"Haha, you really do make me laugh sometimes by saying unexpected things......"
"Is that so? But......"
Suddenly, Killian's arms tightened around my waist.
And I realized that he had managed to get himself out of trouble.
"Uh, h- how......?"
"Pfft, I didn't expect you to be so surprised by that. Don't worry, I have a way to turn off the desire in most situations."
Is it by singing a national anthem? Or a patriotic anthem? Oh, by the way, does this country even have a national anthem?
While I was wondering that, Killian whispered menacingly, "We're going to finish this when we get home, so prepare yourself."
I nodded, blushing.
Come to think of it, something must have happened when I stepped out onto the balcony, but what was it?
Ah, Count Riegelhoff!
......why did I get so seriously nervous seeing his ugly face? I don't remember at all.
***
Killian stroked Edith's back, holding her tightly in his arms as she breathed out what remained of her sweetness.
The corners of his mouth turned up in pleasure.
'She's naughty, unexpected, cute......'
Who would have thought I'd have such feelings for Edith?
When she touched my chest and forearms during the dance, I thought it was a cute provocation, but I never thought she would say frankly that she was excited.
It was then that Killian forgot about Count Riegelhoff and pounced on Edith.
If this wasn't the Imperial Palace, he would have eaten her any way he could.
But he couldn't do anything dishonorable in the palace, so he barely managed to quell his arousal as he remembered the funeral dirge that had been played at his grandfather's funeral.
"Have you calmed down a bit?"
"Yes......"
As Edith's shaking shoulders calmed, Killian, worried that her body temperature was dropping, took off his jacket and slipped it on her.
"If we go back into the ballroom, Count Riegelhoff might be hovering around you again. Will you be okay?"
"Yes, I don't mind. But I don't want to see him alone. Will you stay with me?"
"Gladly."
Killian continued to be bothered by Edith's stiff reaction in front of Count Riegelhoff.
Earlier, she had excused it as excitement, but Edith must have had a painful past that she didn't want to talk about.
A family that cared more about their maid than Edith, who had beaten her to the point where her back was covered in bruises.
'Edith is definitely distancing herself from Count Riegelhoff. I don't know why they mistreated her, but......'
It was a pity that Edith had such a difficult past, but I would be happy if it led to her cutting ties with Count Riegelhoff.
Unlike in the past, when Killian had no intention of making this marriage last, now he wanted to go down to the Ryzen estate with Edith as much as possible.
'If things continue like this, wouldn't we be able to live as a good couple?'
I don't know when I started having these thoughts.
Not so long ago, I was always suspicious and dismissive of her, and now the sight of those pouty lips makes my mouth water.
In fact, even before I left the mansion today, I couldn't take my eyes off Edith.
Even when Lizé appeared in all her dazzling glory, instead of marveling at her beauty, I was too busy making sure that Edith wasn't jealous of the Light of Lorraine, which Lizé was granted first.
Besides, Edith is just as beautiful as Lizé.
'As expected, she looks good in something glamorous.'
In the past, I always assumed that anything Edith wore was tacky. But when I put aside my prejudices, I realized that Edith was born to be glamorous.
I felt guilty that I'd been so mean to her, causing her to wear plain dresses all this time.
'I didn't mean to be pushy......'
Though she hadn't noticed it until now because it didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, Edith had been working hard to blend in with the Ludwigs.
Killian was saddened that he didn't want her help, but she was the first to ask.
"Will you stay with me?"
It was an oddly touching and pitiful request.
It was a small request, but Killian felt a kind of responsibility.
He had to protect her, his wife, who was rejected by her father no matter how he looked at it.
He had to protect Edith, who had been all alone all this time.
***
While he was pondering these thoughts, in the ballroom just behind the balcony doors, many eyes and opinions were exchanged over the disappearance of Killian and Edith.
"What the hell is going on?" Damien Sinclair asked, turning to Leila, whose hands were shaking as she clutched her fan tightly.
"How do I know that?"
"You told me! Killian Ludwig tried to kill Edith Riegelhoff! Was that what a man who tried to kill his wife looked like? Honey dripping from his eyes!"
"What honey? We don't know yet. Didn't you see the look on his face when he met Count Riegelhoff earlier? He looked like he was going to stab him to death!"
"......he did."
It was confusing.
Killian's look at Count Riegelhoff was definitely ferocious.
But ever since he'd arrived at this ball with Edith at his side, he and Edith had been glued to each other, looking affectionate.
Anton furrowed his brow and said, "It's not just Killian that's weird. Edith, that woman...... has a different impression than before."
"Impression?"
"Well, she used to look kind of fierce, somewhat evil, and now she looks kind of bright, if only a little bit."
"Yeah...... that's what I was sensing from her earlier!" Damien said with a serious face, clearly remembering Edith from the days when she was being beaten by his father.
That made Leila even more furious. "What the hell is going on here? Why is that bitch Lizé wearing that necklace around her neck and standing next to Cliff and the Princess?!"
The whole thing was unexpected.
Lizé, who had been sold to the Duke of Ludwig and expected to be a plaything for the men of the house, had come out proudly wearing the Light of Lorraine around her neck as if she were Cliff's wife, and to top it off, she was standing right next to Princess Catherine.
In addition, the rumored feuding couple, Killian and Edith, have been inseparable since they entered the ballroom, whispering in each other's ears and exchanging private conversations.
They even danced a sticky-looking dance before stepping out onto the balcony, just the two of them, and slamming the door behind them.
'What the hell are they doing in there!'
Leila was furious that she stomped her foot.
Especially since Killian was looking breathtakingly handsome tonight.
'He should be my man! I'm the one for Killian Ludwig!'
Leila couldn't believe her eyes, the pink dreams of the National Day ball she'd been having for nearly a month were being shattered.
While she was in such a whirlwind of anger and confusion, Count Riegelhoff gritted his teeth and vented his frustration.
"Edith, that wench has really betrayed me! She clings to Killian and doesn't even treat me like her father."
"What did I tell you? She's changed."
Shane agreed with his father, remembering Edith's behavior toward him.
"You're going to let a traitor to the Riegelhoff family get away with this?"
"Are you out of your mind? I'm more unforgiving of that wench than the Ludwigs are now. After saving her life and raising her to this day, and she has no sense of gratitude!"
Count Riegelhoff glared in the direction where Killian and Edith had disappeared.
Then he muttered, "Now that she's become a Ludwig, we should bury her with the rest of them."
Beside him, Shane nodded in agreement.
Just then, Archduke Langston approached them.
"How do you do, Count Riegelhoff?"
"Ah, Your Highness!"
Count Riegelhoff smiled brightly, as if he had never been in a grim mood.
"I thought we might as well get down to our business," said Archduke Langston lightly as he looked around the ballroom, which was in full swing.
Today is the day they decided to show their power.
It could be risky, but they felt they could turn the tide of their disadvantage if they did it today, when the most nobles were gathered.
"I will bring our allies here shortly," said Count Riegelhoff in a serious tone, and then he and Shane slipped away to a corner of the ballroom.
***
We kissed and made small talk for a long time after the heat had subsided, and finally opened the balcony door after the air had become unbearably chilly.
The sudden blast of hot air made my cheeks burn.
I don't know if it was the heat or the fact that I was doing something naughty just one door away from all these people.
Killian and I made eye contact, smiled at each other, then looked away, then made eye contact again.
A flutter of excitement like I've never felt in my life rushed through me.
"Ah, Killian!"
Cliff approached and called out to Killian.
"I've been looking for you for a while. Where have you been?"
"Oh, well...... it was too hot in the ballroom, so I got some air. Why?"
Cliff smiled with a certain meaningfulness, then covered his mouth with his hand and whispered, "You look like you have something on your mouth."
At that moment, Killian and I both raised our hands to cover our mouths without realizing it.
'I wiped it off, but is there a smear of lipstick on it?'
It was so embarrassing.
But Cliff just smirked and turned to me.