A Challenge

His friends chuckled, clearly finding amusement in the situation.

Ignoring their comments, I kept my composure and continued my activity.

As I poured myself a drink, Julius walked over, his smirk still plastered on his face.

"Having a good time, commoner?" he sneered.

I raised an eyebrow, unfazed by his attempt to provoke me. "Just enjoying the drink," I replied calmly.

Julius was about to reply, but his words were swallowed by the sudden commotion that erupted in the room.

People began murmuring and pointing towards the stairs.

Curiosity piqued, I turned my gaze in that direction and saw a familiar figure making her way through the crowd.

It was Aisha, dressed in an exquisite gown that accentuated her elegance and beauty.

As she walked, her radiant smile lit up the room, and all eyes were drawn to her.

Whispers filled the air as people marvelled at her presence.

"Look at Lady Aisha! She's stunning!"

"Such grace and poise. Truly a remarkable young lady!"

Aisha's arrival had stolen the spotlight, shifting the attention away from me and Julius.

The group surrounding him dispersed, eager to catch a glimpse of the birthday girl.

Julius scowled, clearly displeased that his attempt to provoke me had been overshadowed.

With a huff, he turned and walked away, his earlier arrogance replaced by frustration.

Meanwhile, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. The attention had shifted, and I could now blend into the background.

As the crowd gathered around Aisha, I quietly made my way towards a secluded corner of the room.

Leaning against the wall, I observed the festivities from a distance.

Aisha was surrounded by well-wishers, each offering their congratulations and compliments.

She graciously accepted their greetings, her smile never wavering.

Uncle Lucas and Aunt Celeste were by her side, their faces beaming with pride and joy.

Watching her, I could not help but admire her beauty.

"It's about time, I should start working on my dream, right?" I muttered to myself.

And the dream I was talking about was the dream that every man of culture had and that was—Harem, making my dream harem with varieties of girl.

But for now, my goal is to conquer—Aisha, my childhood friend.

As I leaned against the wall, lost in my own thought, I noticed Julius was gazing at Aisha with a smirk on his face.

He rolled his eyes and locked his gaze with me for a second, his expression filled with a mix of amusement and cunning.

As Julius made his way towards Aisha with a smug smile, I continued observing from my secluded corner, knowing to see what he'll do.

"May I have this dance, milady?"

Julius bent slightly, extending his hands forwards, towards Aisha but his eyes were fixed on me with a smirk on his face.

'Let's see, how you'll react, commoner?'

The whispers and murmurs among the nobles grew louder.

"Look at Sir Julius. He's a perfect match for Lady Aisha."

"They both come from prestigious backgrounds. It's only natural they should be together."

"He's quite skilled in swordsmanship and she excels in magic. Their talents complement each other."

The speculation and assumptions filled the air, creating an air of anticipation.

Aisha, who had been graciously accepting greetings and compliments from the crowd, looked momentarily taken aback by Julius's sudden request.

She glanced in my direction, with a flicker of uncertainty crossing her eyes.

"Thank you for the offer, sir Julius. However, I would like to invite someone else for tonight."

With a polite smile, Aisha declined Julius' offer.

The crowd gasped in surprise, their speculation shifting to who Aisha's chosen partner might be.

I chucked at Julius' futile effort, as I already knew what the outcome would be.

Julius smirked faltered for a moment, his confidence wavering.

He tried to maintain his composure as he glanced back at me, seemingly surprised by Aisha's response.

Meanwhile, Aisha made her way towards me, her gown swaying elegantly with each step.

The gazes of the crowd followed her.

When she reached me, she extended her hand with a warm smile. "Frank, would you like to dance with me?"

The room fell silent, and all eyes were on us.

At that moment, I just gave her a sweet smile and accepted her request.

Without hesitation, I placed my hand in hers and nodded. "It would be my honour, milady"

"Who's that? Haven't seen him before."

"Isn't that the boy with the tenth rank skill?"

"Yeah, he was with them during the evaluation."

As we made our way to the centre of the room, the crowd parted, creating a pathway for us.

The music began to play, and we moved together in harmony, dancing gracefully as if we had done it a thousand times before.

The whispers and murmurs of the nobles were drowned out by the music, and for that moment, it was just Aisha and me.

It wasn't just the dance, but also the years of friendship and the shared memories that made this moment special.

The room faded into the background, and it was as if we were the only two people in the world.

The dance came to an end, and we found ourselves in the centre of the room, surrounded by applause and cheers.

Aisha's smile was radiant, and I couldn't help but smile back, grateful for this incredible moment.

As the dance came to an end, applause and cheers filled the room.

The crowd erupted into praise, their words expressing admiration for both Aisha and me.

"Such grace and elegance! A perfect match indeed!"

"They look absolutely stunning together!"

"Did you see the way they moved? It was like they were meant to be!"

On the other side, Julius was boiling with rage and fury as he heard the crowd compliment them.

To be honest, he had a crush on Aisha since when he first met her.

From that moment he worked hard to one day impress Aisha but all that hard work was in vain.

"How... dare a commoner... steal my place."

Julius muttered under his breath as he greeted his teeth, frustrated.

"...For the second time. Who does he think he is?"

"Yes, I should show him his place. Then Aisha will recognise me, right?"

As the applause died down, Julius couldn't contain his frustration any longer.

He stepped forward, a determined look in his eyes.

"Commoner, if you think you can just waltz in here and steal Aisha's attention, you're sorely mistaken."

Julius declared, his voice filled with arrogance.

I turned to face him, wearing a calm smile.

"...Sir Julius, I didn't steal anything. Aisha made her choice, and it's her decision to dance with whomever she pleases."

The crowd fell into a hushed silence, anticipating what would happen next.

"Enough with your excuses, commoner," Julius spat. "I challenge you to a duel. Let's see if you're as skilled with a sword as you are with stealing attention."

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