AWLITEB Chapter 19

"Your Imperial Majesty."

Genos knelt on one knee before Syellin. Isabella followed, bowing with the same deference.

The Empress's expression remained rigid. She barely inclined her head in acknowledgment.

"Your Imperial Majesty. To see you after such a long time is truly an honor beyond measure."

"It is an infinite honor to be in Your Majesty's presence."

Nobles who had spotted the Empress rushed forward, competing to pay their respects.

The Empress might be a tiger with missing teeth, but even so, she would be the mother of the next Emperor. There was no harm in making a good impression.

She rarely made appearances, so when the opportunity came, it was best to stamp your face into her memory as thoroughly as possible.

"Thank you all. But I'm feeling rather unwell, so I'd prefer to receive your greetings another time. Please don't worry about me and enjoy the party."

Syellin spoke softly but with grave authority to those who had crowded around her.

A polite way of telling them all to back off.

Under Syellin's heavy gaze, everyone averted their eyes, bowed their heads, and retreated.

Then, like a shadow, a man approached and stood beside Syellin.

The Second Prince, Elrond.

He couldn't meet anyone's eyes, keeping his head bowed. Elrond's timid personality had long been widely known in high society.

"Your Imperial Highness has come as well."

Genos spoke in a gentle voice.

Elrond was like glass that would shatter at a touch.

"Grand Duke, Lady White. It's a pleasure."

Elrond mumbled in a voice that seemed to crawl into itself.

Isabella bowed while quickly scanning Elrond's face.

Elrond was a slender man with a gentle, hazy impression.

A stark contrast to the Emperor, Crown Prince, and even Genos—all of whom possessed large builds.

Meanwhile, Emperor Phyke and Crown Prince Ruizac also gathered near them.

The nobles stepped back even further to make way for the imperial family's conversation. Some cast envious glances at Isabella, who had become part of the Empire's most distinguished bloodline.

"Finally, everyone's here."

Phyke said with a bright smile.

Isabella stood beside Genos, observing his peculiar family.

Emperor, Empress, Crown Prince, Prince.

The people she and Genos would need to either kill or subdue stood before her eyes.

Isabella's heart thump-thumped.

Her heartbeat kept accelerating, whether from excitement or tension, she couldn't tell.

"These are people who don't gather easily, so we probably won't see each other again until the wedding. It's difficult for family to meet like this."

The Emperor clicked his tongue and spoke.

Syellin pretended not to hear, maintaining only a blank expression.

"Elrond. Why were you so late today?"

"Ah, that's... I was reading in the library and lost track of time, brother."

The Second Prince answered the Crown Prince's question with a flinch.

Isabella carefully imprinted this family—similar yet dissimilar—in her mind.

Then Crown Prince Ruizac turned his head toward Isabella.

"Lady Isabella. This is our first meeting."

"I am deeply honored, Your Imperial Highness."

"Please take good care of our little uncle."

Ruizac said playfully.

Genos smiled gently while imagining hanging Ruizac.

The term "little uncle" wasn't technically wrong, but it was an insult nonetheless.

It was mockery wrapped in jest—reminding everyone that Genos was the son the previous Emperor had with a young mistress, making him the same young age as Ruizac himself.

"Well, that's enough. Shall we ask the musicians for a dance tune? Our gathered guests must be getting bored."

Phyke nodded to the chamberlain standing nearby.

The chamberlain immediately understood the command and rushed to the orchestra.

"I'll take my leave now. I'm not feeling well."

Syellin said coldly and turned away, but Phyke smiled and gently caught her wrist.

Syellin flinched and glared at Phyke.

"Empress, shouldn't you at least watch today's stars dance?"

"..."

"After this pair of lovers dance, we should give them our blessing."

"The law only specifies blessings at weddings. There are no statutes regarding engagement announcements, so if you wish to give a blessing, Your Imperial Majesty may proceed alone."

Despite Syellin's firm words, Phyke held the Empress tighter, preventing her from going anywhere.

Syellin's face flushed red with shame.

It was unbearable humiliation to be displayed like this in front of her sons, Genos, and that wretched noble girl.

"I'm sorry, Empress. I can't let you leave today."

"..."

"Stay just a little longer. Everyone wants to see the precious Empress's face."

Phyke whispered with a sly smile.

Syellin had no choice. To avoid further humiliation, she would have to move as Phyke directed.

Syellin's body, which had been completely turned toward the door, rotated back to face forward.

"Very well, then. What power do I have when Your Imperial Majesty speaks thus?"

The Empress lifted her chin and walked past Phyke. She went to sit at the table prepared on the second-floor landing.

"Where the wife goes, the husband follows."

Phyke said with a playful expression while looking at Isabella, then followed Syellin.

Isabella simply bowed her head demurely.

"I look forward to the dance."

The Crown Prince smiled at Genos and Bella before heading toward the stairs.

As the orchestra began playing the dance tune, Genos took Isabella's hand and led her to the center of the ballroom.

Second Prince Elrond simply stood in a corner of the ballroom. He was too shy to climb the second-floor stairs in front of the nobles' eyes.

Meanwhile, Genos positioned himself with Isabella for the social dance.

Other noble children also paired up.

"What should I do, Your Grace? I've never danced in a place like this. Social dancing..."

"This is your first time practicing with me. I know. You've said it a hundred times."

Genos finished her sentence with a soft laugh.

"I'm so nervous I could die. Dancing in front of this many people."

"Making a few mistakes won't make the sky fall."

"Still..."

"And while we're dancing, fewer eyes will be on us, so you don't need to worry so much."

"Pardon?"

"Social parties are like a sacred ground for young people looking for partners. Everyone's eyes are spinning."

"Ah..."

Isabella looked around and understood.

While pretending otherwise, everyone's eyes were burning red trying to find partners to their taste.

Moreover, it was a rare opportunity to hold hands with the opposite sex and dance freely without being called promiscuous, so everyone was trying to size up as many potential partners as possible.

"So don't worry too much, Bella."

The orchestra's music, which had been flowing gently, suddenly swelled.

The melody signaling the start of the dance.

Genos took Isabella's hand and moved affectionately. His strength and dancing skill made Isabella's body sway naturally.

Her dress hem fluttered beautifully, and Bella's lips relaxed gently without tension.

She naturally handled even the dance moves where their noses nearly touched.

"So he knows how to make that expression?"

Ruizac muttered from the second-floor landing.

The natural smile on Genos's face was fascinating.

"The White family is a perfect match. Learn from this, Crown Prince. You're also at the age to marry, so you should choose a family that will benefit the imperial palace, shouldn't you?"

Phyke said to Ruizac while downing a glass of whiskey a servant had brought.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Ruizac answered with an affable smile.

"Don't you think so too, Empress? To find our son a perfect match, we'll need to start moving busily from now."

Phyke whispered smoothly while wrapping his hand around the Empress's hand resting beside him.

The Empress immediately withdrew her hand, but Phyke didn't yield and caught it again.

"From now on, the Empress will appear at these gatherings more often. I intend to make sure you can't avoid it anymore."

"How can you speak with such certainty?"

"Why don't you properly fulfill your duties as Empress from now on? Forget my past transgressions."

"If you knew how much of my family's blood is soaked into the imperial treasury, you couldn't make such demands so brazenly."

Syellin couldn't hold back any longer and spoke through clenched teeth.

Ruizac silently exhaled with playful surprise—oh—then rose from the table.

"I'll go mingle in high society for a bit. You two continue your conversation."

Ruizac descended the stairs on his own, giving them space.

"Even if my family has fallen, I'm still this Empire's Empress."

"Did I say anything about that fact? I only said that since you're the Empire's Empress, you should perform those duties from now on."

"How dare you say that to me...!"

"Syellin."

Phyke slowly shook his head.

Syellin stopped, flinching involuntarily like a puppy obeying a command.

"Stop. Hmm? It's a good day today."

"..."

"Just think about it. Understood?"

Phyke smiled like a doting husband anyone could see and watched the dancing crowd.

The Empress clenched her fists in her lap. She bit down hard, suppressing the trembling throughout her body.

If only she could twist Phyke's neck with these hands right now. It would make her happier than holding the world in her grasp.

"I'm doing okay, right? I look okay?"

Isabella whispered during a move where she and Genos drew close.

A smile bloomed across her face.

Bella was genuinely happy to be mixed in among the crowd.

An ordinary person. A normal person. A common person.

During all those long years spent in the basement, the one thing Bella had wished for was to become exactly that kind of person.

And finally, seeing herself mingling seamlessly with strangers, Bella felt happiness.

Genos could clearly read her heart.

"Bella."

"Yes?"

"You're not someone who should blend in here. You're someone who should reign over it."

"...Pardon?"

"Don't be satisfied just attending parties like this. It doesn't suit you."

At Genos's words, the moment Bella became dazed, an unfamiliar man appeared from the right, stepping through the dance and taking Bella's hand.

Bella flinched and looked, but Genos had already moved to the side and was holding another lady's hand.

"It's an honor."

The man holding Bella's hand said with a smile.

Bella also smiled awkwardly and nodded in greeting.

The man seemed to be a skilled dancer, handling Isabella's somewhat clumsy dance moves well.

Though she wore lace gloves, the anxiety of holding hands with a stranger gradually subsided in the face of the man's natural demeanor.

"You dance well."

The man spoke politely.

"Do I?"

"Yes. Your footwork, your hand movements, even your gaze—all excellent."

At the man's praise, Isabella smiled without realizing it.

For someone who had lived receiving only criticism, it was natural to feel good from praise.

That's when it happened. A large hand cut between Isabella and the man's clasped hands and wedged itself in.

Genos.

"Grand Duke."

Isabella looked at him with a flustered expression. The man did the same.

"You've been dancing too long for such weak stamina. Let's stop."

Genos gave the man a nod, and the man stammered in confusion before quickly stepping back to clear the way.

Genos left the dancing young people behind and came out holding Bella's hand.

He led Bella all the way to the far corner of the ballroom.

"After the dance tune ends, it's time to receive the blessing for the engagement. The dance tune is long, so we have a little time—want to go outside for some air?"

Genos asked, picking up two glasses of champagne from a tray a servant was holding.

"Hmm?"

Genos held out champagne to Bella, who hadn't answered, and asked again.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"The dance."

"My horse wouldn't be happy if it was eating carrots another owner was giving it, would it?"

"Huh? What carrots was I eating?"

Bella laughed like a deflated balloon.

But Genos's lips showed no sign of curling into a smile.

"You were happy receiving praise from someone else. I can't see any reason why you should be. Does praise from such a pathetic noble really make you feel good?"

"...Am I using my seduction ability right now?"

Bella asked, bewildered.

Genos, who had been frowning at the unexpected question, grasped her meaning and chuckled.

"Do I seem to be experiencing irrational jealousy right now?"

"..."

Isabella couldn't say no, so she just kept her mouth shut.

It did seem that way.

"I'm just asserting ownership. I was the first to discover that the stone kicked aside was actually a diamond, wasn't I? Then naturally I'm the owner, so I can't just watch another guy covet it."

"We only danced. He wasn't coveting anything."

Bella said, a bit flustered.

"If that man earlier heard this conversation, he'd find it absurd. He didn't do anything to me, Your Grace. We even publicly announced our engagement at this event today."

"He wouldn't dare think of stealing you away. But he wasn't dancing purely either. You can read it in the eyes. What he was thinking."

"Aren't you speculating too much? He didn't seem like that kind of man."

"I don't know who's telling whom they don't understand men."

Genos interlaced his fingers with Bella's.

Bella flinched at the sensation of Genos's touch returning between each finger.

Even though she wore gloves, it felt like every inch of her skin was standing on edge.

"Is this kind of contact okay?"

"We're young lovers, so this much will look cute. Let's lightly win the crowd's favor by looking like we've fallen for each other so much we've forgotten our positions."

Genos shrugged and kept their fingers interlaced.

Several guests who noticed their clasped hands covered their mouths and whispered while smiling.

Soon after, when the dance tune ended, Phyke took Syellin's hand and slowly descended the stairs.

Syellin had only barely placed one or two knuckles of her fingers on Phyke's hand.

As Genos and Bella walked to meet the Emperor and Empress, Genos opened his mouth as if suddenly remembering something.

"By the way. The necklace suits you well."

"...Really?"

"Yes. Like you were born to wear it."

Genos said with a beautiful smile.

Isabella felt her steps toward receiving the blessing become a little lighter.