Chapter 105
She hadn’t intended to be that way from the beginning.
When she accepted Alice’s suggestion to be the Third Prince’s dance practice partner, she truly meant to help him diligently.
But strangely, seeing his face made her peevish.
So unlike herself.
It particularly irked her whenever the Third Prince’s gaze turned toward Alice.
The Third Prince might think it wasn’t noticeable, but she could clearly sense how differently he regarded the Duchess.
It wasn’t a lustful or impure gaze. But the Third Prince clearly had special feelings for Alice.
And Alice, too, showed unusual gentleness toward the Third Prince.
Though Alice’s fundamental nature was exceptionally kind, she was never one to open her heart easily.
Even with Sienna, hadn’t she completely hidden her emotions at first?
But the Third Prince was different.
From the moment she first saw him, Alice had shown fondness and sympathy.
She looked after the Third Prince as if she’d found a long-lost brother.
“…I don’t like it.”
That was the truth.
In fact, the main reason Sienna disliked the Third Prince was that he took Alice’s attention.
And he had gotten close to her much faster than Sienna had.
It was quite a childish reason, but what could she do? It was how she truly felt.
As time passed, Sienna had grown fonder of Alice.
She followed Alice like an older sister.
Though Alice was actually quite small and cute to be called an older sister, she was practically family to Sienna.
Then suddenly the Third Prince had intruded.
That’s why she had firmly stepped on his foot whenever his gaze turned to Alice, but somehow it had escalated to stepping on him at every opportunity.
“…I should stop doing that from now on.”
She admitted she had gone too far.
Today, even Alice had finally left early, unable to bear watching anymore.
Sienna sat up with a small sigh. Bringing her legs together and raising her knees, she massaged her aching soles.
“…I wonder if His Highness’s feet are alright.”
Now that her rationality had returned, she was concerned about the Third Prince’s feet.
I should tell Helkin tomorrow morning to send some medicine.
When she was alone like this, she could think about the Third Prince rationally. But why did she become so unlike herself, so irritable, whenever she stood before him?
It was true she disliked the Third Prince because of Alice, but even so, she tended to express her emotions excessively toward him.
Grumble—
Suddenly, her stomach growled.
Sienna stopped her musings and rubbed her belly.
“I’m hungry…”
She rarely felt hungry at this hour. It seemed she hadn’t eaten enough dinner compared to how much she had moved her body today.
Sienna rubbed her stomach and rose from the sofa. It didn’t seem like she would be able to fall asleep like this.
Instead of calling for a maid who had already retired, she draped a shawl over her shoulders and left her room.
“Oh, my lady.”
As she descended to the first floor, a member of the night patrol who spotted her bowed his head.
“My lady, what brings you out at this hour… Has something happened?”
The servant asked as he raised his head.
“No, nothing special. I’m just a bit hungry…”
“I’ll call a maid right away.”
“I don’t want to wake them unnecessarily. Is there anything left to eat in the kitchen?”
“Well, since they cleaned up before leaving… Ah, but there should still be the dessert that Lord Ruyd brought.”
“Dessert… you mean the chocolate tart?”
“Yes. About an hour ago, His Highness the Third Prince came to the kitchen saying he was feeling peckish. He took a portion of the dessert, so there should be some left.”
“His Highness… came and went?”
“Yes. He took the dessert and went to the party hall. He seemed quite hungry from constantly moving about.”
Sienna was surprised and asked again.
“Where did you say His Highness went?”
“To the party hall… He said he would be there all night and not to worry about him.”
The party hall… Surely he doesn’t intend to continue practicing alone all night?
Sienna gazed meaningfully at the corridor leading from the first floor to the party hall.
“Hmm…”
“My lady, shall I bring the dessert to your room?”
At the servant’s question, Sienna turned her gaze from the corridor.
And after a very brief deliberation.
Having made her decision, Sienna shook her head at the servant.
“No, bring it to the party hall.”
Sienna flashed a smile at the bewildered servant and headed toward the party hall.
Well past midnight.
But as the servant had said, the lights in the mansion’s party hall were still shining.
Sienna carefully opened the door to the party hall and entered.
Creak—
In the quiet hours, the sound of the door opening rang out quite clearly. But the Third Prince didn’t seem to hear it, as he didn’t stop moving.
Sienna watched him quietly.
In the middle of the spacious party hall, he was diligently practicing waltz steps.
Alone.
Slowly but focused, one step at a time.
Moving his body as if listening to music, the Third Prince soon tripped again at the part that gave him the most trouble.
“Ah!”
Perhaps he had practiced too much.
The Third Prince’s legs gave out.
It was the moment his body was about to tumble. He felt as if his body was floating.
An inexplicable force that enveloped his body straightened him as he was about to fall.
When his feet, which had briefly floated in the air, landed on the ground, the Third Prince turned his head toward the sound of approaching footsteps.
“…Lady Meltain.”
As he had expected, the owner of the sound was Sienna Meltain.
In the Dearrut ducal mansion, she was the only one who could wield such magic.
Sienna stopped walking in front of the Third Prince.
“…You’re making the same mistake at the same spot, Your Highness.”
The Third Prince’s face crumpled slightly.
Because Sienna had just pinpointed his weakness.
Sienna faltered at his crumpled expression.
This wasn’t what she had meant to say.
Clearly, on her way here, she had been concerned about him. She wanted to help him practice diligently.
She had even hastily used magic in case he fell and hurt himself.
Why did words contrary to her feelings slip out the moment they faced each other?
Sienna couldn’t understand herself, but she couldn’t take back words that had already escaped.
“Yes. That’s why I was continuing to practice. But why are you here at this hour, my lady?”
The Third Prince asked, looking straight at her. In his sparkling opal eyes, she could feel his displeasure toward her.
Sienna looked at him and answered slowly.
“I… came to eat chocolate tart.”
What on earth are you saying, Sienna?
Sienna was very embarrassed by her own absurd words, but the Third Prince had already heard them.
“You came to eat chocolate tart?”
His expression was utterly bewildered.
Just then, the door to the party hall opened, and a servant entered.
“My lady, I’ve brought the dessert and water.”
The Third Prince watched as the servant placed the tart and water on a small table located at one side of the party hall.
But there were two water bottles, not one.
After the servant withdrew, the Third Prince turned to the frozen Sienna.
“…Did you come here deliberately, knowing I was here?”
The Third Prince asked without beating around the bush.
Sienna’s green eyes wavered slightly. But soon she cleared her throat and admitted it.
“Yes.”
“…Why?”
“Why else? Obviously to help Your Highness.”
“To help me?”
The Third Prince asked in disbelief. As if he had heard something preposterous.
It was true she hadn’t shown the Third Prince her best side so far, but wasn’t this reaction a bit harsh?
Sienna responded coolly to the genuinely surprised Third Prince.
“Yes. Should I… leave?”
“No. That’s not it.”
Just as Sienna was about to turn around, the Third Prince grabbed her arm.
As Sienna straightened herself, the Third Prince released her arm and continued speaking.
Very honestly.
“I’m just surprised… You’ve been tormenting me a lot until now. I thought you really disliked me, but that’s not it?”
Sienna flinched at his directness.
She hadn’t expected him to speak so frankly. But unlike the flustered Sienna, the Third Prince was the embodiment of confidence.
Sienna’s green eyes darkened slightly.
Had the Third Prince always been this confident?
In her mind, the Third Prince had been someone rather far from confidence.
Though he had shown his discontent with her, he had always been cautious and intimidated.
Now there was no trace of that timidity.
Come to think of it… for some time now, the Third Prince’s shoulders were no longer hunched.
Her brother had mentioned that the Third Prince had changed a lot.
Although he had been receiving intensive education while staying at the ducal residence, it hadn’t been that long.
Yet already he had changed so much…
Sienna felt somewhat strange about the Third Prince’s transformation.
She spoke honestly to him as he waited for her answer.
There was no point in lying now anyway.
“I… don’t dislike Your Highness. I was just a bit wary because you seemed to have excessive interest in the Duchess.”
