Calix, who had just arrived at the banquet hall, spotted Odelia as soon as he entered. From a distance, Odelia was standing face to face with a man, conversing with him.
Red hair, golden eyes. Even the sight of Odelia hesitantly accepting the man's hand as he smiled brightly and reached out.
Calix, who was about to walk towards Odelia, hesitated.
As if unaware of his presence, Odelia placed her hand gently on the man's arm and blended into the crowd of waltzers.
Calix raised his eyebrows slightly, then walked silently toward the crowd. The sound of people calling out to each other naturally reached his ears.
"Ah... Isn't that Allan Bardo? Oh, that Confucius is after that old maid, too? There's more competition than you think."
"Why did she have to fall for that guy... Did you see that before? He was sticking close to her and keeping her on guard so that other guys wouldn't sign up for the dance card."
"She's famous for playing with women's hearts. She's really screwed by a guy who's worth his face."
"Even if she's a war hero, she's all the same in front of a handsome guy like that. In the end, if she loses everything, body and mind, she'll be the only one who gets along ridiculously well."
Calix's gaze was slowly cooling down, and Odelia and Allan were gently spinning to the music.
The hem of her light pink skirt, as if it had been dyed with rose water, spread out believably, and Allan skillfully guided her.
They danced together for a long time, their breathing in sync, and they even laughed naturally.
Calix smirked as he watched. Odelia, who always stepped on his instep during the waltz, was moving exactly according to the choreography this time.
But that smile didn't last long.
He wiped the smile from his face and fixed his gaze with a serious expression. Odelia was already smiling.
'I'm sure I told you last time to avoid Allan Bardo...'
To put it nicely, he's a femme fatale, but in reality, he's the pillar of women, endlessly frivolous and unreliable. If she were to marry a man like that, she'd probably pour everything she had into that man's game.
'Even so, Odelia isn't stupid; she's just dancing. Am I being too harsh?'
Yes, I was being too harsh, he thought, but Calix felt a pang in his chest.
Her hand rested gently on Allan's shoulder, and the two shared a tender atmosphere as their golden eyes locked.
It feels like his insides are slowly burning out.
As he maintained his composure, a wave of emotion passed across his face. The fact that Odelia's smile, always visible only to him, was now being shared with another man filled him with jealousy.
Of course, Calix himself will never admit that this is jealousy.
Before he knew it, the blood vessels on the back of his neck were rising, and his fingertips unconsciously clenched their fists. While they were chatting excitedly, a few nobles exchanged glances, saying, 'Why are you posting with such a scary face?'
***
After a brief cough, Odelia immediately shut her mouth.
Waltzing with Allan was surprisingly enjoyable. She stumbled a few times, but thanks to Allan's flexible leadership, she didn't make any major mistakes.
As the second waltz began, Allan once again extended his hand with his characteristically bright face.
Without giving her a chance to refuse, Allan pulled her hand, and the two began dancing again.
This time, it was a waltz in the form of a clockwise rotation and changing partners.
The women remained in their respective places, while the men took turns dancing in a clockwise direction, pairing up with the women.
Odelia, who was dancing hand in hand with several men, burst into laughter when she saw Allan dancing with other women from a distance and making a funny expression at her.
Then, as she turned around to greet her next partner, she frowned in surprise as an arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
Odelia's eyes widened as she raised her head, thinking that she should give him a good scolding.
"Your Highness!"
Calix quietly held her in his arms, moving step by step to the beat of the waltz. The tension that had finally been released was now tense and resurrected.
She barely managed to finish a siffin without stepping on Calix's instep. Now it's time for Calix to move to the side to switch partners, but for some reason, he just stands there and doesn't move.
The man who had been waiting awkwardly nearby ended up skipping Calix and dancing with the woman next to Odelia.
The next partner was the same, and the next. Embarrassed, Odelia finally whispered softly.
"Your Highness, why are you doing this?"
"Allan Bardo is a man known for his bad manners. If I haven't told you before, you'd better know now."
"Why did you stand there for so long, trying to say that?" Odelia asked, her expression momentarily troubled.
"You told me before, but after meeting him in person, I think it was just a rumor. He's an interesting guy."
Calix frowned.
"He's a funny guy, that's all..."
She tried to say something, but then shut her mouth tightly.
Meanwhile, the waltz had ended, and Alan was standing right next to Calix. Noticing Odelia glancing off to the side, Calix reluctantly gave way.
Odelia's mind became complicated. She felt both bewildered and absurd.
Calix's expression is like a child with a heartache... should I say childish... She wanted to ask why, but strangely enough, she felt like she shouldn't ask.
As the second waltz ended, Calix strode out of the banquet hall as if he was about to leave.
Just as Odelia was about to reflexively take a step after him, Allan gently grabbed her hand.
"Lady Odelia!"
She turned around in surprise, and Allan continued speaking with a surprised expression on his face.
"I'm going to a hunting competition tomorrow. Would you like to come and watch?"
It was an unexpected suggestion.
Odelia hesitated for a moment, then nodded as if she'd finally come to her senses. If she didn't nod, it seemed like Allan, with his bright eyes, would never let go of her hand.
Refusing meant having to come up with an excuse, which was incredibly tiresome. Besides, she was secretly annoyed by Calix's subtle, irritating behavior.
'Wouldn't it be better for His Highness if I got a husband sooner? But why do you keep asking?'
Odelia slowly shook her head. She took a deep breath, as if shaking off her deepening thoughts.
"Then, I will pick you up tomorrow morning."
But as she continued to spend time with Allan at the banquet, a part of Odelia's heart became increasingly uneasy.
So what if he's been a womanizer or not? Is it just because he doesn't seem to be of much benefit to the family? Or is he just being grumpy because he's not the man he chose?
No matter how much she thought about it, she kept thinking that it was too much.
Midway through the banquet, Odelia and Allan stepped outside onto the terrace. They sat side by side at an outdoor table, flower petals fluttering beneath soft lighting.
"Wait a minute, I'll get you something to drink."
While Allan, who had left cheerful tone, was away, Odelia took a deep breath and tried to calm her troubled mind. But suddenly, someone from beneath the bushes grabbed her wrist and pulled it.
"Ugh...!"
Before she could scream, her mouth was shut.
The golden eyes she met were Calix's.
When Odelia nodded with a surprised expression at Calix, who raised his index finger and brought it to his lips, telling him not to make a sound, his hand finally dropped.
Odelia sat down on the steps and looked at Calix. Unlike his neat appearance earlier, the button at the nape of his neck had been undone, and the ribbon that had been neatly tied was now loose.
“Your Highness, why are you hiding among the bushes?”
"Hiding? I was just sitting on a bench when I spotted the two of you."
His face still looked sharp as he spoke.
"What on earth are you mad about?"
"Who?"
"Really? I thought you were jealous again."
Calix, who had been silent for a moment after Odelia's awkward smile, asked back.
"What if I'm jealous?
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