The door on the other side of the room swung open.
And Ash, dressed in a white suit with gold details, walked in slowly.
Behind him, was the prophet Gillith.
—Who is that beautiful young man?
The people murmured.
Ash looked like a protagonist.
He shone and was handsome and beautiful.
Some people recognized the prophet Gillith.
Slowly, Ash and Violet's eyes met across the crowd.
The person who booked my first dance today is Ash.
Ash had asked for one thing when he planned all of this: that he be granted the first dance of the event.
—Who is that?
Isn't that emblem from Kaizeria?
When Edgar saw Ash, his face twisted as if he had seen a ghost.
His gaze stopped on Ash's shoulder.
It was the emblem that represented the City-State of Kaizeria.
At this moment, the prophet Gillith slowly came forward and shouted:
“It is Grand Duke Ravens of the City-State of Kaizeria!”
Again, there was an uproar.
—The Grand Duke Ravens!
The only son of the Holy Emperor!
Someone screamed.
Violet looked at them calmly.
It turns out that he was the only son of the mysterious current Pope, whose gender was not even known.
In terms of the Empire, his status was comparable to that of a prince.
So that was it.
Violet thought.
He had already suspected that Ash might be a high official of the Grand Cathedral and Kaizeria, where the headquarters of the Grand Cathedral was located.
The moment he realized Ash's status, he felt a strange distance and a stabbing pain in his heart.
—Only royalty has the right to dance with the Winter Queen, right?
Ash slowly approached and said as if he was having fun.
—If it's you, Ash, I'll give you the first dance, even if you're not royalty.
Violet whispered in Ash's ear.
Ash smiled.
-Because?
—Because you started all this.
Violet and Ash held hands in the center of the ballroom.
The murmurs of the people grew louder.
—Will you dance with Grand Duke Ravens instead of the crown prince?
—…This is a dance of the Empire.
But Violet didn't care.
It was a matter of taste, beyond courtesy.
The very idea of dancing with a being as creepy as Edgar was terrible.
Besides, he had already promised Ash the first dance.
—What did you talk so much about with the crown prince?
Ash said.
—About the strange and dark tastes of the crown prince.
—Oh, how creepy.
I'll make sure he can't use his tongue before he speaks.
Violet realized it was a joke and smiled weakly.
—Ash, you were from Kaizeria.
And… you hid your identity from me.
The position of the Pope of Kaizeria was not inherited, but was a kind of elective position.
High-ranking priests elected the Pope in each generation.
However, to run for the position of Pope, one must have a special ability such as the power of healing.
This meant that Ash was born into a noble family of Kaizeria.
He had heard that people from noble families there were born with special abilities.
—You weren't surprised.
You should have known that it was related to the Great Cathedral.
—The information you allowed me to know was just that.
The bodies of the two came closer.
Although she hadn't danced much, her steps with Ash fit well.
Their bodies moved as if they were flowing with the music.
—I told you, you'll find out about me soon.
I'm not a criminal, so don't you think you should be more lenient with me?
—With you I'm not just lenient.
We are friends who help each other.
Ash was closer than ever, but he felt further away than ever.
"Ash, why are you here?" What is your goal?
—I told you, I like ruining things.
"Is stopping the crown prince from dancing with the Winter Queen your way of ruining the ball?"
Violet was sincerely intrigued.
At that moment…
Oh…
Riiing!
It was another vision of the future.
«—Ash Ravens.
The most beautiful and fearsome, made of the noblest blood in this world.
Future Violet said with a sigh.
—A disgusting and noble monster.
—In the end, he didn't obtain the throne of the Empire?
Perhaps the fate of the two changed on that same day.
The fate of Mrs.
Violet and Ash.
It was the girl with her face covered again.
She spoke to the future Violet.
—Are you referring to the day Carita's coffin was opened?
But from that day on, my life began to be ruined, and that man, Ash, used that event to start taking over the capital."
A brief dizziness.
Violet's body leaned completely towards Ash.
Ash held her firmly.
—Another dizziness?
Are you OK?
—Uh, yeah.
I'm fine...
Violet didn't know how to interpret the vision of the future she had just seen.
What kind of person will the future Ash be?
And, what else was going to happen today in this place?
Violet remembered Edgar, who was looking at her as if he were possessed.
—Does that man's look bother you?
Ash said sweetly.
Edgar's gaze was so persistent that even he felt it.
-I'm fine.
Violet said carefully.
People smiled when they saw the two whispering carefully to each other.
Maybe it seemed like the secret of two shy young people who had fallen in love.
—They really look very good together.
It's like a painting.
Violet felt confused by the people's stares.
It was as if the Ash Defendale he knew had disappeared and a new character, Grand Duke Ravens, had appeared.
In fact, although Ash was famous for being the youngest swordsman, he had rarely appeared in public.
There was also no one who claimed to know Ash until now.
Violet now understood everything that had happened.
With his status piece in place, everything about Ash made sense.
That calmness, that hint of arrogance that made him seem different from others since he was born.
The music ended completely.
Edgar quickly approached them.
—Don't you know the label?
This dance is presided over by royalty.
The dance between the Winter Queen and royalty is an ancient tradition.
How dare you ignore her!
Edgar trembled with a red face.
He looked so undignified that Violet couldn't smile even out of commitment.
Although he was a womanizer, his attitude was strange.
—It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness, the crown prince.
But it's strange.
I have never seen a dance, from any time or place, where a lady's right to choose her first dance is taken away.
—…
—Perhaps there are still some wild traditions in the Empire that I don't know about.
Honestly, in terms of appearance, attitude, and composure, the class difference between the two of them was too great, even though they were both from the nobility.
If Violet felt this way, the other nobles observing the situation must feel it even more.
Ash hates the crown prince.
And a lot.
Violet thought as she watched them.
The content of the vision of the future was similar.
If Ash got involved in a power struggle and took over the throne...
So, it seemed that Ash wasn't just after power.
It seemed like he had a deeper hatred towards the imperial family.
…To be continued