Even if the Crown Prince hadn’t asked her to dance, no man would step forward to suggest dancing with her. They all knew how possessive and capricious Aaron could be. Even if she had been rejected for a dance, seeing her dance with another man could provoke his temper at any moment.
‘How pitiful. The great Princess Bedford is reduced to a wallflower.’
‘What should we do? I feel so embarrassed for her.’
Hearing the voices that mocked her with pity, Ariella quietly lowered her head. To easily shape public opinion about Lizzy later, she needed to appear as pitiful as possible right now.
A wallflower. It was something she had never experienced since her debut.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t embarrassed to be humiliated in front of so many people. However, considering the freedom she would gain, she could endure this level of embarrassment. It was, after all, part of the scene she had planned.
Not far away, she heard the sound of musicians preparing to play. It seemed the dance was truly about to begin.
‘It’s time to slip away.’
Ariella continued her act of holding back tears and turned to walk toward the wall, keeping her head bowed.
But before long, her path was blocked.
A large black shoe came into view. Confused as to why the person wouldn’t move, Ariella slowly lifted her head.
What she found was a stranger. A large man wearing a full mask that covered his head, draped in a red cloak. He seemed to have just arrived, a faint scent of wind lingering around him.
Ariella couldn’t understand why the man stood before her, blocking her way.
Is he a strange person? That was all she could think.
But the moment he moved neither too slowly nor too quickly, she realized the situation.
A gloved hand reached out toward her.
It was a dance request.
“Who…?”
Ariella muttered blankly before closing her mouth tightly.
At a masquerade ball, it is considered polite not to inquire about the identity behind the mask. Especially for someone whose face is completely concealed.
She blinked and looked up at him. The man patiently waited for her response.
She felt flustered. While she thought it was embarrassing to be a wallflower, she certainly didn’t expect someone to ask her to dance.
That someone whose identity was unknown would extend a hand like this was completely unexpected.
‘Should I refuse?’
If it had been a few weeks ago, she would have shaken her head without a moment’s hesitation. She didn’t want to dance with a man she didn’t know, and she didn’t want to create a situation that might provoke Aaron.
But now, it was a dilemma.
Remaining a wallflower might be a good way to avoid pity, but if she danced with a man who wasn’t Aaron, it would draw even more attention. Those who hadn’t seen what had just happened would surely wonder why Princess Bedford was dancing with a man who wasn’t her fiancé.
However, what held her back was the well-being of the man in front of her.
He was the one who had offered his hand for the poor Princess Bedford. If she danced with him, Aaron would surely take notice.
She couldn’t use an unknown man for her own purposes. Just as she was about to politely refuse, something caught her eye.
Suddenly, someone burst out from the direction of the food and various bottles of alcohol. Among the crowd, bright red hair was disheveled.
Aaron was coming. Upon confirming this, Ariella instinctively stiffened.
And at that moment, the man reached out his arm.
The gloved hands brushed against each other. The stranger’s hand was almost two finger lengths larger than hers and warm.
Flustered, Ariella stared at their hands in surprise.
Despite extending his arm, the man didn’t grasp her hand tightly. He merely touched it lightly, as if asking for her consent.
Swallowing hard, Ariella cautiously took his hand.
At that moment, a lively and grand dance tune began.
She stepped in time with the music. The man hesitated for a moment but soon matched the rhythm quickly.
Standing face to face while holding hands, she noticed that the man was taller than she had expected. His shoulders were broad, as if he had stuffed padding into his clothes, and his chest, hidden beneath his shirt, was solidly built. He looked like someone who exercised a lot.
‘Who could he be?’
In the Cardiff social scene she knew, there was no man like this. His physique was not something you commonly saw. His long legs and V-shaped torso were all perfectly sculpted.
If she had to name someone similar…
‘Duke Ashbon?’
The image of the man who had appeared among the blue lupines flashed through her mind unconsciously.
