People who looked at Rosaline with evaluative eyes nodded without even realizing it. When considering them separately, the man and woman were not a fitting combination at all, but they seemed to match surprisingly well when put together. The fact that there was no awkward height difference, like the man being excessively tall or the woman appearing like a dwarf, added to the harmony between them.
But more than anything else, the atmosphere melted and blended as the two occasionally met each other’s gaze and exchanged light smiles. They couldn’t be exactly alike, but they fit together like puzzle pieces. Perhaps due to the subtle harmony between them, people’s gazes remained fixated on them even after they descended the stairs.
Ricardis’s eyes contained only Rosaline. Under the bright light, she literally sparkled and shined. She was in the midst of radiance. She scanned her surroundings with sharp eyes, prepared for any potential danger.
The scenery in her eyes changed rapidly. Her focused expression was incredibly captivating. He could only watch in awe. Rosaline turned her head, her sharp gaze meeting Ricardis’, appearing puzzled.
As the two gazes clashed precisely. Rosaline’s expression changed instantly. The sharpness directed at her surroundings a moment ago was nowhere to be found. Her face seemed absent, lost in something.
Ricardis gently rested his hand on Rosaline’s waist, seemingly drawn by an invisible force. After a moment of distant expression, Rosaline broke into a broad smile, her eyes sparkling in the light. Ricardis wiped his sweating hand on his clothes.
The first time he saw her, shock rendered him speechless, resembling a fool. In that frozen moment, every detail about her—her hair, eyes, eyebrows, and attire—etched itself into his mind as it gradually became muddled. The door swung open, and upon seeing the elegantly dressed Rosaline, he stood there in silence for what felt like an eternity.
Initially sparkling with anticipation, Rosaline grew gloomy as time ticked on. Her disappointment was evident, as he stood foolishly gazing at her.
Observing her expression, reminiscent of a dejected puppy on a rainy day, Ricardis finally snapped out of his daze. He attempted to say something, but too much time had slipped away. “Everything has its time,” they say, but this was a missed opportunity.
Even Chloe, who rarely lost her smile despite setbacks, furrowed her brow. Her expression seemed to chastise him as if saying, “Your partner goes through hours of preparation—bathing, perfuming, wiping, touching, dressing up, only to find you standing there without a word when she appears looking so beautiful? And you consider yourself a man? A human being!”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Later, despite Ricardis sincerely praising her beauty, Rosaline didn’t seem entirely convinced.
[You’re the most beautiful in the world!]
[Don’t lie…]
[It’s true, from what I’ve seen…]
[You are more beautiful, Your Highness…]
Indeed, from an objective standpoint, that was undoubtedly the case. However, Ricardis wasn’t one to simply state, “Well, that’s true.” After countering Rosaline’s words, he attempted to flatter her using phrases that might only work on girls under 10, such as, “Why do those people over there keep staring? Probably because you’re so dazzlingly beautiful,” or “The stars in the sky seem dimmer today. Perhaps they mistook you for a star and came out to greet you.”
Perhaps Rosaline appreciated Ricardis’ earnest efforts more than the actual content, as she lightened up and smiled as usual. However, it was clear she didn’t fully embrace the compliment about her beauty, leaving Ricardis feeling uneasy throughout.
Ricardis’ gaze shifted to the young men in the ballroom, their eyes fixed on Rosaline. Their gaze held interest or fondness.
Ricardis lightly chewed the inner part of his tender cheek.
‘These rascals will probably approach Rosaline later, shake her hand, and spew compliments about her beauty.’
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Beneath the deliberately gentle expression he tried to maintain, a fierce determination shone through. He even thought that if Rosaline were to appreciate being called beautiful by these rascals, he might lose sleep over it at night. His own statement of her being ‘beautiful’ was taken as a customary compliment, yet he couldn’t blame her, knowing it was partly his fault.
Seeing Rosaline shrug off the pouring admiration and awe, Ricardis felt like his blood pressure was skyrocketing, as if he might collapse at any moment. No, this couldn’t continue. I can’t allow this. Really. I’ll be the first to make her happy. I’ll kill anyone who approaches.
After briefly simulating murder in his mind, Ricardis regained his senses and gritted his teeth. Blaming others wasn’t the solution.
Ricardis Darius Illavenia.
‘Instead of just stewing in my frustration, I should say what needs to be said.’
While walking side by side, Ricardis called Rosaline, “Rosaline.” Their eyes met. Infusing genuine feelings that welled up deep within him, he continued, “Today, you look magnificent,” and put strength into the hand resting on her waist. “My heart is racing.”
Ricardis mentally slapped his own cheek. Even a 13-year-old boy could express himself better than he just did. However, to his surprise, Rosaline showed a response she hadn’t shown before.
Rosaline’s eyes widened, and she lowered her head slightly. The fluttering speed of her eyelashes increased. If Ricardis wasn’t lost in his imagination, he was certain that Rosaline was feeling shy. And true to his thoughts, she was indeed feeling shy.
Rosaline had regarded all the ‘beautiful’ and ‘pretty’ compliments Ricardis had given her as nothing more than kicks of kindness brimming within him. Sweet lies.
After all, who would believe words that come out only after much deliberation and tangled thoughts, to the point of ruffling one’s own hair? It wasn’t an exception, even for the dull Rosaline. As the compliments kept coming, the perception of Ricardis being exceedingly kind only strengthened in her mind.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Arriving at the ballroom this way, Rosaline undeniably did what she had to do. She was very vigilant, trying to assess whether there were any potential dangers. She could sense someone’s persistent gaze more than ever before because of this.
She turned her head and looked at the origin of the persistent gaze. The light was dazzling, and she blinked for a moment. At that moment, there was Ricardis. He was looking straight at her amidst the shimmering lights reflected on the marble. He was always beautiful, but under the bright light, he indeed seemed to leap out of a painting on the wall, to say the least.
His gentle eyes and expression pricked at some part of her heart. His firm hand on her waist made her tremble from the inside. Still not taking his eyes off her, Ricardis said,
[Today, you look magnificent. My heart is racing.]
“My heart is racing!” Rosaline realized that this strange feeling that made her body tremble slightly and continuously brought out laughter, this peculiar sensation that tickled somewhere in her heart and made her feel fluttery, could be encapsulated by the word ‘racing.’
And astonishingly, Ricardis expressed this feeling first. Racing. It was an amazing revelation. Even His Highness Ricardis felt fluttery!
The warmth heating her chest rose steadily and reached her head. The reason her head felt heavy, and she couldn’t help but lower it, was because the strange warmth made her head feel heavier. It was a moment when an unprecedented reaction and the perception of unfamiliar emotions were born.
In response to this ‘shy’ reaction, Ricardis remained continually astonished. Even if she had sensed his sincerity, he thought a response like, ‘Ah, really? I also thought I looked very pretty today,’ would be the best. But she went a step further.
This leap, this great leap, the advancement of humanity always begins with the one who takes that step first… Ricardis rambled within his mind.
“I also.”
It was a small voice. It startled Ricardis and drove the restless Ricardis in his mind away. Was ‘I also thought I looked beautiful’ an inevitable part of her response?
“I also felt my heart racing because you, Your Highness, looked magnificent.”
Rosaline glanced up momentarily and smiled shyly. The little Ricardis inside Ricardis’ mind went into a celebratory frenzy.
He covered his mouth for a moment and glanced elsewhere. Despite trying to suppress it consciously due to the awareness of other people’s eyes, his face was irresistibly alight. He frowned slightly, feeling like his bursting chest was agonizing.
“War, Balta.”
He whispered the words unexpectedly, causing Rosaline to tilt her head.
“Elpidio, Diech.”
With each word he uttered, Ricardis’s face gradually returned to its usual perfect, handsome, and composed state. It was an extreme way of restraining very positive emotions with very negative ones, but it seemed effective.
“Haqab.”
After uttering the last word, Ricardis returned to his perfect, elegant, and calm usual self.
He noticed Rosaline staring at him with a questioning look, then graciously extended his arm towards her. “Shall we go, my lady?”
Rosaline smiled brightly and placed her hand on his arm.
