TPOTLPIM Chapter 3

Teros, on the other hand, was inclined to act as his heart moved him rather than concern himself with manners or propriety. Sword practice and knight training were the only things that truly captured his interest.

Though his peculiar personality didn't suit a nobleman, he had distinguished himself in war through his competitive spirit and received frontier territory and a marquis title from the Emperor, so he hadn't brought shame to the family name.

Despite being so different, the two brothers strangely resembled each other when they smiled. Teros rarely smiled, but as they conversed, Cecilia could catch brief moments when a smile would pass across his stern face. In that fleeting instant, when Dmitri's smile seemed to overlap with his, Cecilia felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Just as Cecilia's wariness toward Teros was gradually crumbling, she snapped to attention at his sudden proposal.

"By the way, a territory with many smithies sounds wonderful."

He seemed to swallow whatever he was about to say, then asked again carefully.

"Could I visit sometime to take a look?"

Was he really sociable enough to casually make such remarks? Wasn't this a request to meet again? Cecilia was momentarily puzzled but thought it must be courteous small talk, so she showed a polite smile and responded composedly.

"Of course. Please come visit sometime."

Though she had no idea when that 'sometime' would be.

"How about next week?"

At his suddenly changed manner of speaking, Cecilia was startled again. The deliberately crafted kindness had completely disappeared, replaced by a low whisper like a cave that somehow felt dangerous.

And he was using informal speech again.

'He must be toying with me.'

Cecilia was about to look stern when she was even more surprised.

His expression was far too serious. He even looked somewhat anxious. He was staring intently at Cecilia's mouth with eyes like a cow waiting for slaughter at the slaughterhouse, waiting for her answer.

'Good heavens!'

This was definitely the effect of the love potion. She staggered backward and grabbed onto Asen, hurriedly fleeing the scene.

Teros watched Cecilia's retreating figure with burning eyes.

Cecilia and Asen came back out to the terrace.

"Asen! You saw it too, didn't you? You definitely saw it..."

"Yes, yes! I saw it clearly!"

Asen exclaimed in a tone that strangely mixed worry and excitement.

Cecilia leaned against the terrace railing and slumped to the floor. Because of her selfish desire to bewitch her friend's fiancé, she had ended up harming an innocent person.

This wasn't the time to be sitting around.

Cecilia gripped the railing and forced strength into her trembling legs to stand up. Then she grabbed both of Asen's shoulders and asked desperately.

"Is there an antidote? Please tell me there is, Asen!"

Only then did Asen's eyes begin to cloud with bewilderment. She too was starting to view the situation objectively. The joy of successful magic was short-lived, and belated guilt and regret came rushing in after using the love potion.

"There... there's no antidote."

At her answer, Cecilia collapsed to the floor again with a thud.

Asen sat down beside her and grabbed Cecilia's arm comfortingly.

"But, but when I made the love potion, I set the magic to have a six-month validity period. If the love potion really works, Teros will return to his right mind in half a year!"

The prospect of how to get through six months left Cecilia feeling hopeless, her head throbbing. Anger surged up, her jaw clenched, and her teeth ground together.

"This! This... this is ridiculous!"

"Sorry, I'm sorry, Cecilia..."

Asen began to sob at Cecilia's outburst of anger.

"What's this about now?"

At the low voice that suddenly came from behind, both women startled and hunched their shoulders. The deep, low voice seemed tinged with anger.

Cecilia tried to suppress her rising anxiety as she turned around.

Teros was glaring down at the two young ladies sitting on the floor with eyes full of contempt.

Cecilia struggled to calm her unconsciously trembling hands.

Teros's chilling gaze and approaching footsteps were thoroughly intimidating. He closed the distance toward the two women with large strides.

"How dare you make a fool of me, Teros Jeminick? Did I seem so easy to you?"

Though Teros spoke in a subdued voice, each word he uttered was enough to make one's heart feel uneasy and chillingly fearful.

"Te, Teros!"

Cecilia cried out desperately. She needed to apologize, but her throat felt completely blocked and no sound would come. Even though it was a summer night, her shoulders trembled.

Teros's gaze, which had been looking down at Asen with contempt, shifted to Cecilia. Sitting on the floor, Cecilia had to crane her neck high to examine Teros's expression.

Their eyes met in mid-air. Deep blue eyes like the night sky stared piercingly into hers.

Though she had thought it was certainly a contemptuous gaze, it seemed like some other emotion briefly flickered in Teros's eyes, but Cecilia couldn't identify exactly what that emotion was.

As she blinked and faced him, fine cracks appeared in his face, which had been like a solid sculpture receiving pure white moonlight.

"Haah... This is maddening."

Teros raised one hand as if his head ached and pressed both his temples.

He commanded the two young ladies sitting on the floor to stand up.

Under the overwhelming pressure that demanded immediate compliance, Cecilia and Asen unconsciously sprang to their feet.

"That magician lady there must be from the Odik family?"

Asen kept her head down, unable to even look at Teros's eyes. Teros paid no attention to her expression of fear.

"The only magic the Empire has authorized for the Odik family is enhancement magic and healing magic. Anything other than magic needed for wars with foreign countries is considered wicked sorcery. Are you prepared to pay the price for breaking Imperial law?"

"Hic... sob. I'm, I'm sorry, Teros."

Teros turned his gaze indifferently toward Cecilia without any change in expression.

"And you there, the young lady of the Serin family, since you were complicit in illegal activities, you must be prepared as well?"

Cecilia's body began to tremble violently. The fact that the Odik family researched unauthorized magic was an open secret known to all Imperial citizens, and incidents involving minor magic were sometimes overlooked as small disturbances. But it would be difficult to let this pass now because they were dealing with Teros Jeminick.

"I'm, I'm sorry, Teros. I never thought things would turn out like this..."

"I will report this to the Imperial Palace. That the young ladies of the Odik and Serin families attempted to harm me."

"Attempted to harm you? That's preposterous!"

Cecilia frantically grabbed Teros's sleeve. At that slight contact, Teros's eyes seemed to waver slightly.

"If you weren't trying to harm me, then what was your reason for making me consume that vile thing?"

"That, that was! It was a mistake."

At the word "mistake," Teros's eyes narrowed.

"Mistake or not, you ladies will pay a fitting price for your actions."

Teros lowered his head and spoke quietly near Cecilia's ear.

His baritone whisper enveloped and tightly bound her.

"You'll be sent to a military tribunal. The person who drank your potion is me."

Cecilia started in shock and jerked her head up.

Since Teros was a military officer trusted by the Emperor, this incident wasn't just any illegal act but appeared to be an attempt to harm the Empire's military strength. The military tribunal would show no mercy in severe punishment to nobles and commoners alike.

Terror overwhelmed her at this unimaginable situation, and her vision spun.

"Teros, please...!"

She reflexively dropped to her knees. To escape this situation, she had no choice but to receive Teros's forgiveness.

"Teros. Please, I'll do anything, so please show mercy."

Tears began to stream down pleading Cecilia's cheeks and wet the floor.

"Can you keep your word about doing anything?"

At Teros's words, Cecilia nodded with the desperation of grasping a lifeline.

Then his large hand approached Cecilia as if telling her to stand. Without a moment's hesitation, she grasped that hand like salvation and stood up.

The large hand that had helped her stand soon began to wipe her tear-stained cheeks. When the rough texture of calloused skin touched her cheek, Cecilia struggled to suppress her instinctive urge to grimace.

"If you're going to do anything, you'll need to wipe your tears first. We're going back into the ballroom."

At the end of his words, she thought she heard a stifled laugh. When Cecilia looked directly at his face at the sound of laughter, a crooked smile hung on his lips.

"How could you say you'd do anything, no matter how urgent the situation? Do you know how far I might demand?"

In contrast to his smiling mouth, his eyes were cold, giving her chills as if a messenger of death had come up from hell.

"You might regret that it would have been better to face the military tribunal."

Teros's gaze fixed on Cecilia's bright blue eyes. Under that stare, Cecilia could only stiffen as if her body had been bound by ropes.

She couldn't shake the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.

When they returned to the ballroom, Teros first suggested Cecilia get some food from the dining table.

The dishes looked appetizing enough to make one's mouth water, but somehow she had no appetite.

Then a piece of steamed cod appeared on her plate.

"It's the dish the chef takes the most pride in. It should suit your taste."

Since Teros had personally served it, Cecilia was forced to cut the cod dish and put it in her mouth.

"Mm..."

The herb fragrance and light texture filled her mouth. As she always did when eating something delicious, she habitually praised the food.

"It's delicious, really."

"Eat plenty. You can't be hungry if you're going to do 'anything.'"

At his casually thrown words, Cecilia's expression darkened again. So that was it. Was this time like a last meal given to a condemned prisoner? What exactly was he planning to make her do that he was feeding her first?

She felt like a rabbit caught firmly by the scruff of its neck by a hunter.

"I won't demand anything unreasonable from the start. Let's begin with something you do very well."

Just as the orchestra's dance music changed, Teros extended his hand toward her.

When Cecilia stood there blinking her large eyes and staring blankly, his hand gave a small beckoning gesture as if urging her.

She absent-mindedly placed her hand on his as if drawn by a magnet. Teros naturally led her toward the center of the ballroom.

Teros clasped one of Cecilia's hands while lightly placing his other hand on her waist. As he approached to assume the dancing position, the distance between them instantly narrowed.

"Eek!"

The tense Cecilia unconsciously drew in her breath. At her exaggerated and almost comical startled reaction, Teros's brow furrowed slightly.

"Don't you know the basics of dancing? Are you planning to leave my shoulder empty?"

Cecilia gathered herself and placed one hand on Teros's shoulder. She could feel his firm shoulder through her fingertips.

Their legs moved naturally to the beat of the waltz. The two began to turn slowly in time with the music.

"Was the 'anything' you mentioned earlier dancing together?"

"Yes, for now. Is it too simple and boring?"

Teros chuckled softly and met her eyes.

"No, I just didn't expect to suddenly be dancing."

The two held hands and briefly moved apart before coming close again. Cecilia's voluminous dress hem fluttered as it swept across the ballroom.

Having to dance with Teros was uncomfortable, but on the other hand, it was a relief. She had been nervous about what terrible thing he might demand, but if it was just dancing, it was simple.

If Teros only required this level of thing going forward, she felt she could muster the courage to humor him indefinitely.

She unconsciously smiled brightly at Teros.

"Thank you."

At her eye-smile, Teros's previously calm gaze rippled, showing momentary agitation.

"For giving me the chance to repay even a little of my wrongdoing by dancing together."

"Not at all."

At some point, Cecilia noticed the dancing space had become wider. At first, she had to be mindful of her movements to avoid other dancers, but now there was no one around to bump into no matter how they turned.

Puzzled, she looked around.

Only Teros and Cecilia were dancing in the middle of the vast hall.

When the flustered Cecilia stopped dancing and tried to pull her hand free from Teros's grasp, he gripped her small hand firmly to prevent her escape. Then he pulled her waist toward him according to the dance movements and whispered.

"I should be the one thanking you. For sharing my first dance with me. It's something special."

"At every ball, everyone dances the first dance as a matter of course. What's special about it?"

Cecilia turned her head and felt the gazes of people watching them.

All the people who had been dancing had moved to one corner of the hall and were watching Teros and Cecilia.

Surprised expressions were clearly visible on their faces, and they seemed to be whispering about something.

Cecilia's face flushed hot. What was so remarkable about dancing that they were making such a fuss as if witnessing some amazing spectacle?

Then Teros's low voice wrapped around her ear like a whisper.

"It is special. This is my first dance in my life. You could call it a kind of debutante ball."

Cecilia's eyes widened. Come to think of it, Teros rarely showed his face at social gatherings, and even when he occasionally attended balls hosted by the Imperial family or ducal houses, she had never seen him dance.

Though he was the object of interest due to being from the Empire's most prestigious family and his handsome appearance, he had insisted on living in seclusion, so when he suddenly danced with a woman, people's attention was focused on them.

Cecilia couldn't hide her bewilderment as she glanced at the people watching them. She could see Rosein with Dmitri.

Dmitri was looking this way with a curious expression, while Rosein was sending a look that seemed to say 'this is outrageous.'

'Right, she must be angry. I've stolen the attention she should have received.'

Cecilia shook her head. Though the attention was embarrassing, seeing Rosein's expression also made her feel satisfied.

"You look pleased."

"What? That can't be. I'm very flustered, but I'm only dancing to appease your mood even a little, Teros."

Cecilia made a troubled expression and spoke to sound as pitiful as possible. She really was flustered and had only felt satisfied for a brief moment, but the fact that this man had caught that instant made her fear him.

'But is it really okay to receive this much attention?'

From the head table of the ballroom, Duke Jeminick was watching his son. When their eyes met with the Duke's sharp gaze like a sharpened blade, Cecilia turned her head away in confusion.

She felt like she had stepped into an inescapable swamp.