In the grand imperial ballroom, Princess Eliana sat among the guests, but her heart wasn't with the luxurious hall—it was with the face of the mysterious prince she had seen countless times in her dreams. She had touched the Black Rose days ago, and ever since, her dreams had become a stage for her obsessive passion.
When she saw Prince Kaelan, the third British prince and the son of the concubine, sitting far from his father and brothers, her heart tightened. This was the man she dreamed of—the one whose face she had never seen in reality, yet had become the center of her dreams.
Kaelan, meanwhile, lifted his gaze toward the princess, but inside him, mockery flowed like poison: "What is this fool? The pampered French princess… looking at me like I'm something important? I am the son of a concubine, no one in my family even cares about me. And I have no idea why she's trying to belittle me!"
Eliana, unaware of his contempt or his true feelings, stepped closer lightly and said: "Hello… it's an honor to meet you, my prince…"
Kaelan gave a tight, guarded smile and replied coldly: "And for me as well…" But inside, he muttered with scorn: "She's actually talking to the son of her kingdom's enemy… utterly ridiculous."
Suddenly, Eliana took another step forward and asked in a soft voice: "Would… would you dance with me?"
Kaelan raised an eyebrow in surprise, a small mocking laugh escaping him as he said: "Of course, my princess…" But inside, he muttered: "Everyone is watching… our kingdoms are enemies, and she's trying to provoke me… pathetic."
And the dance began.
Eliana drowned in her obsession with him; with every movement, she saw the face from her dreams. As for Kaelan, he tried to maintain his cold and irritated demeanor—every step felt like an unbearable burden, a mere temporary social obligation. He did not love her, nor was he interested in her in any way; all his feelings toward her were silent mockery and inner contempt, while her heart was completely bound to him with absolute obsession.
During the dance, Kaelan was already thinking of his internal plan: this obsession could become a political tool in the future. But she had no idea he saw her that way. There was no real romance on his side—everything was merely a potential opportunity to exploit her position and her love for him.
And between the lights and the music, beneath the gaze of everyone, one truth remained clear: she loved him with madness, and he despised any attention from her, but he watched… and quietly planned how to turn that madness into his weapon.