It's true that when I return to the great ballroom, Vincent isn't there. However, getting there isn't so simple because, on the way, in the hallway, I run into one of the guests—one who, the moment he sees me, looks at me and walks toward me with determination. I have to assume he wants to talk to me.

Or that he was looking for me, because I'm definitely not in any crowded area, more like the most secluded spot I could find so I could talk to Ronan without being disturbed. The lavatories I went to, to make sure my hair was perfect, were also in a quieter part of the building, not the ones near the great hall.

As for this guest approaching me, the moment I see who it is, a chill runs through me and I get a bad feeling.

It's none other than the crown prince.

What's someone like him doing alone in an isolated place, away from the celebration? Because from what I've been told, he thrives on others' adulation.

And there he is, walking toward me. No, this isn't a hallucination.

I put on a neutral expression, trying not to let it show that there's nothing I want to talk about with someone like him, not after finding out what he did to Catrina.

It's a shame, but I can't ignore him, since he's the future king.

"Bianca L'Crom, I was looking for you," he tells me as if I should be nothing short of grateful that he's gracing me with the light of his presence.

"Your Highness…" I curtsy, far less deeply than I did for the queen.

He seems pleased. He has the same golden eye and hair color as Vincent, and somewhat similar features. And that's where it all ends, because where my prince's eyes are kind and his smile serene, this one's gleam with greed and the disdainful twist of his lips gives me a really bad feeling.

Also, where Vincent keeps his hair short, he wears his long, tied in a ponytail with an elaborate bow and curled in ringlets that don't look natural.

Seriously, I think it's because I know about Catrina, but he gives me the creeps.

"You're fortunate, you've caught my attention. It's not that you're worthy of me, but you're more so than Faith. From now on, you are my fiancée and the future queen."

What?!

I know I have to be polite in front of royalty, but this is too much. I think the look of shock I give, followed by one of disgust, makes my feelings pretty clear.

Sigfrig frowns.

"Why aren't you thanking me?"

Is this guy for real? Did they seriously raise him to be this much of an entitled brat?

The queen, who seemed like a sensible woman, is starting to disappoint me.

"Because I have no intention of getting engaged to you."

And I don't even apologize or anything. I'm annoyed that he thinks he can just get engaged to me because he feels like it, without my opinion mattering.

A little voice tells me he's the future king and that probably means my opinion doesn't matter. After all, I'm not in Kansas anymore.

"Insolent," he huffs and grabs my arm.

His fingers dig in. It hurts. Worse still, he pulls me toward him.

"Whether you want to or not, you're going to be mine."

Not a chance!

I don't even look to see if there's anyone in the hallway who might punish me for high treason (the bodyguard was given the night off, since this event already has plenty of security precisely because of the royal family's presence). This arrogant thing with a rotten soul is trying to kiss me in a way that will humiliate and hurt me. I punch him.

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In a way, I expect him to dodge. But he must not have seen it coming, because he doesn't. My fist connects with his jaw, making him release his grip on my hand.

The feeling of my knuckles against his face… it's totally unpleasant.

Look, I don't have hand-to-hand combat mastery, so that must've been a +1 damage. Not even +2, since I'm not wearing the sword. Despite the low damage, he's grimacing in pain and looking at me with hatred and shock.

Shit, this spell wasn't for this. Okay, but I can use it twice a day since I leveled it up, I think.

Now I do look around. There doesn't seem to be anyone. Perfect. I cast healing on him and clarify in a firm tone:

"I'm not going to marry you. There's nothing you can do about it. And you don't want me as an enemy."

I don't know why I said that last part, honestly. Maybe this whole future demon queen thing has gone to my head?

Somehow, seeing me so confident, the pathetic future human king just stammers. I leave. When I'm turning a corner in the hallway, I hear him shout:

"You've dug your own grave!"

The coward, he says it when he thinks he's safe.

Anyway, the good thing is I don't think he wants to marry me anymore, because if he tries to lay a hand on me or rape me, I'll use all my magic to stop him. He's not getting a wedding night without guards holding me down, and considering my mental link with Ronan and a certain bone dragon, not even that.

The truth is, it's lucky that while I was wandering around looking for a quiet place to talk to Ronan, I ended up passing through the less-frequented parts of the building—and that the royal guard is only watching the academy's access points and the entrance to the great hall, or wherever the king and queen are. As far as I know, nothing else. Whether the heir should have an escort, I have no idea. But if you're going off to threaten or assault a lady, the normal thing is to do it alone. So now everything depends on what Sigfrig says.

He could say I'm his fiancée.

He could say I attacked him without reason.

He has no proof, since there was no blood. And, as far as I know, there's no truth serum or truth magic in this world.

Will he do it? Will he say I attacked him?

I head to the gardens, where I stop against the outer wall of the building to calm down. My heart is racing.

I think this is adrenaline, because I don't know if I shouldn't call Ronan and run away from the academy to the goblin village.

I think I've screwed up, all by myself, without the pup's help.

And now what do I do? Hide until they find me and declare war? Wouldn't that bring lightning down on me? Or not because I'm a demon king?

Bianca, focus… I tell myself.

Because if Sigfrig claims I attacked him, I'm screwed—not even Vincent will be able to save me. I think. But if he does, it'll look bad, and I imagine someone as proud as him won't want to say a first-year student hit him.

Maybe, just maybe, all isn't lost. Maybe he won't say anything. He'll just pretend this never happened and send assassins after me, or simply wait to be king to destroy me along with my family.

I stay like that for a few minutes, turning it over in my mind.

That disgust and anger that overwhelmed me… they're gone now. My head is clearer and cooler.

And I know that if I had to defend myself, my vassals aren't ready. Because that would put the divine beast's target on us and it would be the end of the seed and everyone who fought by my side.

For now, I only see one coherent solution: go back to the ball and, if they arrest me, let them do it.

I really don't know what came over me there, but seeing that despicable prince, the one who used Catrina, trying to kiss me or something worse… I didn't reason. I just couldn't handle it and I acted.

Now I'm going to have to face the consequences.

I run my hands over my hair to make sure it's still properly up and return to the great hall. Vincent isn't there. Theodore and Mary tell me he went out to talk to Berta.

Well, I didn't run into him.

Sitting around two of the side tables, which they've pushed together, are Theodore, Mary, Darius, Karina, Alistair, Lily, Judith, and Marco. These last two seem comfortable with each other. In fact, I startle my roommate, seated with her back to me. At the sound of Mary greeting me as I approach, she stiffens in her chair. Curiously, she'd been leaning toward Marco before.

Despite the mess I've made and not knowing if I'm going to be arrested, a smile escapes me. I think I know a young woman who's going to be pretty happy when she finds out I'm not marrying Marco.

She probably feels guilty now for having danced with him, even though I asked her to. If Sigfrig doesn't rat me out, as soon as everything's official I'll talk to her and apologize for not being able to tell her sooner.

"With Berta?" I ask Mary, puzzled.

Because I can't think of what my maid would want to tell the prince.

Unless…

Is it possible she saw what happened with Sigfrig? And that while I went to the gardens to calm down, she went to find him to try to put out the fire?

Hmm… but we would've crossed paths.

No… I think this had to be before.

"Did they leave a while ago?"

"Shortly after Vincent came back from dancing with you," Mary clarifies. "By the way, you two make a great couple."

Theodore looks at her strangely and glances at Marco. Maybe he considers it tactless since he doesn't know what Mary knows.

"He's taking a while," Karina says and looks at me. "You dance well, it's not like he ran away because you stepped on his feet."

Sol stabs you with subtle words when she talks, in a power game that was also typical on Earth. Karina, however, I'm still amazed she fits in noble society. Etiquette, as I've observed, is allowed to relax with her high fire affinity family.

In any case, was that just an unfiltered observation of hers, or was she joking?

"Well, we can always ask him when he gets back," I reply.

"My brother left with Bianca's maid?" the princess asks, somewhat worried. "Isn't she your maid?"

She gestures toward the ballroom entrance.

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