Chapter 4~
Cecilia struggled to steady her trembling hands.
Theros’s chilling gaze and the sound of his approaching footsteps were overwhelmingly oppressive. With long strides, he quickly closed the distance between himself and the two women.
“How dare you toy with me, Theros Geminik? Did I seem that easy to you?”
Though his voice was low, every word he spoke carried a cold, suffocating fear that crept into the depths of one’s heart.
“L–Lord Theros!”
Cecilia cried out desperately. She needed to apologize, but her throat felt completely blocked, and no sound would come out. Despite it being a summer night, her shoulders trembled violently.
Theros, who had been looking down at Asen with contempt, shifted his gaze to Cecilia. Sitting on the ground, Cecilia had to lift her head high just to meet his eyes.
Their gazes locked midair. His dark blue eyes, reminiscent of the night sky, stared piercingly into hers.
She had thought his expression was one of pure contempt, but for a fleeting moment, it seemed as if something else flickered within his eyes. Cecilia, however, couldn’t name that emotion.
As she blinked and continued to look at him, a faint crack seemed to appear in his statue-like face, illuminated by pale moonlight.
“Ha… this is driving me insane.”
Theros raised a hand and pressed his temples as if he had a headache.
He then ordered the two young ladies sitting on the ground to stand.
Under his overwhelming presence, Cecilia and Asen instinctively jumped to their feet.
“You there—the mage lady. You’re from the Odik family, aren’t you?”
Asen kept her head lowered, unable to meet his eyes. Theros paid no attention to her frightened expression.
“The Empire only permits the Odik family to practice enhancement and healing magic. Anything beyond what’s needed for war against other nations is considered forbidden sorcery. Are you prepared to face the consequences of breaking imperial law?”
“H–hic… I-I’m sorry, Lord Theros.”
Without changing his expression, Theros turned his gaze toward Cecilia.
“And you, young lady of the Serin family—you aided in this illegal act. I assume you’re prepared as well?”
Cecilia’s body trembled uncontrollably. It was an open secret among the people of the Empire that the Odik family researched unapproved magic, and minor incidents were often brushed aside. But this situation was different—because their opponent was Theros Geminik.
“I-I’m sorry, Lord Theros. I never thought things would turn out like this…”
“I will report this to the Imperial Palace. I’ll say that the daughters of the Odik and Serin families attempted to harm me.”
“Harm you? That’s absolutely not true!”
In a panic, Cecilia grabbed the hem of his clothes. At that faint touch, his eyes seemed to waver ever so slightly.
“If you didn’t intend harm, then why did you make me drink that… thing?”
“Th-that! It was a mistake!”
At the word “mistake,” Theros’s eyes narrowed.
“Mistake or not, you will pay the price for your actions.”
Lowering his head, Theros spoke quietly near Cecilia’s ear. His low whisper wrapped around her, binding her tightly.
“You’ll be brought before a military tribunal. After all, the one who drank your concoction… was me.”
Cecilia’s eyes widened in shock as she jerked her head up.
Because Theros was a soldier trusted by the Emperor, this was no longer a simple illegal act—it could be considered an attempt to undermine the Empire’s military power. A military tribunal would show no mercy, regardless of status.
The unexpected situation overwhelmed her, and her vision spun.
“Lord Theros, please…!”
She dropped to her knees reflexively. The only way to escape this situation was to earn his forgiveness.
“Lord Theros… please. I’ll do anything. Please show mercy.”
Tears streamed down Cecilia’s cheeks, falling onto the floor.
“Anything, you say. Can you keep that promise?”
Clinging to a lifeline, Cecilia nodded desperately.
Theros extended his large hand toward her, signaling her to stand. Without hesitation, she took it as if it were a hand of salvation and rose to her feet.
The same hand that helped her up soon brushed against her tear-streaked cheek. The rough texture of his calloused fingers made her want to flinch, but she forced herself to endure it.
“If you’re willing to do anything, you should start by wiping your tears. We’re going back into the banquet hall.”
At the end of his sentence, it almost sounded like he suppressed a chuckle. When Cecilia looked at his face, she saw a crooked smile on his lips.
“No matter how desperate you are, how can you promise to do anything? Do you even know what I might demand?”
In contrast to his smiling lips, his eyes were cold—so chilling it felt as though a messenger from hell stood before her.
“You might regret not just going to the military tribunal instead.”
His gaze locked onto Cecilia’s bright blue eyes. Under that stare, she felt as though she were bound tightly by ropes, unable to move.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had gotten herself into something terribly wrong.
* * *
Back in the banquet hall, Theros suggested that Cecilia eat first at the food table.
Though the dishes looked delicious enough to make her mouth water, she found herself with no appetite.
At that moment, a piece of steamed cod was placed onto her plate.
“It’s the chef’s proudest dish. It should suit your taste.”
Since Theros had personally served it, Cecilia reluctantly cut into the fish and took a bite.
“Mmm…”
The delicate texture and herbal aroma filled her mouth. As she always did when eating something good, she instinctively praised the food.
“It’s really delicious.”
“Eat well. You can’t be hungry if you’re going to ‘do something.’”
At his casual remark, Cecilia’s expression darkened again.
So this was like a last meal for a condemned prisoner? What exactly was he planning to make her do?
She felt like a rabbit caught firmly by the scruff of its neck by a hunter.
“I won’t ask anything too difficult at first. Let’s start with something you’re very good at.”
At that moment, the music changed—and Theros extended his hand toward her.
Cecilia blinked in surprise, staring at his hand, until he motioned impatiently with his fingers.
As if drawn by a magnet, she placed her hand in his. Theros naturally led her to the center of the hall.
Holding her hand with one, he placed the other lightly on her waist. As he drew closer to assume the dancing position, the distance between them shrank instantly.
“Eek!”
Startled, Cecilia inhaled sharply. Her exaggerated reaction made a faint crease form between Theros’s brows.
“Do you not know the basics of dancing? Are you planning to leave my shoulder empty?”
Coming back to her senses, Cecilia placed her hand on his shoulder. She could feel the firmness beneath her fingertips.
Their legs moved naturally to the rhythm, and they began to turn slowly to the music.
“So… the ‘something’ you mentioned earlier is dancing together?”
“Yes, for now. Is it too simple—boring, perhaps?”
Theros smirked as he met her eyes.
“No… I just didn’t expect to be dancing all of a sudden.”
They briefly parted and came close again, their hands still joined. Cecilia’s voluminous dress fluttered as they moved across the hall.
Though dancing with Theros was uncomfortable, it was also a relief. She had expected something terrifying—but dancing was simple.
If this was all he asked of her, she felt she could continue pleasing him indefinitely.
Without realizing it, she smiled brightly at him.
“Thank you.”
At her smiling eyes, Theros’s previously calm gaze wavered for a moment.
“For giving me a chance to make up for my mistake, even a little.”
“You’re welcome.”
At some point, Cecilia noticed that the space around them had cleared. Earlier, she had to be careful not to bump into other dancers—but now, there was no one nearby at all.
Confused, she looked around.
In the vast hall, only Theros and Cecilia were dancing.
Startled, she tried to stop and pull her hand away, but he tightened his grip, not letting her go. Pulling her closer by the waist in sync with the dance, he whispered:
“I should be the one thanking you. You’re sharing my first dance. That makes it special.”
“First dances happen at every ball. Is it really that special?”
As she turned her head, she noticed people watching them.
All the other dancers had stepped aside, gathering at the edges of the hall to observe the two of them.
Shock was written clearly on their faces, and murmurs spread among them.
Cecilia’s face flushed red.
What’s the big deal about dancing? Why are they acting like it’s some spectacle?
At that moment, Theros’s low voice whispered near her ear:
“It is special. This is my first dance ever. You could call it my debut.”
Cecilia’s eyes widened.
Now that she thought about it, Theros rarely attended social gatherings, and even when he did, no one had ever seen him dance.
As the heir of one of the Empire’s most prestigious families and a strikingly handsome man, he was always the center of attention—but he had chosen a reclusive life. So naturally, seeing him dance with a woman drew everyone’s gaze.
Cecilia glanced around awkwardly and spotted Rozein with Dmitri.
Dmitri looked at them with curiosity, while Rozein glared as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
‘Of course she’s angry. I’ve taken the attention that should have been hers.’
Cecilia shook her head. The attention made her uncomfortable—but seeing Rozein’s expression also gave her a slight sense of satisfaction.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“What? Not at all. I’m extremely flustered. I’m only dancing to help ease your anger, Lord Theros.”
She forced a troubled expression, trying to appear as pitiful as possible. Though she truly was flustered, the fact that he had caught even that brief flicker of satisfaction made her uneasy.
‘Still… is it really okay to attract this much attention?’
From the head table, the Duke of Geminik was watching his son.
When Cecilia accidentally met the duke’s sharp, blade-like gaze, she quickly turned her head away.
It felt as though she had stepped into a swamp she could never escape.
