The Dragon's Obsession with Water is Difficult

Episode 15

The carriage engraved with Karsian’s golden patterns had an unbelievably comfortable ride.

The Karsian family-controlled principality was not far from the capital, so it didn’t take long, and there was no discomfort at all.

Occasionally, Ludwig and I would make awkward eye contact, but that was it.

Oh, we just made eye contact again.

It happened when I turned my gaze out the window for a moment.

Wait, come to think of it, isn’t it a bit strange that we keep meeting eyes every time I look away?

Unless Ludwig has been continuously staring at me.

When I glanced at him with a “What’s up?” expression, it was actually Ludwig.ho averted his gaze first.

‘What’s going on?’

I tilted my head and looked out the window again.

* * *

“The heir of Karsian, Lord Ludwig Karsian, and his partner, Sierra Drenihan, are entering!”

Behind the voice of the announcer, a roaring sound spread like wildfire.

Together with Ludwig, I stepped inside.

At the grand hall of the Karsian, considered the most beautiful in the empire, hundreds of eyes were fixed on me without a moment’s hesitation.

Some looked with astonishment, their mouths slightly agape, while others stared with wide-eyed curiosity.

The gathering for my birthday and awakening celebration was incomparable to this, with numerous nobles in attendance. They seemed to have come from distant lands, and I even spotted a few foreign dignitaries.

“What do you think? Isn’t he the most stunning man in the empire, or rather, in the whole world?”

Even the combination of black and red in the attire complemented Ludwig. Exceptionally well.

It was only natural to receive such reactions at this level.

The rumor about the “Monster Duke” had circulated, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

If the prince was my favorite in the original work, then Ludwig was my affectionate preference.

Of course, that was until Ludwig.went berserk and created a sad ending in the final scenes.

If I had actually seen this face back then, there would be no doubt that Ludwig would have been my favorite.

In any case, I held a bit of a fan’s affection for Ludwig.

I hadn’t realized until just now, but as I smiled, I heard a collective gasp around me.

Looking around, the audience was becoming even more bustling.

With Ludwig escorting me, I found a suitable spot and stood there.

Many nobles inched closer, stealing glances, but none had the courage to strike up a conversation.

Later, Jeria and Kalik, who had set off a bit later than us, made their appearance.

True to the reputation of being a social butterfly, Jeria was surrounded by numerous admirers.

“It’s been a while, Young Lady Jeria.”

“Did you enjoy your time at the Academy?”

“It’s so delightful to see you like this.”

Jeria certainly had a captivating presence among the crowd. Her dress was so splendid that it left no room for description, and her mere presence drew everyone’s attention.

As she answered the barrage of questions from people, she glanced around and soon spotted me.

Then, she led the group of people towards me.

“Sis, I didn’t get a chance to say this earlier as I left in a hurry… I want to apologize. It was something that felt uncomfortable, that’s why I said it.”

Jeria, apologizing? People exchanged looks between me and Jeria, as if finding it hard to believe.

Without waiting for my response, Jeria swiftly turned around and left.

‘Why did she do that?’

I provoked curiosity in people as they watched her leave.

If someone saw this, they might think I was the one who caused the commotion by demanding an apology.

From behind, I could hear Jeria loudly talking to her entourage.

‘Let her do as she pleases.’

I resisted the urge to snap at her back and let out an exasperated sigh.

Then, the announcer raised their voice once more.

“Lord Alfonso Karsian and Duke Karsian are entering!”

People showed their respect to the two figures.

One was the Duke Karsian, whom I had seen at the birthday party, and the other…

An elderly man who outshone even the Duke.

He was an old fox who held the real power in the Karsian family, Alfonso Karsian, the current head and elder brother of the Duke.

People flocked to Alfonso rather than the Duke.

Everyone knew who held the true power in the family.

Alfonso concluded a brief opening speech from the stage and formally announced the beginning of the party.

It was when the music began to play, and couples started dancing with each other that I found myself mesmerized by the scene.

Ludwig extended his hand to me.

“Would you like to dance a song, Sierra?”

His polite gaze was fixed firmly on me.

Behind the pillars, I noticed admirers who had been debating whether or not to approach him were now tearing handkerchiefs in their hands.

‘He’s requesting a dance? Why?!’

In the original work, Jenna had mentioned that Ludwig didn’t seem to enjoy dancing much, and he had never offered his hand to her at a party.

I hesitantly took Ludwig’s hand, feeling somewhat flustered.

“Y-yes, of course.”

I had never danced in such a grand hall before, especially since I suddenly felt unwell right before my debutante ball.

I had learned how to dance, but this was my first time in a real dance situation.

‘I hope I can do this well…’

With a nervous heart, I began to follow Ludwig’s lead, starting the steps.

As Ludwig and I entered the hall, the couples dancing like butterflies naturally made way for us.

I concentrated hard to ensure my steps didn’t get tangled, recalling my distant memories and matching the slow, elegant rhythm of the music.

Ludwig was skilled in leading, and he adapted to my subtle habits, so contrary to my worries, we created a harmonious dance.

As I focused on my steps, only looking at the floor, I heard a soft laughter in front of me.

I looked up at Ludwig.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You looked so cute concentrating,” he said with a smile.

Is it not a crime to say such things with that face?

I momentarily relaxed, and my foot almost tripped.

“Ah!”

At that moment, his well-built arm wrapped around my waist.

His movements were so fluid, like waves, that my mistake went unnoticed.

“Are you okay?”

I heard his low voice in my ear, and I nodded in response.

When our eyes met up close, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

We continued to exchange glances for a while, and I entrusted myself to Ludwig’s lead, successfully completing the dance without any mishaps.

As the music’s final note echoed, Ludwig and I exchanged greetings and finished the song.

At the same time, applause erupted from the surrounding crowd.

Even though it was our first time dancing together, we seemed to match surprisingly well.

Our joined hands felt even warmer.

Alfonso approached us as we walked out of the hall.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you do something you haven’t done in a long time, Ludwig. Seems like you wanted to engage in a little romance. You have nothing to show off except your lineage.”

Alfonso chuckled mockingly as he patted Ludwig’s arm with his wrinkled hand.

As Alfonso’s hand made contact, Ludwig’s face quickly froze.

“No, who is this? Our nephew has become even more refined since I last saw him.”

Then, a young man who resembled Alfonso walked up behind him.

“Father, Ludwig. Talking about romance? You should joke in moderation. This guy’s personality has nothing to do with romance. Clearly, it’s just a courtesy follow-up from the last incident with the Young Lady Drenihan.”

“Ah, well, I was just saying.”

“Nice to meet you for the first time, Young Lady Drenihan. I’m Vincent Karsian.”

He seemed like Alfonso’s youngest son and looked a few years younger than Ludwig.

“By the way, our Karsian colors suit you very well.”

He was a man who appeared displeased behind his frivolous laughter.

His words were polite, but his gaze, scanning me, was subtle.

He seemed like a smaller version of his father, but there was something more sinister about him.

“Would you dance with me as well?”

Upon hearing his request, the woman standing beside him looked at Vincent with a bewildered expression.

It seemed they hadn’t danced together yet, and why would he ask me to dance when he already had a partner?

“I’m sorry, but I twisted my ankle as I was coming out.”

I replied with a casual smile.

“I can’t dance anymore.”

Clearly, my refusal made Alfonso briefly flustered, but he soon wore a friendly smile, conceding, and left his spot.

He shot me a look as if to say, “Who are you to refuse my son?” before turning to the people looking for him.

Then, I heard Ludwig’s concerned voice.

“Sierra, is your ankle hurting a lot? Should I call a doctor right now?”

“No, I’m fine.”

I whispered with a smile.

“It’s a lie, actually.”

At my words, Ludwig. Initially looked surprised but then raised his lips into a smile.

“Is that so? I’m glad.”

“But my dress is a bit disheveled. I’ll go to the reception room for a moment.”

“Yes, I’ll wait here.”

I felt there was no need to wait, but I nodded and headed to the reception room.

In the meantime, I noticed Jeria talking to Vincent.

They seemed familiar with each other.

‘Two cockroaches happily playing together.’

I glanced at them for a moment, and our eyes met, but I ignored her and continued on my way.

* * *

I found a reasonably empty reception room among several, entered, and began fixing my disheveled dress while looking in the mirror.

As I did so, I suddenly recalled how close Ludwig and I had been.

Close enough for our breaths to touch.

As I started feeling a bit strange about it, I heard a soft sound from behind, the door closing.

‘Huh?’

I turned around.

‘Oh, someone’s here.’

The one who had closed the door was none other than Vincent.

He approached me with a displeased smile.