Westheid nonchalantly entered the "Vacuum Side" and walked up to Reiya.
At the sound of footsteps, the Silver-haired Dragon Lady raised her head, allowing Westheid to see her eyes clearly.
They were as brilliant as gemstones. They were not a single color, but a magnificent blend of cerulean blue and deep violet.
Yet, these magnificent eyes held a lifeless, cold emptiness.
The moment she saw Westheid's face, Reiya's eyes brightened for an instant, but only for an instant.
In a flash, they switched back to a cold, self-protective indifference.
The black-haired, purple-eyed young man smiled, offered a bow, and introduced himself.
"I am Westheid Qinghui, the current patriarch of the Qinghui Clan, the [Branch of Prosperity]."
"....Are you here to hurl more curses at me? Or do you want to give me a few slaps?"
Reiya's voice was slightly hoarse, as if her vocal cords had been damaged. She turned her face away.
"Never mind. Whatever you're going to do, just get it over with. I want to continue looking at the flowers."
Westheid crouched down in front of Reiya and extended his hand.
The Silver-haired Dragon Lady immediately squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the coming pain. But the expected blow never landed. Instead, one of her hands was gently taken. Then, the man's words brushed against her cheek, carried on his warm breath.
"Her Highness Reiya, I would like to invite you to dance with me."
Reiya turned her head, her gaze falling upon the handsome face so close to her own—a face that could make the hearts of countless maidens flutter.
His dark brown, layered hair looked incredibly soft. His features were so perfect they seemed sculpted by a Celestial God's own hands. Beneath elegant brows, his deep violet eyes were profound, like gemstones reflecting the Star Sea.
His slightly pursed lips held an incredible allure, perfectly showcasing his rugged, masculine charm.
At that moment, Reiya's heart stopped.
She took several deep breaths before asking, "What did you say?"
Westheid smiled. "I was so moved by your beauty that I had to ask you for a dance."
'Beautiful? Me?'
Reiya froze. She glanced at the surface of the nearby fountain, which reflected a ridiculous figure: the dragon horns so despised by every Imperial Citizen, the fissures in her skin, the mutilated limbs... Nothing about her could be considered beautiful.
Calling such a wretched sight "beautiful" was an incredible stretch.
".....Is this some new kind of sarcasm?"
As she looked at Westheid again, Reiya's fists tightened, and a sudden, intense wave of humiliation washed over her.
She hated herself—hated her own foolishness and naivete. To think she had been so dazzled by his handsome face that she'd felt a faint, insignificant flutter in her heart.
'I should have known. I should have known that anyone approaching me now could only hate and despise me. What else could I expect but curses and torment?'
Reiya glared defiantly at Westheid. Her magnificent eyes misted over, but she forced herself to look strong as she gave a self-mocking laugh.
"If your goal was to insult me, sir, then you've succeeded. I am exactly that—an ugly, twisted mongrel!"
"......."
Westheid didn't quite understand her reaction. 'Just a moment ago, she was ignoring all the vicious words from the crowd. Now I'm speaking to her gently, and she acts as if she's suffered some terrible injustice.'
But he quickly realized that Reiya simply didn't believe him.
'That's easy enough to fix.'
"I am not lying. Your beauty truly captivated me at first sight."
Westheid raised a hand and said solemnly,
"If you do not believe me, I will swear to the Divine Ancestor, the [Radiant Holy Tree]—no, I swear to all the Celestial Gods in the cosmos that my words are true."
"!!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Reiya looked at Westheid with an expression of utter astonishment.
In this world where the Celestial Gods were supreme, swearing an oath to them was no trivial matter. For the nobility, an oath to a Divine Ancestor was an extremely solemn affair that could directly impact one's political career.
The Silver-haired Dragon Lady's lips trembled. "You... you..."
"What are you saying?! Brother?!"
Yolanda came up from behind, just in time to hear Westheid's oath. She let out a cry and lunged toward him.
The platinum-blonde girl grabbed Westheid's arm with one hand and covered her brother's mouth with the other.
"This is the Holy Tree Palace! An oath made beneath the Holy Tree Illusion is certain to be heard by the Divine Ancestor! Do you want to be branded a blasphemer for deceiving a god?!"
'Yolanda was scared out of her wits. Making a false oath to the Divine Ancestor, and in public, no less! If he were found guilty, his very life might be forfeit!'
Yet, just as the platinum-blonde girl was frantically trying to figure out how to handle the inevitable repercussions, she noticed Westheid looking at her with a peculiar expression.
After holding Westheid's gaze for a moment and realizing that nothing had happened, Yolanda silently released her hands.
"I told you, I wasn't lying."
Westheid straightened his collar and said coolly, "In your eyes, am I that much of a reckless fool?"
Yolanda regained her composure, took a step back, and apologized.
"I'm sorry, Brother. I lost my composure."
Then she glanced at the equally shocked Reiya, her expression complex.
"But Brother, I beg you to reconsider. There are so many ladies of noble birth to choose from. Why must you pick... pick her?"
"It's just a dance. Must you stick your nose in this as well?"
Westheid turned his gaze back to Reiya. The Silver-haired Princess stared at the black-haired, purple-eyed man and asked in disbelief,
"So... you really think I'm... beautiful?"
His answer was an unhesitating affirmation.
"Absolutely."
Westheid truly wasn't lying. In his eyes, Reiya, with her mutilated limbs and cracked skin, was indeed breathtakingly beautiful.
'Ah, you ask what kind of beauty?'
'The beauty of power, of course! The beauty of stats! The beauty of game mechanics!'
'[Withered and Flourishing Dragon Emperor] Reiya. In the game, she was a character who had been teased but not yet released. But just her performance in the story and her revealed abilities were enough to make a hardcore meta-chaser like Westheid itch with anticipation.'
'She possessed dual Tier T0 Divine Talents from both the Dragon God and the Tree God! A Demigod who was nigh-invincible in the Mortal World!'
'At this point in the timeline... Reiya's Talent must have already ascended.'
'In Westheid's mind, as long as he could copy Reiya's Talent for free, the threats to his safety would be resolved in one fell swoop. After that, the sky would be the limit. With his own development, he wouldn't be much weaker than a Demigod, would he?'
'If I could copy other top-tier Talents... I might even be able to set foot on the Ascension Ladder.'
The thought of such a future made Westheid tremble with excitement, and his gaze upon Reiya grew incredibly fervent.
"Her Highness Reiya, I wonder if you would grant me a dance?"
Westheid extended the invitation once more. Reiya's reaction to this second invitation was completely different from the first. The Silver-haired Princess placed her hand in his, only to pull it back a moment later, her brow furrowed in thought.
"Won't getting too close to a mongrel monster like me bring trouble for you, Duke Qinghui?"
Reiya hesitated, still not daring to firmly grasp Westheid's outstretched hand.
"Why should we care for the opinions and accusations of common fools!"
Westheid declared, glancing at the crowd that was pointing and whispering. A mocking, arrogant smile spread across his face.
"They are nothing but ignorant, foolish lambs. What right do they have to judge us?"
'Nameless background characters from the game, who would all likely be turned to dust in the future, versus a peerless, future Demigod. Westheid knew perfectly well which one was more important.'
Reiya said, "Even if you don't care what others think, in this state... how could I possibly dance with you?"
"What does this state matter?"
Seeing that Reiya was still hesitating, Westheid didn't wait for an answer. He swept the Silver-haired Princess into his arms, clasping his left hand with her right, and laughed heartily.
"Etiquette, posture, rules... forget them all!"
"Let us just dance! That is how we truly live!"