Chapter 25
Flustered by the sudden rush of heat to her face, Lobelyn shook her head.
“No bruising. That’s a relief.”
Fortunately, Ian was too busy inspecting her arm to notice her reaction, allowing Lobelyn to finally regain her composure.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help you earlier.”
After lingering over her arm for a moment, Ian spoke up with some hesitation.
His deep blue eyes met Lobelyn’s.
“Pardon?”
“This might sound cowardly, but given the circumstances, I couldn’t just step in recklessly. It’s shameful for a gentleman, especially after you asked for help.”
Ian’s gaze was filled with sincerity and regret.
Lobelyn blinked, her eyes wide at his sudden apology.
‘Actually, the signal was meant to tell you not to come any closer…’
But seeing the earnestness in those blue eyes, Lobelyn couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth.
In fact, as their eyes met, she felt her cheeks flushing once again.
Unnerved by the unfamiliar sensation, Lobelyn looked away quickly.
“M-more importantly, what about Lady Spencer? Why are you here?”
Her mind felt like a jumbled mess, and she regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.
The regret only deepened when she saw Ian’s expression, which seemed to ask what kind of question that was.
She wished he would just let it slide.
Contrary to Lobelyn’s hopes, Ian took a step closer and asked, “Why are you bringing up Lady Spencer all of a sudden?”
“Well, you were just dancing with her—”
—until a moment ago.
Lobelyn couldn’t finish her sentence.
It was because Ian had suddenly swept his thumb across her arm.
He was looking down at the frozen Lobelyn with a relaxed smile.
“Until a moment ago, what? Keep going.”
“W-well, you see…”
“Are you perhaps jealous right now?”
“I am not!”
Lobelyn shouted before she could stop herself, then hurriedly scanned her surroundings.
Fortunately, the banquet hall was noisy enough that no one was paying attention to the balcony.
When she turned back to Ian, the corners of his mouth were tilted up in a smirk.
‘How cute.’
Ian looked down at Lobelyn with an expression full of amusement.
With a mischievous look, he swept his finger over her arm once more.
“Again…!”
It was adorable how Lobelyn’s body flinched as her face flushed even redder.
Ian leaned down, bringing his face close to her ear.
“I only danced with Lady Spencer once because of His Majesty’s command.”
“…”
When he pulled back to look at her, a hint of relief was blooming on Lobelyn’s flustered, red face.
At the sight, Ian’s eyes crinkled softly.
“I wanted to get away as quickly as possible. That blue dress was an eyesore.”
“…Lady Spencer was wearing yellow.”
“Was she? I wasn’t really paying attention.”
Ian shook his head truthfully.
Recalling Amelie, who had been looking up at Ian with a flushed face just moments ago, Lobelyn felt a pang of pity for her.
“Anyway, I think that’s enough of an explanation. Now it’s your turn, Lobelyn Dines.”
“Mine?”
“You don’t happen to have something going on with Marquis Maxwell, do you?”
The hand Ian held her arm with tightened slightly.
‘With a look like that, I feel like I have to say no even if there was something.’
Ian’s gaze as he waited for an answer was so serious that Lobelyn felt herself tensing up instinctively.
In any case, regarding Cedric, she had only shared a single dance, so there was nothing to hide.
“What would I have with him? I only met him for the first time today.”
“Hmm.”
“Just as Your Highness has nothing going on with Lady Spencer, it’s the same for me.”
“Is that so?”
Ian gently pulled her by the arm.
“Is it really nothing?”
As Ian asked, he wrapped his arm around Lobelyn’s waist.
His movements were faster and more persistent than she expected, making her body tremble.
Sensing this, Ian’s gaze turned a bit cool.
“You’re sensitive. You were in this position with the Marquis for quite a while.”
“Th-that was because he was trying to help… No, but if you could just let go—”
“Stay still.”
When Lobelyn squirmed to escape his embrace, Ian tightened his grip.
At that moment, the strains of a waltz drifted out from the banquet hall.
“Music again. They never seem to tire.”
“Well, dancing is the main event of a banquet. Everyone wants to make wonderful memories with someone special.”
Ian’s eyebrows rose at Lobelyn’s casual remark.
After a brief thought, he reached out with his other hand and took Lobelyn’s.
“Lobelyn Dines, shall we make those memories too? Right here.”
“What? But Your Highness already danced enough earlier—”
“That was nothing but tedious. Now, come.”
“Oh, wait, wait a moment!”
Lobelyn found herself spinning as Ian led her.
Just as he had with Amelie earlier, Ian was leading Lobelyn with great skill.
A full spring breeze brushed gently past the two of them.
‘This feels much more comfortable.’
Ian chuckled softly as he watched Lobelyn, who was matching his steps even while looking wide-eyed and flustered.
The dance with Amelie earlier had been nothing but exhausting.
Well, her efforts to capture his heart were somewhat admirable, in a way.
‘Your Highness, do you visit my uncle often?’
‘Are you referring to Duke Lionel? He is the Chancellor, so I see him often at the House of Nobles.’
‘I thought so! My uncle even sent me a gift for my birthday recently. I am his favorite niece, after all.’
‘Ah, I see…’
Though her methods weren’t exactly pleasant.
Amelie had chattered incessantly about how great her family was and talked about her maternal uncle.
Ian had given formal responses while wishing for the music to end as quickly as possible.
His stomach had also twisted every time Lobelyn and Cedric caught his eye.
“…”
Ian’s expression darkened as he remembered Lobelyn dancing with Cedric.
“Hmpf.”
“Aah!”
Ian pulled her arm sharply, drawing Lobelyn’s body flush against his.
Caught off guard by the sudden pressure, Lobelyn let out a small cry.
“W-what are you doing?”
“On second thought, this is a bit unfair.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s not right.”
Why is he acting like this when we were dancing so well?
Lobelyn looked at him with an incredulous expression.
“You were like that with Marquis Maxwell, yet you’re jealous because I danced with Lady Spencer.”
“No, that’s not… More importantly, you’re too close—”
“Shh, stay still. I’m feeling jealous too.”
When the flustered Lobelyn instinctively tried to pull away, Ian tightened his arm around her waist even more.
The music continued to flow from inside the banquet hall.
Holding Lobelyn more firmly, Ian began to move his feet slowly again.
The soft spring breeze tickled them both.
“…”
Lobelyn followed Ian’s lead in silence.
Her mind kept replaying his words from a moment ago.
‘Jealous…’
Did Ian even realize what he was saying?
Or that his words were making something flutter deep inside Lobelyn’s chest?
“Are you staring a bit too intensely, Lady Dines?”
Ian said playfully, looking down at Lobelyn with curved eyes.
Lobelyn, who had been gazing at him as if enchanted, snapped back to her senses at his words.
Watching her, Ian let out a low, satisfied laugh.
As the waltz continued, Ian didn’t take his eyes off Lobelyn for even a second.
“Hmm…”
He was so focused on her that he didn’t even notice the gaze watching them from a distance.
“Hey! What are you doing there?”
A small maid with short black hair, who had been staring up at the balcony, turned around at the sound of her name.
An older, senior maid was calling out to her with an exaggerated fuss.
“We have to start preparing to clean up the banquet! And if you get caught by the nobles over there, you’ll be in for it! Come here this instant!”
“Ah, yes…”
The maid turned and followed her senior.
But even as she walked away, she kept glancing back at the balcony where Ian and Lobelyn were.
Her eyes sparkled as she watched the two of them, still facing each other and dancing.
“Marquis Maxwell, it is an honor to meet you today.”
“Oh my, I heard the Marquis is the owner of the Elden Merchant Guild?”
“Marquis, next time, please visit my estate…”
The new young Marquis was constantly surrounded by nobles who wouldn’t leave his side.
Cedric answered every question and proposal with a gentle demeanor, showing no sign of annoyance.
The Empress, watching the scene from a distance, leaned toward Wighill beside her.
“That Marquis Maxwell, his skill in disposing of Duke Bolton was quite remarkable, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, I was quite surprised myself earlier.”
Wighill nodded sincerely.
After all, as a Duke, Bolton held the greatest influence in the House of Nobles.
Even if everyone ignored him because his arguments were foolish and absurd.
To strike down a man even the Emperor found troublesome to handle so decisively…
‘Marquis Maxwell won’t be an easy opponent.’
Wighill also felt the need to keep a close eye on Cedric.
At the same time, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
‘But that face looks so familiar. I feel like I’ve seen him with Her Majesty the Empress before, but when was it…’
