His dark blue eyes turned into a crescent. Before she could be surprised by such a drastic change, he excitedly said to Ella, “Then I’ll have a chance until then.”

Ella became surprised and hesitated while Vylun smiled as if he was genuinely enjoying this. By now, they were in front of the Duke already.

“What are you two talking about so closely?”

It seemed they looked very close while talking to each other through their eyes. Ella hid her frustration and made a beautiful smile, and Vylun grinned with genuine happiness. The Duke scanned over them. They didn’t answer but only smiled, and he turned to Dayson, who was still looking at them. He could sense something from this distance from Dayson that wasn’t visible from his usual smile, moving from a step behind.

“Ella, did something happen with Count Willan?”

“Nothing, father. I first met him and introduced myself to him at the last party. We didn’t talk much then. I was quite surprised today.”

“He’s not the type to do that. I’m surprised as well.” The Duke then turned away from Dayson to look at Ella. It seemed his daughter truly seemed surprised.

“It doesn’t seem good today. You shouldn’t get involved with him any further today. As you know, His Majesty appointed him to be Princess Liliere’s fiancé.”

“I will, father.”

“And I will count on you too,” said the Duke to Vylun.

He didn’t want to ask Vylun to do such a thing, but there was no other choice. He couldn’t let Ella hang around him just to stop Dayson from approaching her. There were things that could only be said on occasions like this. As such, the Duke needed to have his daughter stay with someone. The only one who could fend Dayson off and stay by Ella’s side was Vylun.

Vylun faintly knew what the Duke was worried about as he scanned him. The Duke wasn’t happy with the family’s recent support of Ella breaking off her engagement. That’s why he even ordered him to keep his knights out on watch. However, Vylun had shown interest in his daughter. It was obvious that the Duke became weary. He might have even felt betrayed.

But there was no other way. Vylun looked at the Duke with a relaxed expression. Only after he saw the look of resignation on the Duke’s face did he bow to him. He then glanced at Ella with a more serious look on his face.

“I will heed to the order well.”

He trusted that Vylun would never ask anyone to dance. Where did he go, the one who said that the sword was enough in a man’s life and promised Eric?

Vylun remembered how his friends asked a woman to dance and used it to ask Ella for a dance, “Then, milady. Shall we dance?”

Ella blanked out after Vylun made an exaggerated dance request, which wasn’t like him. Then her eyes met with his dark blue eyes. Unlike his actions that seemed excessive, his eyes were very serious as he looked at her.

She suddenly appeared in Vylun’s life with only a sword, but there was no dilemma or hesitation for him. That astonished Ella as she watched him for a while. Although her answer was delayed, these words lingered in her ear still.

“Then I’ll have a chance until then.”

A chance. It was something that Cladis wanted so much, and now Vylun wanted it as well. Ella looked at Vylun, who was still looking at her without hesitation. The man who only had his eyes being a knight was now only watching her.

‘Is this really okay?’?Hesitation and worries whispered to Ella. But now wasn’t the time to be concerned about it and reject him, nor did she have the time. She had to have the first dance with him anyway.

“Sure,” replied Ella. Then, she placed her hand over his.