Perhaps due to the dazzling couple dancing in the middle of the dance floor, the banquet became lively. It was more like a wedding banquet than a royal ball. Ran Xueyi and Song Yu Han became the center of attraction.
As they were left behind in the table before they could get acquainted with each other, Prince Adrienne and Olivia and some other people in that table were left to awkwardly glance at the couple's direction.
"Prince Adrienne, does the Earl know her?" Olivia asked intriguingly as she stared intensely at the two dancing in harmony.
Prince Adrienne shook his head, "This is my first time seeing the Earl being so active…"
"Really?"
"Yes, he would always show that indifferent and cold and calm expression that nobody could tell what he's thinking deep in his mind," he suddenly stopped in the middle of his statement before lamenting, "Ah, there was one time when he acted slightly different from his usual self."
Olivia became more interested. She and Adrienne are cousins from their maternal family side. They were brought up for a few years under the same nanny so they treated each other more closely than their actual siblings. She smiled and said, "Oh? And when was that?"
Prince Adrienne did not tell her and only flashed a mysterious smile at her.
Even if he wanted to tell her when the Earl showed a different look, she wouldn't understand nor would she like it.
After all, it was never something any ordinary person could take.
Remembering that time when the Earl mercilessly shot someone dead even when they already surrendered. Prince Adrienne could still imagine the Earl's expression at that time; tranquil and peaceful, as if he was just walking in a park and not a heartless man who shot 9 people in one day.
p
"I've heard that your dear sister has been bothering uncle to match her with the Earl… Do you think my uncle would agree to it?" Olivia asked him.
Prince Adrienne glanced at the couple again before shaking his head, "I don't know. From what I know of Father, he will get everything and anything that Lydia wanted and wished to get… So, there might be a possibility that the Earl will fall into a trap set by my sister and father."
"Oh," Olivia sent a pitiful gaze at the two figures dancing and sighed. "So, I won't be witnessing a love-at-first-sight anytime now?"
"No…"
"Then, aren't you going to tell the Earl?"
No, that won't do any good."
"Why wouldn't it?"
"I am a prince, a member of the royal family. Lydia is my sister even though we don't share the same mother." Prince Adrienne wouldn't conceal anything from his cousin. "If the Earl's addition to our royal family could end up with the prosperity and honor of the royal family, I will not hinder it. As long as it involves the Ren Country, I will do anything to make it remain as one of the three royal families."
Of course, he also wanted the crown and throne for himself. The prince didn't say this outwardly, but Olivia could already guess what he was thinking as she observed his eyes which were now burning with ambition.
The royal family, no matter what era, every member of it would have their own ambitions.
After the first song, the dance partners in the dance floor soon separated, some continued to walk side to side as they discussed a more personal conversation.
Ran Xueyi, who finally found a reason to avoid the Earl, naturally took this chance to get away from him. As soon as the last note ended, she pulled away from him and turned her back, walking to another direction which was not the path back to their table.
She had to get away… Far, far away from the Earl.
She didn't know why but during their dance, his eyes never strayed away from her. Even when she avoided looking up at him and continued to lower her head to look at her feet, she could still sense those gentle and harmless, smiling eyes behind the mask.
If she were to interpret what that pair of eyes were saying, it would be; I-just-want-one-bite-.
No matter what it means and why he wanted to do that, Ran Xueyi didn't dare find out nor was she brave enough to try and investigate further. She just wanted to run away right now.
As she had initially thought, this ball was a waste of time.
Ran Xueyi was about to step her foot out of the dance floor when a hand suddenly swept her off her feet and guided her back in. A hand was placed on her waist and when she turned around to lash out at the Earl, whom she presumed to be the one who pulled her back, it turns out that she was wrong this time.
This time, it was not the Earl, but Prince Francisco.
"Where are you running off to? The ball hasn't finished yet, dance with me." Prince Francisco said this while he had already persistently pulled her towards him.
Ran Xueyi gritted her teeth and calmed herself down. But feeling the hand that was touching her waist, she somehow had an urge to punch him right there and then.
What would be the sentence after punching a royal?
Ran Xueyi hadn't read any laws in the Ren Country saying anything about what would happen if she ended up tackling and kicking the shit out of a prince… However, the thought of it seems to tempt her.
"Thank you, your highness, but I must refuse. I have an urgent business which I need to take care of."
Prince Francisco narrowed his and scoffed arrogantly, "You can't fool me… You just danced with the Earl and now you're saying you don't want to dance with me?"
Song Yu Han's eyes flickered dangerously.
The smile in his eyes turned cold the very second he saw the prince grab Ran Xueyi. He just wanted to rip the prince's arm off his body and burn it.
Ran Xueyi, unbeknownst to what the Earl was thinking, sighed and expressionlessly said, "Please, Prince Francisco. I really do have an urgent matter to do."
Prince Francisco, however, didn't like how she refused him twice. Not only that, when he thought that she danced with Earl without a problem, but when it was his turn, her tone became irritable as if she couldn't wait to have him gone from her sight.
How dare she! Who does she think she is?
Just because she received an invitation, she probably thought she's overly important now while thinking she could even ignore a royal prince. Moreover, hadn't she appeared in that dress precisely to entice and tempt men to take her to bed for favors?
Prince Francisco had met several types of women for the past several years. They either showed different characteristics, but in the end, nobody could resist the scent of money and power that he could give to them once he became interested in them. They would jump head first after playing hard-to-get for a while.
Prince Francisco thought that what the lady in the golden dress was doing was only trying to loosen her grip in order to catch a bigger fish.
Song Yu Han, who has been coldly watching them, took a step forward, he was just a few steps away to make the prince become one-armed.
"Look, everyone is staring at us." Prince Francisco gestured with his eyes. There were indeed some people who were watching them. "Any other woman would jump at the first chance to dance with a prince. However, I don't think they can rouse me as you do. And now, I'm reserving that spot for you…"
"Are you done talking, Your Highness?" Ran Xueyi finally decided against letting him finish what he was saying and interjected, "If you're done, can you please let me go?"
Prince Francisco's eyes viciously glared at her, "Haven't you heard a word of what I said just now?"
"I've heard it and took it to my heart, Your Highness. However, you've held me back for so long that my bladder can't take it any longer," she raised her languid eyes and continued, "Now, can you please let go, or should I make a bigger scene here?"
Her blatant threat didn't seem to be a lie from the way her eyes looked extremely serious. It was as if she would really do her 'business' right there if he dare not let her go.
"…!"
As much as Prince Francisco wanted to hold onto her and not let go of her, since letting her after making a scene in front of everyone else, was basically admitting defeat and he would end up feeling humiliated, his body moved before his brain could register it.
He released her.
"Thank you…" Ran Xueyi whispered before heading out of the banquet hall.
Behind her were the wide eyes and shocked expression of everyone, who couldn't believe what had just happened.
On the other hand, Song Yu Han deepened his smile as he looked down, "No wonder I'm a fan…"
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