Grand Ball Part 3
1641 Words
Fancily dressed ladies, abundant food, and delicious wine. There were many things that made a ball beautiful, but one of the most important things was dancing. An ensemble of men and women dancing together to the wonderful music. It wasn’t just movement, but a story, as well as an art.
And in this moment, in the middle of the Imperial Ballroom. Another art was unfolding.
“What, the Crown Prince?”
“The Crown Prince really?”
Everyone looked at the middle of the ball.
The Crown Prince, Eins von Granzreich was dancing to the music with a little girl!
“How long has it been since the Crown Prince danced?”
“I haven’t seen him dance recently. It’s interesting.”
“But who is that lady?”
“I think she’s Lady Catarina of the chancellor’s family.”
Everyone in the ball looked at the two of them.
“Anyhow…”
Someone murmured.
“It’s stunning.”
They sounded entranced.
“Was that dance always so beautiful?”
This was how everyone felt. Yes, it was beautiful. A soft, yet moderate music. And a strong man leading the lady wearing a light dress, following his steps. It was a composed, soft, and fancy, yet controlled dance.
“It’s really beautiful.”
“The Crown Prince is famous for being a good dancer, but that lady is amazing as well.”
“Yes. I don’t think she had her adult ceremony yet either.”
Every man and woman in the ballroom admired their dance.
“Anyhow, it’s hard to dance like that if you don’t fit well with your partner, but they really fit well together.”
“Right? It’s incredible.”
Dancing wasn’t something you did by yourself. You had to match your partner.
“They wouldn’t have practiced it before, right?”
“Nah, I don’t think so.”
Unless they were lovers or a couple, you wouldn’t repeatedly dance with just one partner.
“You don’t know. Since she’s a lady of the Catarina family, she might’ve met the Crown Prince.”
“Oh, now that you say it, I suppose so. Then do you think the fiancee that’s announced today is Lady Catarina?”
The noblewomen all chattered about what they thought. Actually, their guesses weren’t wrong. The Crown Prince might not know, but this wasn’t Catarina’s first dance with him. Since in her past life, they were married.
Receiving the gazes of everyone, Lady Catarina was lost in her thoughts. ‘It’s been a while. A dance with His Highness.’ Fiancee, Crown Princess, Empress. It was a one-sided love, but it had lasted 9 years.
He hated dancing, but he had to step up as the Crown Prince, and she had to dance with him during those times. ‘His lead. It’s the same as ever.’ His dancing reflected his personality. An indifferent and controlled dance, while also being powerful. It was a perfect dance, combed over with the manners of the Imperial Palace, but it was hard to follow.
‘I worked so hard to follow his lead.’ After being embarrassed during her first dance with him, she practiced until her feet bled. She hoped that he would see her efforts. ‘It’s all in the past.’ She started to feel bitter thinking about back then. ‘Well, today’s special. I won’t be dancing with him like this in the future.’
She didn’t know why he asked her to dance. He never danced until it was absolutely necessary. And they weren’t in any relationship now. ‘I don’t know. My head hurts. I just want to go home.’
Then, as the music became faster, his lead changed. It was rougher!
“…?!”
“What are you thinking about?”
It was a low voice mixed with displeasure.
“Just…nothing.”
And it was then.
His hand suddenly moved down her back to her waist!
“…?!”
Catarina gasped in surprise. He pulled her closer to him and whispered.
“Focus.”
“Okay….”
Thump. Was it because they suddenly became closer even though she didn’t have any feelings for him? At the hand, she felt on her waist and the scent that was wafting up to her nose, her heart thumped.
“U-Um…Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a bit…”
“What are you talking about?”
He furiously led her through the dance in that close position. Like he was angry about something. It was a powerful and intense lead. ‘Why suddenly?’
He never led her like this in her past life. Catarina confusedly followed his frantic steps.
“…”
Meanwhile, Eins looked down at her with his golden eyes. He wasn’t feeling pleasant right now. ‘I don’t like it.’
Why was she making that bitter face? Just what was she thinking about while dancing with him that made her expression like that? Was it because she didn’t like dancing with him?
‘I don’t like it.’ His unpleasant thoughts were reflected in his dance. The softness disappeared, and a strong lead was continued. Everyone exclaimed in amazement seeing them.
“Wow, as expected of the Crown Prince!”
“It’s powerful!”
From his dance, strength and manliness were shown. Everyone’s gazes were focused on Catarina, who was following his steps without any problem.
“That lady is amazing as well. She fits him so well despite the difficult dance.”
“I know. She’s definitely the lady of the Eisenberg family.”
Even the Crown Prince looked at her with surprise. She was following his lead perfectly without a sign of struggle. And it was so natural, it was like they practiced the dance beforehand.
It was the first time he danced in an ensemble that matched him so well. He felt like he could dance again and again if it was a partner like this. As the music ended, the Crown Prince regretfully let go of her hand.
“Good work, Your Highness.”
Catarina curtsied at him with a slightly red face.
“…”
The Crown Prince just looked at her without speaking. He didn’t understand her. She had the mind to guess the Francoine Republic’s strategies, unbelievable engineering and medical skills, and dancing abilities like this? The more he knew, the more he realized he didn’t know. Looking at her, he remembered that she had looked pale earlier.
“Are you sick somewhere?”
She shook her head.
“I’m fine, Your Highness.”
But when she nodded her head, she looked even worse. ‘Now that I think about it, from before…’ He took off his gloves and touched her forehead.
“…!”
“Oh my!”
Everyone gasped in surprise seeing their sudden contact.
“Your Highness? Why?”
Catarina stuttered in surprise as well. But the Crown Prince’s face hardened. ‘The fever…!’ Her head was boiling! He hadn’t felt it because he was wearing his gloves during the dance.
“How long have you been like this?”
“From…earlier.”
The Crown Prince sighed internally. He saw her face was pale, but he didn’t know it was this bad. If he knew she was this sick, he wouldn’t have asked her to dance.
‘She overworked herself in the hospital and eventually!’ He thought of when he went to be treated as Andrew. She was always surrounded by a mountain of patients. Enough to make him worry if her frail body could take it. ‘She worked that hard! And now she’s this sick!’ He pushed down his anger that was threatening to come up, and he opened his mouth.
“Follow me.”
“Pardon?”
“Come follow me this way!”
“…?!”
***
“Y-Your Highness. This is?”
Catarina asked flusteredly. The place he brought her to was the resting lounge specially for the Imperial Family! Even if she was in the Eisenberg family, she couldn’t enter here. It was a place for the rulers of the empire, the Granzreich family. But the Crown Prince didn’t care about all that.
“Sit.”
“But…”
“I don’t like saying things twice. It’s an order. Sit.”
Eventually, Catarina sat down. To be honest, she was tired from standing for so long while she was sick. ‘It’s so comfortable…’ It was a sofa that was no different from a bed. The elegant and soft leather hugged her body. ‘I want to sleep.’ She wanted to sleep here until the morning, or at least until the Emperor’s speech.
He spoke like he read her mind.
“You can sleep for a while.”
“…”
“And if someone from the Granzreich family comes in, tell them you came with me.”
Catarina’s expression turned strange. It was what she desperately wanted, but she didn’t understand his actions today. Why was he being like this?
- Writer
