The Countess was speechless. Wasn’t the girl in front of her meant to be merely fourteen? In addition, wasn’t she rumoured to be meek and obedient, a puppy eager for the Duke’s love? The girl who stood defiantly glaring at her now was definitely not who she was rumoured to be. The Countess’s hands quivered with rage. How dare an insolent little pest, the illegitimate child who was fortunate enough to have been engaged to the Crown Prince, insult the Countess Sonte?

“You—You little brat!” The Countess yelled.

“But I speak only facts, do I not?” Abella smiled. All those years the Countess had spent neatly covering up the fact that she had bought her title with money came crashing down in an instant – all because of a little naïve illegitimate girl. Some more whispers rose up, slandering the Countess.

“All this time I thought the Countess was a respectable woman of noble blood,” someone murmured.

“She deceived us! How sly and cunning, just like a peasant of lowly birth!” whispers and glares came from everyone around the Countess. She quivered, her jaw clenched angrily and fury burning through every fibre of her body. Unable to say anything else, the Countess looked up to glare at Abella before storming out of the ballroom. Even when she was gone, the whispers continued, but Abella paid them no mind. This will definitely cover up the gossip about me arriving here alone, Abella thought. But it shows the nobles that I am not the same naïve little girl from the rumours.

“That was well dealt with,” a voice said from behind Abella, and she whipped around in an instinct, her guard raised. Her eyes fell upon a boy of similar age to her with fluffy blonde hair and warm green eyes. But as she smiled brightly at him, she saw a slightly shift in his eyes. She knew instantly – he was not sincere, but yet again… neither was she.

“Was it though?” Abella replied, glancing sideways at the whispering crowd. “It seems my actions have caused quite the stir.”

“Don’t mind them. Nobles are all like that – they really have nothing better to do in their lives other than gossip about pointless things and ruins others’ social lives.” Abella was taking a liking to him already. “Putting nobles aside, I am Cale Atlas.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Abella Silverstein,” Abella glanced at Cale, watching closely for any reaction. He didn’t seem bothered. Either he doesn’t know me… or he knew who I was before approaching me. Knew who I was… beyond my name.

“You have a lovely name, Lady Silverstein.” Abella felt a shudder run up her spine.

“Do not call me that,” she snapped. Lady Silverstein… the woman Duke Silverstein had remarried while Abella’s mother had still been alive. A woman who had it out for Abella since the day she came to the Duchy. The woman… who had made life hell for Abella.

“I apologize if I have offended you, Lady Abella. May I call you that instead?” Cale replied politely.

“You may,” Abella swallowed. She had lost her cool for a moment – mistakes like that, she couldn’t afford. Breaking out into a bright smile, she managed to suppress her feeling of discomfort as Cale asked, “then… Lady Abella, may I please have your first dance?”

Cale held out his hand, bowing slightly and looking up at Abella with a level look in his eyes. He knew what he was doing – it was etiquette to not refuse the first dance. Abella wanted to scowl at him and refuse, but she knew that the Emperor would hear of it… and she wouldn’t want to get on the bad side of the Emperor. Not in that life or the next.

“You may,” Abella placed her hand gently on Cale’s outstretched one, and she suddenly became aware of the gentle waltz music that flowed around them. As they danced, Abella became aware of one thing – Cale was approaching her for a reason. But what was the reason? In her past lives, she had never encountered someone who approached her by the name of Cale Atlas. Perhaps he was using a fake name? Abella’s suspicions of Cale only grew as the dance became slightly faster, and she barely took notice when the doorman said, “announcing the arrival of His Highness the Crown Prince!”

She only realised when everyone stopped dancing to bow to him in respect, quickly curtsying as to not be seen as a disrespectful person. She felt his eyes burning into the back of her head, and spared a glance upwards at him. As she had suspected, he was staring intently at her, and his eyes kept flitting to Cale beside her.

“You may raise your heads,” he said, and the nobles stood up again. “Continue on.” The music resumed and Cale turned to Abella with a smile.

“Shall we continue our dance, My Lady?” he smiled. Abella nodded, a polite smile on her face as they resumed dancing.

~~~

It irritated Dietrich, seeing that little snake of a person twirling Abella around. Dietrich remembered the boy as Cale Atlas – the cunning viper of the Atlas Viscounty who had single-handedly brought the estate to its current glory and wealth. What business did he have with Abella?

If not for etiquette, she wouldn’t be dancing with him. He assured himself, but he still felt uneasy in his stomach. Cale lifted his hand as he spun Abella around once again, and for a moment, as Dietrich and Cale’s eyes met, Cale smirked. It was gone in an instant as soon as Abella looked back at him, replaced with an easy smile, but it made Dietrich clench his fist. Once the song was over, Abella took a step back from Cale and they both bowed to each other. Dietrich couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Abella smiled brightly, and he felt his insides clench.

He hadn’t danced, but the whole time, he had been asked to dance by multiple young ladies. He mostly had ignored them, unable to keep his eyes of Abella and Cale, a strange, unfamiliar feeling burning in a mix of anger and another emotion he didn’t really know of in his stomach. As soon as Abella walked away from the dance floor, Dietrich approached her and said, “I apologize for being late. Some… small issues came up.”

Dietrich thought back to the criminals he had subdued – it had been a bloody fight. If he were to tell a noble lady as innocent-looking as Abella, how would she react? Would she instantly scowl and call him a monster? Just the thought of it made Dietrich clench his jaw.

“Issues?” Abella mused. “How interesting. I thought that something like that would be far larger than a ‘small issue’.” Dietrich flinched. He glanced at her brightly smiling face – she looked too calm to have known what he was really doing.

“Shall we dance, Lady Abella?” Dietrich changed the topic quickly.

“Alright, but on one condition.” Abella’s lips turned up in a smile. “Call me by my name plainly. Abella.” She grabbed Dietrich’s hand suddenly and pulled him towards the dance floor, turning around to flash him a bright smile that seemed happier than her usual smiles. “Now shall we dance?”