Julia was naturally fitting in with Claire, the hostess of this reception. The way people looked at Julia, who was building a friendship with the Duchess of Lienster and even with the future princess, was changing. Just that alone created an undeniable aura around her.
Furthermore, today’s Julia was completely different from before. From her posture to her gait and even the way she spoke to others, she was flawless in every aspect. The noblewomen and their daughters who had previously dismissed Julia were now showing signs of surprise.
Erin couldn’t help but smile. After today, they wouldn’t be able to rudely disregard Julia, just treating her as a country bumpkin who had just come into some wealth.
Looking around, on one side, people were dancing in pairs to the music.
Especially, there were many young nobles who had just made their debut, suggesting and dancing with each other.
The young children, who didn’t have preconceived notions about Julia, approached her curiously and engaged in various conversations, admiring the drawings on her arms.
Then, it happened. Lord Karson approached the young children who were with Julia and said, “Would you care to dance with me?”
“I’d rather take a rest for now.”
A young lady flushed with embarrassment as she declined Lord Karson’s suggestion.
“Weren’t you dancing well just a moment ago?”
“Well, I’m a bit tired now.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll lead you gently. How about just one dance with me and then you can rest?”
The sound of their conversation made Julia turn her head. Although his tone seemed kind, there was an underlying sense of coercion in his words.
The young lady seemed to be looking for an excuse as she averted her gaze here and there. She really seemed to dislike the idea of dancing with Lord Karson.
“Do you know who I am? I have royal blood in my veins too.”
He was boasting about his status and trying to force her into accepting. However, as Lord Karson showed no intention of backing off, Julia, feEring helpless, spoke up.
“Since the young lady wishes to rest, how about asking her again a little later?”
“Oh, Miss Charte. Will you then honor me with a dance in the meantime?” Lord Karson said, his eyes gleaming as he turned towards Julia.
It was when Julia slightly furrowed her brows at his attitude.
“Don’t do that. Whenever I dance with him, he makes me feel uncomfortable.”
The young lady spoke softly to Charte. Julia nodded lightly and looked at Lord Karson.
“Lord Karson, I am still not good at dancing. I’m sorry, but it seems difficult for me.”
Julia politely declined with appropriate words. However, he was more persistent than she had thought. It seemed like he might be drunk, as a hint of alcohol lingered in the air.
“Then let me kindly teach you how to dance.”
This eventually caused a commotion. Lord Karson suddenly grabbed Julia’s hand forcibly.
“Let go of me, please.”
Julia calmly requested. However, Lord Karson ignored her, holding onto her wrist and even shaking her body while keeping hold of her.
“Dance with me!”
“Why are you doing this for real!”
The young lady who had been watching, rolling her foot by the side, shouted. As a result, the commotion grew, and everyone’s attention was drawn to that spot.
Erin hesitated for a moment. She held a fact known only to her in this situation. Julia Charte’s power. She felt the power surge within her.
Looking closely, she noticed that Julia was slightly twisting the lower part of Lord Karson’s wrist as he tried to restrain her arm.
“If Julia decided to, she could easily push him away and even make him scream,” Erin thought.
“But what if she just stays quiet like last time? What then?” Last time, Julia had simply endured without fighting back, insisting that she couldn’t fight against those who seemed vulnerable.
This time, the opponent wasn’t as weak as before, but it was still uncertain how Julia would react.
As Erin pondered whether to step in, Aiden, who was by her side, suddenly stood up.
“Aiden…?”
Before anyone knew it, Aiden had stepped forward and was approaching Julia. Everyone’s curious gaze followed Aiden’s movements.
Aiden took one arm each of Viscount Karson and Julia, and slowly spread them out.
It seemed like he didn’t put much strength into it, but Julia’s arm, forcibly held by Viscount Karson, soon fell weakly.
“Do you really want to dance like that?” Aiden extended his hand to Viscount Karson with an attractive smile.
It was a smile that could captivate people of all ages and genders.
“Then, how about dancing with me?”
“… ”
A bewildered expression appeared on Viscount Karson’s face. Aiden grabbed Viscount Karson’s wrist and held onto his shoulder with the other hand, a posture that seemed like he was really going to dance.
“Ah!”
Before Viscount Karson could take a step to escape, a scream burst from his mouth.
In the meantime, Aiden slightly twisted and released Viscount Karson’s foot with his own.
“Oh my, you seem to be limping. That’s why you can’t dance.”
“W-what are you doing…!”
“Well, I just suggested dancing. It’s just that Viscount Karson’s bones are weaker than I expected.”
“…!”
Aiden stepped forward for Julia.
He protected her on her behalf. Everyone became quiet once he realized the fact.
It was an unexpected event for everyone.
“What’s going on…?”
Erin stared blankly at the scene in front of her.
Aiden had been completely indifferent to anyone except Erin up until now.
Seeing Aiden step up, there was at least one thing that couldn’t be denied.
Aiden was concerned about Julia.
And that was an expression of a different kind of special.
The silence was broken by murmurs, and in no time, people started buzzing.
“Did you just see that?”
“Yeah. I’m sure we saw it, but it’s hard to believe.”
“We really saw it, right?”
“…That’s right.”
Conversation poured out about why Aiden helped Julia.
Knowing that it would be enough to reach Erin’s ears, they deliberately spoke as if provoking intentionally.
“Lienster’s lady must have a fondness for Miss Charte, seeing how the couple share the same tastes.”
There were some people who had not seen Erin and Aiden’s close relationship as insignificant until now. They are now sneering.
“What kind of person is Lord Lienster to help for no reason at all?”
“There must be some reason.”
Various speculations were made as they glanced at Erin.
Then, a lady smothered a scream.
“Oh…! Come to think of it, I saw it!”
“What did you see?”
“I didn’t realize it then, but now that I think about it…”
“What on earth did you see?”
“Surely, Lord Lienster and Miss Charte were having some conversation together…!”
“Really?”
“I think Lord Lienster was smiling a little at that time.”
“Then that must mean…”
All kinds of whispers continued without ceasing.
“Is there really something going on?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“Gasp…! Then what about Lady Lienster? What will happen to her?”
“I thought they were so close all this time, but now…”
“Lower your voice. We still don’t know anything for sure.”
One of the noisier individuals quietly tried to calm the surroundings. However, despite the lowered voices, the chatter continued.
What was even more tumultuous than the surroundings was Erin’s mind. The most surprised and incredulous was Erin. It felt as though a veil had been drawn over her eyes, and yet she couldn’t look away.
Although she heard the murmurs of the others, it didn’t matter at all. Erin realized that there was something happening between Aiden and Julia.
There were new connections emerging between the two people who she thought had no connection at all.
First it was Erin, and now it was Lady Quiness. The real issue was that these situations were emerging where they were facing each other, one by one.
“Aiden wouldn’t do that.” Erin knew that.
But no matter how solid they seemed after so long together, they could change in an instant.
Therefore, it was a concern about what might happen even with a very small crack.
And the sign of that crack was Aiden and Julia’s intimacy.
Every story has an end.
Although the characters’ lives continue after the story ends, there is a natural moment when all the hardships and adversities are over, and only happiness remains ahead.
That was the end of the story.
Because life is different from stories, it was impossible to know when that moment would be.
In this story that unfolds differently from the original, when will be the point to herald the end?
Or is it a lifelong continuation of life, where the end of the story never comes like in a novel?
Unable to know that point, Erin made a resolute decision to slap the original work, yet sometimes she felt nervous and hesitant.
And… there was one thing that could become a connection point between Aiden and Julia at any moment, as well as make Erin’s efforts go to waste.
Aiden was holding Julia’s hand.
He was the one who reached out first.
That was the only thing that Erin saw in her eyes.
Aiden, who had an indifferent face without any discomfort, looked unfamiliar.
