Clad in an evening dress, Estelle was riding in a coach with Arcrayne to the embassy of the neighboring Franciel. A soiree was to be held there this evening to mark the occasion of the ambassador’s departure from office, and Estelle was attending as Arcrayne’s partner.
“Are you nervous, Estelle?” asked the prince.
“I am. This is my first diplomatic event since becoming your fiancée,” replied Estelle.
Since the soiree would be held in the Francien embassy, it was only natural to expect Francien to be used frequently at the venue. An extensive vocabulary was necessary for diplomatic and business events.
At present, Estelle could speak Francien just fluently enough for everyday conversation. She was still making efforts to correct her pronunciation and expand her vocabulary, so she couldn’t help flinching at the thought of what was to come.
“Per the wishes of the ambassador’s wife, the dancing will be the main event of this soiree. You need only accompany me for the opening quadrille,” said Arcrayne.
“I understand.” Estelle nodded, then was overcome with emotion.
In most balls, the quadrille was danced by four of the highest-status couples in attendance. Today, this would inevitably include the ambassador and his wife, as well as Estelle and Arcrayne.
Before she’d met the prince, Estelle had never imagined she would dance the opening quadrille at a high society soiree.
“I would like to dance with you after the quadrille too. Would that be all right?” asked Estelle.
She had practiced dancing with Arcrayne many times up to this point and wanted to use the opportunity to dance in public.
“By all means. We can dance together as much as you like,” replied the prince.
“I doubt I could keep up for that long,” said Estelle with an awkward smile.
Her injury from the hunting contest still affected her. It no longer hindered her in her daily life, but the stamina she’d lost while recuperating had yet to fully return. She would likely need to take regular breaks during the upcoming soiree.
In his usual overprotective manner, Arcrayne treasured Estelle as though keeping her in a cocoon, which was why he’d suggested she sit out the event. However, since there was going to be a ball, if Estelle didn’t attend, Arcrayne would’ve had to take another woman as his partner for the night. He’d intended to make a choice that absolutely wouldn’t lead to any misunderstandings, but Estelle still wasn’t satisfied with that, so she’d decided to go.
“I’ll do my best to stay by your side, so all you need to do is stand next to me and smile,” Arcrayne said kindly. “If someone starts talking about complicated matters or makes an annoyance of themselves, I’ll handle it.”
“Please do,” replied Estelle with a smile.
He would surely do his absolute best to protect Estelle as promised. This slightly pricked Estelle’s conscience, and she lowered her eyes to her lap, where her gloved hand rested.
While the wound on her hand from the pistol’s explosion had almost fully healed, it still cramped from time to time. But what bothered her more was how light her ring finger felt. The engagement ring Estelle had received from Arcrayne and worn on that finger all the time was still being remade. Feeling uneasy at its absence, she placed the fingers of her right hand over her left.