The event soon eased the tension, and the music began to play.
Couples could be seen dancing to the rhythm of the melody, while others stayed on the sidelines or chatted with acquaintances.
"Brother, brother…" Margery waved her hand in front of Cassian's face.
He seemed to snap out of it and looked at his sister. "What's wrong?"
"Come on," she said with a smile. "Let's dance."
Cassian smiled resignedly, took her hand, and they headed toward the dance floor. He placed his arm around Margery's waist, and they began to move in time with the music.
"Today I'm the envy of every woman here," she commented, looking around and noticing how many people — especially the women — were watching them.
"Don't exaggerate," he replied, just as he spun Margery around, creating a stunning scene for everyone watching.
Laughter followed his words. "I'm sure Rosalind would also like you to ask her. You should dance with her later," Margery suggested.
Cassian nodded calmly. "I will. I'll go find her afterward."
Margery looked at him with satisfaction, enjoying the moment. Meanwhile, a particular pair of eyes was closely following the sibling pair.
"It seems your fiancé is attracting a lot of attention," commented Valeria Astaford, exuding her usual dominant presence.
"So it seems," Cassane replied, her gaze lost on the dance floor.
"You must be happy. I'm glad you managed to avoid the engagement with that prince."
"Yes… Elizabeth Vane is incredible."
"Is it true you asked her to get that potion? I thought you would just wait that your engagement was enough."
"To be honest, I had already given up," Cassane admitted. "I don't know why she suddenly intervened."
"At least she asked for something in return, right? My father always says that woman is a viper."
"She said we should pay her the price of a high-grade potion. Can you believe it? Although…"
"What is it?"
"She also said I should end my engagement with Cassian…"
"Your engagement… What does that have to do with her helping you?"
"I don't know, but…"
At that moment, the murmur in the hall suddenly grew louder.
Cassian Varkas had asked someone to dance — a person no one expected to see on the dance floor, much less with the second son of a Count. It was someone famous for rejecting the advances of countless suitors in her youth: Elena Thorne, the "Commoner Genius" known for her iron will.
Once Cassian finished dancing with Margery, he spotted a familiar figure in a corner. She was staring into space with an expression that suggested she was pondering something with great seriousness.
Although he hesitated at first, he approached with firm steps.
"May I have this dance?" he offered in a neutral tone, extending his hand in a formal invitation.
Professor Elena Thorne was about to refuse out of habit, accustomed to rejecting suitors on instinct, but when she lifted her head and saw who it was, she was stunned. Almost unconsciously, she took his hand and allowed herself to be led to the center of the dance floor.
"I didn't expect you to be the type to ask someone to dance, Cassian," she commented, regaining her composure as they began to move.
"And I didn't expect you to be the type to accept," he replied with a half-smile. "You looked so stiff that I thought maybe it was a good idea."
"I thought you didn't like drawing attention."
"I don't. But a dance with my favorite professor shouldn't be that big of a problem."
"You really are a…" Elena couldn't help but let a small smile appear on her face as they followed the rhythm of the music, finally surrendering to the moment.
They continued moving, ignoring the stares and focusing only on each other. However, there is always someone who hates not being the center of attention.
Prince Bastian watched the pair as if they were a stain on his ballroom. What irritated him most was that his fiancée, who should have been dancing with him to stop the spectacle, was nowhere to be seen.
"Tomorrow the press will have a lot to talk about, won't they, Rosalind?"
"Headmistress Sterling," Rosalind replied with a curtsy.
"You don't have to be so formal. You were one of my best students at the Academy."
"That doesn't mean I shouldn't show you respect, even if you take it lightly."
"Hahaha, your brother isn't taking tonight lightly," laughed the Headmistress. "It looks like he's already looking for a second wife without having married the first."
Rosalind frowned.
"He won't marry Cassane, that's obvious. And Elena is his professor."
"Oh, but… I wasn't talking about Cassane," Sylvia said with a meaningful undertone.
"What do you mean?" But before Rosalind could get an answer, Cassian, who had just finished dancing with Elena, approached them.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Margery won't leave me alone if I don't do this. Rosalind, shall we dance?"
She kept Sylvia's words in the back of her mind and gave him a reproachful smile.
"So it's only because Margery insisted?" she asked, a trace of annoyance in her voice.
"Come on, don't be mad. You know I rarely take the initiative for this."
"But I saw you were enjoying yourself with Elena."
"Much more with my sisters. Come on," he insisted.
Rosalind gave in and took his hand. Before leaving, Cassian apologized to Sylvia; she was looking at him as if expecting the same invitation, knowing perfectly well it wouldn't happen.
Sylvia remained there, watching the two head toward the dance floor.
"Grandmother?" Seraphine Sterling approached the headmistress after finishing her etiquette duties with other nobles alongside her brother.
"Sera… it seems your friend is quite popular," Sylvia commented without taking her eyes off Cassian.
The young woman looked toward the dance floor with indifference.
"That's his sister. It's normal for them to dance together," she replied, seeing nothing strange in the scene.
Her great-aunt, however, couldn't help but shake her head at how oblivious her niece was. Sylvia knew how to read between the lines, and what was happening in that hall was much more than just a simple family dance.