Chapter 3.1

The sun had already set when Seira was finally done dressing up. The warm tones of the skies melted with the cold darkness of the night’s veil falling down, creating a stunning painting outside her window.

As she went outside, Seira assumed Calrad had been waiting for her, but she suddenly paused at the door of the drawing room.

With his back leaning on the sofa, a man with the same dark blue hair as Calrad was sitting. But the overbearing frame that occupied the entire two compartments of the sofa alone could never be her husband-to-be.

“Baron Jeff?” Seira muttered under her breath.

It was such a small murmur that nobody could have heard at all. But then the man’s head tilted back to look at her.

“Ah…” the Baron spoke, as if surprised by Seira’s arrival.

The man stared at her for a moment too long, his eyes hooded and sort of menacing. He straightened his head and got up, to which Seira noted he was much bigger than most adult men. As he strode forward, the robes wrapped tightly around his body revealed a perfectly solid outline.

His strides were quick to reach Seira, intimidating and full of power. Startled by the momentum of his gait, Seira took a step back from him.

Baron Jeff stared at Seira with bright yellow eyes like that of a beast, and eventually reached out his hand to her.

“Pardon my rudeness, I am Baron Jeff,” he said, his hand extended towards Seira like a gentleman.

Seira laid her gloved hand on top of it, and he bent over to kiss the back of her hand.

“His highness, the Crown Prince Calrad, has come up with some unavoidable circumstances, so he sent me instead,” the Baron explained.

It was then that Seira finally understood.

Calrad hated her having contact with other Alphas other than himself. The maids, as well as the knights of her escort were all Betas themselves. If it were not a shame to attend the Debutante Ball without an escort, Calrad wouldn’t have thought of sending his own cousin, the pure-blooded Alpha Baron Jeff.

“I guess it is unavoidable…” Seira sighed, and then raised her head to look him in the eye as she asked, “Did he get hurt or anything?”

“No, I’m afraid you’ll be stuck with me. His Highness might enter the ballroom with His Majesty, the Emperor today,” the Baron added with a blank face.

“I see…” Seira nodded glumly.

Baron Jeff then held out his arm to her. She noted it was a bit difficult with their considerable height difference. His forearm was buff and muscled as well, making it seemingly uncomfortable to Seira – it was as big as her thigh for goodness’ sake!

But under the current situation, there wasn’t much that she could do about it.

Fortunately, Baron Jeff cut his stride by more than half of hers, and they both managed to walk together without looking funny.

“Even though I have been in and out of here for quite some time, I think that this is the first I have seen you at the Imperial Palace,” Baron said as soon as they entered the wagon bound for the ball.

“Yes,” Seira curtly confirmed.

“If my memory serves me right, the last time we met was nine years ago,” Baron continued.

The Baron and Seira lost their fathers at the same time. It was because of the “catastrophe” that swept across the continent just eight years ago.

In order to prevent black magic beasts, all Slayers above the Master level, except for the Emperor himself, fought against the beasts. As such, there was no exception even for the head of the Jeffs.

However, unlike Baron Jeff who had a vassal and an estate to support his young successor, Seira’s family did not.

“Well, I don’t remember because I was so young,” she said as she turned her head, feeling burdened by the Baron’s gaze, bored straight at her.

When Seira’s father and Baron’s father were still alive, they interacted at least once every few months.

Baron Jeff was surprised. As a pure-blood who was far superior to ordinary people in terms of physical or learning ability, Seira could not have forgotten the past they shared together. But then again, she stubbornly replied and did not look at him afterwards.

“I see. You don’t remember at all,” Baron Jeff muttered under his voice.

Seira flinched internally with the way the Baron spoke. But for now, it was the best thing for her to do. As what Calrad said, the two of them would be married soon, and she did not want to offend him by being too close with another pure-blooded Alpha.

Currently, the pure-blooded Omegas, including Duke Franto, who hides and does not reveal their heirs who have manifested as Alphas, have withered seeds. Baron, who became the head of the Jeff family at a young age, will also be troubled with the issue of who his companion would be.

“So, I guess you are purposely keeping close to me who hasn’t manifested yet,” Seira said in a hushed tone.

More and more people have grown disappointed. They say that it had never been this late to manifest as an Omega for any pure-blood such as Seira who had platinum hair close to silver and white skin.

The darker the hair color, the more likely it would be for a pure-blood to manifest as an Alpha. On the contrary, the lighter the pigment, the most likely it was for them to manifest as an Omega.

Of course, it would be best if that was the case.

She doesn’t even know what was going to happen.

Calrad treated her the same even as she worried more and more. He consistently said that even if she didn’t manifest, nothing would change between the two of them. But then again, what of the others?

It was far better not to expect anything from the very beginning than to go and face disappointed glares for no reason at all.

Baron Jeff stared at Seira’s cheek as she looked outwards. His gaze did not fall from her up until the carriage stopped. She was determined not to speak with him unless it was absolutely necessary. Only until such time that they had entered the ballroom did Seira and Baron Jeff’s eyes met.