The ballroom of the Velebrandt estate shimmered like a dream pulled from the pages of an ancient fairytale. Golden chandeliers bathed the hall in soft light, casting prismatic gleams across polished marble floors and the sparkling glasses of guests. Elegant figures twirled in rhythm—older noble couples reminiscing their youth in measured waltzes, while younger nobles in their twenties spun their chosen partners with proud, sweeping grace.
And among them, a pair stood out.
Lucien Caelum Velebrandt, heir of the Western Gate, danced in the soft embrace of melody with Eléa Fionelle Astermere, the light-pink-haired daughter of an S-Rank guildmaster. Her carefully braided hair glistened faintly under the ballroom's enchantments, and her yellow eyes shimmered like summer stars.
