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🕑 Added 2025-08-02 21:17:11 +0000 UTCEP.14 12th Birthday Ball (3)
While the three enjoyed a warm, friendly atmosphere together, Eliza sat quietly alone in a corner of the ballroom, fiddling with the necklace Yuno had given her.
‘Sigh... I came to Yuno’s birthday ball, but... it’s still tough...’
She had come to the ballroom with Isabella, but since assigned seats were given, she couldn’t be with Isabella inside the hall.
The young ladies who sat at her table exchanged greetings, then left to find their own partners, leaving Eliza alone, able only to gaze at the brightly shining Yuno from afar.
‘Sigh~ I wish this would end soon... I feel bad for Yuno since it’s his birthday, but... I just want the ball to end so I can go back to my normal life.’
As she closed her eyes and imagined, scenes of her usual days exercising, studying, and playing with Yuno floated through her mind, and a silly smile appeared on her face.
“Eliza, what are you thinking about so deeply?”
“Ah~ I was thinking about studying and playing with you... huh? Huh? Prince Yuno?”
Eliza answered naturally to the voice at her ear, but then was startled and opened her eyes.
In front of her was Yuno’s handsome face smiling brightly, making her blush and stare blankly at him.
“What are you doing here alone? Come on, let’s go.”
“G-go where?”
When Eliza just sat there absentmindedly despite his suggestion, Yuno grabbed her hand and pulled her forcibly onto the stage. All eyes in the ballroom turned to them, and Eliza, flustered, tried to shake off Yuno’s hand.
But Yuno’s strong grip was impossible for her to break, so as she was dragged, she pleaded,
“I-I can’t go out there! If a hostage princess from an enemy country gets so much attention...”
“Hmph! Hostage or not, I don’t care! The one I want to dance with right now is you. Not anyone else just you, so I’m taking you out there.”
As the unusual pairing of a princess from an enemy country and an imperial prince took the stage, the nobles began to murmur.
Eliza looked to Empress Yuria and Isabella for help, but they just waved and signaled her to have fun.
In the end, the imperial orchestra began to play a lively waltz.
Yuno, noticing Eliza was a bit awkward at dancing, kindly led her with slow steps, and Eliza followed his movements.
‘Ugh~ Is there anything Yuno can’t do with his body? He’s so big, but he dances so well... Is this really his first ball? Maybe he’s a natural flirt?’
While Eliza was lost in such thoughts, Yuno skillfully spun her around, and she focused completely on following his lead.
As she did, all her idle thoughts disappeared, and even the gossip of the imperial nobles faded away.
All she could see was Yuno’s face, and Yuno, too, focused his gaze solely on her.
As the music sped up, their dance quickened, but the two, lost in each other, no longer cared about the dance itself they wrapped their arms around each other’s waists, held hands, and fell into a world of their own.
‘Ah... That’s right. I can’t deny it anymore... I love Yuno...’
The innocent heart of a twelve-year-old girl swelled, ready to burst at a touch.
Though she had come as a hostage to a foreign land at a young age, and had spoken boldly even before the emperor, inside, the third princess of Leon was just a frightened little girl. The prince who had treated her warmly, as family, sometimes as a cherished little sister, stole her heart.
And though she had denied her feelings until now, Eliza could no longer lie to herself.
As the dance ended, Eliza looked at Yuno, who was smiling at her, and slowly opened her mouth.
“Yuno~ I lo ”
Clap clap clap clap clap clap
“Wow~ What a wonderful dance, Your Highness! When did you learn to dance so well?”
Marquis Garcia’s sudden applause and praise on stage cut off Eliza’s confession.
“Wait, Marquis Garcia? Weren’t you with His Majesty?”
“Hahaha, His Majesty has retired to Consort Rose’s palace for the night. So I hurried back here. As tonight’s host, I can’t be absent too long.”
Yuno gave a wry smile at Marquis Garcia. Realizing his mistake, Garcia looked sheepish, but with nothing else to do, Yuno awkwardly smiled and led Eliza down from the stage.
“Eliza, were you about to say something earlier?”
“Huh? No, nothing. I just wanted to say you dance really well. Hehe.”
“Hahaha, is there anything I can’t do?”
“Mm~ History, economics, diplomacy, philosophy, law... and more~”
“...Leave out the academics, that’s not fair.”
Eliza laughed as she watched Yuno pout, but though she wasn’t entirely at ease, she decided to simply celebrate Yuno’s birthday and hope for another chance to confess.
‘Thank you, Yuno. For being so good to me. For treating me like family. But I don’t think I can keep treating you as just family anymore. I’ve come to love you.’
Eliza’s feelings, left unspoken, only grew stronger, but as Yuno danced and enjoyed himself with many other noble ladies, she began to feel a bit jealous.
Yuria told Isabella and Eliza to have fun and returned to the palace, so the two sat at the royal table, glaring at Yuno and gossiping about him.
“Eliza, isn’t he just the worst? He asks us to be his partners, then acts like he’s starting a harem? Ugh~”
“Right, Isabella. He acted like he only had eyes for me, but now he’s all over the place....”
“Kekeke... Eliza, you like Yuno, don’t you?”
Isabella’s sudden, pointed question made Eliza blush deeply.
“Huh? Wh-what are you talking about? How could I like someone so annoying...”
“No need to make excuses. It’s obvious. You’ve been showing it for ages, and today you looked like you just wanted to cling to Yuno.”
Eliza, too embarrassed to respond, just hung her head.
Isabella leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“Huh? What... what do you mean?”
“Why so surprised? I’m saying we should help each other out. Got it?”
“You... you’ll help me become Yuno’s wife?”
“That’s right. But later, we’ll share Yuno. I’m his real sister, so I can’t marry him, but I love him even more than you do both as a brother and as a man.”
“W-when did you start feeling that way, Isabella?”
“From the moment I first saw Yuno. When he was just a little kid. I even cursed being born as his real sister. But what can I do? I fell for him. I don’t care about blood or taboos! I get what I want! Yuno is mine!!”
Eliza was startled by Isabella’s intense words and her burning, possessive eyes, which showed both love and obsession for Yuno.
“But it’s not a bad deal for you, right? I’ll persuade Mom to arrange a royal marriage for you, so just turn a blind eye if I come to your bedroom later. Of course, you’ll be there too. I’m not so rude as to hog Yuno all for myself after you helped me, okay? Hehehe.”
It really didn’t sound like a bad deal to Eliza. She regretted not being able to have Yuno all to herself, and was surprised by Isabella’s forbidden feelings, but with Isabella’s support, her chances of marrying Yuno would increase. So she shook hands with Isabella, forming a secret alliance.
Completely unaware that two girls were plotting for him, Yuno finished dancing with the ladies, said his farewells, and headed to the Empress’s palace with Isabella and Eliza.
After escorting them to the Empress’s palace and receiving kisses on both cheeks from Isabella and Eliza, Yuno happily returned to his own palace.
Upon returning, Yuno sensed someone waiting in his room.
Realizing it was Count Lichtenauer, who would be overseeing his training from today, Yuno nervously swallowed and opened the door wide.
Inside, Count Lichtenauer greeted Yuno and took out a box.
“Happy birthday, Your Highness. And today, you will finally begin mana cultivation with the Dragon Heart.”
Count Lichtenauer opened the elegant box and took out a bright red shard, handing it to Yuno.
But Yuno, instead of accepting it, immediately asked the count a question.
“Um... when it comes to mana cultivation, is there some special imperial method, or a unique technique for the Royal Guard?”
Hoping for something special, Yuno asked, and Count Lichtenauer laughed heartily and replied,
“Haha, Your Highness! There’s no such thing. Mana cultivation is the same in every country. It’s just a method for awakening mana when you first start, and for healing the mana hole if it’s damaged from overuse. Increasing the amount of mana in the mana hole and how you use it is all up to training.”
“Then why not have all soldiers practice mana cultivation? Wouldn’t that make for an incredibly strong army?”
“Your Highness... you may not know yet, but cultivation after age twenty is proven to have no effect. Also, who helps you start, and whether you take elixirs or mana stones, greatly affects the results, making it very expensive.”
“Ah~ So that’s why the knightly orders are small and elite.”
“Exactly. That’s why the Empire focuses support on the Royal Guard, and other noble families only invest in talented youths to run their own orders.”
Yuno nodded, finally understanding. After finishing his explanation, Count Lichtenauer handed Yuno the Dragon Heart again, and as Yuno accepted it, the count sat behind him to support the cultivation process.
“Your Highness, now please take the Dragon Heart. It’s only a shard, so the effect won’t be huge, but it will help you begin mana cultivation.”
Following Count Lichtenauer’s instructions, Yuno sat down and swallowed the Dragon Heart, then closed his eyes. A blazing heat spread through his body, and he was soon drenched in sweat.
“All right, let’s begin. Focus all your senses inside your body.”
Count Lichtenauer placed his hand on Yuno’s back and began channeling mana, while Yuno concentrated on the sensations within his body.
