Chapter 24

Isabella leaned into Hayden and whispered into his ear as if sharing a secret.

“Actually… I’m not very good at dancing.”

“Haha. That’s quite all right. I’m a good dancer, so just trust me and follow my lead.”

“Then I’ll put all my trust in you, Young Lord.”

Unable to hide the smile that slipped out, Isabella responded brightly. She was thrilled at the thought of being able to dance the first dance at a ball in the capital for the very first time just like everyone else.

Was it that excitement? Or was it simply the relief of seeing a familiar face?

Even the whispers that had been bothering her moments ago now felt slightly more bearable. Soon, they began dancing in step, guided smoothly by Hayden’s effortless lead.

As the dance moved through a sequence of steps that brought them closer and farther apart in turns, Hayden, who had been watching her intently, suddenly spoke.

“Come to think of it, I heard that a divine beast has taken up residence in the Hellen family estate here in the capital. I believe you’re currently staying at Duke Caron’s residence? I hope it hasn’t been too uncomfortable.”

“Oh? Ah, not at all. Thanks to His Grace’s thoughtfulness, I’ve been able to stay there quite comfortably despite the circumstances. I consider it a stroke of luck.”

“Luck, is it…”

Hayden trailed off for a moment at her answer, then continued calmly.

“I see. But if there’s anything, even the slightest inconvenience, please don’t hesitate to tell me. After all, we share a secret childhood memory, don’t we?”

“A secret memory? Oh! You mean when I ran away from home. Hehe. Thank you for the kind offer, Young Lord Elond.”

Though their connection had been brief and long ago, Hayden’s words, so generously kind without asking anything in return, were both burdensome and oddly comforting. 

But just as she finished speaking, his expression changed slightly, and he suddenly appeared a little displeased.

“Hm. I don’t quite like that.”

“Pardon? Did I say something wrong…?”

Isabella asked cautiously.

Hayden, his gaze lingering on her eyes hidden behind the black veil as if trying to peer through them, suddenly pulled her closer by tightening the arm around her waist.

Then, in a soft voice, he whispered, “Eden.”

“…What?”

“Please use my name instead of the family title.”

Isabella’s eyes widened at the unexpected request. She hesitated, then spoke carefully.

“But even if we did know each other as children, I couldn’t possibly…”

But Hayden shook his head firmly and added,

“Please don’t feel pressured. I simply want to be addressed by my name. I wish to speak with you as we did six years ago beyond the bounds of title and status.”

“But, Young Lord—”

“That’s not it.”

He cut her off.

“You must call me by name, Isabella.”

“…!”

It was, in a way, a rather brazen request. After all, things were nothing like when they were children and unaware of each other’s status.

No matter how welcome an old connection might be, the gap in their current positions made it awkward.

Just then, as Isabella floundered for a response, Hayden suddenly twirled her with a playful tone.

“Well, if you really can’t bring yourself to use my name, I suppose you could call me ‘Hotdog Brother’ instead.”

“Wha—? I couldn’t poss—Aah!”

So taken aback by his absurd suggestion, Isabella stumbled over her own foot.

“Careful!”

As she faltered, Hayden quickly caught her by the waist and steadied her. A sharp jolt shot through her ankle, perhaps she had twisted it during the misstep.

But more than the pain, it was the overwhelming embarrassment that consumed her. If she could find a hole to crawl into, she would’ve dived in without a second thought.

She glanced up at Hayden apologetically.

“I’m sorry if I was rude. It was inappropriate of me to say something like that to the Young Lord…”

Her voice trailed off awkwardly, but Hayden only smiled sweetly and whispered in a tender tone.

“I didn’t find it rude. In fact, I’m pleased. It means I hold a special place in your memory different from the others.”

At those words, Isabella’s eyes widened like saucers, and she didn’t know where to look. But she couldn’t avoid Hayden for long.

His warm, sincere gaze left her with no escape. Finally, Isabella relented and cautiously spoke.

“Brother… Eden…”

And in that instant—

Was it truly so satisfying to hear her call his name?

With a smile as radiant and warm as if it could draw the gaze of every sunflower in the world, Hayden made Isabella momentarily forget how to breathe. He drew her even closer into his arms and whispered intimately.

“It sounds lovely. Please keep calling me that, Isabella.”

Was he planning to draw her completely into his whirlpool of confusion? Hayden intertwined his fingers with hers and gave her a melting smile.

“…!”

There was a moment, not too long ago, when Isabella had once asked a succubus she’d summoned for practice a curious question.

｢If a strange man ever approaches you with a sweet smile, run. Those men are all wolves – wolves!｣

｢Wolves? Like… Awooo! That kind of wolf?｣

｢Well, not exactly, but close enough… You’re still too young for the details. Just promise me you’ll steer clear of wolves, okay?｣

｢Do I have to? Wolves are cool. Wouldn’t they be cute if I tamed them?｣

｢Good heavens! Tame them, she says! Hoho, well, I do like that kind of thing myself… But you’re so pure, my lady, you probably wouldn’t even realize what’s happening to you.｣

｢Realize what?｣

｢Some wolves are especially dark-hearted. I don’t think you’d be able to tell the difference just yet.｣

Why did that memory come to mind now? Perhaps it was because of the man before her whose gaze seemed to melt her like cotton candy in water.

Just then, over Hayden’s shoulder, Isabella spotted someone. Cedric, standing beside the Crown Prince, was looking down over the ballroom with his usual indifferent expression.

‘A sweet smile… Hm. What would His Grace look like if he smiled like that?’

Hayden’s smile was like the warmth of spring.

And yet… For some reason, looking at it made her suddenly curious, desperate even, to see Cedric’s smile instead, he who always seemed to scowl.

Hayden’s voice broke through her wandering thoughts.

“My lady?”

“Ah! Sorry. I’ll make sure to call you by name from now on.”

Snapping back to the present, Isabella hastily focused on Hayden again. She knew it was impolite to think of someone else while dancing with her partner.

But perhaps Hayden misunderstood her hesitation. His gaze deepened, becoming more intense. Yet Isabella could no longer concentrate on him.

Cedric’s smiling face, conjured from her own imagination, lingered stubbornly in her mind. Like a miracle, like the first sprout after a long ice age.

Soon after, the music came to an end.

“It was an honor to dance with you, Lady Isabella.”

“And thank you for guiding me.”

With a kiss to the back of her hand, Hayden concluded the final bow of the dance and led Isabella off the floor.

“Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m fine. Just a little thirsty. Do you know where the refreshment table is?”

Her ankle throbbed from the earlier twist, but Isabella replied calmly, steering the conversation away.

“In that case, please wait here for a moment. I don’t see a servant nearby, so I’ll fetch a drink for you myself.”

With that, Hayden turned and began making his way briskly through the crowd.

Isabella waited quietly near a pillar slightly removed from the ballroom floor, glancing around as she did.

‘When will Mother and Father arrive, I wonder?’

Since the arrival of the royal family, the names of later guests weren’t being announced, so there was no way to know if her parents had come. Then… 

“Well, well. You’ve grown into quite the young lady.”

A middle-aged man with a genial, laid-back demeanor and golden hair approached her with a friendly smile. At the sight of him, Isabella quickly bowed her head.

“Lady Isabella of House Hellen greets the Grand Duke of Elond.”

This was none other than Grand Duke Douglas Elond, whom Amon had marked in her guestbook as an important figure.

But did he actually know her? He greeted her with the warmth of a friendly neighbor and patted her shoulder affectionately.

“Hoho. Seems like just yesterday I saw a shy little girl hiding behind the Count’s leg, and now you’re all grown up. Time really flies.”

‘Ah! He was that man…’

At the sound of his voice, Isabella suddenly remembered.

Six years ago. The evening of her first attempt to run away from home.

After managing to sneak back into the mansion with the help of Baal and Eve, she’d learned that a distinguished guest had visited in her absence. She’d gone to the dining hall to join the meal, and that’s where she’d first met Douglas.

He’d greeted her kindly then, just as he did now. But perhaps because she was still a child back then, the deep navy gaze he cast upon her had frightened her, and she’d run off to hide behind her father’s leg.

‘He hasn’t changed a bit. Not even those eyes.’

There was something about Douglas’s eyes, like staring into the deep ocean, that gave her an inexplicable headache.

‘Maybe it’s the cigarette smoke?’

The acrid smell clinging to the hand he’d placed on her shoulder was suffocating. He must’ve been quite a heavy smoker. Just as she instinctively twitched the hands she’d neatly folded to resist the urge to cover her nose. 

Thud!

A black-gloved hand suddenly grabbed Douglas’s wrist and pulled it away from her shoulder.

“F-Father?”

She turned and found Edwin standing there.

Despite having his wrist grabbed, Douglas only chuckled affably and greeted him.

“It’s been a while, Count Hellen. Two years, has it? It’s hard to see you these days since you don’t come to the capital.”

Edwin stepped subtly in front of Isabella as he released Douglas’s wrist and replied. 

“I’ve been remiss. I’ve had no proper reason to visit the capital.”

“Still, do try to visit from time to time. You’re one of His Majesty’s few trusted friends.”

“Even if I am, that doesn’t mean much. And I believe Your Grace knows very well about the privileges His Majesty has granted our house.”

‘The privileges…?’

She was only briefly surprised by her father’s unexpected social connection, surprising, given what a homebody he’d always been. But the unfamiliar story that followed quickly pricked her ears.

“Haha, of course I know. Still, you really are far too modest.”

“I simply know my place.”

The conversation between Edwin and Douglas flowed easily, yet there was a subtle wall between them, effortlessly polite, but somehow distant.

That was when it happened.

“I present to you Count Hellen, Guardian of the Continent.”

Hayden appeared, holding a drink meant for Isabella.

From that moment on, the conversation began to veer in a strange direction.

……

T/N: I bet five of my fingers Hayden is swaying Isabella’s feelings for some other ulterior motives that couldn’t be good