𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕊𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕤 | 𝙸𝚓𝚎𝚔𝚒𝚎𝚕 𝙰𝚕𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚞𝚜

08

"Ijekiel.." I called out to him as he smiled sweetly before pulling me towards him.

"Please grant me the chance to be your first dance for the night, my lady Elyse." I pressed my lips into a thin line as I glanced at Athanasia who was beside her father.

"I-I shouldn't be the one who receives such a request from you.." I murmured as I stared at the princess. A wave of guilt started swallowing me again.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt a pair of fingers grabbing my chin. It pulled my face and eyes away from the princess and made me look onto the owners of these fingers, Ijekiel. He was staring down at my eyes.

"My lady, are you perhaps giving me away?" He whispered with sadness glimmering across his eyes. My breath hitched at the sight before I looked down.

"I'm.." I was cut off when the second music started.

"I'm all yours, my lady. My existence, itself, is all for you.." He whispered as he started pulling me somewhere.

"What are you saying..!" I hastily asked him as I didn't notice the direction we were going to.

"My lady Elyse, I must ask you to refrain yourself from talking about such things. I've always been yours, I always will be." My lips quivered as he said those words.

But the princess..!

"It seems like I was correct. You were there that day, you visited me after so long, but you saw me and the princess together... Is that the reason, my lady?" I didn't realize I mentioned Athanasia out loud until he replied with those words.

"I'm not the one you really want to be with, Ijekiel.. You were just a child...!" He shushed me by placing his hand on my mouth.

"I'm no longer a child, my lady. I've grown into an adult and I will keep on growing, I will keep on growing to be a man worthy enough for your hand.." He whispered as he raised my right hand with his left.

"But I'm not worthy enough to take your hand.." He shook his head before leaning down on the side of my face.

"I will be the one to decide that since I'm the one asking for your hand.. and I decide and forever will tell you that you're worth more than enough.. Your worth is immeasurable."

Ahh, his scent is so intoxicating to the nose. I squinted my eyes a little before closing them. I refrained the urge to kiss his hand that was covering my mouth. I nodded in response, I heard him hum.

Without even realizing it, we've already stopped walking to God-knows-where. He pulled his hand away from my mouth placed my left hand on his right shoulder before I felt his hand resting down on the left side of my waist.

"May I ask once again if you could grant me your first dance?" He whispered ever so gently.

I was too enchanted by his charm and simply nodded in response. His smile widened before we started dancing with him taking the lead. I could hear the crowd as they identified the both of us.

"Isn't that the heir of Duke Alpheus?"

"I've never seen him in person!"

"The young lord of the Alpheus household..!"

"Who is that girl he's dancing with?"

"Oh my gosh!"

"Do you know her?"

"I've only seen her once, once in my entire life!"

"What?"

"That girl is the Saintess of the empire of Agnes!"