In an instant, sparks flew from Dane's eyes. He stepped closer to Arikx and growled.
“What are you doing?”
Lowered to a pitch only Arikx could hear, his voice was threatening.
“Calm down, Duke. It is merely a political show.”
Despite Dane's piercing glare, Arikx remained nonchalant, as if he had already expected it.
“If the Duke dances with my sister, and I with the Duchess, would it not demonstrate the respect the royal family holds for Schmaichel?”
“You don't have any other intentions, do you?”
“What other intentions could I possibly have?”
“…….”
Dane's gaze was so intensely blinding that anyone looking might have misunderstood it as treacherous intent.
“What are your thoughts, Duchess?”
Arikx took his eyes off Dane and asked Rose.
For a moment, Dane's complex gaze landed on Rose's face. Various emotions flickered within it.
Anger, anxiety, fear…….
‘…Fear?’
Dane Schmaichel feeling fear, just because she was dancing with a prince?
It was absurd.
‘Why would His Excellency dislike this situation?’
Rose tried to judge the situation rationally.
This was the ultimate show and honor to display the alliance between Schmaichel and Prince Arikx.
To fulfill the ‘wifely duties’ Dane had spoken of, taking that hand was the right choice.
‘But….’
Feeling her breath catch, Rose studied Dane's expression.
She couldn't believe he was this anxious over something so trivial.
Seeing him like that, he really looked…….
‘…No way.’
Rose suppressed her sweet imaginings and opened her mouth.
“I am honored, Your Highness.”
Somehow, it felt like this would be the answer Dane wanted.
“My dance card for today is completely filled with my husband.”
And that guess hit the mark.
“…….”
Dane's stiff face relaxed, and relief and composure returned to their rightful places. It was an overtly obvious change, unlike his usual stoic expression.
“Wahaha!”
Beatrice burst into laughter.
“Hey, this, this! My brother took a hit! It's my first time seeing you get rejected!”
“…Quiet down, Beatrice.”
Arikx scolded her with a smiling face.
“Well, even I wouldn't want to entrust a woman as beautiful as the Duchess to another man's hands.”
He then shrugged his shoulders at Dane as if to make a point.
“Then, while the Duke dances with my sister, I shall guard the Duchess's side. This much is fine, right?”
Dane, who had been staring intently at Rose, finally let out a smirk.
“Only up to that point.”
“Ah, of course. I wouldn't want to be hit by the Duke's glove.”
Arikx shrugged as if yielding completely.
“Go with peace of mind.”
At Arikx's declaration of surrender, Dane smiled meaningfully and said to Rose.
“I will be right back.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
Dane stepped out to the center of the floor with Beatrice and began to dance.
His gaze remained fixed on Rose the entire time, yet he led his partner flawlessly without a single misstep.
Above all, the speed was remarkably fast. His resolute and forceful movements felt entirely different from when he was with Rose.
‘He really went easy on me when we danced.’
Rose took a sip of cool water and followed Dane with her eyes.
“Sigh, to be reduced to the Duchess's escort.”
“Many ladies consider it an honor to dance with me. You should know at least that much, right?”
“Of course, Your Highness. Rather, I am merely worried that I might be interrupting Your Highness's precious rest.”
Rose replied politely while keeping her eyes on Dane.
“Please, do not mind me and go seek your own enjoyment, Your Highness.”
At Rose's ironclad response, Arikx chuckled.
“Never mind. Staying here is my enjoyment.”
He then swirled his champagne glass and took a step back from Rose.
“Was that answer a script the Duke wrote for you in advance? I almost thought it was Dane speaking.”
Rose only smiled brightly instead of answering.
From then on, as if truly intending to stay by Rose's side, Arikx maintained an appropriate distance and silently sipped his champagne.
Thanks to that, Rose was able to fully enjoy her rest without anyone bothering or disturbing her.
But that was only for a moment.
“Ahem, hem.”
Someone bravely stepped toward Rose. It was Viscount Vikander, wearing a servile smile.
“Ro-”
The Viscount opened his mouth to speak to Rose,
“Greetings, Your Highness the Prince. It is an honor to meet you under the sun of the kingdom.”
He spotted Prince Arikx standing nearby and hurriedly bowed deeply.
Nod.
Arikx accepted the greeting, casually tilting his head.
Only then did the Viscount turn his head toward Rose. After hesitating for a moment, he opened his mouth.
“…I greet you, Duchess.”
Rose offered a frosty smile and gave a light nod.
“It's been a while, Viscount.”
“…Yes.”
Rose's cold eyes scanned behind Viscount Vikander. Only her stepmother was seen watching from afar; Daisy was nowhere to be seen.
‘She really didn't come.’
Her premonition that she wouldn't see Daisy in high society for a while hit the mark.
It was clear she had been confined after causing a scene at Countess Holland's tea party.
‘What was Father plotting?’
She still vividly remembered her father's appearance on the day they left for Schmaichel Castle.
‘Child, rumors are bound to be exaggerated. I've fed and clothed you all this time, so you need to pay me back. How long are you going to keep playing the Magical Scholar?’
‘Father, but-’
‘If we just win over His Excellency the Duke, we can wipe out our family's debts in an instant. Keep in mind that the survival of our family rests on your shoulders.’
That ruthless gaze that had evaluated her worth by scanning her up and down.
‘Do you think it's easy for a negligible child like you to secure the position of the hostess of Schmaichel? I put in the effort to arrange this place for you, so leave with a grateful heart.’
Since then, Rose hadn't contacted the Vikander family even once. However, with Sonya around, they must have heard how she was doing.
The reason her father had come to this place, even braving disgrace, was obvious.
‘Because Father had taken Henrik's side.’
Rose easily guessed as much and stared at Viscount Vikander.
“Your Highness, if I could have a moment alone with my daughter……”
As Viscount Vikander smiled awkwardly and tried to seek permission,
“Daughter?”
Arikx completely erased his smile and laughed coldly.
“The person standing before you is the hostess of the Schmaichel Duchy.”
His brazen demeanor vanished without a trace, and the dignity of a prince emerged in an instant.
“Viscount, are you now ordering the prince of this country, who is acting as the Duchess's escort, to step aside?”
“Pardon? No, well… that is.”
Rose silently thanked Arikx for volunteering as her escort and backed him up.
“Viscount, His Highness has agreed to look after me until His Excellency returns.”
She lifted her chin haughtily and spoke with confidence.
“If you have something to say, say it here in the presence of His Highness. That is, of course, if you have nothing to hide.”
Viscount Vikander flinched and gauged Arikx's mood.
“…….”
Arikx put his champagne glass to his lips and began to observe the two with amusement.
Under the pale, watching gaze, Viscount Vikander forced a smile and spoke.
“Duchess Schmaichel, I have been greatly discourteous before His Highness. But as you well know, if you consider the future of our family, you must not take your father's words lightly.”
“The future?”
“I have seen where a larger ‘sun’ will rise. If the Du… if the Duchess were to help just a little, we could be the first to bask in the warm sunlight under that sun.”
In short, he was telling her to help him and side with Henrik. This was essentially saying she should betray Dane.
‘He hasn't changed at all.’
Viscount Vikander, her father, only thought of Rose as a family asset and a tool for exploitation.
How could he be so merciless to his own flesh and blood? She doubted if she was even truly his biological daughter.
The loneliness and solitude that had hovered around Rose like air began to creep back in.
‘Though I wasn't expecting anything in the first place.’
Rose clenched her jaw, which had started to slacken toward the floor.
There was someone who would always take her side, someone who would act as her sturdy pillar and her shield.
Besides, the ‘sun’ her father spoke of, namely Henrik, was no different from a sinking ship.
Because Rose and Dane would make it so.
‘Rose.’
Recalling Dane's gentle voice, Rose smiled with utmost elegance.
“Your Highness, it seems my father's spirits are highly elevated today. To claim he saw a larger sun that doesn't even exist, I suspect he may have drunk a bit too much.”
Arikx's eyes narrowed.
He had caught on to Rose's intent to brush off Viscount Vikander's behavior as mere drunkenness.
“Viscount, return home and at least wash your face with cold water.”
Rose stared back at Viscount Vikander and drove the nail in further.
“If His Excellency hears of this, he will surely want to check what that ‘sun’ is.”
At the mention of Dane, Viscount Vikander's shoulders flinched noticeably.
After glancing at Rose and Arikx's expressions,
“C-contact me……!”
Leaving only those words behind, he hastily disappeared. It was a clear picture of someone running away.
Rose took her eyes off his retreating figure and stared at Arikx. Arikx was swirling his champagne glass, looking at Rose with amusement.
“Your Highness, I apologize for causing you trouble. Could you please pretend you didn't see what just happened?”
“Why?”
“I intend to tell His Excellency myself. It is concerning my affairs, after all.”
“I understand. I have no desire to meddle in others' family affairs, either.”
Arikx readily agreed and smiled warmly.
“Dane seems to have worried for nothing. I suppose you would have been fine without me.”
“I am deeply grateful, Your Highness.”
Rose turned back around and looked toward the center of the banquet hall.
Dane and Beatrice's dance was reaching its climax. Dane's eyes had not left her.
As if noticing this as well, Arikx softly struck up a conversation.
“So, Duchess, how does their dance look to you?”
“It looks like a very passionate… and lively dance.”
“Wrong. It's a fierce and intense battle.”
“Pardon?”
Arikx slightly raised the hand holding his champagne glass.
“Before coming here, Betty vowed to put a hole through Dane's foot.”
Rose looked at their dance again in surprise. Only then did she notice the irregular movements mixed into Beatrice's steps.
“Focus, Duke! I feel like my ankle is going to break!”
Beatrice's joyful shout echoed from afar. Even as she was pushed back by Dane's rough lead, she matched his stride by forcefully shoving his chest.
Just as Arikx said, it was a dance that resembled a battle.
“It looks impossible today. With Dane's defense being that thorough, what can you do?”
Arikx, holding back a laugh, threw a question her way.
“Anyway, do you know why I asked you to dance, Duchess?”