Chapter 6
‘Wow, is this for real?’
Who dances pressed up against another woman like that right in front of the woman he likes?
They were both on the tall side, so they even looked rather good together.
Watching them waltz as though they were deliberately putting on a show suddenly made anxiety surge through her.
‘Just like I stopped liking His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness couldn’t have stopped liking me too… right?’
If she wanted to preserve her life, that particular setting absolutely could not be broken.
Otherwise, Ian wouldn’t guide her.
Growing anxious, Liria trotted after Ian when he finished the dance and headed outside.
“Please dance with me too.”
“I’m tired.”
“Don’t be like that, just dance one song with me! Otherwise…”
Liria deliberately drew out her words and tried her best to glare at him threateningly.
“I’m going to spend the entire party talking to you and bothering you. I won’t leave your side until you go home.”
“…You call that a threat?”
“Yes!”
At her confident answer, Ian squeezed his eyes shut and let out a deep sigh.
Then he turned around and began walking away.
Huh? Where’s he going?
Ian glanced back at Liria, who stood there awkwardly in confusion, and gestured with his chin.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“What…? Ah, yes! I’m coming!”
Only then realizing that he meant they were going to dance, Liria hurried after him and joined the crowd.
It was her first time dancing with a man outside her family, so she was secretly nervous.
Unlike Liria, who hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder, Ian naturally slipped an arm around her slender waist.
His hand was large and thick, completely at odds with his delicate appearance.
The veins standing out on the back of his hand and his prominent knuckles were striking.
‘I have to be careful not to step on His Highness’s feet.’
When the music began, Liria fixed her gaze downward.
She wasn’t particularly skilled at dancing, so she needed to concentrate.
Unable to keep watching her awkward steps and stiff movements, Ian quietly asked,
“Ducal Lady, have you never danced before in your life?”
“It’s not that. The last time was around my academy graduation, when I danced with my father.”
“No wonder. Then relax and leave it to me. I’ll handle it.”
Liria nodded awkwardly and gradually relaxed.
Once she followed Ian’s gentle lead, their movements fell perfectly into sync.
More and more eyes turned toward the pair as they danced like a scene from a painting.
The combination of the Ducal Lady known for her unrequited love for the Crown Prince and the Imperial Prince who was his half-brother was bound to be interesting.
Though the person responsible for creating the situation in the first place paid no attention to her surroundings and remained far too busy gazing at Ian with sparkling eyes.
‘The more I look at him, the more he’s exactly my type. How did I ever end up falling for His Highness the Crown Prince?’
Liria was genuinely puzzled.
Ian’s appearance, which suited the word ‘beautiful’ even better than ‘handsome’, was exactly the kind she had always liked, even in her past life.
‘Was it the power of the original story?’
As she tilted her head, her eyes met Ian’s.
Ian’s brow twitched as his gaze traveled down the long line of her neck, only to suddenly stop.
Because of the deeply cut neckline and tightly fitted dress, the upper swell of her b*****s protruded in a soft curve.
The light spilling from the chandelier emphasized her skin, so pale it seemed almost translucent.
As she turned, her b*****s jiggled like pudding, and Ian gave a small cough before quickly raising his eyes again.
“What kind of woman do you like, Your Highness?”
“…I refuse to answer personal questions.”
“But I’m curious. What am I supposed to do?”
Liria pouted pleadingly.
Ian glanced down at her before answering.
“I like a woman who’s tall, has dark hair and dark eyes, and who looks like a puppy.”
“…That’s exactly the opposite of me?”
“I suppose it is. I don’t like you, Ducal Lady.”
He’s seriously so petty.
Suppressing the words that had risen all the way to her throat, Liria suddenly stumbled on one foot.
She had been unsteady from the beginning because she was wearing higher heels than usual.
She quickly corrected her posture before she could lose her balance, but Ian’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
Fortunately, the performance ended without incident, and Ian escorted Liria back into the hall.
Their joined hands loosened in an instant.
When he gave her a perfunctory farewell and tried to leave as though his business with her was finished, Liria caught him.
“Wait! Are you going to dance with anyone else?”
“That’s none of your concern, Ducal Lady.”
Her small shoulders flinched at the cold reply.
Truthfully, he wasn’t wrong, so Liria couldn’t question him any further and had no choice but to let him go.
Ah, aaah, that hurts…
Her ankle had been gradually starting to ache for a while now, which only made matters worse.
She sighed and carefully took a step, but failed to notice someone coming from the opposite direction and bumped shoulders with them.
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