CH 22

“It’s a masquerade ball, so there shouldn’t be any problem. Besides, if I dress like this, it will ease your father’s concerns, won’t it?” I said, trying to convince Nita.

“Oh, come on. Are you saying it’s better to dress up like other noble ladies and giggle with the men?” I retorted.

“No way.”

Nita said solemnly.

Aslan looked at him with a pitying gaze.

“See?”

I chuckled and stood between my brothers, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Let’s go.”

“Uh, um, okay.”

We left the mansion together and got into the carriage.

*****

Escorted by my brothers on both sides, I entered the banquet hall.

I wasn’t particularly fond of balls, but stepping into this place after such a long time, I felt unexpectedly excited and thrilled.

Inside the ballroom, there were already quite a few men and women gathered.

Some were dressed just as usual, while others wore more elaborate costumes with masks. Among them, the most popular attire seemed to be knights and mages.

Women dressed as enchanting mages, paired with men who had dressed up as knights, danced together in a way that was oddly captivating and visually pleasing.

As I looked around in awe, Nita cleared his throat and asked me a question.

“Eila. Have you decided on your first dance partner? As I am taking responsibility for you tonight, I think it’s only fitting for me to have your first dance…” Nita said in a somewhat eager tone.

“Shh. Don’t call me Eila. Have you forgotten it’s a masked ball?” I replied.

“I believe our identities might have been revealed the moment the three of us entered together, but…”

Nita spoke hesitantly.

The mask I was wearing barely covered the upper part of my face, so its disguising effect was limited, but that wasn’t the only reason.

Our platinum blonde hair was not only inherited from our father but also a symbol of the Rojasis Duchy.

No matter how convincingly I was dressed as a man, it seemed too easy to guess our identities when the three of us were together.

“I see. So let’s keep our distance for now.”

“What? What are you talking about? Didn’t Father explicitly tell me to protect you?” Nita protested.

Nita’s voice trailed off, and Aslan sighed.

“Eila, this outing was a hard-won opportunity. If any problems arise, we may not have another chance like this. You understand that, right?”

“Of course, Brother Aslan. Brother Nita, don’t worry. I’ll always stay within my brothers’ line of sight,” I assured them.

With that, I started walking away.

Nita’s anxious voice came from behind me.

“Eila, wait. What about the first dance?”

“Have you forgotten that I’m disguised as a man now? The first dance should naturally be with a lady,” I replied.

I gave a playful smile to my brothers before turning back around.

Finding Sylphia wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.

Just look for places with many royal guards, and half of the task was already accomplished.

Sylphia was as immaculately dressed as ever.

Her white dress, adorned with silver lace, almost resembled a wedding dress.

With transparent fabric wings attached to her back, she was even easier to recognize as the fairy king’s daughter.

I cleared my throat lightly and approached her from behind, speaking in a low, disguised voice.

“I have arrived, my love.”

Sylphia turned around, startled.

At the same time, the royal guards surrounding her placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

“It’s me, Your Highness.”

I whispered in a low voice.

Sylphia’s eyes, visible through the round opening of her mask, widened into a crescent shape.

She smiled as if a flower had blossomed.

“Julian, my beloved.”

“Will you honor me with the privilege of sharing our first dance together?”

I said, holding out my hand.

“With pleasure.”

“Well, of course.”

Sylphia playfully replied, and then her expression turned serious.

“But there is one thing you got wrong.”

“And what is that?”

“Julian doesn’t show deference to Leia.”

“…Please overlook that. I don’t want to be imprisoned for blasphemy.”

Sylphia chuckled softly at my words.

Soon the music changed.

The music changed, and we began dancing, facing each other.

As we twirled, I caught my brothers looking at me with amusement.

‘Silly. It’s been so long since we attended a ball; they should enjoy themselves too.’

Indeed, there were several young ladies who had gathered, taking advantage of any opportunity to approach my brothers.

It was around the end of the song when we stepped back from each other to exchange greetings, and a man approached.

“You always carry yourself with dignity, especially tonight.”

“Your Highness.”

I bow my head respectfully.

“Your Highness? As you can see, I am just a knight.”

Raphir narrowed his eyes.

He was wearing the uniform of the Royal Guard, as if borrowing it for the occasion.

‘He never ceases to trouble those around him.’

“If that’s the case, should I drop the honorifics? Brother… no, Sir Knight?”

Raphir gave a small laugh at Sylphia’s point.

“You’re right. My apologies, Lady.”

Raphir made an exaggerated gesture, bending his waist towards me.

“While I’m at it, allow me one more intrusion. I would like to borrow your lover for a moment.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Raphir took my hand and gently pulled me towards him.

His movements were so natural that I found myself involuntarily stepping closer to him.

Sylphia flinched and straightened her back.

“What? No, I can’t allow it!”

“I didn’t ask for your permission.”

“Brother!”

Ignoring Sylphia’s objections, Raphir began leading me in the dance, perfectly in sync with the music that had just started.

“…Won’t it cause misunderstandings if others see us?”

“Don’t worry about it. You look like a woman. Especially with me.”

Even while dancing and speaking, Raphir’s breathing remained steady. His movements were agile yet graceful.

“You dance well. Just as one would expect from someone who has been the partner of more than a dozen women.”

“You’re exaggerating. You’re the first.”

“What? What kind of nonsense is that….”

Unintentionally, I frowned and spoke. Raphir suppressed his laughter beneath his mask.

“…….”

We spun around, my waist nestled in his arms.

“Speaking of that, about the proposal you mentioned before…”

“Hush. Take your time to think about it and give me an answer.”

“I’ve thought about it enough. And even if I think about it more, my answer won’t change…”

Raphir’s finger touched my lips.

“Next time, not now.”

“…….”

With a smile on his face, Raphir pushed me away slightly and then pulled me back into his embrace

Cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd.

Although my dancing skills were far from adept, simply following his lead resulted in convincing movements. It was truly fascinating.

Before long, the second dance was over.

Having spent most of my days sitting in front of a desk, it was quite exhausting to perform two full dances in a row.

“Shall we take a break?”

Raphir asked, observing my heavy breath. I nodded in agreement.

As he extended his arm naturally, I placed my hand on it, and we began walking outside the hall.

A tall figure cast a shadow in front of us, blocking our path.

The man was clad in a black mask that covered his face, along with simple black attire that matched his dark hair.

Raphir narrowed his eyes. “Who is it?”

The man remained silent, his gaze fixed on my hand resting on Raphir’s arm.