CHAPTER 14:
The Royal Ball (Part 6)
“Attraction?”
“Yes. Attraction. We had a brief conversation, and it seems we get along very well.” Snap.
A sharp sound came from the direction of the Crown Prince. Retina, who had planned a small revenge for his teasing during the dance, was taken aback by the unexpected reaction but concealed her surprise.
“Didn’t Young Lady accompany me as my partner?” Herald said, brushing down his lifted hair. His low voice sounded like a growling beast.
‘Did I… make a mistake?’
Retina forced an awkward smile, her face taut. The tables had turned in an instant.
Attempting to match the Crown Prince was a mistake from the start. Retina, who had been leaning towards the bed, subtly shifted backward. After a long break, she had an urge to leave.
“W-well… yes? But as with parties, banquets are also about fostering camaraderie. There’s nothing wrong with getting along well with a prince…”
Watching Retina attempt to escape, Herald suddenly pulled her arm firmly. As her body fell onto the soft bed, their positions reversed. Herald trapped Retina with both arms, firmly gripping her wrists.
“What should we do about this?” Herald, who had bound her to prevent her escape, smirked like a villain. Despite his position as the Crown Prince, he always smiled slyly, baffling the nobles.
Contrary to his public image, Herald was known to be ruthlessly pragmatic, like an icy veil.
“I don’t like that you’re getting close to Prince Raglaras.”
While he usually laughed off minor mistakes, once a certain line was crossed, he ruthlessly uprooted the source of trouble. Rumors circulated that even a prominent family had disappeared without a trace after crossing that line.
‘Am I going to die? Just because I teased him a little? Actually, isn’t he looking for the lady he met at the party to keep her mouth shut?’
Lying down and gazing up at the Crown Prince, Retina’s pupils shook restlessly. The story of the Crown Prince searching for the woman he had spent the night with was not a romance but rather a horror story.
As his hand traced down her jawline, Retina closed her eyes tightly. Goosebumps ran down her neck as his fingers followed its curve. Even with him looking down at her from above, his hair falling gently, it was as warm as sunlight.
“Just now, you were talking so much, but now you’ve become as quiet as a mouse.”
Herald, who had slightly tilted his head, laughed as he scratched his neck. Just a moment ago, he had been grumbling, but now he couldn’t say a word.
“You’re good at speaking your mind without caring about what others think. You’re a good fit for that. Unlike the other ladies, who never utter a word.”
Is this a compliment or an insult? Retina, whose lips were still pursed, glanced toward the door. It had been quite some time since they left their seats, so her brothers should be looking for her by now. But since she and the Crown Prince had disappeared together, they might create unnecessary misunderstandings.
“I thought you liked words that spilled out of my mouth.”
“Like that? I actually dislike that kind of thing the most.”
Translator: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only
Retina, who was trying to push the Crown Prince away with one hand free, found herself held down as he pinned her hand above her head. Unfortunately, the dress she wore, with her shoulders revealed, left her neck exposed to the Crown Prince.
“At first, it was just suspicion…”
The crimson eyes that had been observing Retina now took on the look of a predator spotting its prey. The headache that had been plaguing him during the dance with the young ladies disappeared as soon as he laid eyes on Retina, and his head felt oddly clear, just like that night when he had not had a nightmare.
“There’s something I want to check.”
He opened his mouth and brought his face closer to her neck. Just once. Just one time to confirm, and he would be sure.
“W-wait a moment!”
However, Retina, faced with a hungry predator closing in on her, did not yield easily. She urgently stopped the Crown Prince from getting closer.
‘What does he want to check? Could he have already figured it out?’
Her heart pounded so loudly in her ears that it felt like a drum. She had noticed the change in atmosphere from his usual demeanor, but the shift in his gaze was the most significant change.
“When two people leave their seats for too long, misunderstandings can arise. At least one of us should be in the banquet hall to avoid suspicion. Since it might be difficult for the Crown Prince, shouldn’t I be the one to return to the banquet hall?”
This was the excuse that Retina came up with after racking her brain for a moment. All the romance novels and such she had read were useless now. Faced with the Crown Prince, her mind was completely blank.
Retina watched with bated breath as the Crown Prince, who had paused for a moment with sweat trickling down his forehead, seemed to contemplate her argument. Had her hasty persuasion worked? She tried to subtly slip her arm free as his grip seemed to loosen slightly, but he caught her wrist again, holding her firmly in place on the bed.
“Why does that matter?”
“What?”
“You are the young lady that the Crown Prince has unusually designated as his partner. Originally, it should have been the Viscount Hysting’s daughter who should have taken the seat beside me. Do you understand what that means?”
Herald glanced openly at Retina’s dress.
“It means that our relationship is not an ordinary one. It’s being publicly declared from the beginning of the social season. That means…”
His words trailed off as he expanded. He tilted his upper body slowly, bringing the two of them closer until their noses were almost touching.
Retina closed her eyes tightly as the Crown Prince approached. They were so close that their lips were about to touch.
“It means no one will think it strange if a young lady spends the night in my bedroom.”
He whispered into her ear as his lips descended lower. Their bodies were pressed closely together.
Her heart thudded loudly, as if it would leap out of her chest. She could feel the heat of the Crown Prince’s every breath. This time, there was no sneaking away. If she tried to escape now, it would be the same as admitting that she was the person he was looking for.
‘If this continues…’
Memories of that day flashed in her mind, and without realizing it, Retina’s legs tensed, ready to kick. But just as she was about to push herself away, Herald, who had been holding her tightly in his arms, suddenly slumped to the side.
“…?”
Retina blinked in surprise as the weight that had suddenly disappeared. The tension that had filled the room a moment ago had vanished, leaving only the sound of their breathing in the stillness.
‘He fell asleep in this situation?’
Herald lay on his side, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. Though he kept a straight face, his features relaxed, displaying signs of exhaustion.
Retina stared at the sleeping Crown Prince in disbelief, still holding her wrist. The grip that had bound her had weakened.
“You fool!”
Translator: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only
With a grunt, Retina managed to push her way out from under the heavy Crown Prince, who was sprawled out on the bed. It took more effort than she had expected, and she couldn’t find the energy to be angry at him.
“You’re playing with people, aren’t you…”
Blushing with embarrassment, Retina muttered to herself as she straightened her crumpled dress. Despite the chaos on the bed, her carefully styled hair remained immaculate. She silently thanked Lena for her foresight in securing the wig firmly, as they couldn’t predict what might happen at the party.
Relieved from the confines of her tightly fitting shoes, her feet, which had been in agony, complained even more as she put them back on. She limped out of the room and found the guards waiting for her.
“What happened today…”
“Keep it quiet?”
“Yes. And what you saw today…”
“You want me to forget everything? Don’t worry. I don’t want to talk to anyone about it, and I don’t want to remember it either.”
“Thank you. If you go back the way you came, you’ll be able to reach the hall without encountering anyone.”
The guard’s formal and somewhat imposing tone was typical of a royal knight. Retina, who had no desire to get involved with the Crown Prince any further after today’s events, listened to his words lightly and moved on.
“Oh, by the way.”
As she walked back along the path she had taken, Retina suddenly stopped a few steps away.
“What do you mean by ‘if it were me, it would be fine’?”
She turned to look at the guard, who was still standing in the same spot. The guard seemed to struggle to find the right words, gazing into empty space.
“That is… I think Lady Retina would understand better.”
He scratched his chin, letting out an awkward laugh, and then took a hesitant step back. Retina considered trying to stop him from leaving, but she ultimately decided not to press him further. She just wanted to get out of this situation.
