Find the One Who Abandoned Me - Chapter 68

Just then, a knight standing nearby joined the conversation.

“Come to think of it, the second son of House Esteban is said to be attending with his fiancée.”

“Oh, the fencing prodigy!”

“Yes. They say he unleashed sword energy when the hall collapsed four years ago.”

The knight’s partner, with arms tightly crossed, chimed in excitedly.

“And he did it to protect his fiancée, didn’t he? I was completely shocked when I heard that story. It sounded just like something out of a novel! So romantic.”

“Dina, you really shouldn’t live your life inside romance novels.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Jealous, are we?”

“Jeal—what did you just say?”

“Hmph.”

As the knight hurried off after his huffy partner, the remaining gentlemen let out soft chuckles.

“In any case, with so many notable figures gathered at this debutante ball, it might be wise for all of us to make an impression.”

“I agree. I imagine the other nobles are thinking the same.”

“Which is exactly why…”

The man glanced around the packed hall.

“…it’s so crowded.”

“Competition will be fierce.”

“Most likely.”

At that moment, the trumpeter at the entrance raised his instrument and sounded a fanfare. The clock had just struck eight—the hour when the debutantes would begin entering with their partners. The nobles not participating in the ceremony lined up along either side of the carpet, and the doorman began calling names.

“Lady Nina Viroantz of House Viroantz and Sir Dante Baitron!”

With that announcement, the debutante ball officially began.

Only those who had received the royal family’s approval were allowed to attend the palace’s debutante ball. The selection criteria included etiquette, beauty, and even gossip and public reputation.

Of course, power often overruled such standards. High-ranking noble ladies were rarely subjected to judgment. At this year’s ball, the prime example was none other than Calliope of the Marquess Anastas’ family.

Since the event was meant to spotlight the debutantes, Lady Berchia arrived a bit later and quietly took her place beside a knight from her family, who was her escort. One by one, guests entered with bright smiles, but none of them caught her interest. If it hadn’t been for Calliope, she wouldn’t have come at all.

And just then—almost as if to relieve her boredom—the name she’d been waiting for rang through the hall.

“Lady Calliope Anastas of House Anastas and Sir Isaac Esteban!”

For the first time since arriving, Berchia looked up toward the entrance—and gave a dry, amused chuckle.

“She really went all out.”

The maid beside her whispered,

“You could just say she looks beautiful.”

Berchia pouted, but the maid wasn’t wrong. Even at a glance, Calliope was stunning. Berchia muttered with a hint of sarcasm,

“Well, I guess she is here with her fiancé.”

Calliope’s dress was unlike anyone else’s. While most girls wore gowns that flared out like flower-petal teacups, hers clung tightly from her waist down to just above her thighs, then blossomed outward like a bouquet. The bodice and waistline, all the way down to the hips, were studded with small diamonds, and her sleeves shimmered like sunlight, sheer enough to reveal the elegant silhouette of her arms.

The skirt looked like a layered bouquet—multiple sheer fabrics floated lightly even as she stood still, the white and off-white lace softly glowing under the lights.

The dress was primarily white with red accents. Rubies that matched her eye color were set into her platinum necklace and earrings. She looked less like a debutante and more like a bride standing in a sacred temple, about to be wed.

“Isn’t that dress a bit too narrow?”

Berchia clicked her tongue. But the maid, still observing Calliope’s dress closely, shook her head.

“It just looks narrow because of the triangular red fabric detail around the thighs. It shouldn’t restrict her movement too much. The real issue will be when they start dancing.”

Berchia thought back to the moment when all the debutantes danced together and grimaced.

“Oh, you mean that group performance?”

“‘Performance’ sounds a little harsh. Still, there are those parts where the lady has to make a full turn around her partner. The tempo is pretty fast—I wonder if she’ll manage.”

“She’ll figure it out.”

Berchia had known Calliope for four years and had never once seen her fail to get what she wanted. She couldn’t even recall a time when Calliope made a mistake, let alone failed. At times like that, Berchia would mutter under her breath,

“You’re annoyingly perfect. It’s creepy, you know?”

Though never in the kindest tone.

Calliope, unfazed, would always respond with a cheerful laugh.

“I know the future.”

“You really have no shame, joking like that.”

“Haha, didn’t find it funny?”

She didn’t act humble when told she was perfect, nor did she act arrogant. She simply brushed it off with a dry, not particularly funny joke. That was the Calliope she knew. And then—

“Ever since she started sticking close to her fiancé, even his outfit is almost blinding.”

“I know, right? The suit is technically black, but who knows how much money and how many gems they poured into it.”

Even the maid covered her mouth slightly as she nodded in agreement. Dressed in a black suit with a silk shirt matching the tone of Calliope’s gown, Isaac looked like a northern knight straight out of a storybook. The silver embroidery on his suit matched the design on Calliope’s dress exactly, and the diamond-studded cuffs and buttons complemented the rare, striking color of his eyes.

But the single red flower pinned to his chest—its color matching Calliope’s eyes—felt like a deliberate message: the two may be different, but together, they were a perfect pair.

“A red flower over his heart? That’s a bit tacky.”

“It’s probably Lady Anastas’ idea.”

More symbolic than tasteless, really—but the maid said nothing more, quietly estimating just how deeply Calliope was attached to her fiancé.

“Lady Rhodes Florence of House Florence and Lord Otis Glayderth of House Glayderth!”

With that final announcement, all the debutantes had entered. While most were dressed to resemble blooming flowers, Calliope stood apart—slim and radiant, like a shining blade. It was impossible not to look at her. Whether because of her gown or her shimmering silver hair, people couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

“White snow and silver hair… what a pair.”

“They look like they came out of a fairy tale.”

“Where’s that dress from?”

“It’s definitely not a popular style right now…”

Calliope’s dress seemed made only for her. The fabric clung to her body, densely embroidered with no gaps, while the flowing skirt below her knees billowed like a bouquet caught in the wind—lifting and falling gracefully. Everyone praised the dress, but they all shared one concern:

‘How is she going to dance in that?’

No one could tell if it was genuine worry or a smug assumption that she wouldn’t even try. But just as the thought began to spread, the group dance for the debutantes began.

Naturally, Calliope and Isaac stood at the center. The more talked-about you were—and the higher your status—the more naturally you were placed in the spotlight. Berchia had once stood there herself, and so had Kirke before her.

“Nervous?” Calliope asked, placing her hand lightly on Isaac’s shoulder.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t… but I practiced a lot.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Because you should be the star of tonight.”

“Do you really think so?”

He hesitated, choosing his words carefully.

“Because you’re the most beautiful one here… you shouldn’t be hidden behind someone like me.”

Calliope smiled—and the music began.

She and Isaac moved as though they were one. All eyes were on them. Step by step, they danced without a single mistake or misstep.

As the music built up and quickened, the debutantes’ dresses began to flutter and swell like flower petals in the wind. Then the fast-paced section arrived—when the man spins at the center, and the woman circles around him.

People’s eyes immediately went to Calliope’s feet.

“Hmm?” someone murmured.

As the sequence began, instead of letting her spin around him, Isaac gently lifted Calliope with one arm and spun with her in the air. He set her down lightly, and she moved into the next step without missing a beat. On the second pass, he lifted her again.

Fans fluttered as whispers spread.

“So they really are engaged…”

Some found it romantic.

“Still, wasn’t that a bit too flashy?”

Others thought it was too much.

But what everyone agreed on was this: Calliope and Isaac looked like the leads in a royal ball. While other debutantes circled their partners on foot, Calliope floated—effortlessly—into the air, turning like a breeze in Isaac’s arms. Whether it was envy or admiration, no one could deny how unforgettable the moment was.

Their first dance ended without a hitch.

Applause burst out for the debutantes and their partners. Calliope held Isaac’s hand, gave a small, elegant bow, and stepped away from the center of the hall.

Naturally, all eyes followed her. She knew they would. That’s why she walked straight toward Berchia.

Berchia, known in society for her sharp tongue and fierce pride despite being a fashion trendsetter, wasn’t someone people approached easily.

“You’re not dancing with anyone else?” Calliope asked, genuinely curious.

“With who?”

“…You know, other noblemen. Most debutantes don’t just dance with their first partner.”

“Why would I?”

“Well, since you’re just starting out in society… no, never mind.”

“Okaaay~”

Calliope gave a playful giggle, while Isaac stood quietly beside her, eyes only on her.

Berchia felt like her head might split just watching them. She waved them over with a lazy flick of her hand—gesturing toward the couch she was sitting on.

When Calliope and Isaac sat beside her, the surrounding nobles and ladies began to steal glances. With the most high-born noblewoman and the debutante season’s most talked-about pair sitting together, it was no surprise that the others began circling, eager for a chance to speak.

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