NRAL | Chapter 48

~Chapter 48~ 

The Moment Love Begins

If God had poured all His effort into sculpting a single perfect statue, it would probably look like him. That’s how flawless Karsian’s appearance was—there was not a single thing out of place.

If Arlo was a slender, foxy, pretty beauty, then Karsian was a man of grand scale. He was at least half a hand taller than Arlo, with strong, muscular shoulders and arms—probably from constant training—and a thick, solid torso. Compared to the average man, it was as if he was a completely different species.

Oh no.

Eleanor quickly looked down, realizing she had just compared Karsian to Arlo without thinking.

That’s when she finally noticed his clothes. The outfit made by Madame Corcos was dazzlingly extravagant—so much so that most people wouldn’t be able to pull it off. But Karsian wore it effortlessly. With a face and body like that, there probably wasn’t any outfit he couldn’t make look good. Even in rags, he’d still shine.

Stop, stop!

Her thoughts were drifting back to his looks again. At this rate, she was no better than those shallow socialites who enjoyed judging women’s faces for fun.

Eleanor scolded herself and quickly tried to change the topic.

“You know, I noticed before—Your Grace is an excellent dancer.”

When she smiled and complimented him, Karsian’s eyebrows twitched noticeably. He still looked a bit angry, but Eleanor no longer felt afraid of that expression.

“I’m good at anything that involves physical movement.”

His reply carried absolute confidence. Considering all the accomplishments he’d made as a knight, it made sense.

“Are you good at handling public attention and gossip too? I hope so.”

Because tomorrow, the rumors will spread all over the capital—Eleanor added quietly.

[The fake noblewoman danced the first waltz with the Grand Duke Royster at the real lady’s debutante ball.]

What a sensational headline. Eleanor was sure the newspapers wouldn’t even take a full day to print such a story.

“I don’t mind. But if you don’t want it publicized, I’ll make sure it doesn’t get out.”

“There’s no need to do that for me. It actually benefits me to appear close to you, Your Grace.”

It was clear that Eleanor—always a planner—had already thought this situation through. She’d even prepared a way to use it to her advantage.

If word got out that she danced with the Grand Duke, Duke Astria would likely be furious. Not just because of the already poor relationship between Astria and Royster, but more importantly, because it would ruin his plans to sell Eleanor off to another suitable family.

Today, Eleanor had presented herself beautifully and increased her value on the market. But at the same time, the number of potential buyers probably dropped. After all, it was now known that she shared a familiar and intimate moment with none other than Grand Duke Royster himself.

No one in this place would dare lay hands on a woman marked by Karsian Royster. Even those who had been considering buying the fake lady would quietly back off, licking their lips in regret.

In short, today’s events were a loss for the Duke—but a big win for Eleanor.

Nora will find out about the Grand Duke eventually… but that’s fine.

There were too many eyes in the capital anyway. It wasn’t a card she could keep hidden forever.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay though, Your Grace? Getting involved with a woman of unknown origin could bring you trouble. People might talk, and Arlo will definitely get angry and throw a fit.”

In this situation, the one at risk wasn’t Eleanor—it was Karsian.

No matter how good an impression she had made tonight, she was still a fake. She could never become a true noble. Anyone who valued family honor would logically stay away from her.

Not only that—Karsian could even end up drawing suspicion from the Emperor. People might think he was siding with Astria and the Crown Prince. That would bring all kinds of complications for him.

But Karsian, unbothered, calmly replied,

“No one dares insult you in front of me. Not even that loud-mouthed Crown Prince brat. So don’t worry about me.”

Eleanor was shocked that he openly insulted the Crown Prince right in the middle of the ball.

Thankfully, they were far enough from others that no one overheard it. Otherwise, it could have caused serious trouble.

‘Well… He’s the same man who punched Count Fletcher without hesitation.’

She suddenly remembered something she’d forgotten because of his kindness.

This man isn’t exactly a reasonable person. Sometimes he’s excessively polite even when it’s unnecessary, and other times, he completely ignores social cues even when he probably should be careful.

But all that unpredictability somehow always worked out in her favor.

“Ah.”

Maybe it was because she was distracted and not focusing on the dance, or maybe it was because it had been a long time since she wore heels this high. Eleanor lost her balance for a moment and stumbled.

She quickly stepped forward, causing her weight to shift. A large hand grabbed her waist to steady her, stopping her from falling completely, but couldn’t stop her upper body from leaning forward.

Thud. Her white forehead bumped into something solid.

Surprised, she looked up with wide eyes, not realizing that she had just bumped into Karsian’s chest. It was too broad and firm to belong to an ordinary human being.

Thump, thump.

A rapid heartbeat vibrated through her skin. Every part of her that touched him felt hot, like it was on fire.

Was that sound coming from her own chest? Or his?

Unconsciously biting her lower lip, Eleanor looked up. At the same moment, Karsian met her gaze.

For a brief instant, she forgot how to breathe.

Once again, she felt the ridiculous illusion that the two of them were completely alone in this crowded Violet Hall filled with people.

But to be fair, anyone who looked at Karsian Royster’s face like she was now would probably feel the same illusion.

He was looking at her like she was something precious and beautiful.

His deep red eyes stared at her with longing, holding her breath captive, and the scent of his body and the heat from his skin made her feel dizzy.

To a woman who has searched for love in every season and every day, this moment would surely feel like the beginning of love.

Eleanor slowly fluttered her long eyelashes and thought.

But this had nothing to do with her.

“Thank you. I almost embarrassed myself in front of everyone.”

Eleanor smiled sweetly and gently pulled herself away from him. She moved right back into the dance steps so smoothly that most of the nobles didn’t even notice she had stumbled.

“When the song ends, I’ll need to speak with the guests for a while. Will you be leaving right after, Your Grace?”

She asked as if nothing had happened. Karsian followed the dance steps, but his handsome face was tense, clearly showing signs of frustration or maybe embarrassment.

“Or…”

Eleanor smiled with her eyes and continued in a soft voice.

“Would you wait for me on the balcony for a moment?”

I have something I’d like to say to you, she whispered, in a tone that could easily be mistaken as flirtation.

“…I will.”

Karsian nodded obediently. She could feel his hand tighten around her waist slightly, but Eleanor didn’t point it out.

The cheerful dance music, just like her mood, was coming to an end.

***

As Karsian disappeared onto the balcony, out of sight, the nobles who had been waiting for a chance to approach Eleanor surrounded her and bombarded her with endless questions.

“Lady Eleanor, which boutique made your dress? It’s so beautiful! Would you mind introducing me to your dressmaker?”

“And your hair accessory! It’s gorgeous. Is it from the same place?”

Most of the questions were light and casual. Eleanor couldn’t reveal the name of the boutique, but she answered the others kindly.

Then, someone snuck in a more sensitive question.

“Is it true that Lady Nora used to be your maid?”

Everyone turned to look at the young daughter of a viscount who had asked the question. They were all curious but hadn’t dared to say it out loud—until now.

[The new lady, Nora Astria, was once Eleanor Astria’s personal maid.]

That rumor had been spreading quietly for the past few days, though it hadn’t appeared in any official articles.

People had heard she had grown up apart from her parents and had a tough childhood, but being a maid was something else entirely.

To the nobles, life in orphanages or poor neighborhoods was a distant and unrelated misery—easy to pity. But a maid was different. Maids were close, familiar, and often seen as lowly or even disgraceful.

So if Nora really had been a maid, people would start treating her very differently.

Nobles cleared their schedules to attend tonight’s debutante ball just to see for themselves if the rumor was true. That’s why more people had shown up than expected.

“…That’s not a question I can answer.”

Eleanor turned her head coldly away from the viscount’s daughter.

Her serious tone made the other nobles quietly criticize the young girl’s rudeness. But even so, they exchanged excited glances.

Though Eleanor didn’t confirm anything, her refusal to deny it was answer enough.

‘So it’s true that Lady Nora used to be a maid!’

It was a truth that would come out eventually. Unless she could silence all the servants and people who knew her past, there was no such thing as an eternal secret.

But the reason Eleanor had ordered Hilda to start spreading the rumor days ago was because she understood the importance of timing.

A rumor that might have died quickly would instead burn brightly and for much longer if sparked in the right moment.

Tonight, Nora’s impressive appearance added high-quality fuel to the fire, and the gossip now looked like it would last for quite a while.

And Eleanor intended to sit right beside that glowing fire, enjoying the warmth.