I Taught You Carefully, So Why Are You Obsessed?

I blinked in surprise, placing my hand gently over my chest as I asked,

“With… me?”

Ian didn’t respond, instead raising one eyebrow as if to say, ‘Who else would I be asking?’ His expression made it clear that he was referring to me.

The unexpected situation made my confusion evident on my face.

“Are you serious?”

“I didn’t think this was the time for jokes.”

“…”

“Are you unwilling?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

His half-lowered bangs fell softly, following the natural lines of his hair.

I couldn’t understand why he was so persistently asking me to dance.

‘Unwilling?’

Of course, I wanted to say no, but I couldn’t bring myself to actually say the words. Too many curious eyes were already on us, their stares like piercing needles.

“…Oh my, look at that.”

“Are they going to dance?”

From the moment Ian had asked me to dance, the nobles in the hall were watching us with curious eyes.

‘They sure do love gossip….’

I knew I’d come here expecting to put on a show for their attention, but now that I was actually in the spotlight, a subtle sense of pressure started to build.

Actually, this pressure wasn’t from their gazes but from Ian’s unyielding stare that wouldn’t leave me.

‘It’s like he’s boring a hole through me.’

Even though I tried to avoid his gaze, I could still feel his persistent eyes on me.

Eventually, I gave up consciously avoiding it and slowly turned my eyes toward Ian.

His azure blue eyes reflected the light from the chandelier, glowing softly.

“…I’m not very good at dancing,”

Unbothered, Ian nodded.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I might step on your feet.”

“I’ll be prepared.”

“I could fall.”

“I’ll catch you.”

“What if we both fall?”

“Isn’t that the kind of romance you’re looking for?”

“No, that’s not—”

What kind of conversation is this? It’s like a battle of wits!

I suddenly felt overwhelmed, recalling his words from earlier.

‘So, this is his declaration of war?’

Is this what he meant by seeing which side would win? Did he plan to be this relentless all along?

I closed my eyes, thinking about what he had said, and let out a deep sigh.

“…Fine.”

Reluctantly, I placed my hand in his. The moment I did, he led me toward the center of the dance floor as if he had been waiting for this.

Just as we arrived, the orchestra began preparing for the second piece of music.

“A waltz, it seems.”

“…”

“Are you comfortable with a waltz?”

“…More than other dances.”

As he gazed quietly at me, he gently pulled me closer, hesitating for a split second before placing his hand lightly on my back.

His fingers, cool against my skin, made contact with my back.

I flinched, inhaling sharply.

‘Why am I reacting like this…?’

The sensation of his hand on my lower back felt strangely ticklish.

Meanwhile, the music began, and Ian effortlessly guided me into the steps, moving with a fluid grace.

Even though I had braced myself for the embarrassment of clumsily stepping on his feet, my body moved naturally as if it remembered the dance steps on its own.

Left foot forward, right foot to the side, back in place.

Despite how smoothly my body moved, I couldn’t help feeling nervous.

The distance between Ian and me was much closer than I had imagined.

‘Isn’t this… a little too close?’

I felt like if I lifted my head, I’d be able to see my own reflection in his eyes, hear even the faintest of his breaths.

My whole body seemed to freeze up in tension, and awkwardly, I lowered my gaze to my feet.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“…What?”

His voice came softly through the gentle music.

“You’ve been staring at the floor this entire time.”

“It’s not that… Ah!”

Just as I was about to come up with some excuse and lift my head, my feet tangled, and I lost my balance.

‘I knew this would happen!’

As my body tilted, Ian quickly tightened his grip on my waist, lifting me into the air and spinning me around once.

Then, he gently lowered me back to the ground, pulling me closer as he did so.

“I told you, I would catch you.”

“…”

“It seems your claim of not being good at dancing wasn’t false humility after all.”

His tone was playful, yet his demeanor was serious—too lighthearted to take too seriously, but too sincere to dismiss as a joke.

Normally, I’d shoot him a sharp look and come back with a retort, but this time was different.

‘Is he out of his mind?’

Did he eat something strange? My heart pounded loudly in my chest, either from the shock of his behavior or from the constant motion of our feet.

Unlike my inner turmoil, the surrounding nobles were too busy gasping in admiration at the sight of us.

“Did you see that?”

“The Grand Duke just… with the Grand Duchess…”

Even though I deliberately avoided looking their way, their comments rang out loud and clear.

Ian, the subject of their attention, seemed completely uninterested in their words, continuing to stare intently at me instead.

“Just to be sure, are you doing this on purpose?”

“What do you mean by ‘on purpose’?”

“You said we should see which one of us was right—the Grand Duke or me.”

“That’s right.”

“So, are you doing this to me because of that? And, don’t you think we’re standing a little too close right now? Is this really necessary?”

No matter how I looked at it, his hand pulling me close by the waist felt too firm and unrelenting.

I could feel his steady gaze tracing from my forehead down to my cheek.

“Well, I’m just following the instructions you gave me,”

“…I did?”

“Yes. You told me to hold you closer and place my hand on your waist. You said that’s what couples usually do.”

“When did I ever…!”

I opened my mouth in protest, but the words froze in my throat.

“Come a little closer.”

“The distance is close enough as it is.”

“No, it’s too far. Like this—put your hand gently on my waist.”

“Why do we have to go this far?”

“This is what most couples do.”

‘Is he doing this because of what I said back in the marketplace?’

I froze for a different reason this time. The situation now wasn’t the same as it was back then.

But Ian, oblivious to the difference, just stared at me with that same unreadable expression. In the end, I had to look away first.

‘If this keeps going, I’ll be the one who gives in.’

It was strange. I was the one who had been guiding this emotionless robot all along, yet how had the situation flipped like this? As I stewed over my dilemma, the music began to slow, signaling the approaching end of the dance.

When the song finally came to a close, Ian released his hand from my back and took a step away.

“You managed not to step on my feet,”

“Were you hoping I would?”

“Not really. I just thought it would be interesting to see you get flustered if you did.”

His reply was teasing, and I couldn’t help but glare at his shameless face.

As I was doing so, he suddenly took my hand and lifted it. Instead of kissing the back of my hand, he pressed his lips to the center of my palm.

The soft touch of his lips on my palm made my shoulder twitch involuntarily.

‘Wh-what is he doing?!’

“…Grand Duke?”

“There are a lot of eyes watching,”

he replied calmly, straightening up and adjusting his grip on my hand.

“You were the one who told me to be mindful of appearances.”

His gaze remained sharp and clear as it met mine.

“I told you, I’d try to win your heart.”

Could his usual emotionless demeanor really extend to moments like this? Unlike my flustered self, his expression remained as calm and composed as ever.

I was starting to feel dizzy from the confusion.

‘No, I can’t let this get to me. Stay focused, Eloise. You said you wouldn’t let yourself get caught up in this!’

Quickly, I pulled my hand away and turned my head.

“D-dancing made me a bit warm. I think I need some air on the terrace.”

“Then, let me escort you.”

“No, I’m fine!”

Can’t he take a hint? It’s obvious I’m trying to escape here—why is he still offering to come with me?

I was about to firmly refuse when a new voice interrupted us.

“Grand Duke Cloud.”

Startled, I turned my head toward the voice and saw a middle-aged man with a thick beard, dressed in a neat military uniform, bowing politely in our direction.

“It’s been a long time, Grand Duke and Grand Duchess.”

‘Perfect timing, sir!’

Unlike me, who smiled in relief, Ian’s face clearly showed his displeasure.

He wasn’t particularly bothered by the man’s presence itself, but he was clearly annoyed at the interruption.

“Ah, it’s Duke Seraph,”

….

I fixed my Ko-fi finally..

Honestly, I was quite sad because no one supported me until now on ko-fi, but I found out that’s the problem was with my PayPal…

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