The shimring lights continued to bathe the grand hall in gold and crystal hues, reflecting off chandeliers like stars trapped in glass.
The music swelled once more, elegant and lively, as couples resud their dancing — the brief commotion from earlier already fading into the background like a half-rembered dream.
"Sorry about that..."
"Fufu~ please don’t say you’re sorry,"
Riley and Snow now off to the side near the long beverage table, the two of them stood slightly apart from the crowd, shielded by the soft shadows and the buzz of clinking glasses.
Snow took a small sip from her glass, the cool drink only enhancing the warmth still lingering in her chest.
She turned her gaze toward Riley, watching him with quiet amusent. A soft chuckle slipped past her lips.
It wasn’t often she got to see him like this — cheeks faintly flushed, posture slightly stiff, clearly still rattled from his own impulsive move.
Riley was many things: calm, dependable, frustratingly dense.
But rarely was he the one to make the first move, let alone one so bold in front of everyone.
And yet, here they were.
Snow couldn’t help but feel like she’d won sothing.
Not through scheming, not through magic, not through control — but simply by being herself.
Their little ga of hide and seek had ended with him choosing her. Hugging her, even, in front of everyone.
A secret part of her was still giddy about it.
"So," she said at last, eyes glinting playfully over the rim of her glass, "what made you decide to suddenly hug like that?"
Riley didn’t answer right away. His gaze dropped to the floor, brows slightly furrowed. It was clear he was thinking — not dodging, but choosing his words carefully.
Then, with a small shake of his head, he looked back at her, the awkwardness fading just enough to et her eyes with quiet sincerity.
"...Just a few things," he said, voice low. "And... it looked like you were having a hard ti finding , so..."
His sentence trailed off, unfinished — but Snow understood what he ant.
The way she’d wandered the room, the flicker of her mana, the subtle desperation beneath her normally composed exterior... he’d noticed.
He’d been watching.
Maybe even longer than she thought.
Snow’s expression softened.
She lowered her glass and tilted her head slightly.
"You do realize," she said gently, "that by hugging in front of the entire ballroom, you’ve caused quite the stir?"
"I figured," Riley muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Kind of hard to ignore when everyone stared like I just stole the queen’s crown."
She laughed softly. "Well, they might as well crown you now. You’ve caused a bigger scandal than any of us planned."
"Sorry," he said again, though this ti it ca with a small smile.
Snow leaned slightly closer, her voice dropping just enough for only him to hear.
"...Don’t be. I liked it."
Riley blinked.
And just like that, Snow turned her attention back to her drink, acting as if she hadn’t just casually sent his heart into a spiral.
Earning a few quiet points and monts with Riley alone was always a plus for her.
"By the way," Snow said, tilting her head with curiosity, "how did you suddenly vanish so completely? Was the item I gave you really that effective?"
Riley paused, rubbing the back of his neck as he searched for the right words.
"Actually... it wasn’t just the item," he admitted. "I mixed in a bit of stealth technique I’ve been practicing lately — alongside the artifact’s effect. I didn’t expect it to work that well, honestly."
Snow’s gaze narrowed slightly, catching the brief flicker of sothing in his expression. It passed in an instant — a flash of thought, maybe doubt, maybe sothing heavier — but she decided not to press. Not now.
"Hmmm... I see," she murmured, swirling her drink. A playful glint returned to her eyes as she shifted her gaze toward the corner of the ballroom. "Then, tell , why didn’t you hug Alice? She’s been frantically searching for you as well. Fufu~ Look at her — she looks like she’s about to cry over there."
Riley followed her gaze halfway, then stopped himself.
"Let’s just say..." he glanced back at Snow, eting her eyes without hesitation, "I felt like hugging you first."
Snow’s eyes widened.
Heat rushed to her cheeks before she could stop it.
She averted her gaze, trying to hide the growing smile tugging at her lips.
As much as she believed in fairness — in giving each girl a fair chance with Riley — she couldn’t lie to herself.
Monts like this... monts where he chose her, and only her... they were intoxicating.
Riley’s gaze flickered again in Alice’s direction but stopped short of eting her eyes.
His posture stiffened slightly.
"You’re not even going to look at her?" Snow asked, raising a brow.
He exhaled quietly, voice low. "I have a feeling if I look at her now, she might actually cry — and I’d rather not do that to her in the middle of a ball. Besides..."
He looked back at Snow again, expression warm. "Even if the little ga you all devised didn’t go exactly as planned... you still technically won, right?"
Snow blinked, unsure what he ant — until he stepped closer and gently reached for her hand.
"...So let give you your reward," he said with a small smile. "Shall we dance, my princess?"
"O-Oh..." Snow froze for just a second.
It was always the sa — she could face royalty, duel prodigies, strategize like a general — but when Riley turned serious like this... when he acted with quiet confidence...
She completely forgot how to react.
She looked down at their joined hands.
His grip was firm, his warmth grounding.
Her blush deepened, and for a fleeting mont, she almost laughed at herself.
She had no idea how he could disarm her so easily with a single sentence.
Still smiling, she gave a soft sigh and shook her head — brushing her bangs aside to hide her flustered expression.
"...Fine. But don’t step on my toes, partner."
Their fingers interlaced, and hand-in-hand, they made their way toward the dance floor — just as the music shifted into its next elegant waltz.
.....
"KUKU—KUKUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Manic laughter echoed through the smoke-filled air as gray wisps curled and coiled like lazy serpents across the rooftop of Evergreen Hall.
Perched atop a floating chaise lounge of unknown origin, a creature of chaos cackled with delight — teeth bared in a wild grin that stretched impossibly from ear to ear.
Cheshire.
A familiar in na only, and an absolute nace in practice.
"HAHAHA~!" Cheshire twirled in midair, cape flaring dramatically despite the absence of wind. "Running away like that after failing so miserably—master, master, master, I’m disappointed~!"
"I didn’t technically fail, Circumstances just... escalated. Riley made that move on Snow completely on his own."
"You an he chose her~!" Cheshire sang, flipping upside-down and floating nose-to-nose with her, their eyes glowing with chaotic amusent. "Admit it, Master — you lost big ti! Even after all your subtle little cheats — you know, the ones involving your authority as Red Queen... your manipulation of the schedule... your conveniently tid distractions..."
"It wasn’t cheating. It was strategy. Tactical persuasion. Besides—"
"BUT THEN!" Cheshire interrupted with theatrical flair, spinning into a pirouette midair. "A scandalous public hug — in front of the whole school! And not to you~! Isn’t that the most obvious sign of favoritism? Riley hugged Snow like a knight claiming his chosen lady! Ooooh, Master, how devastating~"
"It’s not favoritism," Alice said stiffly. "I’m sure Riley had his reasons. Besides... this whole thing was agreed upon by all of us. Everything that happens tonight is fair ga if he’s the one making the choices. We were the ones who initiated the deal — and he wasn’t technically bound by it until the very end."
"Oh~? So now you’re throwing the rules out because they don’t favor you~?" Cheshire grinned wider, impossibly so. "Face it, Master — you lost, and you lost to Snow. Deliciously poetic."
Alice "Do you want a promotion? Within my kingdom? Sothing shiny and inflated for that enormous ego of yours, oh great familiar of mine?"
"Tempting~" Cheshire cooed, tapping a gloved finger against their chin thoughtfully. "But alas! I am incorruptible~!"
They bowed dramatically in midair, smoke spiraling around them like curtains closing on a stage.
"So I shall stop for now... Mastero~"
"Hmph."
Alice turned her back to the rooftop ledge with an annoyed huff, crossing her arms as she looked up at the open night sky above.
Stars blinked quietly overhead, uncaring of her indignation.
As much as she hated to admit it, Cheshire’s taunting had a kernel of truth.
Yes — Riley had hugged her first.
Yes — it had caused a stir.
And yes — it had shaken the hierarchy they’d all been carefully trying to keep balanced.
But even so... it wasn’t like she could do anything about it now.
"By the way, Master~ jokes aside, you really didn’t have to run away up here, you know~ It’s not like you actually hate seeing the two of them close together, right? After all he might’ve chosen her this ti... but you’re all equal in his heart. You’re his future wives, after all~"
Alice remained quiet, but her fingers curled slightly against her sleeves.
Those words — as comforting as they were — only made her heartbeat more complicated.
Alice leaning silently on the stone railing, finally spoke.
Her voice was soft, the wind brushing against the pale strands of her pink hair like a hand through silk.
"...What you said is true," she admitted, her golden eyes distant. "But... I think it’s better for them to have that mont alone."
She paused, her expression unreadable.
"Even I need to learn how to share all the firsts Riley’s bound to give us. And leaving them alone in a mont like that... it feels less like a loss, and more like a blessing. If they’re happy, then I can be happy too."
Cheshire whistled mockingly.
"Spoken like a true sore loser~"
Alice gave them a deadpan look.
"Do you want to be punished again?"
Cheshire giggled nervously and zipped away into invisibility with a low, sing-songy "Nope~"
Alice sighed, but said nothing. Even she couldn’t argue with Cheshire’s words right now.
As the wind shifted gently over the rooftop, Alice stepped forward, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek. Her golden gaze glinted with a hidden fla.
"Besides..." she murmured, "this was a ga we all agreed to. And Snow... won. Fair and square. So I’ll let her have this mont — from the bottom of my heart."
Then, a sly smile crept onto her lips.
"That said... I’ve already taken a very important first from Riley without even informing him yet."
Cheshire blinked, suddenly turning his full attention toward her.
Alice giggled, a rare, mischievous sound.
"So next ti, when he finds out, I’ll make sure to surprise him just as much as he surprised everyone in that ballroom." Her eyes sparkled with intent.
"I’ll have that adorable junior of mine fall for ... deeper than ever before."
The stars above shimred silently, as Alice patiently waits for the next chance to win his heart, one mont at a ti.
Cheshire almost said sothing in return — so teasing quip or mischievous remark. But then... he stopped himself.
Watching Alice speak with such soft sincerity, watching her eyes glow with a happiness so rare and genuine — it made sothing inside him pause.
Even a creature of chaos knew when not to disturb a fragile, beautiful mont.
So instead, he simply smiled.
SPARKLE—!
A flash of red light flickered through the quiet night, like a spark catching on velvet.
A soft breeze followed, curling around the rooftop as a familiar presence settled in behind them.
From the shimr stepped a young woman — radiant and graceful.
Her golden hair shimred like threads of sunlight, and her matching golden eyes held the steady calm of soone who had long mastered both grace and poise.
"Rose."
Alice turned with a surprised smile, her eyes lighting up as she walked forward and embraced her. Rose returned it with her usual quiet warmth.
"Are you done with the thing you said you needed to handle first?" Alice asked, still holding onto her.
"Mhm." Rose nodded, pulling away gently. "And seeing you up here ans... you lost, huh?"
Alice chuckled softly, brushing a lock of pink hair behind her ear.
"Yes. Lost beautifully, though."
Rose tilted her head thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing just slightly.
"That’s a sha... maybe I should’ve joined you after all. Divide the chances of finding him more fairly."
Alice laughed again, this ti with a hint more amusent in her voice.
"I don’t think it would’ve made much difference. We didn’t find Riley... he chose to find us. Or rather... he chose Snow."
Rose’s expression didn’t shift much — but there was a flicker of sothing behind her eyes. Thoughtfulness... curiosity... perhaps even a touch of envy.
"I see..."
She wanted to ask what exactly happened — how he approached Snow, what he said, what kind of expression he wore. But a quick glance at the sky told her the night was already deep.
There wasn’t ti for that now.
Instead, she looked back at Alice, her voice turning more serious.
"By the way... are you ready?"
Alice blinked, caught off-guard by the sudden shift.
"Ready?"
"For the end of tonight’s ball," Rose said. "It’s almost ti."
For a mont, Alice said nothing.
Then... she smiled as she rembered.
"Yes, I’m ready~"
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