CH 90

When the two entered the banquet hall again, the atmosphere was ripe. It was because of Verne’s appearance. Contrary to her worries, Verne was dancing with Limapheus in the middle of the hall.

When a woman they saw for the first time danced with the Crown Prince, there was a commotion among the nobles. They were eager to find out which family she belonged to, but no one knew Verne’s identity.  

“…”

“…”

Cersinia slipped away from Ben, pretending to see Verne. 

She didn’t know how long they’d been kissing each other. There were about dozens of times when their lips, which had parted away several times, overlapped again. Even at the last kiss, she was about to stop first, but Ben held her tightly, and it lasted for a long time. 

‘Crazy, crazy.’

She looked back on her own actions and made a blushing face. The kiss stopped because they felt someone else’s presence, but if there was no one disturbing them, they would have been doing it all night. 

‘Huu…’

Cersinia let out a sigh inside her mind. The heat didn’t cool down because she kept thinking about what had happened earlier. She turned her head slightly to see if Ben was in the same situation and found him stroking his lips with his hand with his red face. Cersinia’s face turned red, thinking about what had happened before. 

‘No, why does he have to touch his lips…’

She stared at his lips without realizing it. His lips were darker red than usual because her lipstick marks still remained. It even seemed a little swollen than before. 

Cersinia turned her head away. She felt embarrassed from head to toe. When she returns, she has to ride the carriage with Ben again… If she did it like that, her heart would explode, and she might die. 

‘Should I invite Verne and May to ride the same carriage?’

‘No. It’s like blatantly saying that it’s uncomfortable to be with only two of us.’

‘Or should I pretend to be sleeping?’

It was the best way. However, it was easy to get caught unless she really fell asleep because she would be surprised even if she felt someone else’s presence. 

‘What should I do… Oh my!’

Cersinia’s eyes widened as she sighed and turned her body toward the pillar. The reflection on the mirror installed on the pillar was very shocking. The lipstick she had applied was all gone, and her lips were colorless. 

May had told her that she needed to bring lipstick because it might get erased over time… And now she regrets not bringing it. 

“What’s this?”

Cersinia took a step closer to the mirror. She couldn’t see well because of Ben’s coat around her shoulder, but there was a lipstick stain on her neck when she looked closely. Perhaps it was because Ben’s lips touched it earlier. 

In embarrassment, she rubbed her neck with a face as red as her lipstick. The lipstick stain should be erased by the rough touch. However, no matter how much she rubbed it, the stain as large as her fingernail was not erased. She even wondered if it was the shadow from her earring, but it wasn’t. It was to no avail, even when she rubbed it with a napkin on the table. 

‘Why it can’t be erased…’

Her hand, which had been wiping her neck as she grunted, stopped for a moment. 

‘It wasn’t a lipstick mark.’

‘It was the trace Ben left behind.’

More precisely, the hickey made by Ben. She never knew there was a mark like this, which stings like it’s been burnt by a flame. 

Cersinia quickly pulled the coat and covered her neck. She looked around to see who might have seen it. Fortunately, most people were dancing in the middle of the hall, so they didn’t notice it unless they had a close look at her. 

Feeling relieved, Cersinia stroked her chest, but her head was about to steam because she seemed to be letting the world know that Ben had kissed her. It wasn’t his fault, but she was worried because they were at a public event. 

“Cersinia.”

Cersinia’s shoulders trembled greatly at the voice heard from near her. She could tell just by hearing that voice. There was only one person who affectionately called her name. 

“…”

She turned her head when he called, but she couldn’t meet his gaze because she was embarrassed. 

“Do you feel bored?” Ben asked gently.

It was because Cersinia didn’t sit still for a moment. That’s why he thought Cersinia felt bored. 

“It’s not like that…”

A soft smile across his lips as Cersinia looked into the air and scratched her cheek. 

“The ring looks good on you.”

The ring fitted her finger well. It was a definite proof that connected her with him. Now he was really her man, and she was his woman. 

“Ah…”

Cersinia stared at the ring. She saw it earlier when Ben put it in at the stairs, but it felt different when she saw it under the bright lights. The ring’s design was a rose petal supporting the diamond, and two thin rings were tangled like vines. A small diamond was embedded in the middle of the ring.

This ring was more valuable than any other jewel. Perhaps that’s because Ben’s feeling is contained in it, regardless of the jewel’s value. 

“I hope you like it.”

“Yes, it’s pretty. Thank you.”

She smiled lightly and was thinking about what to do in return. Any gift might be insignificant as the things Ben has or can have, but sincerity is important. She wanted to give him a gift at least once. 

“If you are bored, would you like to go out to the terrace?”

He clasped her hand tightly and said that. A gleam of sparks flashed in the dark purple eyes that sank low. 

“No!”

Cersinia shouted right away. It was almost an instinctive rejection.

She knew well those sparks in his eyes were a desire that contained lust. Those eyes were sparked even more than when they kissed earlier. It was an endless desire that never died down. As if he knew the sweetness that he couldn’t get out of. She didn’t know about it before, so she had already moved on from it, but once Ben’s sense awakened, it seemed to crave more and deeper things. 

It was dangerous. 

If they go out together to the terrace, the same thing will happen, but only the location changes. It was a situation where she couldn’t turn him down, and Ben had no intention of pushing her away. 

“All right…”

His slightly muffled voice bothered her a lot, but Cersinia tried to pretend not to know. Indeed, the skinship beyond this was too much. It made her heart beat fast even now. 

“Grand Duke.”

At that time, Aronia squeezed in between the two. Perhaps she paid full attention to today’s banquet, so her light purple dress and the shape of her hair curled up nicely were pretty. 

“…”

The sudden appearance of Aronia poured cold water on the heat of the two.

Cersinia was staring at her silently. Ben also looked at Aronia with his indifferent gaze. 

“I’m late to say a greeting because Grand Duke is not here even when I look for you.”

Aronia forced herself to smile, keeping Cersinia next to Ben in check. Of course, she didn’t expect the Grand Duke, who she thought would attend the banquet alone, to bring his guest as his partner. She even clearly saw that he brought her to greet the Emperor and Empress Dowager. The corners of Aronia’s lips, stiffened by jealousy, were trembling. 

“You don’t have to say greetings day by day.”

Cersinia’s mouth opened wide to his cold tone. It was directed to Aronia, but Ben was so cold that Cersinia also felt hurt by it. The personality of Ben that Cersinia knew was smiling softly at her as if he couldn’t say anything like that.

“Cersinia, this is Lady Aronia Blenzuan.”

Ben introduced Aronia as he wrapped his arms around Cersinia’s waist. Cersinia’s eyes widened at the sudden introduction, then Ben added with an innocent smile. 

“Lady, this is my fiancée, Cersinia.”

His eyes were curving nicely as he was itching to show off to anyone that he had succeeded in proposing. 

“Fi… ancée?”

Aronia looked at Cersinia with eyes trembling from the shock she had been beaten. Cersinia was also shocked by the sudden development. 

“She’s the Grand Duke’s fiancée?”

“When did they get engaged?”

The nobles who were chatting around whispered at the word ‘fiancée.’ 

When Cersinia was contemplating what to do, Ben didn’t care about the gazes of his surroundings and only looked at Cersinia with his eyes. It was the only person reflected in his eyes. 

At that moment, Cersinia’s feeling hot. Ben’s arms that wrapped around her waist supported her firmly. No matter what she says, no matter what she does, Ben is always by her side. Ben never changed his side. 

The days when she was in a hurry to hide and humble herself because of her power and live quietly passed like a lantern. Even though she had superior power over others, she had endured not to do the same thing as in the original novel. 

Why did she have to possess this body and be driven as a witch and persecuted countless times?

But now she knows it. 

Seeing herself in his eyes, she realized everything. 

The reason she became Cersinia. 

It was to meet him. 

Because of this power, she was able to help him in the first place. 

Her heart was loosened up. The rock that had been firmly established in her heart for three years eventually cracked and cracked at the constant knocking. 

Crimson eyes that were strong and firm headed towards Aronia. 

It was time to change.

Whatever it may be, she will face everyone who comes in front of her. As long as he is by her side. 

“My name is Cersinia.”

She introduced herself with a confident smile. Something about her was changing.