“Your Highness,” Lucien said as he stood by Giselle’s side, her hand resting on his palm, while they were waiting for their turn to enter the ballroom.

“What?” Giselle said. She didn’t even take a glance at him, he observed. However, this was within his expectations.

“What was that about?” Lucien asked.

He was referring to what happened in her room earlier with Siegfried and Clara. Giselle just left in the middle of a conversation like that, and right when she was talking to Clara?

Something was definitely off.

"What was what about?" Giselle asked back. She seemed to be claiming to be in the dark about it.

Lucien was going to say more, but the attendants opened the door to the ballroom at that moment.

"Presenting Her Highness the Princess Giselle Evia Ollandis along with her partner, Lord Lucien Jules Renand!" 

Giselle squeezed on Lucien's hand to urge him to start walking before loosening up her hand again.

The both of them stepped inside the ballroom greeted by the cheers and claps of everyone present. The spotlight was on them as they walked hand in hand.

Lucien noticed how everyone’s eyes seemed to be focused only on Giselle. As they should—she did look very radiant today. Her gaze was looking straight ahead as they entered the room and walked down the stairs towards the podium at the front side of the ballroom, where the Emperor’s and Empress’s thrones were.

Lucien could only hope that he was doing well enough as her escort. As much as he was used to being in the spotlight, he didn’t want to bring shame to his family in front of basically everyone in high society.

As soon as they stopped and stood by the thrones, the attendant announced the Crown Prince’s arrival.

“Presenting His Highness the Crown Prince Kaiser Veritas Ollandis!”

Lucien took a small glance at Giselle when she didn’t seem to be interested in looking at the direction of the door, unlike every other lady in the room.

Crown Prince Kaiser walked into the ballroom clad in his formal black and golden suit. His curly black hair was brushed up, exposing his stoic face. Just like Giselle did before him, he also walked straight ahead without looking at anything else.

Lucien greeted him once Kaiser got closer to them and stood on the other side of the throne. The Crown Prince just made a small nod as a reply to his greeting.

These siblings are so curt, Lucien thought as he returned to his original position. Both of them didn’t even look at each other, like they weren’t acknowledging each other’s presence. Lucien wondered if they didn’t get along.

He took a glance at Giselle and Kaiser alternatively. Except for the fact that Giselle was a girl and about two heads smaller, they really looked like each other when standing so close by like this.

It was no wonder all the ladies were interested in him—Kaiser was downright gorgeous and even at the prime age of 23, he still wasn’t betrothed to anyone.

Lucien then chose to look the other way to escape the air of awkwardness floating around the two Imperial siblings. Even his own smile felt awkward to himself because of them. 

While that was going on, the attendant went on to announce the arrival of the two people of the highest standing in the empire.

“Presenting His Majesty the Emperor Frederic Vermont Ollandis and Her Majesty the Empress Arianell Isabella Ollandis!”

Giselle and Kaiser’s parents, the Emperor and Empress, entered the ballroom hand in hand. Emperor Frederic had black hair and eyes just like his children while Empress Arianell had dark red hair and green eyes. The both of them were wearing matching purple and golden formal attire.

Although the age was showing on the Emperor’s face, he still looked as powerful and healthy as he did in his early days of inheriting the throne. Unlike his children, the smile wouldn’t leave his face as he greeted the people.

By his side, the Empress also demonstrated to the people what it meant to be a virtuous lady with her gentle smile and soft demeanor. She gave the crowd a wave with her hand to show her hospitality.

The cheers and claps directed towards the Emperor and Empress were even more clamorous compared to the ones for Giselle and Kaiser combined. That was because the current Emperor and Empress were extremely popular with the people.

Under their rule, the empire had prospered for the last 25 years or so. The people believed that the current Emperor and Empress’s regime was the golden age of the Ollandis Empire for that reason.

Once the Emperor and Empress arrived at the podium, the Crown Prince, Giselle, and Lucien bowed to them. Everyone in the room then immediately went silent as they waited for the Emperor to say his piece.

“Tonight we are gathered here to celebrate the coming of spring. May we all make merry throughout this ball, organized by my beloved daughter, Princess Giselle!" the Emperor said, his hand gesturing towards Giselle.

Giselle bent her knees while bowing her head towards the people along with the sounds of claps and cheers coming from them.

"Now, let this ball begin!" the Emperor declared while extending his hand forward.

Giselle tugged on Lucien's hand and nodded towards the center of the ballroom.

Lucien nodded and began to walk to the center with Giselle in hand so they could start their dance.

The moment they got to the center, they both let go of their hands and faced each other. They bowed to each other before Lucien extended his right hand to Giselle.

When Giselle grabbed his hand and rested her left hand on his shoulder, Lucien also gently held her waist with his left hand.

One step, two steps…

As soon as the music started playing, Giselle and Lucien began dancing. Their moves were in sync and mesmerized anyone watching.

Whenever Giselle spun, her long hair and dress would sparkle under the lights. The sight of Lucien catching her in his wide chest also looked like a scene from the plays.

What the people didn't notice was that Giselle would sometimes step on Lucien's feet as they danced.

"...We really should have practiced together more," Giselle said. No one else but the two of them could hear their conversation while they were in the middle of dancing.

"It couldn't be helped. We were preoccupied with some… things," Lucien said, maintaining a smile on his face. He was talking about the matter of his sister. "I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince dealt with Cheshire Nomal personally. Please relay my gratitude to him."

Lucien noticed Giselle's pupils shifting to take a glance at Kaiser before they returned to their place to focus on him again.

"It was nothing, but sure," Giselle said.

At that moment, the first song finally ended and the next song started immediately. That was the cue for the other aristocrats to join in and start dancing with their respective partners.

From the corner of his eye, Lucien noticed that Clara and Siegfried were beginning to dance as well. Clara's face looked bashful and red, while Siegfried just looked as indifferent as ever. She was all smiley, but he didn't even crack a single smile. It was as if… Clara was the only one who was excited. 

Before he realized, he was already watching them intently despite being in the middle of a dance.

"Are you bothered?" Giselle asked. Lucien quickly turned his head back to her in surprise.

"Huh?" Lucien said, blinking his eyes as he looked down to her.

Giselle motioned towards Clara and Siegfried.

"Oh, no. I was just wondering how they got together," Lucien said while letting out an awkward laugh.

"Why?" Giselle asked again. Lucien looked up as he tried to think of a reason. It was now time for him to spin Giselle again.

"I guess I just feel off because I thought I knew everything about her," Lucien said as he caught Giselle back in his arms after twirling her.

However, Giselle suddenly scoffed.

"That's the part of you that I really, absolutely despise, Lord Renand," she whispered into his ear. 

Lucien widened his eyes and looked at her, but she had already let go and bowed because the song had ended. She then walked away from the dancefloor towards the door.

Lucien was stunned in place as he watched her leave, but then came back to his senses a moment later. He ran and went after her outside the ballroom.

"Your Highness!" he called out to her in the middle of a dark corridor without anyone else around. 

Giselle stopped in her tracks when she heard him calling out to her.

"You can't leave the venue so early. This is your event," Lucien said. 

He was indeed confused by what she said since he thought that their relationship had turned for the better after everything they'd gone through, but for now, he was more flustered by her sudden exit. Without her, he wouldn't have anything to do inside that ballroom.

"Lord Renand," Giselle said without turning around. 

"Yes?" Lucien said as he approached her and stopped right next to her. Her expression looked as calm as ever, but could something he said have upsetted her somehow?

"Did you know…" Giselle paused and glanced at Lucien from the corner of her eyes. "That this is a world inside a novel?"