As the sound of the tower bells resounded in the palace, the curtains rose to signal the beginning of the royal ball.
The ballroom, lined with pure white marble columns, was utterly splendid. The ceiling painting depicted the founding myth of the first king, and the chandelier made of gold illuminated the surroundings with brilliant light.
Amidst the swirling gazes and the gentle melody, there was a man who caught everyone’s attention.
His remarkably tall height, broad shoulders, and slender legs were enough to captivate any woman, but it was his face that truly stole the show. Beneath his neatly combed black hair, the man’s face was beyond handsome.
His jet-black eyebrows, perfectly matching his hair, were straight and beautiful, and his round almond-shaped eyes, sharp high nose, and straight lips were beyond exquisite. His majestic appearance stole everyone’s breath, as if he had stepped out of a painting.
Though many gazes fell upon him, none of his admirers dared to approach. This was due to a certain youthful air he possessed, contrasted by an aura of unwavering resolve. Although his face would have given off a gentle impression, his furrowed brows betrayed an unmistakable annoyance.
While his appearance deterred many, a few bold women yearned to capture his attention. One such woman, who had been discreetly observing him for a while, was on the verge of approaching him.
Another woman standing next to her suddenly interjected, covering her face with a fan. “Diana, do you know that the man you’re looking at is Prince Ferdinand?”
“What?”
“He’s the youngest son of the Ferdinand family. He’s turning sixteen this year.”
“What?” The woman named Diana echoed in surprise. She had thought he looked young, but she hadn’t realized he was that young because he was so tall and well-built.
Despite her initial impression, Diana couldn’t help but steal another glance at the man, who, upon closer inspection, appeared more like a boy. She silently corrected herself, acknowledging him as Prince Ferdinand.
He possessed a captivating youthful charm, a quality often associated with exceptional beauty, but apparently, this was solely attributed to his young age.
“I’m really unlucky.” Diana deeply sighed in dismay.
Not only was he still three years shy of reaching adulthood, but being the son of Duke Ferdinand meant the odds were stacked against her. The woman, who had just experienced heartbreak before she could even fall in love, turned around sadly. A faint melancholy was visible on her face as she accepted a glass of wine.
***
“So, when is she coming?”
Kaon Ferdinand, the young man who had unknowingly plunged many women into heartbreak, repeated the same question for what seemed like the nth time.
Originally, the agreement was to meet before the third dance began, but even after the dances that filled the ballroom had changed several times, the princess of Ingelos was nowhere to be seen. Standing idly by a giant pillar was starting to wear on him.
“Is she even going to show up at all?”
“Yes, I think it’s about time she arrived,” Joseph answered, beginning to sound weary as well.
Initially attributing the delay to the Ingelos family’s unfamiliarity with social gatherings, Joseph’s explanations grew increasingly hollow. By the end, he resorted to a cynical comment about the mages’ supposed disregard for punctuality.
“I don’t even recognize her, so how am I supposed to know if she arrived?”
“Your portrait was sent to them, so it’s more likely that the young lady will recognize you first.”
The question of when his portrait was sent was at the tip of his tongue, but it was pointless to ask now.
“Even so, I never expected this to happen after agreeing on it beforehand. They truly are beyond imagination. Their family needed this arrangement more than we did.” he complained again after a failed attempt to conceal his impatience.
It was no surprise, given their current behavior, that the Ingelos family was struggling financially. Such disregard for punctuality and basic etiquette would hinder them in any endeavor, be it business or social interaction.
“You said she had silver hair and red eyes, right?”
“Yes, that’s what I heard.”
“I can see at least ten people with silver hair.”
The subtle differences between white, platinum, and silver hair often blurred together, and there were even some people who wore silver wigs that added another layer of difficulty to identifying individuals based solely on hair color.
To make matters much worse, announcements for incoming guests ceased entirely after the royal family arrived. This created a frustrating situation where it was practically impossible to tell who the princess was, or even if she had arrived at all.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to go by eye color? Red eyes are a symbol of those with magic.”
“It would be easy to see in this large ballroom.” Joseph agreed.
In the meantime, time passed by steadily. The atmosphere became even more relaxed as the king and queen had made their exit some time ago. At this moment, Kaon realized through the chatter around him that the next piece of music would be the last dance.
“I did exactly as I was told. It was the Ingelos who did not respect the agreement, not me.” he turned to Joseph, whose expression turned complicated. Tears welled up in his eyes as he realized that the paycheck had been blown right before his eyes.
‘I even extended my greetings and tried to socialize.’
Kaon was almost overcome with relief. He had fulfilled his responsibilities, now all that remained was to wait until the ball was officially over and quietly leave. With his mind at ease, he took in the scene around him. He occasionally made eye contact with some people, offered them a polite smile, and relished in the relaxed ambiance.
‘What is that?’
Then, he suddenly noticed someone entering the ballroom. The person was wearing a long gown with a puffy hood, and judging by her small size and the shape of her clothes, he could tell that she was a woman.
Kaon stared at the strange sight. The jet-black gown, devoid of any decoration, stood out terribly among the colorful dresses. Of course, it was not in a good way.
‘Who would wear something like that?’ before he could stop himself, his thoughts were painted obviously across his face.
A mage, and a crazy one at that.
An ominous feeling suddenly washed over him.
“Young Master, that’s her.”
The person who seemed unbothered by the stares pulled down the hood that covered her face and looked around. Kaon didn’t respond to Joseph’s words and just looked at her. He thought he caught a glimpse of the hair color he was looking for through the large hood.
“Isn’t her outfit… unusual? I mean, she looks like a mage, but…” Joseph initiated, sounding cautious.
It wasn’t just Kaon who saw it that way. Joseph also took care to express his opinion, as the attention of the nobles standing nearby was drawn to her due to her unusual outfit.
At that moment, their eyes met across the hall. Despite the distance, he could tell that their gazes had definitely connected. The gaze that had been cautiously sweeping over Kaon as if to confirm something suddenly stopped and fixed on his face.
She walked closer, her purpose evident in her eyes. A cascade of silver hair spilled from beneath her hood, confirming his suspicions.
‘The princess of Ingelos.’
Their paths had finally crossed.
***
Kaon felt a little nervous. Nothing about her felt ordinary, so naturally, he felt doubtful of her mental state as well.
What if this lifeline he thought he had was actually just a rotten rope?*1[T/N: it expresses Kaon’s fear that something he relied on for safety was actually unreliable or even dangerous.]
It was a reasonable concern, considering that she had arrived well past the agreed-upon meeting time, dressed in an outfit that completely didn’t fit the ball, and still hadn’t shown her face.
“Are you the Prince of Ferdinand?” a clear voice rang out from her small figure.
Kaon’s eyes widened. Judging by her appearance, it wouldn’t have been strange at all if an old woman’s voice had come out, but her voice was unexpectedly clear and beautiful.
The woman lowered her hood and looked straight up at him. “I am Alessia of Ingelos.”
Silver hair and red eyes.
Joseph’s description had been correct. But at the same time, it was insufficient. It was not enough to describe the princess with just that.
Wispy strands of translucent hair, like a shimmering web of silver, framed her face. Delicate features, closely spaced above a graceful jawline, gave her an ethereal appearance. Though her red eyes burned with an intensity unlike any mage he knew, their roundness and drooping shape softened her gaze, creating an unexpected impression of meekness.
‘A fairy?’
Kaon’s mind ran without his permission. With her mysterious appearance and small stature, barely reaching his chin, she looked more like fairies of old than a human.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” she spoke, breaking the silence between them.
Despite the seemingly short interaction, Kaon, upon hearing her further words, felt a wave of embarrassment crash over him. He had been staring, completely oblivious to the passage of time. The absurdity of the entire situation made him remember his sister’s request to pretend to be in love, which only intensified his embarrassment.
‘How do I even do that?’
His worries were too late now, completely unaware that his expression already portrayed a deep fascination with her, evident to all those around him.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Princess. I’m Kaon Ferdinand. I’ve also heard a lot about the Ingelos.”
It was true that he had heard a lot. It was just that all he heard were rumors. Kaon guessed that Alessia had also heard similar rumors about the Ferdinands.
In any case, now that they had met, all that was left was to ask her for a dance. He was a little flustered by her unexpected appearance, but he had to do what he had to do.
At that moment, the orchestra had just played the first note of the piece for the last dance.
“I know it’s a bit late, but would you like to dance with me?”
Anticipating his gesture, Alessia extended her own delicate hand before he could even reach out. He took it instinctively, as if in a trance.
“It would be my honor.”
It was an unconscious, unprepared response.
🍉🍉🍉
