“What? My partner is Mr. Meldon?”

“You don’t like it?”

Meldon asked, grinning.

She shook her head, slightly bewildered.

“No. It’s not that I don’t like it…….”

“Just say you hate it. Come.”

Hikan, who was standing behind Dalia, spoke firmly.

The other two seemed to think the same way.

It seems that everyone was very dissatisfied with this partner selection.

‘But I’m supposed to go to this ball with Mr. Lewayne…….’

They must have already talked about it, but she thought that she should at least tell them.

Dalia answered quietly, looking at Hikan’s countenance.

“I was originally supposed to go with Duke Blueport…….”

“……You originally promised to go to the next ball with me right?”

The end of Hikan’s voice trembled slightly.

Dalia suddenly realized.

‘Come to think of it, it’s true.’

She went with Cedric once, so she will definitely go with Hikan next time.

Dalia looked back at him with a guilty look.

“Well, that……somehow…….I’m sorry.”

“Why do you say that to Miss Dalia? It’s your fault for making her not want to go with you.”

“This swindler talks a lot.”

Hikan said coldly.

Meldon laughed at the blatant provocation with one corner of his mouth raised. And he said.

“Well, Duke Pesteros. No matter what you say, her partner is me.”

“Besides that, isn’t it time for you to slowly explain why Mr. Meldon is my partner……?”

Dalia asked after a long pause.

For a moment, everyone was conscious of Dalia’s presence and closed their mouths.

The quick-witted Meldon noticed her mood and quickly led her to the sofa.

Then he dragged a table and chair for one person, sat across from Dalia, and spread a long scroll on the table.

“It’s nothing much, just I’m the escort for Miss Dalia at the ball tomorrow.”

On the scroll Meldon opened, a map of the complex Imperial Palace was drawn.

He twirled his fountain pen and marked each map.

“The Holy Empire contacted us that they would arrive at 10 PM today. Their accommodation is here. If Duke Blueport’s guess is correct, they will move from tonight.”

“What if they don’t move?”

“Then Duke Lewayne Blueport will be a delusional swindler. Just like me.”

Meldon looked at Hikan and said in a chilly voice.

Hikan crossed his arms and looked down at him quietly.

‘Why do these people fight every day without showing any signs of getting close to each other.’

She had given up on everything now. Dalia sighed deeply.

“Anyway, the ball will start at 3 PM tomorrow. Negotiations will take place at 7 PM. At this time, Duke Lewayne Blueport was scheduled to meet Aceras, so he was eliminated from his position as the partner.”

“Aha…….”

‘That’s how it happened.’

Dalia lowered her chin and looked at the map.

“Then why is my brother……?”

“He is the Commander of the Imperial Knights. If he is in charge of the national defense and palace security, he should be faithful to his main job.”

Meldon spoke in a provoking tone.

Dalia saw Hikan chew on his lips. Surprised, she looked at him and shook her head.

Hikan sighed and stroked Dalia’s head.

Dalia rolled her eyes and looked at Adrisha. Her shoulders were drooping too.

“Then Adrisha……?”

“She’s a spy for the Imperial Palace, isn’t she? She’s going to capture the fanatics, so how can she go to the ball.”

“Dalia, can’t we just kill Duke Artus?”

Adrisha asked in a sincere voice. Dalia shook her head.

“Then…….”

There is only one candidate left.

Dalia looked at Cedric spontaneously.

Cedric also saw Dalia. He smiled softly.

“Yeah, Dalia. I couldn’t because I had something else to do.”

“……Aah. I see.”

Dalia murmured, somewhat disheartened. And she awkwardly smiled.

‘Was it too obvious that I was upset?’

That’s funny. What right does Dalia have to be upset about? It wasn’t polite to Meldon either. She smiled at Meldon.

“Then please take good care of me tomorrow, Mr. Meldon.”

“Of course, Miss.”

Meldon grinned mischievously.

Then, he took out a pocket knife, turned it around, and handed the handle to Dalia.

“……What is this?”

“If something happens to me, take it and run away. Don’t hold back and try to purify me.”

“…….”

“I’m warning you especially because Miss is kind-hearted.”

Dalia looked up at him anxiously.

Meldon shrugged his shoulders casually. If Meldon runs wild, the whole area will surely be devastated. She remembered what Hikan said to don’t even try to stop him.

‘…….’

Her mind knows that is the best way. But it felt weird. She accepts the pocket knife.

“That won’t happen.”

“I suppose so.”

“But still, thank you.”

Meldon smiled and withdrew his hand from the glaring blue eyes that poured in as he tried to tousle Dalia’s hair.

It was getting dark outside the window.

By now, Aceras should be entering the palace in a carriage.

Everything will be over tomorrow.

Dalia is determined. Whatever the outcome, she will do her best.

Whether stopping Aceras, or her feelings towards Cedric.

* * *

By the time everyone left the mansion, the sun had set. Cedric heard from his attendant that Aceras had already arrived at the Imperial Palace.

‘Hmm.’

He felt odd.

There’s something constantly bothering him, like a cut on the little finger. Cedric pondered over what this feeling was.

Then he realized that this emotion was closest to fear, and he was taken aback.

It was very rare for him to feel that way.

There was nothing precious to him before, so he wasn’t afraid of losing it. The same was true with dying. So he was calm under any circumstances.

However now…….

‘Am I afraid of dying?’

Cedric asked himself.

The answer did not come immediately. Hesitation was the evidence of fear. He feigned a smile.

‘Fated to die, it’s not even funny.’

Lewayne, that damn man is talking nonsense.

Cedric recalled Lewayne, who had rushed after him and stopped him just before he got into the carriage, long after the meeting.

“Your Highness. Come here for a moment.”

“……Me? You?”

Lewayne nodded seriously.

Cedric frowned. He hadn’t liked Lewayne since before. And it’s still the same even after what happened today.

‘To think he knew my fate in advance by continuously regressing.’

It’s annoying.

Cedric, however, turned round and approached Lewayne.

“So what is it?”

“I’m saying this because Your Highness seems to be a precious person to Miss Dalia Pesteros.”

“You don’t know, but you talk well. Anyway, I like it. Tell me.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. As I repeat the same time period, Your Highness is also trapped in the same fate.”

Cedric was annoyed for a moment, but he held it in. It was because he remembered Lewayne talking about Dalia.

“…… Just keep it simple.”

“From the future that I saw of Your Highness, you always die in this negotiation.”

“Ah, my goodness. It’s not worth it to listen any more.”

“Your Highness.”

Cedric finally stopped. Some sincerity in Lewayne’s voice stirred him.

And Lewayne told him the whole story. What’s the path left for him, what he had to do, and everything else.

Cedric frowned as he recalled their conversation.

Death, the death…….

That’s nonsense.

But strangely enough, he couldn’t let it slip. As if another sense was trying to tell him something.

He suddenly had a headache.

“I’m bored. I can’t accomplish anything like this…….”

It seems like he heard his own voice saying that.

‘Dalia will cry if I die.’

Because she is too kind. She gives affection too easily to people like him.

‘If I die, I’d like to hear an answer and die.’

If he dies and is born again, he can use his age as a weapon to seduce. Cedric laughed to himself at the thought he had made.

Before he knew it, he was in front of the carriage.

Just before getting into the carriage, he inadvertently turned around and glanced at the window of Dalia’s room. It was a mindless action.

But Dalia was standing on the balcony of the window. Looking at him.

She tapped the railing as if she was dying of frustration, and as soon as she saw Cedric turn around, she gestured immediately.

She was so far that Cedric could not see her expression well, but she seemed to be smiling. Brightly.

Cedric got off the carriage and asked the coachman to wait for a while. And he walked to Dalia’s window.

As he thought, she was smiling broadly.

She leaned out of the window and looked down at Cedric.

Of course, her smile was much more beautiful than he had imagined.

“Sir Cedric! How did you see me?”

Now that she was close by, Cedric could hear her when she shouted.

Cedric replied, slightly embarrassed.

“Just by chance……. What’s the matter Dalia?”

After saying that, the smile on Dalia’s face disappeared a little. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

“That’s……”

“Yes.”

Dalia continued to hesitate, and instead of answering, she extended her arms to Cedric.

“Please get me down. I’ll tell you up close.”

“Ah……It’s dirty to come here barefoot. Should I go up?”

“No. I want to go down.”

Dalia said that, and there was no way Cedric could refuse.

He looked around to see if there was any place to drop Dalia off, but there was none.

‘Should I summon something?’

Cedric flicked his hands, imagining something like a large basket.

Then, a white porcelain bathtub appeared in front of him.