Kael and Cassandra arrived at the back of the palace where the horses stopped in front of pillars of fire that lined the stairs. Tall iron baskets held the flames, their light restless and their heat brushing against Kael's face as if offering a gentle, breathing welcome. An attendant was already waiting for them, balancing a polished tablet with two glasses of champagne on its silver surface in one hand.
When they stepped in front of him, the servant bowed with measured elegance.
"Welcome to the New Year's Ball of the Royal Palace, my lord, my lady."
Kael almost objected, saying that he was no lord, but Cassandra merely smiled as if the matter required no correction, taking two glasses from the tray. She offered him one and guided him through the half-open doors into the palace.
As they walked along the marble corridor with music drifting from the ballroom, Cassandra turned slightly toward him.
"I know you don't like being called a lord," she whispered. "But endure it today. It's only a costume we're wearing for a few hours."
Kael sighed, but nodded when he saw how important this illusion was to her.
"All right."
He looked down at the glass in his hand and raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar drink.
"What's in there, anyway?" he asked, swirling the golden liquid.
Cassandra responded with only a mischievous smile. She brought her glass to her lips, took a small sip, and kept her gaze above the rim. Then, she winked and turned away, walking toward the entrance of the grand hall.
The ballroom unfolded before Kael. Its brightness was so intense that he had to close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he could only stare.
The hall was immense. The parquet floor, made of the finest wood, reflected the glow of magnificent chandeliers hanging at regular intervals like captured constellations. Glass walls framed the chamber on three sides, revealing snow-dusted gardens beyond. White paths wandered between pruned hedges and frozen fountains. At the far end stood ceremonial stairs that led to a towering door marked with a golden, twelve-pointed crown emblem. Beneath the door was a vast buffet of delicacies, surrounded by ivory tables where nobles laughed, drank, and danced in whirling pairs.
Kael was so overwhelmed by the scene that he missed the announcer calling out his and Cassandra's names. It was only when Cassandra tugged gently at his arm that he came out of his daze and realized that every eye in the room was fixed on them.
Just like at the academy, he thought, meeting the gazes with quiet confidence. The expressions were the same, though: arrogance, jealousy, caution, and contempt. Now, parents and students alike wore them.
He let his gaze wander, brightening when he saw Lia and Zaros leaning by a window, drinking together and waving at him.
Cassandra squeezed his arm again, signaling that they could move. She pulled him softly toward the center of the hall. Kael gave her a questioning glance, suddenly remembering the apprehension that came with this night and the weight of the plan on his shoulders.
She caught his gaze, chuckled, and nodded toward the crowd, which was still staring as if the music itself had paused.
"They can't believe I chose a commoner as my partner," she murmured, her voice too quiet to be heard over the sound of the violins. "So we'll give them a reason to believe it. With a dance."
Before Kael could object, they were standing on the bright parquet floor at the heart of the ballroom. He sighed in surrender and set his hands gently at her waist. Cassandra rested hers around his neck with practiced ease, just as she had in their academy lessons, which he had once found unbearably dull. For the first time, he was grateful that he had endured them.
They moved in slow rhythm with the music. At first, Kael wished for the dance to end quickly. However, that thought faded the moment he met her gaze. He lost himself in her golden eyes, which were so vivid and warm, the exact opposite of Astra's dark void. While Astra's eyes pulled him toward an inescapable abyss, Cassandra's felt like the sun touching winter skin like a light he did not want to let go of.
The world narrowed to the distance between them. They danced without words, holding each other in their arms and seeing nothing but each other until thunderous applause startled Kael awake. His hands fell from Cassandra as if he had touched fire for too long.
He looked at her, his breath unsteady. What just happened? he wondered, feeling as if he could not free himself from the memory of her eyes.
Cassandra took his offered arm. When she hesitated for a moment before taking it, Kael sensed that she, too, felt the aftershock of something neither of them had planned.
As they stepped back among the guests, voices swirled around him—questions about his relationship with Lady Cassandra, offers of other daughters to marry, and playful requests for another dance. Overwhelmed, Kael rubbed the back of his neck, while Cassandra merely turned with her flawless, noble smile and faced the storm for him.
From behind him came her quiet assurance.
"You can go. I'll deal with them on my own."
Kael glanced at her, his eyes asking, "Are you certain?" Cassandra answered only with a gentle nod. She was already addressing the crowd, which instantly forgot about him.
Relieved, Kael slipped away toward Lia and Zaros, who were waiting at the back of the hall, away from the chattering aristocracy.
When Kael reached them, he laughed at their two different reactions. Zaros grinned and gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up, looking slightly absurd in his blue suit. Lia, on the other hand, pouted and emptied her glass in one stubborn gulp.
Kael's expression softened when he remembered the significance of the night. It was the last one with them.
He turned to Lia with an easy smile.
"You look wonderful. The red of your dress truly suits you."
Lia flushed and looked away, suddenly embarrassed.
"Thanks. You look great, too," she said.
"Hey—what about me?" Zaros asked, pointing at himself. Then he pointed at Lia. "When we first met, she just laughed and finished her drink instead of complimenting me."
He widened his eyes when Kael suddenly looked away, becoming suddenly interested in his own glass.
"Is it really that bad?" Zaros asked, his voice pleading for honesty.
Kael and Lia exchanged a brief glance, then both burst out laughing. They laughed so loudly that several nearby guests turned to stare at them in confusion.
"Don't take it the wrong way," Kael said, laughing and wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "The color just really doesn't suit you."
Lia nodded, still trying to catch her breath.
"Yeah, it's not doing you any favors."
Zaros let out a long sigh. "Ugh, fine." He narrowed his eyes at Kael. "But how come you look so good in that white suit? I thought you hated formal clothes."
Kael shrugged. "I didn't choose it."
Zaros raised an eyebrow and casually slipped an arm around Kael's shoulder. He nodded toward Cassandra, who was still surrounded by nobles at the center of the hall.
"Your 'secret' partner, huh?" he asked with a teasing grin.
To avoid further questions, Kael merely nodded.
Lia scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
"She doesn't look like she picked you just for political reasons if she chose that suit for you."
Kael and Zaros both looked at her, then noticed the number of empty glasses nearby.
"Lia," Kael said gently, lowering his voice. "Please believe me when I say this: Even if she has personal reasons for choosing me as her partner, it's one-sided. I don't feel anything for her."
Lia stared at him, her eyes clouded with alcohol.
"Bullshit," she said bluntly, pointing toward the dance floor. "I saw you two. You didn't dance like strangers. You looked like people in love. Like a perfect pair."
Kael exhaled, feeling frustrated.
"Lia, please. I swear—"
She stood up abruptly.
"I need more alcohol to have this conversation with you."
Zaros took a step toward her, but she raised a hand to stop him. She headed alone toward the drinks.
Zaros watched her go, then turned back to Kael, who hadn't taken his eyes off her.
"You know," Zaros said quietly, "she's definitely overreacting because she's drunk. But she's not entirely wrong."
Kael frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"That dance," Zaros continued. "It didn't look casual. It looked intimate."
Kael turned toward the window, his faint reflection visible in the glass.
"I'm confused," he admitted softly. "I don't have feelings for her. Or for anyone. But that moment felt different. I don't know how to explain it."
"It felt like I borrowed a life that wasn't mine for a moment, and it fit too well."
Zaros kept his eyes on Kael, then exhaled slowly.
"It's not your fault that she's hurting," he said. "Lia already has enough battles. Her family, the expectations, and the things that escalated at home during the last few days. That's why she drank so much, even before you arrived. Seeing you with Cassandra was probably the final blow."
Kael lifted his head, startled. Across the hall, he found Lia at the buffet. She stood alone, an island of red silk and stubborn pride, while her family lingered far behind her. Their annoyed gazes were aimed like dull knives at her back.
To hell with etiquette, Kael thought. He walked straight to her.
He took her hand. Her fingers twitched in surprise as he led her toward the dance floor.
"Kael, wait—" Lia whispered, her voice colored with embarrassment. "Everyone is watching—"
He didn't stop.
When they reached the center of the parquet floor, Lia slumped her shoulders.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly, no longer trying to follow the music.
Kael turned around, gently raising her chin so that she had no choice but to meet his gaze.
"Look at me, Lia. I asked the night to feel simple again, and it answered with you. So don't be sad. Let's spend this evening as we always have, freely laughing at the world instead of bowing to it. Let's be guided only by our own rhythm."
Lia studied his face, searching for a crack, but found only sincerity. Then she smiled softly.
"So, what now?" she asked with a teasing chuckle. "Are we dancing the same dance you shared with Cassandra?"
Kael laughed.
"No, that was a dance invented for nobles. We'll dance however we like."
Instead of following formal steps, he grasped her waist, lifted her into the air, and spun across the floor with her. The chain around her neck flashed like captured fireworks, and her laughter rang out, bright and unrestrained.
They moved in exaggerated poses and playful turns, careless of rhythm yet full of life. The surrounding nobles watched with thoroughly unamused expressions.
Zaros couldn't stop grinning at the sight. Cassandra observed from the edge of the dance floor. Her face was unreadable, and she had forgotten the fan in her hands.
The dance continued until a commanding voice cut through the music.
"Dear guests," the announcer proclaimed. "I have the honor of announcing the arrival of the king and his family."
Kael stopped instantly and looked up at the balcony. The grand door slowly opened, revealing midnight splendor—and the moment of truth.