The musicians struck a low chord, and the waltz started.

Kai looked at the pale hand offered to him.

Refusing her here was a death sentence.

He reached out and took Millenia’s hand could feel her skin was warm, soft, and highly dangerous.

He stepped forward and placed his right hand on the curve of her waist.

The silk of her crimson dress was thin as the heat of her body radiated against his palm.

Millenia stepped into his personal space, leaving almost zero room between them.

’She is too close,’ Kai thought to himself, guiding her into the first turn.

’But if I pull away, I look weak. I have to match her game.’

They swept past the watching nobles.

The crowd parted around them.

Men glared at Kai with open jealousy.

Eevy stood near the edge of the room, her hand resting near her hidden dagger, watching their every step.

Kai was supposed to lead the waltz.

But Millenia guided their steps without appearing to lead at all.

A subtle shift of her hips dictated exactly where they went.

That was the part that bothered him.

She was in control, and she made it look like his idea.

Her red eyes locked onto his.

She tilted her head slightly, her lips parted in a soft smile.

"So...," Millenia said. Her voice was conversational, like she was commenting on the weather.

"You killed Damian."

Kai kept his face calm. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

He pulled her a fraction of an inch closer, spinning her smoothly.

He felt her chest brush against his shirt.

The scent of her perfume clouded his senses, trying to pull his mind under her charm.

He focused his mana to keep his head clear.

"People die on the road all the time," Kai replied.

"The woods are full of hungry things."

Millenia smiled wider.

Her thumb traced a slow circle over the back of his hand.

"Not Damian. He was two hundred years old. I sent him to that village to collect something, and he never came back. Then I heard a rumour about a traveller with an ice witch who killed him."

"Then he got careless," Kai said.

He tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her flush against his hips for a slow dip in the music.

Their legs brushed together.

"And careless men do not last long on the road."

She arched her back slightly, trusting him to hold her weight. She looked up at him the way a person looks at a toy that just surprised them.

There was no anger in her eyes.

It was genuine, raw delight.

"Yes," she said softly, letting her breath ghost across his neck as he pulled her back up.

"He did."

[System Event: Threat Assessment Updated]

[Target: Millenia Raviel]

[Classification: Unknown Tier. Above Measurable Range]

[Greed Feast Status: Locked. Power differential too high]

[Recommendation: Survive the song]

’Of course it won’t work. She’s the boss.’

The system was literally telling him to just survive a dance.

He dismissed the window and focused entirely on the woman in his arms.

"If you know who I am, why are we dancing? You could just order the guards to lock the doors."

Millenia laughed.

She slid her hand up his shoulder, letting her fingers tangle lightly in the hair at the nape of his neck.

The intimate touch sent a sharp spike of adrenaline straight down his spine.

"Because locking the doors is boring," she murmured.

Her lips were just inches from his ear.

"And you are not boring, Kai. The men in this room are weak. You are standing here, knowing exactly what I am, and you are still trying to lead the dance."

She dragged her nails lightly across his scalp.

’She is playing with her food,’ Kai thought to himself.

"I always lead," Kai lied smoothly.

He spun her one last time as the music reached its end.

The song stopped as nobles broke into polite applause.

Kai expected her to step back.

But Millenia stayed pressed against him.

She did not let go of his hand; her fingers remained tangled in his hair.

The entire ballroom was watching.

Her chest rose and fell against him.

"I look forward to seeing how long you can keep this up," Millenia whispered.

She finally released him and took a slow step backwards, and offered an elegant curtsy.

Kai gave her a shallow bow in return.

Millenia turned around. Her red dress swept across the marble floor as she walked back toward the Duke.

Kai stood there.

He had survived the song, but the real game had just started.

Kai turned his back on the crowd and walked toward the edge of the ballroom.

His heart was beating fast, but he kept his face blank.

Eevy stepped out from behind a tall pillar.

Her hand was no longer resting near her dagger.

She was gripping the hilt tight enough to turn her knuckles white.

"What did she say to you?" Eevy whispered.

"She knows I’m a fake."

Eevy stumbled for a fraction of a second.

Her eyes went wide.

"Then why did she not signal the guards? Why are we not fighting for our lives right now?"

"Because she is bored," Kai said.

He grabbed two fresh glasses of water from a tray and handed one to her.

"She is playing a game, and I am the new entertainment. But entertainment gets thrown away the second it stops being fun."

’I cannot stay in this room another minute,’ Kai thought to himself.

’My level is too low. If she changes her mind, we are both dead.’

But before he could reach the grand doors, a pale hand grabbed his arm.

Millenia pulled him smoothly toward the open glass doors of the terrace.

Kai looked over his shoulder at Eevy.

"Stay here," he ordered.

He stepped out onto the balcony alone with the succubus.

The cold air was hot when he was standing near her.

She was unnaturally pretty, which made the stage even harder than it is.

Fighting the boss at stage one wasn’t a very good idea.