As the music ended, Navia left the dance floor with her escort.
Creed called over a servant and chose a glass of water, offering it to Navia.
"Ah, thank you..."
She was indeed thirsty, not so much from the dancing.
Navia had not been keen on attending today's banquet.
It meant encountering many detestable people she had no need to face until now.
But at the moment, her mind was too preoccupied elsewhere to care.
Whether this was a stroke of luck or a new misfortune, she couldn't tell.
Then Creed asked her.
"Do you want to rest in the lounge?"
Navia almost dropped her glass.
"What, what?"
'Seriously, what outrageous thing is he suggesting now!'
In the social circles, suggesting to rest in the lounge was a euphemism for engaging in intimate activities in a private place.
Seeing Navia's overreaction, Creed tilted his head in confusion.
"It seemed like your feet might hurt from dancing in those uncomfortable shoes."
'So he didn't mean it in that way.'
Of course, Creed wouldn't have such intentions.
Navia, her face flushed, nodded while fanning herself.
"Mhm, that might be best."
She felt the need to meditate in the lounge, as inappropriate thoughts kept surfacing.
"I'll let Duke Erkin know," she said.
Creed corrected himself from calling the Duke 'Uncle', a habit he had picked up from following Navia around as a child.
After guiding Navia to the best lounge, he discreetly laid a protective magic barrier and left, to prevent any unforeseen incidents.
Left alone in the lounge, Navia stepped out onto the balcony to cool her heated cheeks.
She wanted to cool her overly agitated feelings with the cold air.
The sun was setting, the horizon starting in golden hues, overtaken by a beautiful pink that spread across the sky.
Such a pretty pink sunset was rare; why was it exceptionally beautiful today?
Navia's mood grew even more restless.
"Lowborn?"
A voice that shattered her heated state came from nearby.
'Lowborn,' a term used by only one person.
Navia turned her head with a cold expression.
The balcony next to hers and the one she was using were barely a step apart.
There, on the adjacent balcony, was Wood.
He boasted a solid build, short red hair, and a sleek appearance, typical of the Agnes people.
Wood hadn't been looking forward to today's banquet. He wasn't on good terms with Creed at the Academy, and things were awkward with Sara.
While Sara showed no interest in Wood, his feelings for her had also faded.
His relationship with Vivian had soured since childhood, and he was annoyed even being in the same space. So, he stayed in the Agnes-assigned lounge, drinking.
And then, suddenly, Navia appeared on the balcony next door.
"Why are you here...?"
Wood mumbled, then shut his mouth. Eseled would have been entitled to use a lounge reserved for royal guests.
"I didn't expect to see you here. It's been a while?"
Like when they were young, Navia didn't raise her voice at him.
Wood frowned. 'How dare a lowborn like her,' he thought, but didn't say out loud.
Navia looked every part the high nobility.
Her beauty, the delicate shape of her dress, the venerable jewelry set – it wasn't just about those.
Navia had a different aura.
Even her disdainful gaze and the twisted smirk were elegant.
Wood was captivated by an unfamiliar feeling.
Back in Agnes, Navia was always dressed shabbily. Now, she exuded the air of someone of high birth.
But so what?
Wood approached Navia with a wine bottle in hand.
"How is it, living as a high noble? Who would have thought Eseled would grow so much...?"
Navia didn't bother to respond.
Wood chuckled and took a sip of wine.
"But what does that matter? I know what kind of woman you are."
He jumped over the balcony railing and stood right in front of Navia.
Instead of stepping back, she lifted her head to look at Wood.
The pinkish hue of the sky set against Navia's elegant features was dreamlike.
Truly, she was still intolerably beautiful.
"Surely you must have obtained this position with your strange abilities, right?"
His resentment grew stronger. He wanted to see her face clouded with fear.
Navia, instead of retreating, reached out and yanked Wood's chin towards her.
"What...!"
"Knowing that, you still approached me?"
Wood closed his lips tight.
The tension enveloped him, his eyes trembling as they fixed on Navia's red irises.
'Yes, those red eyes.'
He finally understood the true nature of those red eyes, once engulfed in sparks so bright they seemed almost white.
Gulp. Involuntarily, a dry swallow slid down his throat.
Navia softly whispered to him, as if scolding or coaxing him.
"You know this better than anyone else, Wood."
The hand opposite of Navia's smoothly gripped Wood's cheek. That seductive gesture was, in fact, a gentle threat.
"You know what happens when you get in touch with me."
Thwack!
Wood brushed off Navia's hand and stepped back.
As if trying to deny the strange thumping in his heart and the heat rising in his body, he snapped fiercely.
"Do you think I won't expose your abilities?"
"Expose them. I don't care. But maybe you should be careful, brother? What if I accidentally harm your precious body?"
Wood bit his lip hard.
No matter what, he couldn't win against this woman with words alone.
That frustrated him. He was angry. That must be why his heart was pounding so loudly.
Wood wanted to blurt out something to justify his feelings.
"I admit that Eseled has become great. But in noble society, connections are important. Doesn't Eseled realize that no matter how much you tries, if there are no cooperating houses, you will eventually be isolated?"
If others intentionally isolate and pressure Eseled, significant damage will occur.
Navia burst into laughter.
Her appearance, not fitting the tense atmosphere, looked so beautiful that Wood was taken aback.
'What a crazy thought.'
He thought she looked pretty while laughing? That's impossible unless he's lost his mind!
Navia looked at Wood with a lingering smile. Strangely enough... she looked pretty.
Navia looked pretty.
That Navia...
'It's impossible.'
"Brother, you better watch your behavior. How can you lead a family with such a mindset?"
Wood didn't hear her treating him as a fool who knew nothing. It felt like his mind had stopped.
"...Navia Eseled."
Navia looked at him with an indifferent, nonchalant expression.
Damn, she was definitely crazy.
"I didn't come to fight."
"A passing dog would laugh at that."
"You keep...! ...Ah, no. Forget it. I'm sick of these tiresome arguments. We have to face each other for life anyway. We are direct descendants of one of the only three dukedoms in the empire."
"For life..."
Navia blinked as if she had never considered such a thing.
"And it would be better for you to get along with me, right? About that magic stone recharge... We will never lose in terms of quantity."
Navia tilted her head slightly.
Wood flinched for a moment.
He was overly conscious of every action she made.
"So, what exactly are you trying to say? Do you really think it's possible to get along with me?"
That's impossible.
As Navia looked at him with disdain, Wood bristled.
"...Why would it be impossible?"
He admitted that their relationship was too complex to be simply described as enemies.
But that was all in the past. They were childhood quarrels. Now that they were adults, shouldn't they be able to forget them?
Wood grabbed Navia's cheek.
"What are you doing?"
"Think about the great benefits if we get along well."
"I asked what you're doing."
Navia tried to slap his hand away with a sunken expression, but Wood's hand didn't budge, acting manly.
The absorption of magic power was too slow to be meaningful, so she hadn't even started. She regretted that.
'When will Creed arrive?'
There was something strange in Wood's eyes.
The way he was holding her cheek was even more bizarre. A disgusting and dreadful thought crossed her mind.
"Crazy bastard."
An angry word slipped out involuntarily.
It couldn't be helped. The expression and gaze he had only shown towards Sara were now directed at her!
"Let go."
"Navia."
"Shut up. Don't speak."
"Don't be emotional. Marrying me would be beneficial for you..."
"If you're not insane, how dare you talk to me about marriage?"
Navia trembled with anger.
It would have been better if Wood had called her a bug, despised her, and hated her. He should have hated and despised her like that.
Daring to harbor feelings for her as if flipping his palm was an impossible thing.
It was unthinkable, even for Wood, who was vulgar, emotional, and self-willed!
"How dare you!"
Even in this situation, Wood was breathless seeing Navia's raw anger.
'Damn it... I must be really crazy.'
Even in such moments, Navia was unbelievably beautiful. It was doubtful if such a beautiful person could exist.
There was a time when this woman's name was Navia Agnes.
Navia Agnes...
At the sound of that beautiful name, Wood shouted with a broken expression.
"I'm confused too!"
Navia, unable to hold it back, kicked his shin.
"Ugh-!"
"Disgusting. You better not show up in front of me again."
"Hey!"
Navia turned away sharply.
She didn't want to stay here a moment longer. She felt like she might do something reckless out of anger.
Wood grabbed his shin and grimaced, then suddenly startled and grabbed Navia.
"You're leaving just like that?"
"…Let go."
"Just a moment…!"
Thud! Suddenly, a large hand emerged, grabbed Wood's arm, and twisted it upwards.
Then a fist came crashing down into his cheek.
Wham!
"Ah!"
The force was so strong that his upper body was sharply bent backward. However, one arm was still gripped by the monstrous strength, preventing him from falling to the ground.
"Who...!"
Wood, with his other free arm, raised his hand to shield his face and began to shout, but then he hesitated.
The moment he met the icy blue gaze that seemed intent on killing him, a shiver ran down his spine.
"Your, Your Grace...."
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