Chapter 68
“I’ve been practicing,” she said.
But no matter how much she practiced, she could not keep up with Kaisa’s dancing skills.
Now that she was somewhat used to dancing—compared to before, when she knew nothing about it—she could feel the difference between them even more sharply.
Unlike her, who almost stepped on his foot by mistake, Kaisa’s movements were flawless, without a hint of waste or hesitation.
“I guess I’ll have to practice a lot more.”
“Is that so?”
With precise motion, Kaisa pulled her by the waist.
“Then, from now on, your only dance partner will be me.”
At first, she thought he was joking—but when their eyes met, she realized he meant it.
“Until you agree… we’ll just keep dancing.”
“What? Wait—”
Her vision spun as he whirled her around. The dance grew fierce.
Kaisa swept across the wide hall with Sharie in his arms.
The music had long ended, but since the ruler and his consort’s dance hadn’t finished, the bewildered orchestra hurried to start the next piece.
A murmur rippled through the ballroom.
Traditionally, the monarch’s first dance marked the official opening of the ball.
If it went on too long, it would not be well received.
“Okay! Okay, I get it!”
Breathless, Sharie spoke quickly before he could spin her again.
Satisfied, Kaisa laughed softly—his pleased chuckle falling gently atop her head.
“Good. Then it’s a promise.”
With that, he smoothly brought their dance to an elegant close and led her off the floor.
The couples waiting their turn began stepping out onto the central floor, hand in hand.
“You didn’t have to tease me even on such an important night.”
“Did I tease you?”
Though his tone was calm, he had clearly heard her despite the loud music.
Sharie blinked—she thought her muttering would have been drowned out by the orchestra.
As he handed her a glass of wine, he added,
“You mustn’t get more comfortable dancing with anyone else but me.”
Twisting her around, spinning her, lifting her—if that wasn’t teasing, what was?
But when she opened her mouth to complain, no words came.
He’s impossible to read.
Sometimes he could see straight into her heart as if it were made of glass—
and other times, he was like a boy, clinging to the smallest, silliest things.
Noticing her furtive glances, Kaisa smiled down at her.
Then—
“My lord, if I may have a word—”
Alex approached, calling for Kaisa, but upon spotting Sharie, he made an exaggerated bow.
“My goodness, milady—you look absolutely stunning tonight.”
“Thank you,” Sharie replied with a polite smile.
Normally, Alex’s compliments to women weren’t worth taking seriously—but in her buoyant mood, his flattery was pleasant to hear.
Yet Kaisa’s smile froze slightly.
The air around him seemed to grow colder.
“Did you just flirt with my wife?”
“What? No, of course not! I was just being polite!”
Alex stammered. His habit of flattering every woman he met was bound to get him in trouble someday.
“It just… slipped out, instinctively—”
“Oh?”
Given his past behavior, the excuse sounded far from innocent.
A dangerous glint flickered in Kaisa’s golden eyes.
The once-peaceful air of the ballroom turned icy.
“Did you have business with me?”
Trying to defuse the tension, Sharie interjected. Alex had once helped her during an ambush in a back alley; she owed him.
“Yes! It’s about the military training grounds expansion scheduled for later this year,” Alex said quickly, grateful for the change of topic.
Kaisa sighed, clearly reluctant but letting it go.
“Does this have to be discussed right now?”
“Well, not necessarily, but it won’t take long. Are you very busy, my lord?”
Normally, Kaisa would have addressed the issue immediately.
His hesitation puzzled both Alex and Sharie.
Is he worried about me?
Sharie realized Kaisa’s gaze kept flicking toward her.
Ever since the assassination attempt, he’d stayed by her side constantly.
But tonight, the ballroom was full of knights and guards, and every guest had been vetted by the royal palace.
It was her first ball—she couldn’t lean on him for everything.
“I’ll be fine. You should go.”
After a moment of hesitation, Kaisa met her eyes and said quietly,
“I’ll be where you can see me.”
A promise—if anything went wrong, she could find him right away.
Sharie nodded, and only then did he turn away.
As Kaisa and Alex left, those nearby looked after him wistfully—many had hoped for a moment of his attention.
But Sharie straightened her posture, pretending composure.
“Lady Sharie! That was a marvelous dance!”
An excited voice called out from the crowd.
“Lady Nephir!”
Recognizing her from the tea party they’d both attended, Sharie smiled warmly.
Nephir’s companions followed, greeting her with equal enthusiasm.
“We’ve been dying for a chance to speak with you.”
“As have I—it’s such a pleasure to meet you again.”
“You’re every bit as charming as the rumors say.”
Before she knew it, Sharie was surrounded by Nephir’s group, chatting amiably.
Thankfully, none of them bombarded her with questions or eyed her with envy.
“I recently tried a southern wine made from a native grape—it was delightful!”
Their conversation flowed easily, light but engaging—centered around pleasant, safe topics.
Nephir had shown remarkable social grace at the tea party; her friends seemed to share that quality.
“I’ve heard the flavor depends a lot on the quality of the fruit.”
“Apparently, the palace wine is made from grapes grown in special vineyards!”
“Really?”
Having heard that from the royal chef, Sharie nodded.
“Oh, that must be why it tastes so sweet!”
“They say they use a particularly high-sugar variety…”
With so many participants, the conversation could have gone on forever.
But Sharie found herself genuinely enjoying it.
“Lady Sharie, your cheeks are flushed—are you feeling all right?”
As she sipped her wine while talking, a warm buzz had crept into her face.
Concerned, Nephir spoke first, and the others looked at her anxiously.
“Perhaps some fresh air would do you good?”
Her face indeed felt hot.
Agreeing that a short break might help, Sharie reassured them to enjoy themselves and stepped out toward the balcony.
“Phew…”
Opening the glass door, she was greeted by a crescent moon half-veiled in clouds.
Stars glittered in the night sky like jewels hanging from a chandelier.
The cool air soothed her flushed cheeks.
The crisp wind cleared the haze of wine from her head.
From the high balcony, the vast garden spread below her.
Resting her hands on the railing, Sharie gazed down at it.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.”
The memory came unbidden—Olivia’s voice.
Right after the hunting competition ended.
Having uncovered evidence of her father’s crimes, Olivia had come straight to see Sharie.
And she’d simply looked at her, calm and resolute.
“If something irreversible had happened to you, I would’ve regretted it for the rest of my life.”
Her hands clasped together like a confessor before a priest, her tone steady.
How long had she wrestled with herself before making the decision to cast everything away—her title, her privilege, her name?
Sharie could only guess.
“I plan to work at Miss Densler’s shop from now on.
Even if I’ve lost my family name, my education and skills are still mine.”
One thing was certain—
Olivia had looked freer than ever before.
Having shed every chain that bound her, she seemed radiant—beautifully so.
“Please come by when you can. Miss Densler and I will always welcome you, milady.”
In the original story, Olivia was supposed to fall from grace under accusations of treason.
She might even have become entangled with Kaisa later.
But now… everything had changed.
What happens next, I wonder…
Clouds slid over the moon, plunging the garden into darkness.
The world beyond the balcony turned pitch-black.
The future was just as murky—unseeable, unknowable.
The “storyline” she once knew no longer mattered.
So much has already changed.
She couldn’t run anymore.
Her hand tightened on the railing.
Taking a deep breath, she resolved that—whatever happened—she would stay by Kaisa’s side.
Then—
Heavy footsteps approached from behind the curtain.
“You’re already—”
Expecting it to be Kaisa, she turned with a bright smile—
and froze.
