Chapter 10

Idina smiled, resting her chin on her hand.

“Whatever happens with the royal marriage doesn’t concern me.”

“May I ask why?”

The reason was simple.

Isn’t there already someone they’ve decided will become the crown princess?

…Also, the crown prince was splendid in her memories had been.

<…Omega?>

When she recalled his cold words and gaze, her heart cooled considerably. However, Idina bit the flesh inside her mouth, sensing a strange sensation deep within.

Could this be the effect of the heat cycle?

As the image of his figure from before vividly resurfaced, a strange thirst rose within her.

Perhaps it was the seductive pheromones subtly flowing from the man in front of her, blending with the memory and secretly stimulating her.

It was then that Idina had a sudden realization—she was in a somewhat dangerous situation.

The man tilted his head when she didn’t respond for a long time.

“Lady?”

“…….”

“What’s wrong with you?”

Since this was a masquerade, it wouldn’t matter if she left, right? Normally, her parents or brother might scold her, but for some reason, she felt that wouldn’t be the case today.

Idina took a deep breath and calmly spoke.

“I should just go.”

That wasn’t the answer the Alpha before her was hoping for. As expected, he stopped her from getting up.

“The party is just starting. Are you saying you’re going to leave without having any fun?”

For some reason, he seemed a little flustered. Idina raised the feather fan she was holding to cover her face.

She absolutely didn’t want the Alpha in front of her to see her current state.

“I’m not feeling well, so I can’t help it…”

However, the man didn’t seem willing to let her go. He stood and walked over to her.

“If you don’t mind…”

“….?”

She hadn’t noticed it when he was sitting, but he was easily two heads taller than her.

She hesitated at the unexpected height. Meanwhile, the man carefully extended his hand toward her, his blue eyes shining beneath his mask.

“If you’re going to leave soon…”

“What do you want to ask…?”

“Before you leave, please give me a chance to hand over this token to the lady.”

He held out the token that the royal attendants had distributed to each man.

The shape of the masks for both men and women was the same, but the token given to the men had a different design.

The token in his hand depicted two spears crossed behind a shield.
It was a very simple and common image.

“There’s no one else I can give this token to. However, if the royal family hosted such a fun event and gave you such a fun opportunity, wouldn’t it be a shame if you left without dancing?”

Lies.

Idina had already seen many ladies approach him. He sent them all back to their seats without a second thought. So this Alpha simply wanted to dance with Idina right now.

She didn’t understand why it had to be her. Was it because she was sitting next to him?

Lost in doubt, Idina looked back and forth between the token and the man’s blue eyes. The Alpha, having caught her gaze, patiently waited for her response.

“…….”

A fountain gently dripped from the center, pleasant music filled the air, and people’s chatter blended in. Yet, the Alpha acted as if he could see only Idina, in this moment, in this place.

“Lady.”

The Alpha’s faint scent mixed with his deep, low voice, and Idina grew increasingly nervous. He was simply asking for the first dance… But for some reason, it felt like a proposal.

Taking this token didn’t mean she had to marry him. In this situation, only Crown Prince Killian Escass would marry the person he had the first dance with.

Idina, who had just cynically thought that the ladies would have trouble sleeping tonight, now found the irony in the situation. She had been wrong—she was the one who would have trouble sleeping tonight.

‘Idiot.’

What were the odds that the Alpha in front of her was Killian Escass?

There were at least thirty Alphas in the room. Even if she simply calculated the chance, it was only a 3 percent chance of being lucky.

And the odds of that luck falling on her, compared to the broken engagement she’d faced this morning, were definitely lower.

“Are you going to refuse?”

The man asked again as the silence dragged on. Instead of answering yes or no, Idina took the token from his palm.

At that moment, the eyes beneath his mask darkened, and a smile spread across his face. The corners of his lips, sharp as the tip of a spear, slowly turned upward.
He was a man with a very beautiful smile.

From then on, everything proceeded according to the noble customs, almost as if in a trance. Idina, seemingly possessed, grabbed the hand he extended to her and walked up to the dance floor.

Clack, clack. The sound of their heels echoed pleasantly.

The Alpha, still holding her hand, escorted her with light steps and impeccable manners.

While her steps were measured, the hand that guided her moved smoothly, almost naturally. Judging by this, it seemed he must have been a Lord from a fairly prestigious family.

However, it was difficult to guess which powerful Alpha family he came from.
There were quite a few candidates at the moment.

In any case, as long as it wasn’t that damn Lilles, Idina didn’t care.