Evelyn’s laughter stopped abruptly.
Selene could somewhat understand Evelyn, who was also surprised and wide-eyed.
Although Theron Cox usually dressed neatly, today he seemed to have paid particular attention to his clothes and hairstyle.
Neatly combed, sweet honey-colored hair, a vest that fit his body perfectly, and a three-button jacket that fell smoothly along his angular body.
However, Selene was still more interested in recalling the meaningful declaration of war he had made to her on the ship, rather than how handsome Theron was.
The words that he would prove he wasn’t a womanizer.

“You are the only one I love.”

Somehow, his attire today seemed fitting for such a grand undertaking.
As Selene silently observed Theron with suspicion and wariness, Evelyn whispered to her, “Hurry up and take his hand, Selene. If you dance with Mr. Cox first, no other man will ask you to dance. I don’t think there’s anyone more handsome than him here today.”
Indeed, with Theron Cox standing here, the men who had been eagerly waiting for a chance to approach began to feign indifference.
This was similar to the scene of animals giving up on what they had their eyes on and looking for other prey when the strongest predator appeared.
“Don’t pretend to faint, just go.”
Frustrated with the motionless Selene, Evelyn finally pushed her back.
Selene, who had taken a step forward without realizing it, looked at Theron Cox, who was standing there with a picturesque smile, without a word of urging.
“I’m not a very good dancer.”
As she said that and placed her gloved hand on his, Theron smiled.
“It’s alright, I am.”
The two went to the center while the music paused for a moment.
People began to watch them openly.
The women were busy staring at Theron’s face as if to melt it with their gazes, and the men looked at Selene with a sense of disappointment.
As the next dance was about to begin, the two who had taken their places stood facing each other.
“At first, I was frustrated that you rarely showed up at parties, Miss Selene… but now I think I understand the reason a little.”
Theron’s eyes, now ready for the waltz, narrowed slightly.
His gaze was not on Selene, but beyond her shoulder.
“They should be taking care of their mothers who came with them, yet these idiots are drooling, hoping to catch a glimpse of your eye…”
“Idiots…?”
Selene inadvertently pointed it out when the first rough word came out of Theron’s usually polite and courteous mouth.
Theron’s lips parted.
“Ah… I mean, I wanted to say that it’s that wrong. Since all them are like this, I think I understand why you loath men, Miss Selene.”
Selene nodded.
‘Even another man might find such people pathetic.’
“In a moment of anger, I uttered a rough word in front of you, Miss Selene. Please forgive me with a generous heart.”
As the prelude to the waltz began to play, Theron hurriedly finished the related conversation and gently moved closer to Selene.
“Excuse me.”
And with one hand, he wrapped it around Selene’s waist, and with the other, he held her hand.
As Selene was mentally going over the steps since it had been a long time since she had waltzed, Theron asked, “Is my body too close, by any chance?”
“This is how you’re supposed to waltz.”
There is no waltz where a man and a woman dance awkwardly apart.
If they danced awkwardly apart, they might fly far away during the turning motion.
Then Theron cleared his throat as if embarrassed and replied, “…I asked because I was worried you might be uncomfortable, Miss Selene.”
It had certainly been a very long time for Selene to be this close to another person.
She only occasionally attended parties, and unless it was a traditional event where her family was involved, she didn’t have to force herself to dance.
But this was just a dance.
Even if their chests were so close they could touch, it was just one of the social activities.
But looking closely now, it seemed Theron, who had asked if Selene was uncomfortable, was the one who looked more uncomfortable.
It was evident from his wandering gaze, his stiff back, and his hot palms.
The neck extending above his light blue shirt was red, as if faintly stained.
Besides, his confidence in being a good dancer was nowhere to be seen, and his hand was wrapped around Selene’s waist in an awkward manner.
Thinking that dancing so awkwardly would only invite ridicule for their clumsy movements, Selene held Theron’s hand tighter and moved her body closer.
The sound of Theron taking a breath was heard.
“Wait… Miss Selene… I think this is too close.”
‘What is he saying?’
Just as Selene was starting to get annoyed at Theron’s conservative attitude, as if he were from the medieval era, the music started.
As the people around them began to move their feet to the music one by one, the flustered Theron had no choice but to follow.
Still, once he started dancing, Theron was much more stable.
As Evelyn had assessed, his movements, which made it seem like the buttons on his chest would burst, were powerful.
It had been a very long time since Selene had leaned on another person’s body, but for once, she felt comfortable.
It was because even if she just swayed moderately, Theron would appropriately lead her and create plausible movements.
Theron glanced down at Selene.
“Is my dancing skill acceptable?”
“Not bad.”
Selene felt as if she were riding in a car with a good ride.
There was also the reason that Theron felt more comfortable than ordinary men, now that they had talked a few more times.
The conversations they had had were far from ordinary and quite dynamic, but comfortable was comfortable.
Theron gazed at Selene’s eyes, which were gradually losing focus.
“…It’s not just ‘not bad,’ you look so drowsy you might fall asleep soon.”
“I won’t fall asleep, but it definitely feels good.”
“Feels good huh…”
“Comfortable. Just like you said, Mr. Cox, as if I could fall asleep at any moment.”
Theron’s mouth closed tightly.
The shape of his tense eyebrows made him look slightly displeased.
As the time for the turn approached, Theron whispered in Selene’s ear.
“If you’re so bored dancing with me, I’ll have to make it a little more interesting for you, Miss Selene.”
Just as she was about to say that the dance, which would end in a few minutes, didn’t need to be interesting, Selene spun on the spot at Theron’s gesture.
And when he pulled her waist again, their bodies, which had been precariously apart, were pressed close together.
Selene’s chest was pressed against his flat chest.
Selene raised the corners of her eyes slightly.
“This is too close.”
“As you said, Miss Selene, this is how you’re supposed to waltz. We have to be this close for the movements to be more daring and for me to hold you more stably.”
Even if she wanted to object, when she looked around, there were not a few people who were closer than them, so Selene’s reason for creating distance from Theron became ambiguous.
She also thought that since dancing was a form of art, if that was the rule, she should follow it.
“I was keeping my distance out of consideration for you, Miss Selene, but it is my fault as an escort for making my partner sleepy because of that consideration.”
But why did he look a little angry while talking about his fault?
His passive gestures from just a moment ago were gone.
Theron’s movements were bold.
When he pulled her, he held her close as if to embrace her, and his hand wrapped around Selene’s small hand even more tightly, as if to trap it.
At this point, the comfort Selene had been feeling began to disappear.
It was the first time since she had become a full-grown adult that someone had held her hand so tightly.
Theron’s closely touching body felt so different from her own, hard and large, that Selene blinked slowly.
This was really like a stone.
Not a stone rolling on the street, but the texture of a hard rock.
As her thoughts flowed and flowed to the point where the man might really be a stone, Theron whispered in her ear in a small voice.
“This is the last move.”
Selene’s consciousness, which was about to drift far away, returned.
With the sound of the string instruments, the waltz ended with Theron spinning Selene around.
Clap, clap, clap.
The sound of people’s applause filled the surroundings.
Selene, separating from Theron, followed the others and bent her knees slightly to greet her partner.
Theron stood still without greeting, just looking at Selene.
At that sight, a bad premonition suddenly crossed Selene’s mind.
“Miss Selene.”
Sure enough, Theron smiled meaningfully.
“The dance is over, but would you wait for a moment?”
Without giving her a chance to answer, Theron strode somewhere and was handed a bouquet of flowers.
As people let out gasps of admiration at the appearance of the large bouquet, Theron, now standing in front of Selene again, knelt down and offered her the bouquet.