Chapter 534: Grand Ball 7

’Before I leave….’

’A little warning.’

’A world subjected through your failures. will come and find its way to the people you love…’

’So please don’t break too easily little light~’

……

Music swelled through the grand hall — soft strings, delicate notes from the piano, and a steady rhythm that seemed to hum inside my chest.

And in that moment, I held Snow’s delicate hand.

Our fingers intertwined naturally, like they had always belonged that way.

I could feel the warmth radiating from her skin — a warmth that wasn’t just physical, but something deeper.

Her eyes, those shimmering pools of icy blue, locked onto mine with an unblinking focus. I matched her gaze, drawn into it as if nothing else in the room existed.

My free hand rested gently on her slender waist.

Even through the fine layers of her dress, I could feel how soft and fragile she seemed… though I knew there was steel in her spirit.

I held her as though one wrong move might shatter the moment.

She smiled.

I smiled back.

It was almost ridiculous how something so simple could feel so monumental.

My heart beat in sync with hers — or perhaps with the music — or maybe both. Every passing thought of her made it thump just a little harder, until the sound of it seemed to echo in my ears.

We moved together across the polished floor, our steps smooth and fluid. Grace came easily when she was in my arms.

The world narrowed to just the rhythm of our bodies and the space between us, closing and opening in time with each step, each turn.

From the edge of the dance floor, I could feel dozens of eyes watching us — some in admiration, some in envy. But their gazes didn’t matter.

Snow’s lips curved into a playful smirk.

“Fufu… I think I underestimated your dancing skills, Riley. Were you always this good?”

I chuckled softly. “Well… I’ve had a bit of practice.”

“Is that so?” She tilted her head, her expression sharpening with a spark of challenge. “Then it’s alright if I get a bit more serious, isn’t it?”

“You’re free to do so… my princess.”

A faint pink dusted her cheeks, but she pouted. “Stop calling me that.”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

Her eyes softened, and she leaned in as we spun in a smooth twirl. Her lips brushed close to my ear, and in a voice barely above a whisper, she breathed—

“I do… but I love it when you call me your Snow~”

The warmth in her tone was enough to make my pulse quicken.

’She really knows how to get me excited.’

We continued our dance, our steps weaving tighter, smoother, as if the music itself was bending to us rather than the other way around.

Each note, each swell in the melody, felt like it was following our lead — our pace — our heartbeat.

The rest of the ballroom faded into a blur of motion and color. All I could see was her. All I could hear was the music, and the quiet sound of our breaths.

And with every passing second, I was falling deeper into the moment… and deeper into her.

I held her deeper.

As I enjoyed every second of it.

….

When their dance came to a close, the music ended with an abrupt, clean final note.

Above them, the focused lights shifted and converged, illuminating only two figures at the center of the floor — Snow and Riley.

They straightened in perfect unison and bowed to one another with an elegance that could only come from unspoken understanding.

Then, almost at once, the quiet was broken.

A wave of clapping rose from the audience, swelling into cheers that echoed off the high ceilings of the ballroom.

The performance they had just given seemed to wash away much of the jealousy and envy that had lingered in the air.

For that brief moment, even the most bitter onlookers could only acknowledge the beauty of what they had witnessed.

Snow straightened, a satisfied smile curving her lips.

“Haha… that was fun,” she said, her voice carrying a mixture of thrill and challenge. “To think you could actually keep up with my pace, even when I went all out. Tell me—” her eyes narrowed playfully “—you didn’t secretly practice just for this moment, right?”

Riley chuckled, still slightly catching his breath. “Not exactly… but I did practice a bit.”

“Hmm… well, whatever the case—” she stepped closer, her tone softening with sincerity “—I truly appreciate the effort. You almost made me fall for you again… no, maybe I already have.” She smirked lightly. “How about you make me fall a third time?”

His answer came without hesitation. “Gladly.”

Snow laughed, the sound bright and free, a perfect contrast to the grand seriousness of the ballroom.

Around them, the world began to move again — the clinking of glasses, the chatter of nobles, the rustle of dresses — but for Snow, it all felt far away.

She had never been this happy in her entire life.

Well… perhaps there had been one moment — the exact instant she realized what her feelings for Riley truly were.

But back then, she hadn’t yet understood the full weight of happiness.

Not until now.

This moment was something she would guard in her heart forever.

It wasn’t just the dance, or the applause, or the fact that they had matched each other so perfectly.

It was the openness — the vulnerability they both shared without a shred of hesitation.

As she gazed at him, she silently thanked the goddess above.

Thanked her for letting her meet him.

Though she wanted to earn Riley’s love and keep it locked away for herself forever, Snow knew she couldn’t — not exactly.

She understood his heart too well. It was wide, generous, and open, drawn toward those who shared the same deep, magnetic pull she felt.

It’s a shame I can’t keep this moment forever… but oh well~

The thought came with a soft sigh in her mind, though her lips curled faintly upward. It wasn’t as if she was going to lose him, anyway. Not now. Not ever.

As Riley began to guide her gently toward the exit of the dance hall, Snow suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Snow?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

She turned to him, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Sorry, my dear… but there’s still something left to do before we end this night~.”

“Huh?”

SNAP—!

The sharp sound of her fingers echoed in the hall like the first crack of ice in winter.

Almost instantly, a frosty mist began to spread through the air, curling and weaving between the guests like living tendrils.

The temperature dipped sharply.

The faint sound of crystalline crackling followed, as if the walls themselves were frosting over.

Snow’s icy blue mana surged outward in a dazzling wave. In the center of the hall, the frost began to take shape, layering upon itself until it formed a small stage — a raised podium of pure, glistening ice that shimmered under the ballroom lights like a jewel.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Riley blinked, caught off guard by the sudden spectacle, his eyes darting between her and the conjured stage.

All eyes — and ears — were on them once again.

Snow’s lips curved in a confident, almost feline smile.

“Everyone…” she began, her voice ringing out, magically amplified until it filled every corner of the room. “I have an announcement to make.”

Confusion stirred among the students and nobles alike.

The atmosphere shifted, curiosity rising like the tightening of a bowstring.

Snow could see it — the uncertainty, the whispers, the suspicion — and it only made her smirk internally.

Riley stepped closer to her, his voice low but urgent. “Snow… what are you doing?”

She looked at him, the pleased, dangerous gleam in her golden eyes saying more than her words ever could.

“The night’s about to end soon, right? So… how about we end it with a bang, my dear~?”

She had decided — all the circulating rumors, the baseless doubts, the petty whispers about Riley — they would end tonight. She would make sure of it.

Her fingers flexed, her magic humming faintly in the air. No more misunderstandings.

Riley’s brows furrowed. “What do you—”

He never finished the sentence.

Snow stepped forward in one fluid motion, her hand curling behind his neck, and her lips met his.

The world around them seemed to still.

Riley froze, blinking once… twice… his mind struggling to catch up to her sudden boldness.

But rather than an explanation, all he received was the intoxicating sensation of her kiss — slow, deliberate, and claiming.

Her tongue slid past his lips with playful expertise, tangling with his in a rhythm that was as daring as it was intimate.

“KYAAAH!!!”

“H-How d-despicable—!”

“N-No… my princess!”

“Princess Snow…?”

A storm of voices erupted through the ballroom.

Gasps, shouts, stammered protests — every corner of the hall was alive with shocked noise.

Faces twisted in disbelief, others flushed with embarrassment, and a handful even looked… oddly jealous.

But the one expression that unified them all was pure confusion.

The kiss had been deep, shameless, and right in front of everyone. And Snow had made sure not a soul could look away.

As they broke apart, her breath lingered warmly between them. Riley could still feel the taste of her lips when she turned, addressing the hall with a satisfied, almost regal smile.

Her voice, steady and proud, rang out:

“I, Snow Luvenitia White Germonia Leven, First Princess and Crown Princess of the Germonia Empire, am pleased to announce—before everyone here—my engagement to Riley.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

And then—

“HUH?!”

“WHAT?!”

The roar of bewilderment came in waves. People exchanged frantic glances.

Murmurs of impossible and unheard of filled the air.

The complications were obvious — status, politics, the suddenness — it all collided into a whirlpool of disbelief.

Riley opened his mouth, ready to speak, to explain… something. But before he could get a word out—

A gentle tug at his wrist.

He turned — and suddenly, another pair of lips pressed against his.

His eyes widened. Pink light seemed to flicker faintly in his vision, and for a fleeting second, he caught the familiar scent of cherry blossoms.

The warmth of the kiss was softer than Snow’s, more teasing than claiming, but still enough to send a fresh ripple of gasps through the crowd.

When it broke, Alice Holloway’s golden eyes gazed at him with open affection.

She brushed a stray lock of pink hair behind her ear, then turned to the audience with a coy, almost mischievous smile.

“Hehehe~ I, Alice Holloway, also announce before everyone here that I am betrothed to Riley as well~.”

The murmuring in the crowd spiked into an uproar — a tangled mess of outrage, disbelief, and barely contained gossip.

And yet, they didn’t have time to even process that.

One more figure stepped forward.

Before Riley could react, Rose appeared at his side, seizing his chin with surprising boldness — and stealing his lips just as easily. Her kiss was brisk, decisive, and without hesitation.

When she pulled away, she turned to the crowd, her golden hair catching the light like fire.

“I, Rose Brilliance, am also betrothed to him.”

The hall erupted again — now less like a court gathering and more like a battlefield of scandal.

Nobles clutched at pearls, commoners gawked, and someone in the back fainted outright.

“E–Emmy!” her friend cried, kneeling beside her.

And then—

As if on cue, the midnight hour struck.

The enchanted ceiling above, woven with the palace’s ancient celestial magic, shimmered and peeled away its illusion of gold-and-crystal.

In its place appeared the true night sky — deep, infinite, and littered with stars so vivid they seemed close enough to touch.

A hush spread across the room for the briefest heartbeat.

Then—

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Fireworks exploded high above the ballroom, painting the heavens with showers of silver, crimson, and sapphire.

Each burst lit the crowd in fleeting, colorful flashes — brilliant enough to turn gasps into awed silence… for a moment.

And yet, even as the sky bled color and starlight, every eye in the room inevitably drifted back to the icy stage.

To them.

Three women, radiant as the fireworks overhead, and one man in the center of it all — still processing the fact that his lips had just been claimed thrice in under a minute.

…..

“Are you satisfied….?”

“Fufu… why would I not be?”

The black masked man looked at the ethereal darkness at his side with a sigh….

“You truly are cruel….”

The lady covered in darkness didn’t reply…

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