Chapter 113: Founder’s ball VII

Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Founder’s ball VII

"Excuse me..."

Vivienne looked up.

A fairly good-looking young man stood before her.

He looked to be a first- or second-year student.

Judging by the slight nervousness in his smile...

He had spent the last several moments gathering his courage.

"Miss Beaumont..."

"I was wondering..."

He offered one gloved hand.

"Would you honor me with this dance?"

Vivienne blinked before smiling warmly.

Well...

Why not?

"I’d be honored—"

"My apologies."

The calm voice came from beside them.

Both turned.

Damian Blackwood stood only a few steps away.

--

For the briefest heartbeat...

Vivienne simply stared.

"...Damian?"

There he was.

As composed as ever.

The black formal coat suited him remarkably well beneath the warm glow of the chandeliers.

For reasons she couldn’t quite explain...

The surprise quickly melted into something much more familiar.

A smile found its way onto her face before she could stop it.

"Oh."

The sophomore looked between them, momentarily uncertain.

Damian met his gaze with his usual calm composure before inclining his head.

"My apologies for interrupting."

The young gentleman smiled politely.

"Not at all."

Vivienne had already turned back to him with an apologetic smile.

"I’m terribly sorry."

"My friend just came over."

She offered a small apologetic bow.

"Would you mind excusing me?"

The young man blinked before returning the smile.

"Of course."

He bowed once more.

"Perhaps another time."

"I’d like that."

Vivienne smiled warmly.

"And... thank you for asking."

"The pleasure was mine."

With one final bow...

He disappeared into the crowd.

--

For a moment, Damian watched him leave.

Then he looked at Vivienne.

"...I hope I wasn’t interrupting."

"You absolutely were."

For the briefest moment...

The corner of Damian’s lips threatened to lift.

He caught himself.

Instead, he merely inclined his head.

"My apologies."

Vivienne grinned.

"You have terrible timing."

"...Apparently."

His answer was so matter-of-fact that she laughed again.

"I was just about to accept."

"I noticed."

"But..."

She laughed softly, dismissing the thought with an easy wave of her hand.

"Don’t worry about it."

"It’s you."

She said it so naturally...

As though no further explanation was needed.

"Why would I mind?"

Damian regarded her quietly.

...

"I see."

His reply was as composed as ever.

To him...

Her words meant exactly what she intended.

They were friends.

It was only natural that she’d rather speak with him than a stranger.

Still...

For reasons he couldn’t quite explain...

Those simple words left him unexpectedly... pleased.

The feeling lingered only briefly before he quietly set it aside.

--

A comfortable silence settled between them.

Vivienne was the first to break it.

"So..."

She smiled.

"Who did you come with tonight?"

"My friends."

She nodded.

"I mean..."

She tilted her head.

"Did you come with a date?"

"...No."

"No?"

"Not unless we label Julian and Adrian as my dates."

Without realizing it...

The restraint that had lingered after Julian’s conversation had quietly begun to disappear.

Vivienne stared at him for exactly one second.

Then burst into laughter.

"You know perfectly well what I meant."

"I mean a female companion."

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

"Then the answer remains no."

She looked at him curiously.

"Really?"

"Mm."

"I thought—"

She stopped herself.

Actually...

No.

In the novel...

He hadn’t attended alone.

Lady Evelyn sinclair had been his partner for the evening.

The realization lingered only briefly.

In the novel Damian was Evelyn’s Senior Coordinator, now, he was hers.

A small change.

A quiet ripple spreading further and further from the original story.

The thought passed as quickly as it came.

She looked back at him.

"So..."

"What have you been doing all evening?"

"I’ve been walking."

She blinked.

"...Walking?"

"Mm."

"You haven’t danced?"

"I wasn’t aware attendance required dancing."

"No, but why not?"

His gaze drifted toward the dance floor.

"...It never felt like the right moment."

Vivienne blinked.

"...Wait."

She pointed at him.

"People asked you."

A brief pause.

"...A few."

"A few?"

"...Perhaps."

She nodded slowly to herself.

"Then that must mean several."

"I did not say that."

Vivien smiled knowingly. "I believe you."

Damian raised an eyebrow.

"You do?"

"I’ve read—"

She caught herself just in time.

"...I mean..."

She cleared her throat.

"I’ve seen enough."

A grin tugged at her lips.

"But..."

She folded her arms.

"I should probably verify it."

"...Verify?"

Without waiting for permission...

She slowly walked around him.

Damian turned his head slightly to follow her.

"...Vivienne."

She ignored him completely.

He waited.

"...Should I turn around?"

"Not yet."

She continued circling him.

"I’m conducting an investigation."

"...I see. Should I raise my arms?"

Vivienne looks at him.

"...Are you making fun of my investigation?"

"I was attempting to assist."

Vivienne glared in mock anger.

Damian laughed.

Vivienne shook her head and continued her inspection.

The black formal coat fit him impeccably.

Silver embroidery traced the edges of the lapels with understated elegance.

An emerald pocket square rested neatly against his chest, matched by a pair of emerald cufflinks that caught the chandelier’s light whenever he moved.

His dark hair had been combed back more neatly than usual, revealing the sharp lines of his face.

Grey eyes.

Calm.

Composed.

Infuriatingly so.

She returned to stand in front of him once more.

"...Well."

"I’ve reached my conclusion."

"And?"

She shook her head.

"...This is unfair."

Damian blinked.

"Unfair?"

"You cleaned up."

She gestured vaguely toward him.

"Far too well."

Another dramatic sigh.

"Why are you looking so handsome tonight?"

Damian opened his mouth.

Closed it again.

...

"Thank you."

The words came a touch slower than usual.

Vivienne burst into laughter.

"No, no."

She pointed at him.

"You’re not supposed to thank me."

"...I’m not?"

"You were supposed to deny it."

"I don’t believe that would’ve been truthful."

She stared at him for a second.

Then laughed even harder.

"See?"

"That’s exactly why your ego is impossible to inflate."

Then, as though only noticing it now, her eyes dropped to his pocket square.

"Oh."

She pointed lightly.

"You’re wearing emerald."

Damian glanced down.

"...I am."

"What a coincidence."

She pinched the side of her skirt between two fingers, lifting it just enough for the emerald fabric to catch the light.

"We matched."

A bright smile spread across her face.

"Good choice."

For the briefest moment...

Emerald.

Again, he was reminded of when she had mentioned it so casually while telling him about Anthony.

So that was where it had come from.

His gaze lingered on the pocket square for a heartbeat before returning to her.

"It would seem so."

He said nothing more.

--

A few moments later, the final notes of the current waltz faded into applause.

Almost immediately...

The orchestra began preparing for the next piece.

Around them, students drifted back toward the dance floor, finding new partners as the musicians tuned their instruments.

Vivienne watched them for a moment.

Then she looked back at Damian.

A smile slowly spread across her face.

"...Well."

She gestured toward the ballroom.

"We’re already here."

"It feels like a waste not to."

Without another thought...

She stepped forward.

Turning fully to face him, she smiled with easy familiarity.

Then...

Almost playfully...

She held out one gloved hand.

"So..."

Her eyes sparkled with quiet amusement.

"Would you mind dancing with me?"

...

Damian looked at the hand she had offered him.

Then, slowly...

He lifted his gaze to meet hers.

Vivienne was still waiting.

The easy smile on her face never wavered.

--

To be continued