The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Chapter 33: The Ball (3)

Change came suddenly.

Leopold was the first to notice it. Since he was dancing so closely with Astrid, it was impossible not to.

As soon as her gaze shifted, so did her steps. Her movements, which had been guided by Leopold’s lead, now flowed with natural grace. Her feet moved with precision, perfectly in sync with his.

‘It’s like she’s a different person,’ he thought.

“Your Highness,” Astrid said.

The shift was undeniable. Her tone had changed.

Ever since she’d woken up from her illness, she’d always addressed him as “His Highness Leopold,” but now she simply called him “Your Highness.”

“Since we’re already alone like this, allow me to ask you something,” she said.

Her mint-green eyes gazed straight up at him. The warmth that had previously been present in her eyes was gone, replaced by a sharp, chilling glare that felt like a cold gust of wind in the dead of winter.

“…Ask,” Leopold replied.

Despite being surrounded by the gazes of many, the two of them felt as though they were in their own world. Leopold finally understood—this was the Astrid he remembered.

“Do you think it’s right for a mere commoner to become the queen of this country? How could you be so thoughtless?” she asked.

“Are you referring to Lady Uraid?”

As they spun across the ballroom floor, their bodies moved closely together, but their eyes held no affection. 

Their close proximity did not bring warmth, and their sharp words felt colder than if they’d been standing apart.

“‘Lady’? How amusing. Since when did the bloodline of Einthafen mix with the blood of commoners? Do you intend to make money run through the royal bloodline instead of noble blood?”

“That’s enough, Astrid. You’re going too far.”

“I’m not going far enough. Just because I’ve allowed her to stay doesn’t mean you should, too. And yet, throughout the entire training period, you’ve never once shown even a hint of displeasure at that yellow fox’s shameless advances. What are you thinking, Your Highness?”

Leopold bit his lip.

This was Astrid. The very same Astrid he’d known. Her biting words toward others. Her merciless demeanor.

The frost in her tone and the sharp edge to her gaze were all too familiar.

“I thought you’d changed, Astrid.”

Tap, tap.

Their hands extended, and their bodies separated as they spun apart. Then, with a twirl, Astrid’s body spun back into Leopold’s arms.

His hand rested naturally on her waist as he lifted her slightly, turning her in a graceful half-circle.

Despite the soft rhythm of the music, their gazes remained cold. There was no warmth between them, just the frost of winter.

“People don’t change, Your Highness. You should put an end to that ridiculous candidate play.”

“You’re being absurd, Astrid. Did you forget our agreement to find better partners for each other?”

For a moment, Astrid’s expression wavered. It was brief, gone in an instant, but Leopold caught it. Her face quickly returned to its usual stoic mask.

“Then choose a candidate who’s worthy of the title,” she said.

“That’s for me to decide, not you.”

Clap clap clap clap.

The music came to an end, and they released each other’s hands. Together, they faced the audience and bowed politely.

Though the beginning of the dance had been shaky, they’d regained their rhythm and finished flawlessly. 

Their performance was nothing short of perfection, earning enthusiastic applause from the watching cadets.

【What’s happening?! What just happened?!】

Astrid rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

‘Be quiet, will you?’

【No, I will not be quiet! What on earth is going on here?!】

Astrid squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her fingers against her temples.

Her thoughts were in chaos. The other voice—her voice—was shouting inside her head.

She’d woken up.

That was the only explanation. She’d woken up, and now she had no control. Her body moved without her will. 

Her lips spoke words she hadn’t thought. And worse, even the person controlling her wasn’t aware of her presence.

—Father, I will go to the academy.

‘No! No! You can’t go to the academy!’

She’d already known that Leopold would be at the academy.

That’s why Astrid had refused to go.

No matter how much she’d shouted, no one had heard her. No matter how much she’d struggled, she couldn’t stop it. Her words and pleas echoed into the void.

Ten years ago, everything had gone wrong.

Their relationship had become twisted and broken.

Astrid wanted to fix it.

Leopold.

Leopold.

Ah, my beloved Leopold.

Her unspoken love.

From the moment she’d first met him, she’d adored him. Knowing she’d become his bride had made her heart leap with joy.

Even though their relationship had soured due to what happened 10 years ago, even though things were strained and twisted, she’d still hoped. She’d planned to visit him often at the academy, acting as a kind and dutiful future wife.

She’d intended to thaw his frozen heart, to convey her love, and eventually become his lover.

Then, she’d become his princess. She’d support him when he became emperor.

That had been her perfect plan.

But now, this other “Astrid” was ruining it all.

The one controlling her body was destroying everything.

She knew it too.

She knew she was bad at sugarcoating her words, speaking her mind as soon as she thought of something. And since her thoughts were often overly blunt, she had a tendency to hurt others.

From the moment she realized she’d been blessed by the stars, from the time she grew up fighting with savages and monsters, her personality had never suited high society. 

Her straightforwardness and lack of tact had made her a complete novice when it came to expressing her feelings of affection for Leopold.

So, she had decided to act instead of speak.

Her plan was simple: show Leopold, through her actions, that she was a devoted and family-oriented woman. It was for this reason that she had refused to attend the academy.

But that fool controlling her body had ruined everything.

Ruined it all.

‘And on top of that, what kind of ridiculous deal did you make? I don’t know who you are, but are you in your right mind?’

【That’s not the point right now! Who are you, anyway?!】

‘How rude. I don’t know what’s happening either, but using someone else’s body as you please and then messing up their entire plan… shouldn’t you start by apologizing?’

【I have no idea what you’re talking about! What even is this situation?!】

‘Be quiet. Just be quiet—’

“Hey, Astrid, you in there? Leopold’s looking for you.”

It was Eranya’s voice.

‘…We’ll talk later.’

【W-Wait a second!】

Ignoring the panicked voice of the other Astrid in her head, Astrid stepped out of the bathroom. Eranya stood outside, gazing at her with a puzzled look.

“Did you sneak off to eat something tasty without me? You’ve been in there for so long.”

“…It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Astrid actually liked Eranya quite a bit.

Though that dress had been so embarrassing it made her want to die, seeing Leopold’s face turn as red as it had when they first met was more than worth it.

Back then, when she’d worn a dress for the first time at age 10, Leopold’s face had turned bright red. 

She thought it would be a long time before she’d see that face again, but now she’d seen it once more. Because of that, she found this elf to be quite likable.

“Let’s go.”

“Sure. But hey, Astrid.”

“Yes?”

Eranya stood in front of her, giving her a slow, deliberate once-over from head to toe.

This was a blatant breach of etiquette. While Astrid liked Eranya, she didn’t like her enough to tolerate such rudeness.

“What’s the matter? It’s rude to scan someone up and down like that.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just… something’s different about you.”

【See? Even Eranya thinks something’s off!】

‘Quiet down, please.’

“Maybe it’s just my imagination. Anyway, let’s go. Leopold’s looking for you.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Making Leopold wait was out of the question.

【What’s with this? I thought you didn’t like Leopold?】

‘…Be quiet.’

【Whoa, I’m not just hearing your thoughts, I’m feeling your emotions too… Whoa, you really like him, huh? Oh, I get it now.】

‘Sh-shut up!’

“Are you feeling unwell, Astrid?” Leopold asked as she approached.

“Thank you for your concern.”

Back at her seat, Astrid’s face stiffened. She’d hurried over because Leopold had called for her, but there was an unwelcome guest beside him.

“Squad Leader Akemilla.”

“Oh my, Squad Leader Astrid. You were in the bathroom for quite some time. Did you have some… big business to take care of?”

Akemilla’s words were laced with the clear intent to humiliate Astrid.

Having failed to snatch the opening dance and knowing she wouldn’t get the closing dance either, Akemilla’s frustration had clearly reached a boiling point.

“Proper ladies take the time to maintain their appearance. It’s only natural that it takes a while. Ah, but now that I think about it, Akemilla Squad Leader, you probably wouldn’t know what that’s like. This might be your first time at a ball, after all.”

Akemilla’s gaze turned cold as she glared at Astrid.

Strictly speaking, as the daughter of a grand duke, Astrid’s rank was far above Akemilla’s. However, the Uraid Trading Company’s financial support had ensured that Astrid’s position as the grand duke’s daughter remained intact. 

As a result, even though Akemilla’s status was technically that of a commoner, she was treated more like a quasi-countess.

For Astrid to suggest, “You’re just a commoner, so you’ve probably never attended a ball before,” was a serious insult.

“True, this is my first time at a ball of this size. But you, Squad Leader Astrid, living so far from the capital, must not have much experience with balls either. Oh, right. That’s true. You need an invitation to attend, don’t you?”

You don’t have any friends, do you?

“Hey, Leopold.”

Eranya tugged on Leopold’s sleeve, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere.

“What is it, Cadet Eranya?”

“Didn’t you say we should go around and greet everyone? That’s why you were looking for Astrid, right?”

At those words, both Astrid and Akemilla’s gazes simultaneously shifted to Leopold.