WARDV 42

Chapter 42

Just how long had he been standing there?

Idris was leaning casually against the entrance of the room.

Startled by his sudden presence, I stumbled awkwardly.

“Whoa there, you should be careful.”

Idris swiftly stepped forward and caught me as I lost balance.

And just like that, I found myself in his arms, face-to-face with those golden eyes glowing softly under the moonlight.

Reflected in those eyes—where light and shadow coexisted in a mysterious harmony—I saw my own image.

Mesmerized by that gaze, I found myself staring blankly… until a strange sense of déjà vu hit me.

“Why do those eyes look so familiar?”

It wasn’t just because I’d grown used to his face lately. It felt like I had known them… from much longer ago.

Lost in thought, I snapped back as the moon disappeared behind clouds, and shadows crept into his eyes.

Even with the darkness fully revealed, those eyes remained beautiful—but now, they seemed dangerous.

That’s when I suddenly became aware of our closeness.

I flinched belatedly and pulled away.

“Uh, how long have you been watching?”

Idris, who had been watching me with a strangely amused look, replied in his usual languid tone:

“Hmm, since you started your deep breathing?”

…So, basically from the very beginning?!

My clumsy humming, my awkward steps—he’d seen it all.

Just thinking about it made my face flush with heat.

I came to practice at night precisely because I didn’t want anyone to see me being clumsy…

Between this and what happened with Faydan, I kept showing this man sides of me I didn’t mean to.

Idris chuckled as he watched me biting my lip in frustration.

“Don’t you need a partner?”

I was too embarrassed to respond right away. My lips moved, but no sound came out.

“I do.”

Idris reached his hand out to me.

As if asking for a dance.

As I stared at that large hand, it gave a little beckon, coaxing me.

“You won’t take my hand, Lady Heartless?”

In the end, I laughed in surrender and gently placed my hand in his.

With a firm yet gentle grip, Idris wrapped an arm around my back.

“Shall we begin?”

And so, the dance began.

At first, I hesitated, startled by the closeness. But quickly, I focused all my attention on my steps to avoid making a mistake.

Alright… if this is happening, I’ll just treat it like real practice.

Step by step.

The hem of my skirt rustled between my legs, and his warm hand guided mine.

My body moved closer to Idris, then slightly away.

At first awkward, my movements slowly became more fluid.

And as they did, even my stiff expression began to soften.

To my surprise, Idris moved with an elegant ease, making it easy for me to follow.

Finally relaxing, I looked up without thinking.

And met his glowing golden eyes at a very close distance.

Eyes calm and unwavering—as if he had been watching only me, long before our eyes met.

There it is again… that look.

It had started maybe about a month ago.

Idris had always responded with a sly smile to everything, but around that time, the way he looked at me became noticeably gentler.

That unreadable gaze made me feel strangely self-conscious, so I broke the silence.

“You don’t seem like someone who needs a partner.”

“I did. This is my first time dancing with someone who’s not a teacher.”

Now that he mentioned it, I realized I’d never seen Idris dance with anyone at a ball.

“Why haven’t you ever danced until now? There were plenty of ladies who wanted to.”

“Because I didn’t want to dance with anyone else.”

Then… what about me? Is it just because of the ‘act’?

That question naturally rose in my mind, but the next turn swept it away.

Eventually, the dance ended.

Under the quiet moonlight, we took a step back and bowed.

Then Idris lifted my hand and kissed the back of it in closing.

I froze slightly at the warmth of his breath brushing my skin, and he whispered:

“Don’t worry. You’ll do just fine.”

His golden eyes lifted gently, glowing under the moonlight.

I stood there in a daze, watching him.

Despite his earlier claim that he wouldn’t be a prince on a white horse…

At that moment, he truly looked like one out of a fairytale.

That evening, on the day of the Founding Festival.

The butler helped Idris with his attire and couldn’t help but admire it.

“Is the designer of this outfit really a man? Other than Your Highness, I’ve never seen a man with such exquisite taste.”

“Well, Leticia chose him.”

“Lady Leticia has a sharp eye for talent.”

At the praise of Leticia, Idris’s shoulders instinctively squared with a hint of pride.

Knock knock—

With a polite knock, Heather entered the room.

“Your Highness, preparations are complete. Lady Leticia is also ready.”

“Good.”

As a final touch, Idris adorned the butterfly-shaped tie pin Leticia had given him, then stepped out.

As he descended the stairs leading to the central hall, he spotted Leticia reaching the opposite staircase.

He was about to call out to her—but paused.

Her hair was neatly tied up, but a few loose strands framed her face, accentuating her slender neck and small face.

Her softly flushed lips, the elegant line of her nose, and finally—her blue eyes met his.

Leticia blinked once and then smiled.

A little awkward, perhaps slightly shy.

Seeing that, Idris felt a surge of emotion more intense than ever before.

Leticia was beautiful.

So beautiful, it was enough to make him forget everything else in that instant.

Covering his now-warm face with his hand, he quickly averted his eyes.

…This is insane.

Normally, he would’ve returned her gaze with a composed smile, but in that moment, he was paralyzed.

At the same time, a dangerous thought seized him—that he wanted no one else to see her like this.

Only after tearing his eyes away did he finally notice her dress.

Clearly, Amon’s claim that he had poured his soul into it wasn’t an exaggeration.

The dark navy gown sparkled with cascading diamonds—large and small.

It looked like someone had sliced a piece of the starry night sky, or perhaps the wings of a dew-kissed, resplendent butterfly.

Leticia wore that extravagant dress flawlessly.

It wouldn’t be strange if she were the star of the evening’s ball.

And truthfully, this evening was a turning point—publicly marking the end of Leticia and Faydan, and the beginning of her new chapter.

Just then, as Idris still couldn’t take his eyes off Leticia, Heather approached.

“Your Highness, we’ve received word from Santes.”

“Oh, right…”

A month ago, he had sent people to search for Aria, only to completely forget about it.

“She wasn’t found in Santes, but a woman matching her description was spotted in nearby Nervian. We can send someone right away—”

“No, it’s fine.”

“…Sorry?”

“No need to search anymore.”

After years of desperately chasing her, he suddenly said to stop?

Heather blinked, confused by the unexpected order.

At that moment, Idris and Leticia reached the bottom of the stairs and stood facing each other.

Idris remained silent, staring at her for a long time.

Leticia, flustered by his gaze, finally broke the silence.

“You look amazing tonight.”

“…”

“Amon should be thanking you. His masterpiece is going to get the attention it deserves.”

“…”

“Idris?”

Leticia looked up at him, puzzled by his silence.