NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 132 - Dance 3.
The masquerade hall was alive with rhythm and energy, its ambiance charged by the masterful performance of the bards.
Alex, amidst the pulsing sea of dancers and flickering lights, had just stepped onto the stage with Lilia Morningstar. Her teasing smirk was both a challenge and an invitation, one Alex was only too willing to accept.
Lilia's graceful movements matched Alex's as they swayed to the music. Her eyes, hidden behind her mask, sparkled with a mix of amusement and mystery.
The crowd watched in awe, giving the two a wide berth as they dominated the floor with an elegance that seemed almost otherworldly. Unlike the dances from before, this was more sophisticated.
"I must admit," Alex began, spinning her around before catching her deftly, "you have a knack for making an entrance."
Lilia chuckled softly, her voice laced with amusement. "Well, someone had to save you from that gaggle of admirers. You're welcome."
"Rescue? Is that what you call it?" Alex quipped, his lips curling into a grin. "Because to me, it feels more like you wanted a turn."
His words made her laugh lightly, but her eyes were sharp. "Maybe I did," she whispered, leaning a bit closer and looking deep into his eyes. "Can you blame me? You've been the star of the night, after all."
Shaking his head, Alex chuckled, "Why would I blame you? I am the only one who got the honor to dance with you. If anything, I believe I'm lucky."
"Good that you know," scoffed Lilia with a smug smile as they continued their performance.
They moved seamlessly through the steps, their heels tapping the ground rhythmically, their movement so coordinated that it seemed to have been rehearsed hundreds of times.
It was only after a while that Alex squinted his eyes. He had noticed something in Lilia's demeanor—a faint tension beneath her confident facade. Her grip on his hand was firm but slightly too tight, and her laughter, while genuine, carried an undertone of something unresolved.
At first, he thought it was because of everything going on in her head and because his relationship with Zahara had been revealed, but now it seemed something else.
"Lilia," he called softly, leaning in just enough for his voice to reach her ears. "You're distracted."
Her steps faltered ever so slightly before she recovered, her smirk still in place. "Am I now?"
"You are," Alex pressed, his tone laced with genuine concern. "What's on your mind?"
Lilia's gaze matched his, and looking at his concern, her eyes softened, her lips parting, hesitation evident on her face.
For a moment, she looked as though she might answer, but then she shook her head, her smirk returning with a practiced ease. "Nothing you need to worry about, Alex. Just... a lot to think about lately."
Alex frowned, not entirely convinced. The Lilia he knew wouldn't be this bothered if it was something normal. He was sure that even if it was related to Zahara and his relationship, at most she would get a bit angry at him, but that didn't seem to be the case right now.
Pulling her closer again, he looked down into her eyes. "Lilia, if there's something—"
"Enough of that," she interrupted, her voice firm but not unkind. "Tonight's about celebration, not brooding. You wouldn't want to ruin your own party, would you?"
Before he could push further, she twirled out of his grasp and then back in, ending the dance with a flourish. Her smile was radiant but tinged with something deeper. "Thank you, Alex. For the dance and for... everything."
Alex opened his mouth to speak, but she was already stepping away, blending effortlessly into the crowd. He watched her retreating figure, his mind racing. "This is way too fast," he muttered under his breath, a deep sense of unease settling over him.
He had been keeping an eye on the life of every person who was even a bit important to him—which Lilia was.
Alex knew that Lilia's life events weren't at that point where she would take a major step yet, so why did it seem like she was going to do something like that?
"You shouldn't let your thoughts wander too much, young man," a rich, commanding yet lazy voice cut through his musings.
Alex turned sharply only to find a man and a woman wearing clothing similar to others yet emitting an aura that distinguished them from others.
'Demon Lord...' Alex narrowed his eyes. It was Anos Voldigod, his daughter Eris by his side.
The Demon Lord's imposing presence seemed to draw the very air out of the room, yet there was an unmistakable glint of amusement in his crimson eyes.
Eris, for her part, looked absentminded, her gaze unfocused; it was as if she wasn't even in this world—which to some extent was true.
[She's under his demonic dominance's effect.] Sophie warned Alex, making him nod on the inside.
Demonic dominance—one of the most used skills of the demon lord—gave a demon complete control over those with weaker bloodlines than them.
Anos, on the other hand, ignoring Alex's gaze, continued, "Chasing after one of my daughters right after making a deal with me about the other? Shameless, even for you."
Alex blinked, momentarily thrown off balance. "I wasn't—"
"Relax," Anos said, cutting him off with a chuckle. "I'm merely teasing. Though, I must admit, you have a knack for attracting attention. It's almost impressive."
Alex stared into the guy's eyes, trying to understand what he wanted right now, but not being able to get a read, he just passed a humble smile. "I still have a lot to learn."
"Haha, good that you know," Anos laughed, his hand moving to pat Alex's shoulder only to hurriedly retract it.
"Oops, I almost lost my hand," he sighed, wiping the imaginary sweat off his forehead, making Alex frown before his eyes fell on Vanessa, who already had her rapier drawn in her hand.
'Ah, I see.' Recalling the scene during the awakening ceremony where Vestian had tried to hold his hand only to have his wrist sliced off cleanly, Alex realized that the demon lord was about to experience the same a second ago.
"Looks like talking is the limit," Anos nodded, stoking his chin before he grinned. "Did you like my gift?" He asked Alex, causing his frown to deepen.
"Gift?" He didn't recall receiving one.
The demon lord patted Eris's head as he explained, "Did you think I sent my daughter to meet you without a reason?"
Realization dawned on Alex. He now understood why Anos had let him meet Eris before their deal settled. It was his way of showing that although he came here unannounced, he still brought a gift.
'Truly a shitty father,' Alex commented on the inside, but on the outside, he offered Anos a light bow. "Thank you for the gift."
His words made Anos's eyes gleam with interest before he winced, frowning as he looked at Alex. "I just bit my tongue."
Alex tilted his head in confusion. "You weren't even speaking—"
"You must've cursed me in your mind," concluded the demon lord, not even bothering to hear Alex's reasoning.
He turned around with a grudgeful expression. "I will remember this, boy."
"But you weren't even speaking—" Alex tried to stop him, but the demon lord vanished before he could complete his words.
"Don't bully people too much." His last words rang in Alex's head, making him sigh while shaking his head.
What Alex didn't notice was that Anos's teasing had momentarily pulled his mind away from Lilia.
Sophie, sitting on the bed in the dream space, looked at all this and sighed. She knew that she could just have reminded him, but she didn't. She wanted him to enjoy whatever time he had left to enjoy, as he was going to be busy again before he realized it.
She could see Alex going back to the party, picking up where he had left. He went to Zahara again, then Vanessa, then Alenia, then Mira, and the cycle kept repeating.
She knew that Alex wanted to dance with others—Fenna, Aelora, Cassandra, and some others—but all of them seemed to be enjoying things on their own, so he let them be.
"Where's Zahara?" He suddenly asked her, to which she frowned. Zahara was here a second ago. Where did she go in just a second?
[Let me check in with her,] she replied before she used her connection with Zahara to call her out. 'Zahara?'
She didn't even have to ask more than that, as...
'I'm planning a surprise for Alex,' Zahara's voice echoed through her head.
'Oh? What's that?' Sophie inquired with a grin, and after hearing her idea, her grin only widened.
'That's a nice idea, Zahara. I'll help you the best I can.' She replied, smiling as she heard Zahara thank her.
'No need to thank me, just... don't get disturbed no matter what you hear for a while, okay?' She advised, to which, although confused, Zahara still agreed.
Smiling to herself, Sophie then spoke to Alex, [Zahara said that she was feeling tired, so she went to sleep in one of the empty rooms.]