When Eve stepped back on the dance floor with Noah, a few more couples joined to dance along with them, while the ones dancing earlier stepped out to mingle with the guests.
Every sound of the music played resonated on the strong walls of the ballroom. This being her second time, she was less daunted from the few eyes that stared at her. Also because the crowd on the dance floor partially hid them.
"Pardon me if I am not upto the mark in dancing, I am not well versed in it like the rest of them," Noah was polite in his words and manner as he and Eve continued to dance.
Eve looked surprised and said, "I thought learning to dance was something mandatory in elite families. Is it because it doesn't interest you?" She curiously looked at him.
"Something like that," for a moment, Noah looked away from her, and Eve wondered if he was embarrassed by it. "I told Lady Marceline when she asked me if I wouldn't ask her for a dance. She insisted on teaching me."
Eve didn't know if she was supposed to be relieved that it wasn't Noah who asked Lady Marceline to ask or that the vampiress asked him. She replied, "I think you are dancing perfectly well, Noah. You haven't stamped my feet and neither have I," she smiled, receiving a smile back from him.
"Do you like to dance, Genevieve?" Questioned Noah as they continued dancing to the music played in the background. "You seem to be enjoying it."
"Eugene and I often like to dance when we attend town gatherings. The music there is less sophisticated one unlike here," answered Eve, and Noah nodded to her in understanding.
"That sounds delightful. Maybe one day I will attend it," stated Noah with a calm expression.
"I am sure the townsfolk would be overjoyed if they see you attending it. It is not every day a Duke comes to attend such small gatherings in the town," replied Eve, feeling him hold her hand delicately.
In height, Noah was as tall as Vincent, and Eve had to crane her head a little compared to when she was dancing with Vincent as he had taken full leverage when dancing with her. She cleared her throat, and Noah raised his eyebrows. She shook her head with a smile.
"How are you finding the ball so far? Enjoying it?" Questioned Noah, and Eve gave it some thought before her eyes looked left and right at the couples dancing next to them. "Bad?"
Eve smiled, and her eyes lowered to fall on the lapel of his coat. She said, "No, it isn't that it is bad. It has been eventful so far. What about you?" She returned the question to him.
"Better than I thought it would be," responded Noah, and after a pause, he said, "It seems like you get along well with your employer."
"Ah, yes. Mr. Moriarty," Eve nodded, not sure if Vincent and she really got along. "He's a decent person, compared to most of the people."
"Yes, it appears to be so. Not every employer takes his employee to the dance floor," Noah's eyes were fixed on hers. Eve pondered over his words, but the next moment he said, "It is good to get along with people, especially when you are passionate about being a governess and working in the mansion. But be careful."
Eve's eyebrows furrowed, and she asked, "Why do you say that?"
"You are a dear person to me, I would be upset if something were to happen to you," Noah looked straight into Eve's eyes, that brought blood rushing up to her cheeks. "I am guessing that we are allowed to worry about each other?"
His words only led her to believe that she was special to him.
She stared into his eyes, questions in them, while Noah offered his polite smile.Â
Even though Eve knew him longer than she knew Vincent, there was a little distance from how they moved on the dance floor. She wasn't sure if the distance really existed or if it was only her imagination.
"How long do you need to stay back here?" Asked Noah. When Eve took a step forward, he took one backwards. He said, "If you need a ride back later, I will be more than happy to drop you home."
"Eugene is outside waiting in the carriage for me," Eve let him know, and Noah nodded in understanding. "I was supposed to be taking care of Miss Allie, but I have barely done that this evening. It feels like I am one of the guests too."
"But you are a guest. Aren't you, Eve?" Questioned Noah, his eyes not leaving her face. "You have been invited like everyone here, no matter what the reason. Let go of your worries and enjoy the ball night like the rest of them."
Noah was right, thought Eve. She was dressed like everyone and looked no less than anyone in the room. She replied, "I will try. Will you be staying here until the ball is over?"Â
"That was the plan," said Noah, and he added, "When I have such excellent company, there's no reason why I should hurry back. Did the man from earlier bother you?"
"He hasn't," answered Eve, and when they switched places, her eyes moved across the room and fell on Mr. Humphrey, who was standing near the wall with the other servants. She didn't know if she should laugh or pity the man's current state.
Right now, Mr. Humphrey looked left and right, internally fuming for being dismissed by Vincent like a child to stand next to the servants when in truth, he had come here with an intention of being a guest. But who knew that he would be caught by the infamous Vincent Moriarty. Jealousy and anger bubbled in his body, recollecting the memory of how the pureblooded vampire had put him in an embarrassing position in front of Genevieve.
He pulled out his pocket watch, made of gold and flipped it open to see the time. There was still a lot of time before the ball would end, and he wasn't ready to leave yet.
After seeing how stunning Eve looked, he wanted to be the one to take her back home. And that is what he was going to do, by waiting for her. But he could do it by standing outside too. His gaze turned to look at the guests and the hosts, his eyes catching sight of the silver-haired, who was busy talking to the guests.
Mr. Humphrey decided to step outside and wait for Eve, where the guards would not know that he was an uninvited guest. Tipping his chin, he slipped out of the ballroom.
Back where Eve and Noah danced, Noah said, "... will be travelling to the East because they want me to visit the headquarters."
"I hope you have a good journey," replied Eve, and without realising, they had ended up moving too close to Noah, and she felt his stare. The way he looked at her, it was as if there was something he wanted to tell her, and he didn't blink once.
"Genevieve," Noah's voice had lowered.
Swept with the music and the relaxed atmosphere around them, Noah leaned his face towards Eve, and her heart stuttered. But with the way he had leaned in as if he was about to kiss her, he pulled away from her. Eve cleared her throat.
Thankfully the song had come to an end to avoid possible awkwardness. As much as Noah cared about her, he didn't see her romantically or as a possible woman of his interest. She was stupid to think there was or could be something in here by misreading the signs.
Eve quickly bowed at him and said to Noah, "I—I need to go visit the powder room. Excuse me," she offered him a smile, and Noah's eyebrows furrowed as if he wanted to tell her something.
She quickly turned and stepped away from the dance floor and left the ballroom with hurried footsteps.
While Eve and Noah had been dancing before, Marceline had witnessed how the human governess had been denied from being too close to the Duke, and her mood brightened up. To think that the human thought that she could build any relationship with the Duke, the thought itself was laughable to the vampiress.
