Albert Duchy. The owner of this residence is now said to have as much power as the King…… but the said owner, Lilia Albert, was in her office with a troubled expression on her face.

  At the end of her gaze was an invitation card placed on the table.

  [……What should I do…… I’m having second thoughts about this.]

  [My Lady…… You’ve been repeating that line for 30 times already. Make up your mind already.]

  Lilia’s personal maid, Lunamaria spoke to her with a dumbfounded expression on her face, but Lilia kept her eyes on the invitation, looking really worried.

  Seeing this, Lunamaria sighed loudly before speaking.

  [It’s just “inviting Miyama-sama to the evening party”, right? Why don’t you just make up your mind……]

  [N- No, but…… Kaito-san doesn’t really like noble gatherings like this, and he’s quite a celebrity to begin with, so his attendance would cause quite a stir…… Also, it’s embarrassing……]

  [The last one was just the real reason, right……?]

  What was currently troubling Lilia was really quite simple. In the party that had been the major catalyst for her getting together with Kaito…… She had danced with Kaito there and had really enjoyed it, so she was thinking about dancing again.

  It was unlikely that Kaito would raise an invitation from his girlfriend, Lilia, and he would certainly make time for her. As a noble, it isn’t difficult for Lilia to attend a party that allows her to dance, and she can easily arrange a place.

  If I were to list only the conditions necessary to get there, all of them would be easily accomplished. Except, there’s one thing stopping her…… It’s the fact that Lilia was extremely shy, fatally pulling her feet down from moving.

  Unlike the time when she danced with Kaito before, Lilia is currently Kaito’s girlfriend…… A dance between two lovers, in a place where a lot of people can see it…… Thinking about such a situation, Lilia felt so embarrassed that she couldn’t invite Kaito.

  [……My Lady, if you’re going to be like that, “what about when you’re finally going to be betrothed with Miyama-sama”?]

  [T- That is…… I’ll just leave it to Kaito-san’s lead…… ummm……]

  [Haahhh…… My Lady, seriously…… If you’re going to be troubled every time you get an invitation to a ball or an evening party, then you should just cut it out and make up your mind already.]

  [Ugghhh…… I- I know that. B- But, Kaito-san also has his own schedule and other things to deal with, so I have to make sure that it’s convenient for him……]

  Looking at the blushing Lilia, muttering intelligible words while poking her fingers together, Lunamaria loudly sighed again.

  Thinking that Lilia probably wouldn’t be able to ask Kaito out again this time……


  On the carriage ride home from the evening party, I slumped down my disappointment.

  I couldn’t ask Kaito-san out again. Uuuu, why am I so cowardly…… I really hate this part of me.

  In the end, I had to leave without dancing with anyone at the evening party tonight.

  I don’t know if I should say I’m fortunate or not, but how should I say this…… With Chronois-sama’s True Blessing, I have gained a very high standing among the nobles, and even if I am invited to a dance, I can simply say “I don’t feel like dancing today”.

  Recently, more and more people have started to think that I don’t like to dance, or that I only talk to people and won’t accept any dance invitations.

  Well, about that…… I don’t really want to dance with anyone other than Kaito-san, so there isn’t any problem but…… the problem is that I wasn’t able to dance with Kaito-san even once.

  I’ve tried to ask him out many times, only to get cold feet…… It’s really pathetic of me. Even Luna was quite astounded.

  It can’t stay like this forever. We’ve already been engaged, and Kaito-san and I will be getting married soon.

  If we’re going to be a married couple, and I’m always shy about every small detail, Kaito-san might be disappointed in me.

  ……Next time…… I’ll properly invite Kaito-san next time.

  Making up my mind for the umpteenth time, at that moment, the carriage arrived in front of the mansion.

  Getting off the carriage parked right inside the gate, I walked through the moonlit garden to the mansion.

  I normally ride the carriage to the front of the mansion, but I like gazing at the moonlit garden, so I walk from the gate only when I come back from an evening party.

  It’s quiet, but the night garden looked fantastic…… I feel strangely calm as I enjoy the night breeze while watching the stars twinkle in the night sky.

  As I continued to walk slowly, enjoying the scenery, I saw the figure of someone in the central garden, standing by the fountain……


  [……Eh? K- Kaito-san?]

  [Good evening, Lilia-san.]

  [Ah, y- yes. Good evening……]

  Why is Kaito-san here? No, rather than that…… Why is it that he’s wearing a “suit”?

  Seeing my astonishment at the unexpected meeting with the suited Kaito-san, Kaito-san gently smiled and spoke.

  [No, it’s just that the night looked beautiful…… Reminding me of the night party where I danced with Lilia-san before…… And somehow, I wanted to see you, Lilia-san.]

  [……Kaito-san.]

  Seeing Kaito-san’s gentle smile…… I realized that Luna finally moved in secret. I guess she had enough with my cowardliness.

  ……Seriously, she’s usually scolding me with mean words, but she has always been by my side. She’s really quite troublesome, isn’t she? My beloved best friend, I mean……


  Kaito-san didn’t say anything more, just staring at me with a smile on his face. I guess he’s waiting for me huh. For me to bring out my courage……


  My best friend has pushed me so far, and my beloved is trying to respond to me. Then, I can’t just say I’m feeling embarrassed.

  [……Kaito-san, it is truly a pleasure to have met you on a wonderful night like this. I’m thinking of preserving this joy I felt as a happy memory.]

  [……………….]

  [That’s why, ummm…… will you please…… dance with me?]

  [Yes. I’d be happy to.]

  Saying that, Kaito-san respectfully bowed, smoothly approached me and took my hand.

  Then, as Kaito-san slightly moved his gaze to the side, Phantasmal King-sama’s clones appeared a short distance away, each clone holding various instruments, and began to play a beautiful melody.

  ……Good grief, for him to treat Phantasmal King-sama as an orchestra…… Seriously, this person is…… Somehow, I’m feeling embarrassed of myself for worrying about something very insignificant.

  [Well then, shall we dance?]

  [Yes. I’m looking forward to it, Kaito-san.]

  Under the gentle moonlight, our dance begins. It was not a flashy dance, nor was it a particularly spectacular dance.

  But yes, the happiness welling up from my heart…… was incredibly great.

  As if my heart was connected with Kaito-san, I felt like at this moment…… the only people in this world are Kaito-san and I.

  If I danced to my heart’s content tonight, I think it would take us quite a while. But I’m sure, for me…… no. For us, it will feel like a very short time.

  I wonder what we should do afterwards? I would have dinner with Kaito-san, and we would talk until we fell asleep…… No, before that, should I also end our dance just like last time?

  I may writhe around remembering how I did such a thing, but right now, I’m brimming with so much happiness that it encourages me.

  Then, I would turn to the dumbfounded Kaito-san and ask him out. If he would be willing to attend the next evening party with me…… I’m sure he will nod with a gentle smile.

  After we attend a party together, I will introduce him to the nobles I usually talk with…… that he’s my fiancé that I’m proud of……


  I can think of endless futures, and say with certainty that they will come true…… Ahh, I see…… This must be the feeling of being “happy from the bottom of my heart”.

  Thank you, Kaito-san. For choosing someone like me…… I will not let you regret it. I will work harder than ever so that you can also feel what I’m feeling right now.

  That’s why, even in the future…… please let me stay by your side…… I love you.

  **********