A Battlefield Of Flowers (11)

For that reason, Victor’s and my first engagement of the second week was a ball held at House Cattaleang’s villa.

The marquis family’s villa was so dazzlingly lavish and grand that calling it a villa seemed absurd. Grape vines were delicately carved into columns built in an exotic style, and every enormous decorative window was fitted with expensive stained glass that glittered like jewels of every color. On top of that, every wall was painted with gold and lapis lazuli pigments, making the building resemble a box made of gold.

I entered the glittering ballroom in a daze.

Lady Katarina had said she did not have many friends and that not many guests would attend, but for some reason, the ballroom was packed to bursting.

Victor, standing beside me, gently pulled me closer.

“There are many people here, so please stay close, Madam.”

Playfully imitating a knight, he wrapped an arm around my waist. Kaltz had vehemently insisted that he absolutely did not want to come, so Victor had volunteered to serve as my escort knight.

With my ears burning red, I looked at Victor.

Even in this enchanting place, Victor was the most enchanting sight of all. With his hair lightly swept back and a black formal suit delicately embroidered with gold thread, Victor truly looked like the master of the House of the Black Lion. The scent of musk coming from his embrace was unbearably alluring.

I repeated the breathing techniques I used when wielding a sword and barely managed to calm my expression. He truly was the most dangerous knight on the continent.

“—I greet His Grace the Grand Duke and Her Highness the Grand Duchess.”

Soon, Lady Katarina approached from a distance, dressed like an emperor. Wearing an exotic veil and a gown covered in linked plates of gold, she resembled a queen of some eastern foreign tribe. She extended a shoe woven from gold and curtsied.

“It is an honor that you attended.”

I approached her and expressed my gratitude.

“Thank you for inviting us, Katarina. There are far more people than I expected.”

“Are there not? I was surprised myself when I gathered all the replies accepting the invitation.”

Katarina winked.

“They all came to see you, Amarion.”

“What?”

“When they heard that the Grand Duchess everyone in the capital was talking about would attend, people who wanted to come gathered like clouds.”

With an elegant gesture, she guided Victor and me toward one side of the ballroom. I followed her in bewilderment. Just as Katarina had said, most of the gazes in the room were directed toward us. Nobles covering their mouths whispered among themselves while looking at me.

What were they talking about? That I had fought a duel in a ballroom? That a woman from the borderlands had finally damaged the prestige of the grand ducal house?

The humiliating words I had heard throughout the past week flashed through my mind.

At that moment, the scent of musk suddenly grew stronger.

“Where are you looking? I am standing beside you.”

Victor lowered his head and whispered into my ear. When I startled and turned toward him, his sculpted lips curved into an arc.

Blood immediately rushed to my face. I closed my eyes and took another deep breath.

Back home, we hunted cockatrices every winter. After crossing the vast snowy plains and walking through sharp coniferous forests, we would find hideous nests made of tangled pieces of wood. Cockatrices had sensitive hearing, so we had to make as little noise as possible. Do not become excited. Remain calm and slow the pounding of the heart…….

“Amarion?”

My eyes snapped open. Katarina was looking at me with concern.

“Are you perhaps tired?”

“N-no. I simply had something to think about.”

I quickly moved beside her and accepted the glass of champagne she offered.

Victor stood next to me with a dignified and elegant bearing, as though he had never whispered into my ear. To avoid the disaster of meeting his eyes again, I turned my entire body toward Katarina.

She naturally guided the conversation.

“I heard you declined every invitation. The rumor even reached my residence.”

“Yes. There were not many places I wished to visit.”

“That is understandable. To think they are only now swarming around and pretending to be close to you.”

She clicked her tongue. Her gaze, as cold as her blue-black hair, glared at the nobles. But soon, an intrigued look appeared in Katarina’s eyes.

“Still, I found it immensely satisfying when you struck back at Lady Welch. Why did you conceal the fact that you were such an outstanding swordswoman until now?”

“Outstanding? That is absurd……!”

I hurriedly waved my hands. Claiming to be a skilled swordswoman while Victor was beside me was unthinkable.

But Katarina seemed to believe I was merely being modest. She smiled as her long eyelashes fluttered.

“How is it absurd? Sir Jeffrey is one of the most famous knights in the Welch Knights.”

I became genuinely confused.

He possessed roughly…… the skill of the captain of Amari’s knights. Was fame among Imperial knights determined without any relation to actual ability?

When I instinctively looked toward Victor, he smiled sweetly.

“Who could possibly compare to you, Marion?”

His tone made it clear that he had no intention of offering an objective explanation. In the end, all I could do was drink the sweet champagne with reddened ears.

Perhaps the Welch Knights were weaker than their reputation suggested.

Katarina was a wonderful conversational companion. As the owner of an enormous merchant guild, she was knowledgeable about the ways of the world, cheerful, and compatible with me, so the longer we spoke, the more enjoyable it became.

When I told her I was going to Mort, she was deeply disappointed. She usually traveled throughout the continent with her merchant guild, and since her territory was in the south, it would indeed be difficult for her to interact with Mort in the north.

She let out a deep sigh.

“Just when I thought I had finally made a friend, you are leaving so soon.”

I tilted my brows sadly and took her hand.

“We can meet again later. Either I can come to the capital, or you can visit Mort…….”

Or I could stop by Cattaleang on my way back to Amari.

I swallowed the painful words before they could leave my mouth.

Katarina hummed and rested her chin on the wrist she had perfumed with ambergris.

“May I truly visit Mort?”

I quickly looked at Victor. Victor gave her a smooth smile.

“Mort will always welcome you, my lady.”

“It would be an honor, Your Grace.”

A pleased smile appeared on my face. Seeing two people I liked speaking kindly to one another warmed my heart.

At the same time, an inexplicable doubt arose.

Ever since arriving at the ballroom, Victor had strangely avoided speaking with anyone else. He had remained beside me the entire time, merely listening to my conversation with Katarina. Even though he had volunteered to escort me in Sir Kaltz’s place, surely he knew many people here.

But the sense of security his presence gave me was too great to push him away unnecessarily. With Victor beside me, there were no insults or whispers. Victor smiled whenever our eyes met, and he was truly kind.

Perhaps she had been thinking something similar, because Lady Katarina smiled and said.

“You two truly have a wonderful relationship.”

“Of course we do. We are husband and wife.”

Victor naturally wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

I stiffened awkwardly. Standing with Victor in a pose only famous lovers in high society would normally display was terribly embarrassing.

He swept his gaze across the crowded hall and smiled gently.

“I am truly happy to spend the entire day with you.”

Smack.

Then he gave my cheek a brief kiss.

“My goodness, Victor!”

Startled, I flapped about like a chicken.

To do such a thing outside the mansion, and in a place filled with so many people. Setting etiquette aside, it was simply unbelievably embarrassing.

When I hurriedly turned around, Lady Katarina was wearing a strange expression that was both a grimace and a smile.

Unable even to consider checking the gazes of everyone else, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Truly, it was impossible to remain calm whenever I was with him.

As my conversation with Katarina came to an end, the musicians appeared to begin playing. Victor took my hand and gently led me toward the center of the ballroom.

Despite all my diligent practice, I had only danced twice in an actual ballroom. Both times had even been with Sir Kaltz, so it had been no different from practicing at the mansion.

Victor skillfully pulled my tense body into his arms. His presence made my head spin.

“Marion…….”

With the chandelier’s light forming a halo behind him, Victor looked like a god. As though entranced, I blurted out.

“You look beautiful today, Victor.”

His eyes widened slightly.

Ah.

Only then did I realize what I had said, and my shoulders jerked in surprise. Victor caught me as I instinctively tried to lower my head. When I raised my reddened face, Victor was smiling as though he could barely contain himself.

“You are lovelier than anything.”

As my mouth fell stupidly open, the dance began. It was a traditional Imperial dance in a standard four-beat rhythm.

Victor led me gently. As I held his hand and spun around and around, an indescribable sense of fulfillment washed over me. I thought that even if I eventually returned home, I could remain happy for a long time with this memory alone.

Victor suddenly spoke.

“I have no intention of marrying Nanael Welch.”

This time, I truly looked up at him in surprise.

Had he somehow read my thoughts?

Following the changing rhythm, he released my arm and then pulled me back.

“The engagement was broken long ago. That is a fact that will never be reversed.”

“But Nanael…….”

Spoke as though she had been your lover.

I barely stopped the words that began slipping out.

I turned once with the rhythm and was drawn back into his embrace. Victor was smiling.

“Nanael?”

The beautiful melody of the strings flowed swiftly. Two steps forward, one step back, one step to the left. As I followed the movements ingrained in my body, he whispered into my ear.

“—If you knew what I did to her.”

Then came a quiet laugh.

“You would come to hate me as well.”

I took the final step and became wrapped in his firm arms.

The man, as beautiful as a demonic creature, looked down at me with an ecstatic smile.