Reincarnating into a Beautiful Woman

Chapter 16

When Lady Yasna was whisked away by her friends, Celine was left alone in her respective seat. She observed her friend mingling with the nobles and Zayden engaged in a proper conversation with Sir Vigos. She turned her gaze away and took in the scenery around her, smiling wistfully. The smell of the bonfire combined with the merry ambiance and shiny decorations reminded her of Christmas. Before long, a foreign man approached her.

"You are beautiful, my lady. What is your name?" He resembled a French man with his style of clothing. His blue eyes and blonde hair made him stand out like Celine. His smile would've even been beautiful, if his teeth wasn't so rotten. 

"My name is Caelina. And you are?" She asked politely. 

"I am Francis, an ambassador from the country of Dax. I noticed you sitting alone and couldn't possibly let a lovely woman feel left out. May I ask for a dance?" 

Francis held out his hand, and was met with a sharp slap from a shorter boy. 

"As her escort, I promised to dance with Caelina." Francis' eyes flared with anger, until he saw the murderous intent in the boy's eyes. Francis was immediately overwhelmed with fear and inauspicious thoughts. His instincts told him to leave the scene or else he would never be able to return home in one piece. 

"I sincerely apologize, my lady. It looks like you are taken for the night." Francis bowed his head and quickly left the pair alone.

On the other hand, Celine was shocked by Zayden's darkened expression.

"What was that for?" She asked. 

Zayden continued to ignore her questions and pulled her towards the dancing crowd. He placed one hand on her waist and the other on her hand. Although she was slightly taller, he lead her gracefully, his movements swift and precise. He tightened his grip and released her, allowing Celine to twirl gracefully out of his arms. As he pulled her back into his embrace, her rosy scent filled his nose. They were dancing in their own world, in a state of bliss. It would be a memory they would never be able to forget. 

Celine felt like she was dancing like the protagonist in the Nutcracker movie. She laughed and enjoyed every moment of the dance. She started to feel awkward looking into Zayden's eyes and decided to strike up a conversation. 

"I saw you talking with the other nobles. You did well. I am proud."

"..."

"Didn't Sir Vigos look ridiculous with the bird randomly resting on his shoulder? It was so unnecessarily big. Personally, I believe Lady Yasna deserves so much better. She's so beautiful and wonderful..." 

As Celine rambled on, Zayden continued to drill holes into her eyes, continuing to remain silent. His head buzzed with countless of questions and petty remarks. Who was the man who approached her? Did she think he was attractive? Was she attracted to men with lighter features like her? If he hadn't intervened, would she have accepted his request?

The Second Prince furrowed his eyebrows, but he erased the questions away. They were all needless worries. Who was he to be jealous when Celine belonged to his brother? His feelings were dangerous and would only harm her. But still, his heart desperately yearned for her. Even now, his eyes were blinded by her stunning beauty. The gold and silver colors on Celine reminded him of a moon embracing the sun. 

Every night, as the moon rose high into the sky and further away from Zayden, his heart would continue to break a little more. It would be better to give up on reaching for the moon and ignore it. If he did give up, maybe his heart would slowly heal and he could continue to live normally. But Zayden couldn't live without the moon. It was the only source of light in this dark world. The world that had abandoned him. He could only watch the moon climb higher, and bask in its luminous light. After all, the moon did not belong to Zayden. She belonged to the world. 

(Author's note: Hi! Sorry if the paragraph was confusing. Essentially, Zayden is comparing Celine to a moon. She can never belong to him, just like how a moon can not belong to anyone. But just as how a moon is vital and important to everyone with its light, Celine is Zayden's light.)

From the distance, the Emperor saw the dancing pair and frowned.

****

Zayden and Celine left the ball earlier than the other guests and quickly returned to their quarters to wash up. They met on her balcony, and Red flew them towards the top of the dome again. This time, they were dressed very warmly and wrapped around in a thick wool, while their body heat also gave them warmth. 

"You know Zayden, you looked the most handsome tonight." Celine looked at the lively courtyard below, then her gaze rested on Zayden. Her eyes were clear and filled with honesty. 

"Really?"

Zayden widened his eyes and his cheeks turned red. He still couldn't believe what she had claimed. Not only was he somehow attractive to her, but he was the most beautiful in her eyes? More than the blue-eyed foreign man? 

"Of course. You look perfect. I don't like men who are too tall and muscular." Celine gave her honest opinion and didn't realize that her words were misunderstood. She was stating how her preferences had always been lean men with a pretty face even in her past life. She had forgotten that Zayden was the only skinny nobleman in this Empire. 

".....Do you prefer, me? Over all the other men?" Zayden asked quietly, his cheeks were burning and he felt light headed. 

"..." Celine realized her mistake and decided to not answer. He would probably forget what she said and not think deeply since she was engaged to Laith anyways. 

They watched as the adults continued to dance and drink in the courtyard, while the music played cheerfully. When the Emperor retired for the night, the crowd slowly dispersed and the wintry night became silent again. 

Just then, Celine felt a cold drop on her nose. She looked up to see white droplets of snow! She looked up at the sky in disbelief. It had never snowed during the 14 years she had lived in this desert!

"Zayden, look! The first snow!" Celine exclaimed. She laughed and cried with joy. Reaching out her hands and enjoying the icy kisses on her cheeks. The snowflakes fluttered down from the sky, and Zayden also observed the scene with wonder. 

"The first snowfall is very important. If you are with someone you love during the first snowfall, they will be together forever." 

Celine felt nostalgia and her sentimental mood made her shed uncontrollable tears. She couldn't stop crying because she missed her home. She missed setting up a Christmas tree and grabbing coffee with her husband. 

Celine didn't notice Zayden's overly joyful expression as she continued to cry in bed. She laid down on her side and let the pillow soak in her tears. As the sorrow had slowly dissipated, she felt Zayden's warm hands tightly embracing her waist from the back. He lay closely against her back, and she was alarmed to feel a bulging rock against her lower back.  

Celine then decided this would be the last night Zayden would be allowed to sleep next to her. 

He's hitting puberty already.