Dance

Time seemed to freeze in place. Lindarion's smile fractured, piece by piece, as Vivienne gazed up at him with innocent eyes.

He turned to the side, looking at his mother—who was grinning like the devil himself, giving him two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Then, he looked forward—at the king.

Leonhardt was grinning just as devilishly.

'I've just walked into the worst trap of my life… there's no escape from this.'

So, he did what had to be done.

He bent slightly forward and extended his hand.

'This is beyond embarrassing… everyone is staring.'

"Princess Vivienne, it would be an honor."

He forced the fakest smile in existence as he looked into her eyes.

She simply nodded, took his hand, and pulled him straight to the center of the ballroom.

Every single pair of eyes was on them. He hated it.

'…I hate my life.'

"LET THE REAL MUSIC BEGIN!"

Leonhardt's voice boomed through the hall once again, nearly shattering Lindarion's eardrums. A moment later, a slow, ballad-like melody began to play.

He gently took both of Vivienne's hands, forcing a smile, praying he wouldn't trip.

'Mother… why have you done this to me?'

They glided across the dance floor like the wind. Whispered murmurs filled the air, but he had long since grown used to them.

"Who is that boy?"

"An elf… the princess chose an elf…"

"Unbelievable."

Their dance was flawless—every step perfectly in sync. He held one of Vivienne's hands, the other resting on her waist.

'This is a strange feeling… I don't like it.'

Then came the finale—he spun Vivienne around before they both came to a stop.

She looked up at him, gazing into his eyes.

Then, she gave a single nod.

'…?'

Meanwhile, the prince—Jack—was grinding his teeth in pure frustration.

Suddenly, the king began clapping, his applause echoing through the ballroom. One by one, everyone followed suit.

Vivienne and Lindarion bowed. Then, he turned to leave, heading back to his seat.

Even with his back turned, he could feel the stares burning into him.

Then, he heard it—hurried, angry footsteps approaching from behind.

He whipped around.

"JACK VALERIAN!"

Leonhardt's voice roared through the hall.

But it was already too late—Jack's fist was flying straight toward Lindarion's face.

'A six-year-old is trying to punch me… I can tolerate a lot of things, but this is ridiculous.'

He dodged it effortlessly.

It felt like a toddler had swung at him.

He didn't strike back—he wasn't about to cause trouble for himself. But this was getting annoying.

Before Jack could throw another punch, the guards surrounded them, and Jack's own guards restrained him.

"How dare you humiliate me?! That dance should have been mine!"

'…?'

'Is this some kind of joke? Is he actually this stupid?'

Lindarion shook his head as the guards dragged Jack away.

The king said nothing—he just buried his face in his hands, clearly exasperated.

The entire ballroom fell silent.

Everyone's eyes were either on Lindarion… or on the king, waiting for his response.

Then, Leonhardt stood up and declared:

"I apologize for the disturbance. Now—let the ball continue!"

And with that, he vanished somewhere, too fast for anyone to track.

For a moment, the ballroom was filled with silence.

Then, slowly, conversations and dancing resumed.

Lindarion's mother rushed over to him.

'Took her long enough.'

"Are you alright, sweetheart?"

She pulled him into a hug quickly, her arms wrapping around him as she held him close.

"I'm fine, Mom. It's nothing."

He glanced at Therion—his face was about to explode with rage. It was understandable, but they couldn't have him lash out now.

Lindarion subtly gestured for him to stay calm.

The rest of the ball was uneventful—everyone had their own share of fun. Drinking, dancing, and subtle conversations filled the hall.

Except for one thing.

Lindarion noticed Vivienne sitting alone.

So, he did the impossible.

'This will work.'

He approached her—to find out the reason behind all this.

"Princess, I'd like to know—"

"I only danced with you because my father asked me to."

Her voice was cold.

"I have no idea who you actually are, and I don't want anything to do with you beyond this accident. I hope that's clear."

The weight on his chest instantly vanished.

"Thank you. That's all I needed to know."

He gave a small bow and turned to leave.

He felt her gaze on his back as he walked away.

But he didn't look back.

'Finally, it's over. I'm free.'

His eyes nearly teared up with pure joy and relief.

The ball ended sooner than expected, and the king had everyone escorted out one by one.

For some reason, Lindarion's group was the last to leave.

"Melion, may I steal the boy for a moment?"

The king's voice was strong and commanding.

His mother's expression was unreadable, but her smile didn't waver for even a second.

"Of course, but be careful with him."

Her voice carried a slight edge, almost like a warning, though her smile remained intact.

Leonhardt nodded and gestured for Lindarion to follow.

"Come, Prince."

'What does he want?'

They walked deep into the castle in silence, the quiet stretching between them. It was suffocating—until Leonhardt finally broke it.

"I sincerely apologize for what happened. I wasn't able to restrain Jack in time."

'Oh… so that's what this is about.'

Lindarion's eyebrow twitched slightly. Had the king really dragged him all the way here just for that? Or was there something more to this?

"As an apology, let me offer you a gift."

'Bingo. I knew there was more to it.'

He had to fight the urge to rub his hands together and do a little victory dance.

Before he knew it, they stood before a massive, warehouse-like chamber. Leonhardt spread his arms wide.

The grand doors slowly creaked open, a cool gust of air rushing past him. Magic hummed in the atmosphere, sending a brief shiver down his spine.

"Please, choose something from the royal vault, Lindarion."

"!!!"

His face paled, his eyes widening in disbelief.

'This is too good to be true.'

Stepping inside, he found himself in what seemed like an endless hall—mountains of gold, gleaming gemstones, and legendary weapons sparkled under the torchlight. Yet, none of it truly caught his attention.

Then, suddenly, a dusty old book on a separate shelf caught his eye. No title, no markings, no sign of what it was. It had clearly been left to gather dust.

'This is it.'

[Choose that one, Host.]

The moment his fingers touched the book, a strange resonance pulsed between them.

Only a single image adorned the cover—a serpent devouring its own tail.

Lindarion stepped out of the treasury, the book in hand.

Leonhardt gave him a strange look, his expression unreadable.

"Lindarion, you can choose anything… Are you certain about this book? It's been here for years, and no one has ever found any use for it. The text inside is incomprehensible."

"Yes."

His answer was immediate and firm. He didn't hesitate for even a second.

Leonhardt simply nodded. "Very well."

With that, they returned.

Lindarion followed Leonhardt back through the castle's winding halls, his grip tightening around the book. The weight of it felt… unnatural. Almost as if it was pulsing in his hands. But he said nothing.

When they arrived at the entrance, his mother was already waiting. She glanced at him, then at the book, her expression unreadable.

"Melion, Lindarion. I'm glad you came. Please, give Eldrin my regards," Leonhardt said, his voice composed.

His mother returned a warm smile, inclining her head slightly. "We will. The pleasure was ours, Leon."

Lindarion followed suit, giving a brief bow before stepping into the waiting carriage.

As the door shut behind them, his mother finally turned to him. Her gaze lingered on the book in his hands.

"You did well, my son. I'm proud of you."

He nearly scoffed. 

'You planned nearly everything, though…'

Still, he held his tongue.

The carriage rolled forward, but instead of heading toward their estate, his mother subtly signaled the driver telling him to head towards the gate. A few moments later, they were redirected toward the teleportation gate.

Waiting there was Edric, standing stiffly beside the swirling vortex of energy.

"You're leaving already? Don't you want to return to the—"

"We're leaving," Lindarion's mother interrupted coldly.

Lindarion glanced at her. He had never heard her speak like that before.

Edric hesitated, then nodded. "…Understood. Activating the gate now."

The portal flared to life.

With a single step forward, Lindarion returned home.