“Miss Astrid.”
When she lifted her head, a middle-aged man with a kind expression was holding out his hand. It was the Duke of Auxerre.
“Leonor asked me to have your first dance.”
Astrid glanced toward the dais where the emperor sat. The emperor was smiling in their direction. It was a smile difficult to read.
Madam de Vasquez had explained that it was customary for a debutante’s first dance to be with a family elder. And now the emperor had sent his own husband to be Astrid’s first dance partner. Even someone as unfamiliar with social customs as Astrid could understand the clear intention behind it.
The emperor was declaring publicly, in front of everyone, that Astrid was someone within her protection.
Astrid curtsied to the duke and placed her hand in his. The Duke of Auxerre guided her smoothly to the center of the hall just as the melody changed.
“If you’re Sir Del Ponto’s daughter, then of course Leonor would care for you.”
Astrid moved her feet slowly, following the duke’s steps.
“And if you’re special to Leonor, then I’ll gladly consider you special as well.”
Not knowing how to respond, she simply lowered her head.
Everyone here knew her father. Everyone talked about him. But his past was something she didn’t know.
Astrid thought of the dance she shared with her father on deck—beneath a sky bursting with stars, spinning with the sailors to a rowdy sea shanty. No choreographed steps, no sequence—just playful pushing and pulling like a test of strength.
The Duke of Auxerre’s lead was so skilled that, even while lost in thought, she was able to finish the first dance without incident.
When the song ended, she gave a graceful bow to the duke. He nodded in acknowledgment and returned to the dais.
Only after snapping out of her thoughts did Astrid notice the countless eyes that had been watching her. She tried to slip out of the center quickly, but as soon as the duke left her side, people began approaching.
“To have your first dance with His Grace, how wonderful that must have been!”
“You said it’s your first time in the capital—where did you live before?”
“Oh! I’ve seen that amethyst brooch before. I’m certain His Majesty gave it to someone a few years ago…”
They bombarded her with questions without giving her a chance to reply. Then again, it didn’t seem like they actually cared for her answers.
A few of the ladies soon began chatting amongst themselves about Astrid. And truthfully, even she thought she was the most interesting topic in the room.
Some mothers even nudged their sons toward her. Those young men reluctantly approached, preparing to ask her to dance.
‘How do I turn all these down…?’
While Astrid was flustered by the multiple outstretched hands, the crowd suddenly murmured and turned their eyes to the dais. She used that moment to slip away into the crowd.
“His Grace has asked Her Majesty to dance!”
“It’s only the second song! They really are such a loving couple.”
The emperor took the duke’s hand and stepped down from the dais. The other couples in the center stepped aside to make room.
Everyone’s attention shifted to the imperial couple as they began dancing. Thanks to that, Astrid finally escaped the spotlight.
“Thank goodness…”
At both ends of the ballroom were long tables draped in white cloth, topped with drinks and assorted refreshments.
Sparkling wine, red and white wine, and fruit juices were served in elegantly curved glasses. Astrid craved rum, but had to settle for a glass of red wine.
That’s when she noticed a cluster of people. Around one man stood a colorful mix of dresses, including white. It looked almost like a queue. Curious, Astrid approached.
At the center was a man in a naval officer’s dress uniform—the Bayonet.
The young ladies stood near him as if waiting their turn, each stepping forward and offering their right hand. The Bayonet kissed every one of their hands, and the girls giggled and blushed with delight.
In contrast, the Bayonet’s expression grew more and more grim.
“He’s popular, isn’t he?”
“Whoa—!”
Startled, Astrid stepped back as another naval officer suddenly spoke beside her.
“My apologies. Lady Del Ponto, I’m Jorge, second son of Count de Navarro. I saw your climbing skills at the bell tower the other day—very impressive.”
Astrid glanced sideways at him, then gave a brief nod. He seemed to be one of the Bayonet’s fellow officers.
“There are always girls lining up to dance with him, but he never initiates a dance himself.”
Astrid wasn’t particularly interested, but since he was talking, she listened. She nodded absently and downed the rest of her wine.
Just then, her eyes met Alejandro’s—the Bayonet’s.
Realizing that he’d caught her staring filled her with sudden embarrassment and irritation.
She quickly bowed shallowly toward him and turned to Jorge.
“Would you like to dance?”
Astrid abruptly asked Jorge for a dance—just to escape the awkward moment.
Jorge’s eyes widened, then he burst into laughter.
“I’ve never had a lady ask me for a dance before. I appreciate the boldness, Lady Del Ponto, but I’d rather not draw attention to myself. Maybe if you were a modest girl from a nameless family…”
He trailed off, glancing around.
Astrid also looked around subtly. People were clearly watching them while pretending not to. It seemed the crowd had grown bored after the emperor’s dance and were now hungry for new gossip.
“I think I’ll slip out to the balcony or the garden and quietly enjoy some of the imperial wine. It was a pleasure, Lady Del Ponto.”
Jorge neatly collected an assortment of drinks onto a small tray, bid her farewell, and walked off.
Balcony, garden, quietly…
Astrid immediately understood the hint he’d dropped. For someone associated with the Bayonet, he seemed rather decent. At any rate, leaving the ballroom would give her a break from these watchful eyes.
She mimicked his example—gathered some wine and refreshments onto a tray—and headed to the second floor.
The second floor was noticeably quieter than the central hall.
The middle area was open, sharing the ceiling with the first floor. Along the U-shaped corridor lining the wall, several balconies jutted out at intervals.
‘I should’ve come up here earlier.’
Despite the number of balconies, most were already occupied by couples enjoying a quiet moment. In one unfortunate case, when Astrid poked her head into what she thought was an empty one, she made awkward eye contact with a middle-aged couple in a passionate kiss.
‘This is the last one…’
She cautiously peeked into the furthest balcony. There was no couple—but there was already a young lady in a white dress sitting alone.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry. Please, let’s share it.”
As Astrid started to back away, the woman gently stopped her. Finally, Astrid set down the tray she had been carrying for so long.
Grateful for the gesture, Astrid offered her a glass of sparkling wine. The woman blinked and shyly accepted it.
Her front teeth, visible between her lips, gave her a rabbit-like impression. As she raised her head, moonlight illuminated her slightly flushed face.
“Were you crying?”
The question slipped out before Astrid could stop herself. If Madam de Vasquez had been there, she would’ve said, “What a rude question! You’re grounded even longer!” But the rabbit-like girl simply looked at Astrid and nodded quietly.
“Why cry on such a beautiful night?”
“Well, truthfully… I didn’t get my first dance.”
The girl hesitated a long time before finally confessing.
“You’re Lady Astrid del Ponto, right? I saw when His Majesty introduced you. And your dance with the Duke… You really looked like the star of the night.”
She spoke gently, with a calm and proper tone.
“Oh, right! I’m Marisa. Eldest daughter of Baron de Cabello.”
Marisa stood up and gave Astrid a belated curtsey. Astrid responded with a matching curtsy and sat closely beside her.
“Nice to meet you, Marisa. But what happened? Why didn’t you get your first dance?”
