Ingrid stood at the very center of the crowd, looking like a goddess descended from the heavens. Like the moon that overshadows the stars whenever it appears in the night sky, every other person in the room—whether man or woman—paled before her beauty.

You could see the envy and jealousy in the women’s gazes, both young and old, as they watched the men get smitten by the young beauty’s face.

There had been a tacit agreement between the young ladies of the kingdom to ban Ingrid from attending their balls and tea parties, as she always stole the spotlight from the host simply by being there. However, because the emperor was the one hosting the event, they could only enviously watch as Ingrid hogged all the men’s attention.

On the other hand, Ingrid, the subject of their envy, was standing all alone. None of the young men had the courage to approach her, and no woman wished to invite her into their circle either. So she stood there like a wallflower—a very beautiful one—on a boisterous occasion.

But she didn’t mind being excluded. It was still better than listening to tiring compliments that she had already heard a thousand times. After a while, people stopped being creative with their flattery, and their words became tiring to listen to.

At a reserved table for high-ranking guests, a young man with eyes as striking as the blueberry night sky gazed at Ingrid with great interest. No one paid him any mind, including the Grand Duke of Lennox, who was well-accustomed to seeing his daughter captivate every man who laid eyes on her. With his power and prestige, the Grand Duke was confident that he could deter anyone who dared have ill intentions towards his precious daughter—even the so-called great and barbaric prince.

As a father, he couldn't be any prouder to have such a beautiful daughter. However, extreme beauty also has its price. That is why the Grand Duke has been doing his best to expand his army and strengthen the influence of his house, in fear that someone might suddenly snatch his precious daughter in the middle of the night. It was a very understandable worry, as a lot of men had already tried.

Unfortunately for those men, the security around the beautiful young lady was as tight as that of an emperor. Therefore, they could only regard the alluring young woman as something to be gazed upon and admired, but never touch.

On the other hand, the purple-eyed man kept his eyes on the beautiful Ingrid. A keen interest could be seen in his eyes, as he never let the young lady out of his sight. But it was interest not from a man to a woman, but more similar to that of a predator who had finally caught sight of his prey.

But the prince was momentarily taken aback when his prey’s emerald eyes landed in his direction. Much to his surprise, her orbs, as captivating as the shimmering green of a calm sea, weren't those belonging to a fragile, innocent, and sheltered princess. Instead, they hold an extremely rare kind of intelligence that he’d only seen one other woman hold. Unfortunately, that woman is no longer in this world.

They indeed weren’t lying when they said that the daughter of the house of Lennox has eyes that can make a person forget one’s name. But like an aloof little bird, her gaze came as it went and proceeded to the person next to him. Then, a smile bloomed from her lips of vibrant red, and suddenly, it felt like the warm hall had become even warmer.

Among all the ladies in the ball, Ingrid was wearing the simplest and most conservative of clothing. A purple gown in the darkest shade with long sleeves and a high neckline basically covers most of her skin. Yet, it did not stop her from outshining even the empress in her golden robe and shining jewels.

Consequent sighs could be heard from the people in the room as they watched the smiling goddess in a trance-like state. Even the women who were looking at her with a venomous gaze stood agape.

An amused smile appeared on the prince’s lips. It seems that he was the only one who was not affected by the goddess’s hypnotizing smile.

The prince stood up from his seat. Regal in his posture and confident in his strides, he crossed the distance between him and Ingrid, then bowed in front of her with his hand held out, palm facing up—a courteous smile on his lips.

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Ingrid was taken aback when she saw the crown prince of Aradhya approaching her. Her eyes trembled as a series of questions ran through her mind. When he bowed before her to ask for a dance, she wanted so much to decline, which she did with all the others. Unfortunately, he is not someone she could reject, and he knew it as well.

You would think there were thousands of snakes inside the room as the people broke into silent whispers.

Crown prince Aleric of the Empire of Aradhya, the sole empire that managed to conquer a fourth of the continent through its own might, the valiant prince whose name resounds throughout the kingdoms, is kneeling in front of the greatest beauty the world has ever seen.

The Empire of Aradhya was once small and humble. It ruled at the very edge of the west, where the sun shines golden and the ground is blessed with a great bounty. The people there live in humility and contentment under the just rule of their king. That was until the death of the queen, Prince Aleric’s mother.

Rumor has it that the queen died in an accident during a visit to a neighboring kingdom. None of the people believe it. They knew that the kingdom of Hedri had its eyes set on their kingdom to make their lands their own.

It may seem that the king knew of this as well. But there was much trickery involved in the death of his wife, and there was no clear evidence of the Kingdom of Hedri’s involvement. Furthermore, as a kingdom that reigned in peace, their military might is far weaker than that of the kingdom of Hedri, whose men were seasoned in battle and toughened by the harsh living conditions of their kingdom. So the king could only put the matter to rest and mourn the death of his wife in silence.

However, the young prince Aleric, who was 14 at the time of his mother’s death, was not willing to accept it all. So for the sake of vengeance, he ventured to the kingdom of Hedri with only his 12 royal knights with him. Three months later, he successfully assassinated the king and the rest of his most loyal supporters. He then proceeded to gift the entire kingdom to his father, the king, in honor of his mother, the queen.

From then on, the Empire of Aradhya began conquering land after land and kingdom after kingdom, becoming a name that everyone feared. And that same prince who spearheaded those conquests is here in their empire—an unannounced visit that placed the entire empire on edge.

However, they still welcomed the crown prince with a grand feast fit for his title.

Ingrid lifted her pale hand and placed it on the prince’s palm. The smile on Prince Aleric’s charming face widened as he brought the back of her soft hand to his lips.

For some reason, Ingrid felt a dark foreboding. It was as though her fate had been sealed by that kiss, and she felt her stomach churn.

The prince pulled her closer to him and held her by the small of her waist as they began to dance. No one dared dance with them. It was as if the crowd feared to tread upon the sacred ground surrounding the beautiful lady of the house of Lenox and the great and mighty prince, leaving them both dancing alone at the center of the dance floor.

“The rumors about your beauty did you no justice,” the prince remarked, his voice deep—the kind that would pull on a woman’s heartstring just from hearing them. “But on the other hand, I don’t think even the greatest of poets could construct the right words to match such unrivaled beauty.”

There was not a hint of flattery in the prince’s voice. His tone was like that of a messenger who was simply describing what he saw as it was.

“I am flattered, your highness,” Ingrid responded dryly. She’d heard even better compliments before, but at the end of the day, no matter how poetic they say it, it still means one thing—she’s beautiful.

She’s not complaining, though. There is not one woman who hates being complimented for her beauty. But as time passed, she began to dread her own visage. Though her beauty seemed to be a blessing, it was also a curse.

The prince watched the young woman with even more interest as he watched her mind wander. It may seem that even the title of being the most powerful is not enough to hold the aloof beauty’s attention.

As the music ended, they bowed toward each other. But before Ingrid could leave, Prince Aleric said something that made her whole body stiffen.

“I hope my lady won’t mind me visiting your residence one of these days.”

Ingrid looked at the handsome prince. Though he was smiling, it could not hide the coldness and cruelty in his eyes. Such eyes can only be acquired by those whose hands have been tainted by the blood of thousands of lives. Being stared down by those cold eyes, she began to break out into a cold sweat—the dread she had been feeling was growing even worse.

“You don’t need my permission for such things, your highness,” she said, her voice not showing even the slightest bit of the fear she was feeling. “I do not interfere with my father’s businesses in court, nor do I try to influence any of his decisions regarding any military matters. Now if you’ll excuse me, your highness.”

“But I heard he has given you permission to decide whoever you wish to marry.”

Ingrid stopped on her track, and for the first time, an emotion aside from her wintry look and rehearsed smile graced her face. She looked at the prince as though he had grown another head.

An amused smile appeared on Prince Aleric’s face. He kissed the back of Ingrid’s hand once again, this time lingering longer as he watched a series of emotions run through her emerald eyes.

“I shall see you again in a few days.”

With that, he left the young lady, who was in a complete daze.