“Huh?”
All of a sudden…?
Dante subtly gestured behind him.
Letier peeked around his shoulder and saw a group of noble ladies standing nearby, their eyes fixed solely on his back.
They were clearly waiting for the perfect moment to approach him before the next dance began.
“Oh…”
Realizing his predicament, Letier gave him a small nod, intending to help him out.
Dante, moving naturally, extended his gloved hand toward her.
But the moment she looked down at his outstretched hand, something deep inside her stirred—a strange, rebellious impulse.
Maybe it was the warmth of the wine clouding her judgment.
“…I’m sorry.”
“What?”
Instead of taking his hand, she apologized.
Dante’s expression froze.
After hesitating briefly, Letier spoke.
“I’m with Prince Aiden, so I don’t think I can be your partner. It’s unfortunate, but I hope you enjoy your time with another lady.”
She said it quickly, before she could change her mind, and grasped the hem of her dress, offering him a polite bow.
For a moment, Dante simply stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.
This feels… kind of bad.
Avoiding his crimson gaze, Letier instinctively began searching for Aiden.
She turned away, intending to leave, but before she could take a step, Dante moved swiftly, blocking her path.
“Huh?”
Startled, Letier stopped in her tracks.
Dante crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly as he looked down at her.
His lips parted, his tone unmistakably displeased.
“So you’re saying you’d rather go to Aiden?”
“…….”
“I haven’t liked how the two of you have been glued together all night.”
He ran a hand through his tousled black hair, exhaling as if sighing at his own thoughts.
Letier watched him and suddenly realized—these two brothers don’t get along.
Had she just made a mistake?
Now that she thought about it, being Aiden’s companion all evening might not have reflected well on her, especially as the prince’s designated healer.
The slight haze of alcohol in her mind seemed to clear just a bit.
Still frowning, Dante muttered,
“He’s going to be busy.”
“What?”
“The Empress called him over—it’s obvious why. There’s a whole line of nobles waiting to be introduced. He won’t be back anytime soon.”
Letier recalled how Aiden had looked reluctant when leaving earlier.
So that’s why…
“Then what about you, Your Highness?”
“Me? Who would bother with a useless prince like me? The only reason anyone’s paying attention right now is because I finally took off my mask.”
Dante shrugged.
The way he spoke so indifferently about himself made Letier hesitate, unsure of how to respond.
“That’s why you should come with me. Everyone keeps staring at me as it is—I don’t want to add dancing with a stranger to the list.”
His lips curved into a smooth, shameless smile.
Once again, he extended his hand toward her.
At this point, it was impossible to refuse.
Letier gazed down at his rough, gloved hand, hesitated for a moment, then slowly placed her own in his.
“…Alright.”
****
“You never mentioned we’d be stepping outside.”
“Did I not?”
Dante chuckled softly.
What’s so funny…?
Letier glanced back at the palace, where the banquet was still in full swing.
For a moment, she wondered if Aiden might look for her, but considering what Dante had said earlier, he was probably too busy for that.
“I didn’t think you’d go as far as sneaking out just to avoid dancing with unfamiliar ladies.”
The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and she immediately clamped her lips shut.
Lately, she kept finding herself speaking to Dante in a sharper tone than usual.
Is it the wine? It’s probably the wine…
“I’ve never been fond of banquets,” Dante replied casually, unfazed by her blunt remark.
With a satisfied expression, he continued leading her through the dimly lit space between the palace buildings.
“Where exactly are we going?”
“My office. I have something to give you.”
Letier followed without question, but as they approached a fork in the path, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Dante halted as well, turning to look at her.
“Your Highness, wouldn’t this way be faster?”
She pointed toward a narrow path curving around a large tree beside a tall building with a pointed roof.
Dante followed the direction of her finger before shaking his head.
“That path is technically closer to my office in a straight line, but we can’t use it.”
“Why not?”
“It’s blocked. There’s a small opening, but only a child could squeeze through. And considering my size and the fact that you’re wearing such a lovely dress, I doubt you’d want to ruin it.”
Oh, I see.
Accepting his reasoning, Letier continued walking with him.
Then—
“You know,” Dante said suddenly, glancing over his shoulder, “did you suggest that route because you knew about the small opening, or was it just your supposedly ‘good’ sense of direction?”
“Huh?”
“You don’t exactly have a reputation for finding your way around.”
Letier paused in thought.
She hadn’t put much consideration into it at the time, but now that he mentioned it…
That path did seem familiar.
It felt like she had seen an opening there before, even if she hadn’t consciously recalled it.
“Well, after spending over a month at the palace, I must have picked up a sense for things without realizing it.”
“Is that so?”
Dante let out another amused chuckle before offering her his arm again.
With a playful smile, he added,
“Then why don’t you, Lady of Sharp Instincts, lead the way?”
“I do know where we’re going from here.”
Without hesitation, Letier looped her hand through his arm and confidently tugged him in a particular direction.
“We go through this building, right?”
“…It’s the one next to it.”
“…Yes, well. That’s what I meant.”
****
“Haa…”
Letier let out a deep sigh as she collapsed onto the sofa in Dante’s office.
The plush, dark red cushions enveloped her completely, soothing her tired body.
She knew it was improper to lounge so freely in someone else’s office, but at this moment, she didn’t have the energy to care about etiquette.
From across the room, Dante—who had walked past her and over to his desk by the window—spoke up.
“I did follow the path you suggested.”
Letier turned her head and glared at his perfectly composed face.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Did what?”
“You let me wander around lost just because you thought it was funny, didn’t you?”
Dante chuckled and shook his head.
She had been so confident, claiming to know the way, only to take a wrong turn immediately.
It had been amusing to watch her determination fade into confusion.
He had let her struggle a little longer than necessary simply because he found it entertaining.
They had ended up wandering through the palace for far longer than expected before finally reaching his office.
Letier, still sprawled on the couch, turned to look out the window.
“It was still daylight when we left the ballroom…”
The night had completely fallen by now, and the office was quiet—almost eerily so.
Yet, in the distance, faint sounds of laughter and music drifted through the air from the direction of the banquet hall.
The muffled, uneven notes of string instruments carried through the night breeze, seeping into the silent office.
“When we return, I’ll lead the way,” Dante murmured as he rummaged through his desk drawers.
Letier gave a half-hearted nod.
“They’re doing a fireworks display later. I really wanted to see it, so don’t make me miss it.”
“I won’t.”
A moment later, Dante returned to the seating area, now holding a small object in his hand.
Taking a seat on the opposite sofa, he looked at her with an unreadable smile.
“…What?”
Letier narrowed her eyes.
“I brought what I wanted to give you. I hope you like it.”
Oh, right.
For a moment, she had completely forgotten why they had come here in the first place.
Letier quickly sat up straight.
“What is it?”
Without answering, Dante slowly opened his palm, revealing a small, round glass bottle.
“……”
“……”
“…Is this alcohol?”
“Do you want it to be?”
Dante gave her a flat look.
Letier pouted slightly, recalling the delicious wine from earlier.
“Never mind, then…”
Ignoring her mild disappointment, Dante extended the bottle toward her.
“Take it.”
Letier obediently took the small glass container.
It fit snugly in the palm of her hand, and inside, a deep blue liquid shimmered under the light.
“Is this an elixir? I’ve never seen this color before.”
She thought of the potions often used by mages, but this one seemed darker, richer in hue.
“It’s not an elixir—it’s a fruit extract.”
“Hmm…”
Hearing that, Letier’s mind immediately started running through possibilities.
Which fruit produces a blue extract…?
“Can I open it and smell it?”
“Go ahead.”
She popped the lid open and cautiously brought the bottle to her nose.
The moment the scent reached her, she immediately knew what it was.
“Ah! This is…”
Her violet eyes sparkled as she looked up at him.
No way…
“When did you even manage to get this?”
Letier asked, staring at Dante’s amused expression.
