(4) End of the Ball

"Did I catch your attention? You look like you lost your breath."

Claude after saying those words looked at the crowd. Some nobles were now interested in who Claude was thinking he might be some high-ranking aristocrat or noble. meanwhile, others glared at him thinking who this arrogant guy is.

'Sigh... this is like how I introduced myself on the stage when I was in high school. Everyone has different first impressions about me.' Claude sighs after he recalls his past.

Claude and Melissa walk to the side of the room near one of the walls. A servant walked towards them and offered them champagne which they both took.

'I agreed to be a partner in the ball but Melissa said she was going to hire me as a guard? I know I beat my instructors in taekwondo and boxing as a hobby but is that enough in this place?'

Claude felt a bit lacking even after knowing he was able to best his instructors. His instructors were very world-renowned and he hired them to teach him everything they know. Even if he did beat them he paid no attention to it since he thought it's normal for the students to best their teachers at what they are teaching, as long as the teacher teaches everything they knew.

While Claude was thinking if his past experiences were up to the standards of this world, a blonde man went near them.

"Lady Melissa! It's very nice to see you attend this ball!"

The duo looked at the person near them. It was a man with blonde hair and blue eyes. The man looked at both of them with a bright smile.

"Oh! it's you Alberu, fancy seeing you here. You don't come to events like this often. I thought you won't appear here." Melissa casually says.

"Of course, I am here. I'm the one who arranged all of this. Melissa... You didn't forget... Right?" Alberu tells her, still with his bright smile.

"Ha ha ha." Melissa sweat drops a bit because she totally forgot that this ball was organized by Alberu.

"Anyways, who is this good-looking gentleman beside you? He shines even brighter than me, Did you perhaps kidnap a long-lost brother of mine?" Alberu wonders who Claude was since his features look exactly like he belongs to the royal family.

"He is my partner!" Melissa leans close and hugs Claude's arm to which he found her touch very comfortable.

'Is she going to cling on to me every time she introduces me? Well, I don't mind since she is my boss and it feels weirdly nice.'

"Oh, You aren't going to try convincing my little brother to be your partner? Wait, never mind. Sigh... that fool." Alberu just facepalms. He was surprised to see Melissa not fawning over his little brother Ian. Then he remembers that every time she would try to be Ian's partner she would get rejected or Ian would have another woman for his partner.

"Have fun Melissa. About the annulment, I'm looking into it." Alberu waves at them and walks away to other nobles to greet them for attending the ball.

"So that's the crown prince? he has a tendency to compliment others huh?" Claude tells her. He didn't try to say anything or converse with Alberu since he felt he would just get into trouble if he does.

'He reminds me of those rich guys that I used to meet. they would compliment me and then they would try to take benefit from me thinking I have a good impression on them.'

After waiting for a bit finishing their glass of champagne, the music inside the palace started. Some nobles stopped what they are doing and started dancing in the middle of the room with their respective partners. Claude hears footsteps on the right then when he glanced at the side, He saw the 2nd prince walking towards them.

When Ian arrived in front of them Ian offers his hand to Melissa. "Melissa..." Ian offers his hand to Melissa for a dance. Melissa who saw this mockingly smiles.

"I'm not dancing with you."

'Pft, HAHAHAHAHA!' Alberu who heard this declaration almost burst out laughing, thinking that Ian who always rejects Melissa just got completely turned down by her.

"My father doesn't like me dancing with other men. And as you can see, My partner also dislikes me dancing with other men." Melissa makes absurd excuses to deny and embarrass Ian.

'She really wants to humiliate this guy huh? Well if she wants to then of course as her partner, I will help her as such.' Claude as he was thinking that, went behind Melissa and held both of her hands from behind. He then went and rested his head on her shoulders while looking at Ian.

Melissa who didn't expect Claude to do that was a bit surprised but she didn't let it show. She smiles and leans back at Claude sweetly causing a bit of commotion from the nobles. some nobles were gossiping about their relationship while some ladies were a bit jealous of Melissa.

Ian who saw this gritted his teeth seeing that he was getting humiliated. then a lady offers to be his partner, to which he immediately accepts so that he can get out of this embarrassing situation.

Melissa and Claude who saw the annoying prince leave with anger felt joy. She looks at Claude who was now beside her, she gave him a glass of champagne as a reward for helping her with dealing with Ian.

'We just drank a glass a while ago, Do you want us to be drunk?'

Claude accepts the glass with a bit of hesitation. Seeing as both of them are just standing there not doing anything only watching the others dance, Claude decided to step up and ask Melissa for a dance.

"My lady, would you give this partner a chance to dance with you?" Claude offers his hand to Melissa with a smile. Melissa who was busy drinking champagne while watching people dance flinched a bit. She looked at him for a while then she happily smiles back at him with a bit of blush on her face.

'So you see that's where the trouble began. That smile. That damned smile.'

Melissa held his offering hand and said "Let's dance shall we." They both walk to the middle of the room with their hands both held against each other. People who were dancing stopped for a bit seeing that the most talked-about today were now about to dance.

Claude and Melissa finally stopped walking and looked at each other. Claude's right hand was interlocked with Melissa's hand while the other was on her waist.

Claude was about to start dancing until Melissa gripped his hand tightly. Confused as to why she clenched his hand tightly, He looks at her. She looks away embarrassed and murmurs something softly.

"I don... kno... to...dance."

Claude is confused by what she was saying, so he asks "What did you say?"

She then looked at him in the eyes and repeat what she said.

"I don't know how to dance."

Hearing what she said Claude couldn't help but give her a 'how the fuck' look only to receive back a 'don't fucking ask me' look.

He just sighs hearing he got hired to a ball by someone who doesn't even know how to dance. 'Going out of the dance floor after doing nothing and just standing here would be a bit embarrassing... I'll just take the lead and give her a bit of confidence.' He looks at Melissa who is just staring at her.

Claude decides to start dancing causing Melissa to be startled from the sudden start. She stepped on his foot a few times and glares at him.

"Hey, I told y-" She was about to say something until Claude cut her off.

"Come on don't just stand

there staring, honey

Try to move your feet

If you think they looking at you

They looking at me

I can make it nice and easy

I'ma take the lead

They ain't even looking at you, baby

They looking at me."

Claude softly comfortably sings to Melissa while taking the lead in dancing, making her tense muscles soften a little.

'Did this bastard just sing a song while mocking me!?' hearing Claude sing a song to comfort her made her a bit happy but when she realizes that he was making fun of her made her slightly irritated.

"I'll show you." she then used all her strength and pulled him close. She then took the lead by forcefully moving the way she wanted. Claude was surprised by the sudden power she showed but it was still manageable for him so he took back the lead. They were both exchanging in taking the lead while dancing, for them it was like they were playing tug of war while dancing causing both of them to smile happily.

The others who were watching this were astonished, the two looked so beautiful dancing together. Claude and Melissa are dancing all over the place causing the others who were dancing to leave the dance floor.

Ian was watching this from the side next to Alberu after he was done dancing. Ian who saw this frowned a bit, Alberu notices this and told him what he has observed over the years.

"You know Ian... I have noticed. Never have I seen Melissa smile like that when she is with you. I've always watched what occurs when she is with you. She would always try to seek for your attention but you would always deny and leave her then after you leave, she would just stand there with a sad look about to cry." Alberu says with a serious look. Ian looked at him with a silent gaze then Alberu continues.

"I know how you have been having an affair then you would make her see all of that. You shouldn't do that to your fiancee Ian, she has feelings too you know? She also requested annulling your engagement with her. I saw how you would take another partner instead of her and now that she has one, you now try to be her partner now that she has one." Alberu stares at his brother who just stood there looking at him not saying anything.

Alberu sighs and tells him "About your engagement with her, I suggest you accept the annulment. I'm saying this as your older brother and as Melissa's friend." Alberu then walks away from Ian.

"B-but brot-" Ian was gonna try to defend himself but Alberu stopped in his tracks then looks back at him and coldly says

"Shut it."

After hearing those words Ian just looked down on the ground and clenched his fist. He told himself that he was just doing it because she was clingy and annoying but now that he heard those words from his brother, he couldn't say a thing. Ian was now left alone thinking about his past actions after Alberu continued to walk away.

Claude and Melissa are now done dancing everywhere after 30 minutes. They were both sweating a bit from their actions but both of them smiling.

"Are you a liar? Just a few seconds ago you said you couldn't dance." Claude says while smirking. Melissa shrugs and says "What can I say? I'm just too good at everything I try my best at."

"Good? You just danced well because I am your partner."

Both of them giggle then they suddenly heard a loud noise.

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

It was the nobles that watched them dance. They were now clapping from the astounding performance they were shown. Melissa seeing as there were so many audiences that were clapping for her flinched a bit. She just wanted to show Claude that she can dance but she didn't expect to have live viewers.

"Just like always, they always clap." Claude smiles seeing the applause that he and Melissa were given. Melissa turns her head back at him and asks "Who really are you?"

"Your amazing future personal guard." Claude says while bowing causing Melissa to roll her eyes. After their spectacle, Claude separated from Melissa to eat some food since the food from the Podebrat estate was little. He doesn't understand how nobles can say they're full after eating one steak.

He walked to the table full of food and placed some on his plate. He then saw a bottle of wine next to the food. 'Hm... I wonder how the wine in this foreign place tastes.' He was about to grab the wine bottle to pour onto his glass until a hand took a hold of the wine bottle.

He looked to the person who grabbed it and saw a good-looking person with red hair with simple clothes. The man chugged the whole bottle like it was nothing. The man then noticed Claude who was beside him and asked "Oh did you want to try the wine? my bad."

"It's fine don't worry." Claude just waved it off, the man nods and grabbed the other wine bottle on the table. Claude just giggled seeing someone who loves to drink. He grabbed a lemon on the table and offered it to the man "Want some lemons?" the man looks at the lemon with contempt and says "I hate lemons." Claude hearing him, just shrugs and ate his food.

(30 Minutes Later)

Claude was now in the corridors of the royal palace after telling Melissa he has to go to the bathroom to take a piss. He was lost, The royal palace is 4 times larger than the Podebrat manor causing him to keep entering random rooms.

'What the fuck, where the hell is the bathroom. I keep asking the servants but they keep saying "That way. this way." They don't want to escort me there cause they were too "busy" doing stuff." Claude just sighs while still walking to the corridor. He finally found a door with a sign with the word bathroom written on it after a few more minutes.

After he was done urinating in the bathroom, he went out only to be met with a person. The person has dark red hair, chocolate-colored skin, and also a horizontal scar on his nose. The guy also has a distinct feature of dog ears above his head. Claude was wondering if this guy was cosplaying as a wolf or this world actually has demi-humans. The guy says "You. Fight me right now." Claude was wondering who this guy was and why he wanted a fight so he asks "What? Why should I fight you?"

"You're strong is what my instincts are telling me." the man replies. "I refuse." Claude tells him, only for a fist to come towards his face. He dodges the fist effortlessly and gave the man a confused look. The guy then says "It wasn't a request it was an order." Claude cringed a bit after hearing that cheezy line.

They were both now fighting in the middle of the palace hall. Claude just kept dodging all the attacks launched towards him calmly. 'This guy's attacks are so straightforward. So many big swings that it's so easy to dodge.'

"Stop dodging!" The guy yells at Claude because all of his attacks just kept missing. Claude backs a few meters away from him and took a heavy breath. He then fixes his posture and did a boxing pose, his hands guarding both sides of his face.

Claude remembers the things his instructors told him to always do when in a fight. 'Always stay serene even if you break a bone.' He gets ready and looks at the man with a calm gaze. Claude then started lightly jumping and head towards the man.

The man noticing Claude was coming close to him, lifts both of his hands and says "Oho~ You're approa-" but before he can continue, Claude kicked the ground with great strength causing a small crater to appear from where he kicked, Claude moved to the man with great speed.

The man couldn't react to Claude's speed and was rattled causing him to let his guard down. Claude sees an opening and clenches his fist and stopped in front of him. After he stopped, he launches his fist upwards uppercutting the man. The poor man almost hit the ceiling after getting launched by Claude's fist. The man fell unconscious to the ground, Claude seeing he was not moving placed him nicely to the side since he felt bad knocking the guy out.

He went back to the party only to find Melissa was not there. He searched for her and saw her in the palace garden. She seemed to be talking with a yellow-haired lady. He went behind her and held Melissa's shoulder "Boo. Who is this? your friend." Claude points to the lady. Melissa was spooked not expecting him to be there.

"You fuc- I mean yes but she is just an acquaintance I met today. Her name is Yuri Elizabeth." Melissa wanted to curse at Claude but realizes that Yuri was still in front of them. Claude looks at the lady staring at them and waved towards her.

"Hello, lady Yuri."

Yuri snapped out of her daze and greeted back "Ah! Yes hello there sir?"

"Claude Delà Fleur"

After introducing himself looks back at Melissa. Claude wanted to leave the place and rest so he says "Let's go back to the estate. The ball is almost done." Melissa nods and waves at Yuri. Claude and Melissa left the garden and left. Yuri was now standing there all alone thinking of something deep.

"Who was that guy? I've never seen someone close to lady Melissa."

(A/N: I have a bunch of characters for the group chat now but I don't know how to introduce the group chat.)