Ashid let out a cold, incredulous laugh. After lecherously reaching for another man’s wife, Adrian had the nerve to act completely shameless.
Who was the one who abandoned her first? Who was the one that went around slandering Daniela, saying she wasn’t fit to be the wife of a Grand Duke?
And now that Daniela had married him, Adrian was hovering persistently like a fly—it was getting on Ashid’s nerves.
“He must be convinced that if he just reaches out his hand, Daniela would come running back to him, huh?”
Yes, that must be it.
Just as Adrian suspected, Daniela still seemed to have lingering feelings. Perhaps, on the surface she was helping Ashid, but behind the scenes, she might already be preparing to return to Adrian.
Unlike Ashid—who was rough and brutal—Adrian was the kind, considerate, and noble Crown Prince who wouldn’t even know what malice meant.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Ashid’s fury surged to the top of his head. His breathing grew heavy. His clenched fists trembled. That deep-rooted inferiority complex toward Adrian—the one that had haunted him for so long—came crashing down on him again.
“Damn it.”
Ashid’s dark gaze moved past Adrian and landed on Daniela.
Her wide, surprised eyes looking up at him appeared so gentle and innocent. And that only enraged him more. The fact that he, a grown man, was being shaken and thrown off balance by someone so small and fragile—it made him feel pathetic.
Suddenly, Ashid felt his anger drain out of him. They say extreme rage can lead to calm, and now he understood what that meant. With a sneer, Ashid said:
“Fine, you’re right, Adrian. Even if you reached out to my wife with lecherous intent, I have no right to stop you.”
“Your Grace! I told you I didn’t mean it that way!” Adrian protested, but Ashid ignored him and turned to Daniela. Hearing those words, her brows furrowed.
Contrary to his words, the look in Ashid’s eyes as he stared down at her seemed to say: If you accept Adrian’s invitation to dance, I won’t stand idly by.
Adrian, on the other hand, gazed at her with desperate, pleading eyes—as if he was hoping she’d accept.
“Unbelievable.”
Daniela scoffed inwardly.
To be clear, she had never once said she would accept Adrian’s invitation to dance. She had no intention of doing so. Yet, both Ashid and Adrian were acting like she was about to accept.
Still looking directly at Adrian, Daniela reached out and gently grasped Ashid’s arm as she spoke.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I must decline your invitation.”
“…Daniela.”
“Everyone already knows about our past. If I dance with you in this situation, it’s bound to start more nasty rumors. That wouldn’t benefit you, or me—or His Grace the Grand Duke.”
“……”
“So, if you’ll excuse me, Your Highness. …Your Grace, let’s go.”
“…Alright.”
Ashid nodded curtly. He liked her firm tone and decisive manner.
He felt the burning rage from earlier instantly subside. The inferiority complex that had been simmering inside him cooled down, replaced by an unfamiliar sense of victory. It was a feeling he’d never experienced before.
As he left the balcony with Daniela, he glanced back at Adrian and gave a smug nod of acknowledgment.
Without realizing, a faint smile curled on his lips.
Adrian stood there, staring blankly as Daniela and Ashid walked away.
Daniela’s resolute refusal, and the smirk Ashid gave as he led her away, seared into Adrian’s mind like a brand. He felt a strange ache in the left side of his chest.
What was this feeling?
Why did it irritate him so much—hurt so much? Why did it feel like she had been taken away from him?
The truth was, he had never truly possessed her. He had been the one to let go first.
So why—why did it feel like this?
Confused by the wave of emptiness and defeat he couldn’t put into words, Adrian ran his hand through his perfectly styled hair in frustration. His head throbbed from the heavy cloud of regret.
Daniela silently followed Ashid as they left the balcony. He only stopped walking once they were far enough away that the balcony was no longer visible.
Only then did Daniela pause to catch her breath. She had been half-running to keep up with his long strides.
“…Whew.”
Then, out of nowhere, Ashid turned to her and said:
“Good job. Keep doing that from now on.”
“…Excuse me? What do you mean?”
“No matter who approaches you, reject them just as firmly as you did today. And don’t ever leave my side again. I’ll do the same.”
At those words, Daniela felt her heart drop for a moment.
His handsome face paired with words that could’ve come straight from a romance novel—her heart fluttered despite herself. It felt like she had become a heroine in a movie or drama.
“Ah, alright—”
“Just remember—until our contract ends, don’t even think about pulling any tricks.”
But the next words that came out of Ashid’s mouth wiped the blush right off her cheeks.
“Of course. I was waiting for that part.”
Leave it to the villainous Grand Duke to be so distrustful. With a pout, Daniela snapped back:
“I know. Just how many times are you going to repeat the same thing? Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Of course not. I already proved myself during the conflict with the Principality of Lesinia, didn’t I?”
“…Fair enough. I’ll give you that.”
Ashid let out a soft laugh, like air escaping a balloon. His expression, once cold, lit up with warmth—and it made his already handsome face look even more dazzling. Daniela found herself dazed for a moment.
Just then, the music stopped, and the nobles who had been dancing paused in place. They exchanged polite bows with their partners and began to scatter.
Ashid quietly observed the nobles as they moved around in search of new partners before the next song began. Some were clearly watching for a chance to ask Daniela to dance.
Clicking his tongue in irritation, he thought, This is going to keep happening until the party ends. It would be easier to dance with her once and use that as a reason to turn others down.
With that, he knelt on one knee before Daniela. Taking her hand, he placed a brief kiss on the back of it and said:
“Would you grant me the honor of this dance, my lady?”
Startled by the sudden gesture, Daniela gasped.
Her heart thumped wildly again—and for good reason.
“I don’t even know how to dance!”
Before possessing this body, she had been just a normal student. She had no clue how to do these formal ballroom dances.
In fact, that was one of the reasons she turned down Adrian’s invitation. The bigger reason, of course, was that she had no desire to get tangled up with him ever again.
She hesitated, unsure of what to do.
Ashid frowned, growing uneasy at her prolonged silence.
Was she really about to say no? Just when his mood had started to improve again…
Finally, Daniela opened her mouth.
“…Dancing’s a bit much for me.”
“So you’re rejecting me?”
“Yes. …But how about we eat something instead?”
“…What?”
“Aren’t you hungry, Your Grace? I’m a little hungry.”
With that, Daniela gestured toward a nearby table with her eyes. It was covered with food—everything from bite-sized canapés to full entrees.
Ashid’s cold eyes widened slightly, then softened. He stood up while still holding her hand.
“Sure. If we’re going to be here all night, we’d better eat something.”
“Ugh, all night? We really have to stay that long?”
“You know how it is. In the Empire, you can’t leave until the guest of highest rank departs. Normally, Her Highness would leave around midnight, and the event would end then… but—”
Ashid trailed off, casting a glance at Princess Elizaveta, who was surrounded by nobles.
“I doubt she’ll leave until she’s finished showing off the hairpin you gave her.”
“…Ah, haha. Got it. Then we’d better eat plenty now.”
