Chapter 295: The Delusional Debutante
But the hunger that burned in Ruby soon disappeared when Ivan’s eyes turned ice cold, "Cured?" He echoed her words, then, without sparing her a second glance, he looked back at Eve and mused, "It is really fascinating, isn’t it?"
"That people own tongues that are so quick to repeat rumors, while never managing to cultivate the intelligence to verify them."
"It’s unfortunate, but I suppose it seems that way," Eve gave him a bright smile.
Ivan smirked at Eve, then turned his chilling gaze back to Minister Silas. "Minister Silas, it seems your daughter has failed to grasp even the basics of her education. It was made quite clear by Princess Evelyn herself that there were no injuries to begin with; therefore, there was nothing to....cure."
He paused, his voice dropping into a cold blade against the Minister’s throat, "As for a ’miracle’... if you wish to see one, I suggest you pray that I forget this insolence by morning. For in this kingdom, miracles are the only thing that will save those who mistake my silence for tolerance."
Ruby felt her jaw drop at the blatant insult. The Prince hadn’t just questioned her intelligence; he had issued a cold, open threat that she would pay the price should she dare to push him further.
Silas, meanwhile, swallowed hard, a cold sweat breaking out across his back under Ivan’s piercing stare.
"I-I....Forgive me, Your Highness. She is still young and has much to learn," Silas stammered. Desperate to divert the conversation, he quickly added, "Why don’t we step inside? I am certain the other guests are eager to greet you."
He bowed low, rubbing his hands together in a way that made him look, in Eve’s eyes, like a greedy green goblin who had just discovered a vein of gold.
Without another word, Ivan guided Eve up the stairs. They left Ruby behind, her face now the color of a cooked lobster. Her hands clenched at her sides, and her eyes burned with a lethal fury as she glared holes into Evelyn’s back.
Beside her, Maribel stood with a grim expression, her gaze fixed on Eve with calculating coldness.
As soon as the group was out of earshot, Ruby hissed, "Mother! Did you see that?!"
Maribel gripped her daughter’s arm, her fingers digging in with warning even as she maintained a porcelain-fake smile for the benefit of the surrounding guests.
"Calm down, dear. People are still watching. You don’t want to embarrass yourself further, do you?"
"But Mother-"
"I know. Since our initial approach failed....you remember the alternative we discussed, don’t you?"
Ruby looked at her mother in confusion before the realization struck, her eyes widening. Slowly, a wicked smirk spread across her face. "I remember," she murmured, her gaze drifting back to Ivan, who still had his arm wrapped possessively around Evelyn’s waist.
"And what do we do about her in the meantime?" Ruby asked in a hushed, venomous tone, gesturing toward Eve with a sharp flick of her eyes.
"I have something special in mind for the Princess as well. Now come, dearest. Let us go inside. Once the music starts, I need you to stick to the Prince like a second skin." Maribel urged, and with a final, chilling look at the retreating couple, the two women followed them into the den of vipers.
The ballroom buzzed with the anticipation of the new arrivals, but the noise died down instantly the moment Evelyn appeared at the Crown Prince’s side. A heartbeat of stunned silence followed, quickly replaced by a low, frantic chatter as the same questions rippled through the crowd like a wildfire.
With every step Ivan and Eve took into the room, the hearts of the onlookers ignited with jealousy and envy.
Yet, none could deny how breathtaking the couple looked together. The guests noticed every small detail: how the pureblood kept his arm wrapped snugly around her waist, and how his icy eyes softened every time he looked at her.
The mere sight of him bringing a woman to his side for the very first time was enough to send a fresh frenzy of shockwaves through the nobility, let alone the fact that she was none other than the woman they had all assumed he had discarded.
The women could not help but ogle the Prince, while the men felt their hearts shudder at the sight of the rumored Evelyn, her beauty far exceeding any whisper they had heard.
Soon, the crowd began to press in around them, but Ivan’s stern gaze kept everyone at arm’s length, silently daring anyone to intrude into his personal space.
The same held true for Damien, Cece, and Edward, who positioned themselves close to the couple while maintaining a firm boundary between them and the surrounding guests.
Soon, the host family addressed the guests before formally announcing the commencement of the ball. Being at the top of the hierarchy, they then invited the Prince to open the evening with the first dance.
Ruby seized the moment at once. She swayed her hips shamelessly as she made her way towards Ivan yet again, bowing slightly as she greeted him. A gesture that was meant to display as much of her already scandalous cleavage as possible.
"Your Highness," she purred, her voice dripping with false sweetness as she knowingly disregarded Eve standing at his side, along with Damien, Cece, and Edward, who could not help but wrinkle their noses in disgust at her blatant desperation.
"As the daughter of the host family this evening," Ruby continued coyly, lowering her gaze as she tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, "I wished to invite you to share the first dance."
Ivan, who had been calmly sipping his wine, finally glanced at the woman who had attempted to insult his Eve earlier at the entrance. He knew exactly why she was here. His expression remained as stoic as ever, and though he could feel countless eyes upon him, which he hardly cared for.
Without waiting for the woman to utter another word, Ivan placed his wine glass onto the tray of a passing server.
Then, Ruby heard his deep, masculine voice cut through the expectant silence: "May I have this dance?"
Her heart raced, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. She felt a surge of victory, certain he couldn’t possibly reject her request; she had strategically invoked her family’s status as hosts so that the Prince would be unable to deny her, especially with so many eyes watching.
Unable to resist, she lifted her eyes to take in the sight of him, the walking sex god extending his hand.
But as her gaze moved upward, the triumphant smile on her face froze. It was as if ancient ice had suddenly settled over her skin, turning her into a sickly ghost....a jarring contrast to the heat that had been on her cheeks moments before.
The Prince had indeed extended his hand, but it was not toward her. He was reaching past her, his palm open for the woman standing at his side.
Ruby watched, paralyzed, as Eve offered him a mesmerizing smile before placing her hand in his. Ivan’s expression softened into that rare, gorgeous smile once more as he turned away from Ruby entirely, guiding Eve toward the center of the dance floor for all the world to see.
Ruby snapped out of her stupor only when the sound of stifled snickering reached her ears. She whipped her head toward the source, her eyes flashing with fury, only to find the Silver siblings and Edward watching her with amusement.
Cece sighed dramatically, looking at Ruby as if she were a fascinating, albeit ugly, insect. "Damien, look. It’s a rare sighting of the Delusional Debutante. I must say, it takes remarkable courage to walk that confidently into rejection."
Damien smirked, swirling the red liquid in his glass. "Or remarkable stupidity. Courage implies awareness."
Meanwhile, Edward simply chuckled as he listened to the siblings’ banter, shaking his head lightly at their ruthlessness.
Ruby burned with humiliation under their jabs. When she looked around, she realized they weren’t the only ones enjoying the show; nearly every guest was struggling to hide a smile behind their glass. Even the women who had been pursuing the Prince felt a spark of elation at her predicament, their own jealousy momentarily eclipsed by the satisfaction of seeing Ruby so thoroughly humbled.
Unable to endure the mocking gazes any longer, Ruby turned on her heel and swept away, fury seething beneath her skin like a physical heat.
The chatter soon died down as a hauntingly beautiful melody began to fill the air. The crowd turned their attention back to the center of the room, where the pair took their positions under the dim, flickering light of the grand chandelier. Once again, the guests found themselves breathless at the sight of them.
Ivan placed his hand firmly against the small of Eve’s back, pulling her flush against him. She instinctively wrapped one hand in his, while the other drifted to his broad shoulder, her fingers trailing over the smooth, expensive fabric of his jacket.
They looked at no one else, their gazes locked as they began to move. They drifted with the flow of the music with a lazy grace that seemed more innate than practiced.
