The climax of the Magic Festival concluded with a grand ball at Luna Academy's Main Hall.
Chandelier lights made of magic crystals cast a warm golden glow, reflecting off the mirror-like marble floors. Orchestral music echoed gracefully, filling the hall packed with lavishly dressed young nobles.
I stood near the refreshment table, holding a glass of non-alcoholic grape juice.
My evening gown was dark night-blue with silver thread embroidery along the folds—matching my eye color and my golden-blond hair styled in a modern updo.
*Perfect,* I thought with satisfaction. *My appearance is cold, elegant, and untouchable. This is the ultimate defense against those crazy people.*
However, that defense crumbled within seconds when the hall doors burst open.
Awed gasps echoed throughout the room as a girl stepped inside.
It was Chloe.
Tonight, she was breathtaking. Her evening gown was pastel pink made of fine silk, fitting her small frame perfectly. Her soft pink hair was partially let down, decorated with a small lily hairpin made of crystal.
Her emerald-green eyes shone with an extraordinarily innocent radiance beneath the chandeliers. Her pale skin and natural blush made her look like a rare, expensive porcelain doll.
"Look at that scholarship student..."
"She looks so cute..."
"Is she really a commoner?"
Compliments began circulating among the young noblemen.
However, the 'porcelain doll' who appeared gentle and fragile paid no mind to the admiring glances. Her green eyes scanned the hall rapidly, ignoring princes and nobles alike, until her gaze locked onto me.
*Ping!*
Instantly, the sparkle in her eyes shifted dramatically. An overly sweet, wide smile spread across her cute face.
"Lady Rosel!"
Chloe half-ran toward me, ignoring several young men who tried to greet her. As she stood before me, the gentle scent of lilies invaded my senses.
"Lady Rosel... You look so beautiful tonight," Chloe whispered softly. Her small, delicate hand naturally took mine, holding it tightly. "This dress... the blue matches your eyes so well. I could barely breathe when I first saw you."
*Ping!*
[Reading Chloe von Valois's Thoughts...]
*‘My Lady Rosel is so gorgeous tonight... I want to hide her away in a locked room so no one else can look at her beauty but me... Yes, a windowless room would be perfect...’*
*ARE YOU PLANNING TO LOCK ME IN A BASEMENT OR WHAT, CHLOE?!!*
Goosebumps erupted across my skin. The contrast between her angel-like face and her psychopathic inner thoughts was terrifying!
[User_YuriSimp]: "ACKKKK! Overprotective Yandere Chloe mode activated! 'A windowless room,' she says LOL!"
[User_OlympicShip]: "Porcelain doll face with a mafia boss personality. THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!"
[User_OrangeCat]: "Rosel, don't let go of her hand! If you do, she's gonna buy a basement padlock for real ROFL!"
"C-Chloe, you're holding my hand a bit too tight," I said, trying to gently pull my hand back without upsetting this obsessive girl.
"Ah, I'm so sorry!" Chloe quickly loosened her grip, putting on an adorable, guilty expression with teary eyes. "I was just... so happy to be near you, Lady Rosel."
Before I could reply, the opening notes of the main dance began to play.
*Tap.*
A tall shadow appeared beside us. Crown Prince Leo, dressed in a flashy white-and-gold suit, extended his hand to me with a forced, elegant smile.
"Lady Rosel," Leo said, deepening his voice. "The first dance has started. As your political fiancé and the handsomest man in this room, I offer you the honor of being my partner."
I looked at Leo's hand. Then at his face.
*Honor my foot!*
"Pardon me, Your Highness," interrupted a cold voice from another corner.
Adrian appeared in a sharp black suit, adjusting his glasses. "Based on *mana* density calculations and heart rate rhythms, Lady Rosel requires an emotionally stable partner. Dancing with me offers ninety-eight percent higher energy efficiency compared to spinning aimlessly with you."
"You...!" Leo's face flushed with anger. "How dare you, Adrian!"
The two men glared at each other, creating a thick aura of hostility in the middle of the hall.
While Leo and Adrian were busy arguing and measuring their egos, Chloe took a step forward.
With swift yet graceful movements, Chloe knelt on the marble floor right in front of me. The pink-haired girl looked up, took my fingers, and gently kissed the back of my hand.
That single action plunged the entire ballroom into dead silence!
Leo froze. Adrian stopped mid-sentence. The nobles gaped in utter disbelief.
"Lady Rosel," Chloe called out, her melodious voice ringing through the quiet room, her emerald eyes looking at me with an undisguised glow of obsession. "Would you grant the first dance tonight... to me?"
*Ping!*
[Plot Route Status: Completely Destroyed!]
[Male-Female Romance Route: 0%]
[Obsessive Yuri Route: 100%]
[User_YuriSimp]: "CHECKMATE! CHLOE WINS BIG TIME!"
[User_OlympicShip]: "KNEELING AND KISSING HER HAND?! THIS IS A PUBLIC PROPOSAL!"
[User_OrangeCat]: "Look at Leo and Adrian's faces ROFL! Upstaged by a cute girl!"
I stared at Chloe, who was still kneeling before me with a deadly sweet smile, then glanced at the two male leads ready to explode with jealousy.
*God... if this is a dream, please wake me up now...*