Chapter 19
‘Why would His Highness ask me?’
Aisha swallowed the question that rose within her, carefully keeping her expression composed. She had no prior connection with Jared Caesar, the Second Prince, so why had he asked her to dance?
If there was any link at all, it was her eldest brother Edward, a close aide to the Crown Prince and known for his deep loyalty. According to Edward, the Second Prince had always humbled himself as a vassal to the Crown Prince, going so far as to act more like a subject than a royal brother. Because of that, the Caesar Empire was virtually free of succession disputes like those seen in other nations.
‘Maybe through Edward…’
If Edward stood close to the Crown Prince, it made sense he might interact with the Second Prince as well. But even from afar, she could see the surprise in Edward’s eyes, which meant her guess was likely wrong.
Unable to find a reason, Aisha cautiously studied Jared’s face. Unlike Ian, who danced with flawless skill, the prince was not known to dance often. While his steps lacked polish, they were firm and disciplined, fitting for a man of the sword. His stiff jaw and firmly closed lips could have made him seem cold, yet the elegant lines of his face and the small beauty mark beneath his left eye made his expressionless face seem more alluring.
‘I never noticed from afar, but… he really is beautiful. No wonder the ladies follow him.’
Aisha found herself admiring his face anew. Still, she kept those thoughts to herself. She had once heard from Edward that Jared did not enjoy being complimented on his looks.
Besides, Aisha had grown up surrounded by good-looking men—her brothers, including Ian. Jared’s appearance may have been enough to catch her artistic eye, but not enough to truly stir her heart. Instead, his unexpected invitation reminded her of Ian, whom she had managed to forget for a brief moment—and her expression darkened.
‘He seemed like he was coming toward me… Was he going to ask me to dance?’
Ian’s suddenly kind demeanor and the way he had gestured for her to follow made her nervous, but hopeful. Even if her brothers would scold her for being naive, she couldn’t help it. When Ian looked at her like that—when her face was reflected in those blue eyes—Aisha always felt helpless.
‘Now that I think about it, where is he…’
“Are you uncomfortable?”
Just as Aisha instinctively searched the room for Ian, the prince who hadn’t said a word since asking her to dance suddenly spoke. Startled, Aisha looked up at him, and he stiffened slightly, his gaze shifting away.
“Your face seems pale. If you’re feeling unwell, we can stop now…”
“N-No, I’m fine.”
“…”
“I’m sorry if I gave that impression, Your Highness.”
Aisha quickly lowered her eyes. Staring directly at a member of the royal family, especially one she wasn’t close to, could be considered disrespectful.
“…”
“…”
Despite the awkward silence, the dance continued. Jared opened his mouth slightly, lips moving a few times as though he wanted to say something. But Aisha didn’t notice—she was too busy wondering if she should speak first, and if so, what topic would be appropriate. Her eyes settled on the ornament pinned to the prince’s chest.
“This banquet is truly—”
“I…”
Just as Aisha was about to offer some polite praise about the banquet, Jared spoke too. Their voices overlapped, and both immediately fell silent again, staring at each other in mild embarrassment.
Aisha’s widened eyes reflected Jared’s face. For some reason, his face looked slightly flushed. Avoiding her gaze again, he adjusted his grip on her waist as if making up his mind.
“…Were you very surprised when I asked you to dance?”
His voice was oddly timid. His manner, as if he’d done something wrong, made Aisha tilt her head without thinking.
“Her Majesty the Empress, and my brother—the Crown Prince—they’ve both been insisting I dance at least once.”
“…”
“And then I happened to see you…”
Jared’s words trailed off, his expression tightening. The way he said it made it sound like he’d asked her out of obligation. Looking flustered under Aisha’s gaze, he hurriedly added,
“Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not like I asked you without thinking. It’s just that I… I wasn’t exactly watching you, but… I mean…”
“Whatever the reason, Your Highness’s invitation is an honor.”
Aisha giggled softly, cutting off his rambling. Her smile, eyes gently crinkling, was different from the polite one she had been wearing all night. Jared stared, forgetting even to blink, only snapping out of it when her hair brushed past with the rhythm of the dance.
“…Was it too much? I know it was sudden.”
“To be honest, I was a little surprised. But now I’m just grateful to Your Highness for this pleasant time.”
“…”
“My mother actually pushed me to dance too. She even gave me a number of dances I had to complete. So in a way, Your Highness helped me. Though I didn’t accept your invitation just to fill a quota—please don’t misunderstand.”
“You… speak more softly and well than I expected.”
Aisha’s tension seemed to ease, and her voice grew warmer, her words more fluid. As she chirped on like a bird, Jared murmured in surprise, looking momentarily flustered.
“I’m not mocking you. I meant it’s nice. Your voice is lovely, and you look much better smiling like this than when you looked so sad…”
“…”
“…You’re beautiful.”
The directness of his compliment caught Aisha off guard. She had been called beautiful many times before, but never like this. His words didn’t feel rehearsed or polished—they felt genuine, like a child’s honest impression. That rawness made the compliment all the more touching… and embarrassing.
“Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness.”
Her voice was calm, but her earlobes were turning red. Jared blinked hard, clearly flustered. Seeing how transparently awkward he looked, Aisha couldn’t help but think a treasonous thought.
‘I’d be in serious trouble if anyone knew, but… His Highness is actually kind of cute.’
The Second Prince—supposedly indifferent to the throne, obsessed only with swords, known for his cold nature that even the Empress found exasperating—was nothing like the rumors.
‘Maybe people mistook his shyness for aloofness?’
Aisha herself got shy around strangers. Some people interpreted her stiffness as arrogance or coldness.
That commonality sparked a warm sense of familiarity in Aisha. But her smile faded as a piercing gaze suddenly made her heart drop. She darted her eyes around, nervous.
‘Ah…’
She didn’t need to look to know who it was. Aisha quickly paled under Ian’s gaze from across the room.
Meanwhile…
They looked good together. Both the man and woman were strikingly beautiful. Anyone with eyes could see that.
But Ian found something to nitpick. He stared at the prince’s delicate face and soft reddish-pink hair, which contrasted sharply with Aisha’s light and pale coloring. As his eyes scanned over them, something caught his attention, and his face darkened.
Aisha, flush from dancing and pressed close to the prince, had her head slightly lowered. Whether it was from physical fatigue or from the intimate distance with a strange man, her cheeks had taken on a rosy hue.
Whenever Jared said something, Aisha would hesitate, then lift her eyes slightly and part her lips—creating a picture-perfect image, the kind that highlighted her innocent charm. Even the usually stoic prince couldn’t hide the corners of his lips turning upward.
Ian’s gaze shifted to Jared’s hand on Aisha’s waist. Then, when Aisha smiled, Ian’s brow lifted involuntarily.
“You bring a watch? I think we can end this now—I’ve already won.”
As Aisha and Jared twirled gently in sync, a voice whispered beside Ian. He turned and saw Albert standing there. His confident tone and smug expression made Ian scoff.
“That’s a bit much.”
“Come on, Ian. Look at them—Lady Aisha and the Second Prince. Anyone can see they’re drawn to each other. They’re perfect together.”
Instead of responding, Ian grabbed a passing servant’s tray and downed the contents of a glass. The clear liquid was sweet, but strong.
He stared at Aisha now with undisguised displeasure. She visibly flinched when their eyes met. The way she glanced his way and trembled slightly made it easy for Ian to identify the guilt in her expression. His lips curled as he finished his drink.
‘Yeah. You should feel guilty. After pestering me with your feelings, now you’re making that face for another guy? Shameless.’
Handing off the empty glass, Ian turned away. Albert still stood beside him, smiling smugly. Annoyed, Ian waved a hand.
“Go on ahead to the spot we agreed. I’ll wrap this up in thirty minutes.”
The music was ending soon. The designated spot in the hall was a good ten-minute walk away, so if the bet was to be settled in thirty minutes, time was tight.
“Thirty minutes? That’s pushing it. Let’s say within an hour. But if you take longer than that—you lose.”
“Fine.”
Ian nodded, and Albert checked his watch and turned to leave. But Ian reached out to stop him. Albert looked confused.
After hesitating a moment, Ian spoke.
“…Let’s keep this bet just between us. I don’t need a scene if you lose and start throwing a fit.”
