Night covered Citadel in silver and gold.
The enormous western-central city glowed beautifully beneath countless mana lanterns while noble carriages moved endlessly through the polished stone roads leading toward the grand aristocratic district. Music drifted softly from distant banquet halls while elegant nobles and merchants gathered beneath illuminated towers and crystal-lit mansions celebrating wealth, politics, and influence beneath the cold autumn sky.
Tonight—
One of Citadel's highest noble gatherings was being held.
A celebration of ten years of marriage between one of western-central territory's influential ducal families.
And because of the "couple code" theme—
The entire venue radiated romance.
Golden lights.
Low music.
Elegant paired dances.
Smiling nobles pretending politics did not exist for one evening.
Meanwhile—
A black Asheville carriage slowly arrived before the enormous venue gates.
The mansion hosting the banquet looked magnificent beneath the night sky. Massive crystal chandeliers illuminated the marble entrance while silver drapes and glowing flower arrangements decorated the towering balconies above. Noble servants moved gracefully throughout the front courtyard receiving guests while orchestral melodies drifted softly from within the grand ballroom.
The Asheville carriage doors slowly opened afterward.
First—
Reina stepped down gracefully.
And instantly—
Nearby nobles turned their attention toward her.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
Untouchable.
The silver-haired Matriarch wore a long black evening gown layered with silver embroidery resembling moonlit sword lilies stretching elegantly across the fabric. The dress exposed portions of her shoulders softly while silver jewelry reflected beautifully beneath the lantern lights.
She looked less like a noblewoman—
And more like moonlight itself walking among humans.
Then—
Kel stepped down behind her.
And the atmosphere subtly changed again.
Because unlike many young nobles drowning themselves in jewels and excessive decoration tonight—
Kel looked simple.
Sharp.
Dangerously refined.
The black formal coat he wore emphasized his tall figure perfectly while faint crimson patterns near the sleeves and collar gave him an almost ancient aristocratic presence. His dark hair moved softly beneath the cold winds while calm eyes quietly observed the surroundings with natural composure.
And unfortunately—
His face alone immediately became a problem.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly laughed.
"Three noble daughters noticed you already."
Kel calmly walked beside Reina.
"Troublesome."
"Seven now."
Kel ignored her.
Meanwhile—
The moment House Asheville entered the venue—
The surrounding whispers quietly spread.
"Lady Reina Asheville…"
"That's Herald…"
"The southern diplomat…"
"The one connected to dragons…"
"He's younger than I expected…"
"No wonder noblewomen keep staring…"
The grand ballroom itself looked breathtaking.
Golden chandeliers hung from the enormous ceiling while crystal floors reflected soft dancing lights beneath elegant orchestral melodies. Noble couples moved gracefully throughout the central dance floor while servants carried silver trays filled with wine and desserts among the gathering aristocracy.
Kel and Reina quietly entered together afterward.
Naturally—
Attention followed them immediately.
Which Kel hated.
Inside his mind—
Sairen sounded endlessly entertained.
"You radiate too much presence to avoid attention."
"I'm literally standing half a step behind Reina."
"That somehow makes it worse."
Meanwhile—
Several noblewomen already observed him openly from nearby conversation circles.
Young ladies.
Merchant daughters.
Even married noblewomen.
And honestly—
Kel's appearance combined with recent political rumors surrounding him made him extremely attractive within noble society currently.
Mysterious.
Dangerous.
Capable.
Connected to dragons.
And unlike many spoiled nobles—
Actually competent.
Unfortunately—
The first approach happened quickly.
A young noblewoman wearing a crimson dress stepped near him gracefully while pretending casual conversation near the wine tables.
"Excuse me…"
Her eyes lingered on Kel's face slightly too long.
"I don't believe we've formally met."
Kel calmly looked toward her afterward.
The noblewoman smiled softly.
"I'm Lady Evelisse of House Morvain."
Kel nodded politely once.
Then answered immediately:
"I'm Miss Reina's attendant and advisor."
The noblewoman blinked once.
Kel calmly bowed slightly afterward.
"Please excuse me."
Then he walked away immediately.
Inside his mind—
Sairen burst into laughter.
"You dismissed her like a political report."
"She approached unnecessarily."
"That poor girl looked emotionally wounded."
Kel ignored her completely.
Unfortunately—
The second noblewoman appeared only minutes later.
Then another.
And another.
Some approached politely.
Others indirectly.
One even pretended asking about southern trade diplomacy simply to continue staring at him afterward.
And every single time—
Kel gave the exact same response.
"I'm Miss Reina's attendant and advisor."
Then calmly escaped.
Meanwhile—
Reina quietly observed portions of this from nearby noble circles.
And strangely—
Despite her earlier sadness—
A small amount of amusement quietly returned seeing Kel repeatedly trapped by noblewomen.
Especially because his expression gradually became more exhausted each time.
Eventually—
The ballroom atmosphere deepened further as the night progressed.
The music softened.
Couples moved toward the central floor beneath dim golden lights while low orchestral melodies echoed beautifully across the enormous hall.
A true noble couple's dance had begun.
One by one—
Partners joined the floor.
Elegant movements.
Soft smiles.
Beautiful dresses spinning beneath crystal lights.
Meanwhile—
Reina remained near one of the quieter balcony corridors.
Still silent.
Still slightly distant emotionally after earlier events at the mansion.
Several noblemen approached her throughout the evening requesting dances politely.
Every single one—
Rejected.
Calmly.
Respectfully.
But rejected nonetheless.
And eventually—
Even the surrounding nobles quietly understood.
The Matriarch of House Asheville was not interested tonight.
Meanwhile—
Kel silently observed her from nearby afterward.
The dim ballroom lights reflected softly across Reina's silver hair while traces of lingering sadness still rested within her eyes despite her composed noble expression.
Inside his mind—
Sairen quietly spoke.
"She's still thinking about earlier."
Kel already knew.
Then eventually—
He calmly walked toward her.
The nearby noble conversations softened slightly noticing the movement.
Reina slowly looked toward him afterward.
And unexpectedly—
Kel slightly bowed.
Perfect noble etiquette.
Then softly—
He spoke.
"May I have the honor…"
His voice carried exaggerated formality intentionally.
"…of having a dance with you, Miss Reina?"
Silence.
Then—
Reina blinked once.
And suddenly—
She laughed.
A real laugh.
Soft.
Beautiful.
Warm.
Because Kel almost never acted overly formal like this intentionally.
He was clearly trying to cheer her up.
And somehow—
That made the gesture infinitely more precious.
The silver-haired matriarch slowly lowered her head slightly afterward while playing along.
"Then…"
A small smile remained on her lips.
"I shall bestow this honor upon you, Mister Herald."
Inside his mind—
Sairen immediately sighed dramatically.
"Oh this atmosphere is unbearable."
Kel ignored her completely.
Then—
He extended one hand.
Reina accepted it softly.
And moments later—
The two stepped onto the ballroom floor together.
The orchestra continued playing low elegant melodies beneath dim golden lights while noble couples moved gracefully around them.
Yet somehow—
The moment Kel and Reina began dancing—
The surrounding atmosphere subtly changed.
Because they fit together too naturally.
Kel's movements remained calm and perfectly controlled while Reina followed effortlessly beside him beneath the slow rhythm of the music. Her black dress moved beautifully around her legs while silver hair reflected softly beneath the chandeliers above.
No awkwardness.
No hesitation.
Only quiet synchronization.
As though they had danced together countless times already.
Meanwhile—
Reina remained unusually quiet throughout the dance.
Kel noticed immediately.
Then softly—
Without stopping their movements—
He spoke.
"…Sorry."
The words were quiet.
Almost lost beneath the music.
Reina's silver eyes slightly widened.
Kel continued calmly.
"For going that far earlier…"
Another slow step beneath the dim lights.
"…without discussing it with you."
Silence drifted softly between them afterward.
Then eventually—
Reina quietly shook her head.
"Please don't apologize."
Her voice sounded softer now.
"I understood your concern for me."
Another pause followed.
"It just…"
Her fingers lightly tightened against his hand.
"…hurts sometimes."
Kel remained silent.
Reina's silver eyes lowered slightly beneath the ballroom lights.
"Knowing you still protect me from behind constantly…"
The music continued softly around them.
"And never tell me how much you've done."
Another faint breath escaped her lips.
"It hurts not knowing…"
The sadness inside her voice deepened quietly.
"…how far you already have gone…"
Then finally—
She looked directly into his eyes beneath the dim golden lights.
"…or how far you would go…"
Silence surrounded them afterward despite the music and dancing around the ballroom.
"…to protect me."
Kel said nothing.
He simply continued dancing with her slowly beneath the dim lights—
While somewhere deep inside him—
Something quietly ached too