episode_0036

The lively melody of the Minuet, which signaled the beginning of the ball, ended splendidly with the elegant finale of the Baek family’s graceful dance.

The cheerful tunes of the instruments that filled the dance hall of the annex gradually subsided.

In their place, resounding applause filled the space around Lady Baek.

Regardless of age or gender, the gazes of those gathered in the dance hall were fixed on Lady Baek’s youngest daughter, who was catching her breath in her sky-blue dress with an excited expression.

Eleanor’s movements, which captivated everyone’s attention, were incredibly graceful and beautiful.

Not long ago, she was rumored to be on her deathbed due to a mysterious illness.

Although she had somewhat recovered since then, it had only been a month since she got out of bed.

While her infamous appearance as a man-eater remained unchanged, if anything, maturity had added to her beauty.

One could still see traces of her illness in her slender arms and legs, as well as in her occasional frail demeanor.

The attendees did not have high expectations for Eleanor’s dance performance.

However, Eleanor’s dance was exceptionally graceful and beautiful.

Although she was not a skilled dancer, her every move gently touched the hearts of those watching.

What was once considered delicate about her body exuded a strong sense of feminine grace in her fluid dance movements.

Her slightly cooled demeanor compared to before her illness revealed a ladylike elegance.

Observing the platinum-haired lady catching her breath in the center of the hall, the attendees couldn’t help but think that if there were a contest for the Empire’s most beautiful woman, Eleanor Arène de Baek would undoubtedly be the first name mentioned.

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Following the lively Minuet that marked the beginning and the subsequent thunderous applause, various dance pieces continued to fill the dance hall of the annex.

However, these subsequent pieces were not as lively and fast-paced as the earlier Minuet.

As the night grew darker and deeper, the conductor’s baton became more languid, and the melodies played by the orchestra sank deeply into the large hall.

This signaled the time for waltzes, where bodies drew closer together. In other words, it was the time for the adults.

As the dances on the floor became more sluggish, families and guests began to leave one by one.

Young men and women who had just arrived at the entrance of the mansion filled the empty spaces left by those departing.

While the annex was being refreshed with new faces,

Eleanor slipped away from the crowded dance hall and sat alone on a secluded bench in the garden.

After her first dance with her father and the subsequent one with Albrice, the Oravian,

and even a brief step with her mother, Etié, caught up in the festive atmosphere, Eleanor had reached her limit with her poor stamina.

Moreover, as the tempo of the music slowed down, the lingering gazes directed at her, especially from the men, became rather sticky.

“Phew! Haah. It’s refreshing.”

Eleanor’s exhausted voice echoed into the dark night sky.

Sitting against the blue light flowing through the terrace glass and pulling her arms and legs beneath her airy dress, Eleanor stretched and twisted her body.

Moving without hesitation after a long time made Eleanor feel refreshingly invigorated in various ways.

The cool night air lightly enveloped her body, which had warmed up from moving, with a fresh touch that felt incredibly refreshing.

Amidst these small yet pleasant sensations, Eleanor couldn’t help but smile faintly.

Although she hadn’t shown it openly, the guise of a modest lady had been quite stifling and burdensome for Eleanor.

Moreover, ever since Wesney had joined her side, she had been even more cautious in her actions.

Initially, she had thought there wouldn’t be anything difficult about having someone assist her step by step, but it was a huge mistake.

Was this why women of this era went crazy over balls?

With such thoughts in mind, Eleanor’s lips curved into a smile.

A refreshing breeze swept through, causing the beads of sweat on her forehead to trickle down and dissipate.

Normally, someone would have fussed around, offering a handkerchief or wiping the sweat themselves.

But now, she was alone.

Eleanor raised her hand to her forehead, using her palm to brush away the sweat tickling her temples.

Yes. In this current state, even if frivolous men were to approach her, she would probably handle it with amusement—

“If that’s the case, your delicate skin that you’ve taken such care of will suffer, my lady.”

Familiar.

At the somewhat light male voice, Eleanor’s soliloquy came to a halt.

Before her sky-blue eyes, a square piece of luxurious navy fabric embroidered with a black eagle motif swayed in the wind from the lapel of his black coat, emitting a fresh and vibrant scent that tickled Eleanor’s nose.

Eleanor cautiously accepted the handkerchief that obscured her view. Beyond the navy handkerchief, she saw the familiar face of the man.

Dmitri, with his black hair swept back, flashed a bright smile in front of Eleanor, his neatly combed bangs resting lightly on his shoulders as he wore a thin black coat.

His cheerful smile was quite burdensome, so Eleanor glanced at the sky-blue brooch pinned to the lapel of his black coat and offered a greeting.

“It’s been a while, Your Grace. And… was it Daphne?”

“It has been a while, Eleanor.”

As always, Dmitri greeted Eleanor with a friendly face. Behind him, a fair-haired cold beauty simply nodded to Eleanor without a word.

“I received the jacket back in good condition. You even did the laundry and ironing. I’m fine, though.”

“Haha… I was so preoccupied at that time that I couldn’t even thank you properly…”

“No, don’t worry about that. Haha.”

In Dmitri’s subtly arched black eyebrows,

In Dmitri’s voice that brought back those humiliating memories,

The tip of the navy handkerchief clenched in Eleanor’s hand began to tremble slightly.

“So, how have you been all this time?”

“Thanks to your concern, I’ve been doing well.”

For a moment, the Duke’s black eyes flickered.

Facing the Duke’s flickering gaze directly, Eleanor felt a chilling sensation creeping up her arm due to something ominous she sensed.

“Is that so? Hm… It’s a bit different from what I heard.”

While sporting a playful smile, Dmitri suddenly knelt on one knee and bowed his waist respectfully towards Eleanor.

“Thanks to Lady Eleanor enduring an unpleasant incident, an emergency aid bill was passed in the council on behalf of the North. We express our gratitude once again.”

Even though he bowed abruptly, his voice still carried a tone of playfulness.

“No, why should it be thanks to me… I was just involved in some strange incident…”

“We heard that the support we received was for Lady Eleanor’s compensation.”

The deep, intense black eyes were filled with the sight of the platinum-haired lady, who was at a loss in her confusion.

Dmitri approached Eleonore so closely that their breaths mingled.

Caught off guard by Dmitri’s movement, Eleonore couldn’t even resist as the man before her took her hand.

Dmitri’s hand, which she now held, felt entirely different from what she was used to.

Different from Oleg’s gentle touch, who always treated her hand like a toy.

Different from the warmth she felt between the wrinkles in her mother’s hands.

Different from Sophie’s calloused fingertips from household chores.

It was even vastly different from the touch of her father and brothers.

Beyond the thin black leather gloves, Dmitri’s firm hand was so warm and solid that it felt like she could never escape his grasp.

“I am truly sorry for always receiving and not giving.”

“Such words should be said to your mother! No, go say them directly to her!”

Eleonore’s abrupt words to Dmitri, due to her embarrassment, were akin to those of someone who had snatched a jacket and run away, heading back to her room to kick the blankets in frustration.

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“I am truly sorry for always receiving and not giving.”

“Such words should be said to your mother! No, go say them directly to her! She negotiated herself to receive them!”

Above her delicate shoulders, the sky-blue eyes were darting around. As much as her trembling voice, the lady across from her seemed quite flustered.

Her face, as white as perpetual snow in the north, now flushed red.

As tears welled up in her sky-blue eyes, dampening the large eyeballs above them, Dmitri’s heart, which had remained calm even when facing a giant troll alone, began to pound heavily.

It was strange.

Looking at the disheveled man beyond her sky-blue eyes, Dmitri thought to himself.

Because Yeong-ae’s reactions were quite amusing.

Because they reminded him of his younger sibling back home, he had simply intended to tease her a little.

Why were these emotions surfacing now after such a long time?

What did this rare pounding signify?

However, unlike the person before him, Dmitri’s tumultuous heart quickly settled down.

To lead the impoverished and vast North, the lord had to conceal his emotions well. For someone ruling over a land burdened with poverty, the current fluttering emotion was nothing but a luxury, especially with the harsh winter approaching.

Just as he always did in the past.

Skillfully concealing his fluttering emotions, Dmitri faced Eleonore, whose sky-blue eyes still wandered lost, with his usual playful tone, “Regardless, Yeong-ae has suffered, so I will make sure to treat her properly when she comes to the North, as I mentioned last time.”