state.”
“Maybe she’s finally decided to properly support His Majesty Lexin.”
Speculation ran wild, but all their conclusions ended the same.
“…She really is remarkable. In so many ways.”
They all nodded together. Then a light, almost teasing voice broke the mood.
“Besides, how can she look at that face and not blush? That’s truly impressive.”
‘That face,’ of course, meant Aksion’s. The ladies’ gazes were pulled back to him again.
“That’s an incredible skill in itself.”
“Or maybe… she’s just not interested.”
The unfamiliar voice startled the group into straightening.
The speaker was Aria Dolan. For once, her ever-present older brother was not with her.
“A-Aria…”
“Don’t you think so? To be that unaffected… must mean she doesn’t feel anything for him at all.”
Ignoring the irritation on the others’ faces, Aria pressed on.
Even if she was right—that the Regent Princess felt nothing for her fiancé—that in itself was shocking.
How could anyone look at Aksion Dierick’s face and feel nothing?
In the end, the conclusion was the same as always: the Regent Princess was extraordinary.
Whatever the truth, every one of them still envied her for having Aksion Dierick as her betrothed.
Losing interest in Aria’s comments, the ladies drifted away.
Left alone, Aria let out a deep sigh.
“All idiots.”
She muttered irritably, then drew something from her sleeve—
Inside the round crystal sphere she held, fierce waves were crashing.
It was a disaster brought on by my own hasty judgment.
Aksion danced far better than I’d expected.
Why?
It’s not like he hadn’t noticed my surprise—yet all he did was hold my gaze, his hand firmly but effortlessly at my waist.
The way he led me across the floor, his graceful steps… my eyes widened in astonishment.
It wasn’t something to brag about, but in terms of experience, I was obviously the more seasoned dancer.
But it had been a long time since I’d danced, and my movements were stiff.
When Aksion took the lead and guided me, I couldn’t help but feel my pride prickled.
“…Didn’t you say you’d never been to a ball before?”
“That’s correct.”
“Then why are you so good at this?”
He smiled faintly. It was rare for him to openly lift the corners of his lips like that, and for a moment, I forgot my irritation and simply stared at his face.
“Was I good?”
“Mm-hm. Very.”
“Then I’ll take that as a compliment.”
It was a compliment… though, for some reason, it didn’t sit right with me.
Wasn’t this what you’d call brazen?
“If I appeared skilled to you, then I’m glad I didn’t cause you any trouble.”
There was something oddly pointed about that remark. Was he getting back at me for implying I’d been to more parties than him?
But his expression was gentle enough to make me unsure.
I narrowed my eyes, standing on tiptoe to search his expression, and he chuckled.
“…You were teasing me, weren’t you?”
“A little.”
I lightly pushed his chest, but he didn’t budge an inch—like a marble statue. My hand only stung for my trouble.
Just then, the chime marking midnight rang out, drawing everyone’s eyes to one spot.
Party themes weren’t chosen at random.
Sezan Beautain was a woman who knew how to make full use of every card she held.
At the center of the hall stood a veiled frame. Beside Sezan stood a woman who could only be the artist.
“Allow me to present: ‘Summer Villa with Crashing Waves’ by Tiana Brante.”
The fabric fluttered to the floor, and gasps rose from the crowd.
The painting was so vivid, it seemed the waves were truly crashing before them—
But on closer inspection, they were clouds, not waves; and the sea was in fact an endless sky.
“As expected from an artist sponsored by the Marquess’ house.”
“It’s as if the painting will come alive at any moment.”
Passing by those offering their opinions, Jenaiah stepped forward.
“Another magnificent work, Lady Beautain.”
“It’s an honor that Your Highness appreciates it. This is Tiana.”
“Tiana—by chance, I believe I’ve brought something that would suit you perfectly.”
Without hesitation, Jenaiah detached a crystal sphere from her wrist.
Inside, waves surged and rippled gently with her movement.
“This is my gift to you, for showing us such a beautiful work.”
“…Th-thank you, Your Highness!”
At Sezan’s nod, the nervous Tiana quickly accepted it.
“What is that? Do they sell such things somewhere?”
“I’ve never seen anything like it…”
Murmurs of curiosity spread, and Sezan’s smile blossomed.
Tiana Brante was still an unknown artist, and though Sezan had never failed to sell a sponsored work, she’d recently begun to feel limits.
Hosting a party to showcase a new artist had merit in itself, but it didn’t bring in much profit.
Many merchants entered trade because it made money quickly, but art was the opposite—it took far too long to yield returns.
And there was another obstacle: only one person could own a work of art, and auctions always drew the same small pool of buyers.
Sezan had long thought that if she could create a way for even those outside the auctions to own something, it could be a great business.
The person who helped solve this problem was an unexpected one.
Before the party, Jenaiah had sent a cart to the Beautain estate—
Loaded with dozens of the very crystal spheres she wore on her wrist today.
In her letter, she explained how to use them to stir people’s desire for ownership, along with a proposal for fair profit-sharing.
An unexpected person, with an unexpected suggestion.
In the end, taking her hand had been an excellent decision for Sezan.
She smiled and gestured to her attendants, who moved through the hall with the spheres, each tied with a blue ribbon.
“Another artistic creation the Beautain family will soon offer. As a memento, every guest here today will receive one.”
Delighted exclamations rose from all around at the unexpected gift.
Of course, they would only be free this first time—next time, they would be sold for full price.
From across the hall, Jenaiah raised her wine glass toward Sezan.
Sezan smiled and dipped her head in return.
Everything was going exactly according to Jenaiah’s plan.
