Chapter 226
Now, this situation was one of the worst-case scenarios Herix had predicted. First, it was Ivonne, who couldn’t take her eyes off Clive. Then, when her gaze kept falling lower and she suddenly looked up at Clive’s face in surprise.
Even while he was observing Clive, the situation was making Herix’s insides boil. No, it wasn’t just boiling, it was practically sizzling with anger.
Just as he was about to say something, the conductor of the orchestra appeared at the perfect moment. With his hands behind his back, the sound of the soldiers stamping their feet echoed magnificently due to the large, round, high ceiling.
The diplomats from the Ortensia Republic and the ministers of the Sortenic Empire, who had been having lively conversations, quickly scattered to find their partners, their faces alight with excitement.
“Would you dance with me?”
“May I have the first dance?”
“Of course.”
“It would be my honor.”
The sound of people finding partners was a pleasant white noise, not at all unpleasant like the chatter of birds. At any Sortenic Empire ball, the first dance was always a waltz. The rhythm, like a heartbeat, made it a perfect moment to converse or perhaps form new affections.
As a result, Clive momentarily paused the pleasant conversation and asked for a dance.
“If you would grant me the first dance, I would consider it an honor for a lifetime. Empress.”
He was referring to none other than Ivonne.
The brief white noise was immediately silenced. The Sortenic Empire guests fell silent, unable to help it. They looked at Clive and Ivonne with expressions filled with awe and shock.
Of course, their gazes were not on the two of them, but on Herix, who was frozen like a ship trapped in a glacier, standing beside Ivonne.
“Ah…”
Ivonne felt slightly awkward. She knew better than anyone how deeply Herix’s love ran and how intense his anxieties were. Knowing this, Ivonne had always made an effort to prioritize him in any official capacity.
In truth, it wasn’t even much of an effort, as Herix had naturally claimed her. No one was unaware of his nature, and no one had ever tried to take Ivonne from him.
But now, for the first time, a bold man had appeared who was trying to take Ivonne from Herix.
“Will you allow me?”
Clive even asked again when Ivonne seemed unsure. This was something that could only happen because he was the Foreign Minister of the Ortensia Republic.
“Yes, Foreign Minister.”
Ivonne recalled the reason for this gathering. It was the reception for the diplomatic delegation.
There was no better way to show the success of the harmony between the two nations than for the Empress of the Sortenic Empire to dance the first waltz with the Foreign Minister.
So, Ivonne gathered her thoughts. She could calm Herix down later; for now, she needed to focus on diplomacy, separating work from personal matters.
“With pleasure.”
She said with a gentle smile as she took Clive’s hand. Her white silk-gloved hand touched his large, bare hand. Everyone watched, holding their breath, but surprisingly, there was no incident as the two of them continued to hold hands.
Herix, who had been expected to watch Ivonne dance lovingly as if frozen in place, gave a shock when he incredibly, offered a dance to Rize, Clive’s aide.
“This is unbelievable!”
“Tomorrow, who knows where the sun will rise? Will it even rise?”
“Is today the day the world ends?”
In their lifetimes, no one had ever imagined such a day would come. Herix and Ivonne dancing the first waltz with different partners? It seemed more unlikely than the sky turning upside down, lakes and seas drying up, meteors falling, and all volcanoes erupting simultaneously.
Naturally, they couldn’t focus on the dance.
“…”
“…”
Someone once said that waltzes are the perfect dance for conversation and growing mutual affection. But the people who filled the stage now danced mechanically, not speaking a word.
All eyes were fixated on the Emperor and Empress dancing elegantly in the center, their gazes sharp and full of tension.
“Oh my, really?”
“Yes, indeed.”
Ivonne giggled as Clive gazed at her with a fond look in his eyes.
“You’re quite skilled at dancing.”
“Well, the Republic has its own social circles.”
Herix, complimenting a woman who wasn’t Ivonne, and Rize, standing confidently even before the Emperor.
There could be no more thrilling or tense sight than this.
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