The Grand Ballroom of the Imperial Palace was a spectacle of blinding luxury. Massive crystal chandeliers hung high above, casting a golden light over hundreds of nobles dressed in silk and velvet.
I stepped into the room wearing a navy-blue silk gown lined with silver embroidery. Beside me walked Prince Leo in his white imperial dress uniform, his hand resting securely against the small of my back.
"Smile a little, Rosel," Leo whispered near my ear, his breath warm against my skin. "You look as if you're attending a execution rather than a banquet."
"If you don't remove your hand from my waist in three seconds, Your Highness, it *will* become an execution," I replied through a forced, elegant smile.
*Ping!*
[Reading Prince Leo's Thoughts...]
*‘She never fails to sharp-tongue me... It’s intoxicating. Every other noblewoman fawns over my title, but Rosel looks at me as if I'm just an obstacle in her path. I will make her truly look at me, no matter what it takes.’*
From across the grand hall, standing among the serving staff near the royal wine fountains, Chloe watched us with an unblinking, crimson-tinted glare. She wore an immaculate servant's outfit, but her right hand was tucked tightly under her lace apron—where I knew three concealed daggers were resting.
* **[User_YuriSimp]:** *CHLOE'S EYE CONTACT COULD KILL A MAN AT ONE HUNDRED PACES!*
* **[User_OrangeCat]:** *Leo is playing with fire and doesn't even know he's on the hit list, LMAO!*
Suddenly, the royal trumpets blared across the hall, interrupting the music.
"Announcing His Excellency, Duke Vane of the Northern Border!" the herald announced.
A massive, battle-scarred noble stepped into the ballroom. His presence was oppressive, radiating raw aura. Beside him walked a young woman with sharp, fiery red hair and piercing yellow eyes—Lady Catherine, the Northern Sword Prodigy and Prince Leo's former war companion.
"Prince Leo!" Catherine called out, completely ignoring royal etiquette as she marched straight toward us. Her hand rested on the pommel of her rapier. "I heard rumors that you were parading a delicate flower around court. Is *this* the weak villainess you chose over the Northern Army?"
I raised an eyebrow, stepping out of Leo's reach.
"A delicate flower?" I murmured, Rosel's icy smile returning to my lips. "It seems the North lacks proper eye care if you mistake silver steel for a flower, Lady Catherine."