Hearing my words, Emi's eyes widened as she looked at me. At that moment, I didn't know how to react, depending on Emi's answer. Maybe she would accept, or maybe she would reject. This was the first time I didn't have an answer prepared in case the worst happened.
But at the end of it all, there was one thing I knew: in the end, I had given my all for this moment. Whether Emi accepted or rejected my confession would not change the way I felt about her. Even if she rejected it, I would still use all my strength to help her have a happy and peaceful future.
But I also knew that this was simply my way of mitigating the damage. I was fine with it. I was already prepared for it. As I thought about it, Emi's expression changed from surprise to happiness. A small tear fell from one of Emi's eyes. I honestly didn't know what that tear meant.
Maybe I could have hurt Emi without realizing it, or maybe my confession was not pleasant. These thoughts started to pierce my heart like blades, but that was quickly quashed by Emi's next words.
"Yes, I would love to"
Emi said with a smile on her face. As soon as she said that, I felt her hands holding mine tighter, as if she didn't want to let go of me. But that didn't matter at the moment. All I was feeling at that moment was a happiness so great it was barely fitting in my chest. My heart was probably beating ridiculously fast. With each beat of my heart, it seemed that it would come out of my mouth.
With this intense feeling, Emi and I continued to dance until the end of the song. As soon as the music stopped, Emi and I stopped our dance, but we still continued to keep our eyes on each other.
But that only lasted until applause echoed through the place. This finally made both Emi and me remember that we were not alone. Several nobles, especially the women, looked at the two of us with smiles on their faces as they applauded our dance. Glancing at the king, I saw that he was looking at me with a smile on his face. Asia was not so different.
She was giving little jumps as she spoke to Albert with her finger pointed at us. Turning my gaze to Emi, I saw that she was looking at me with a smile on her face. She seemed to be enjoying this situation.
This caused a smile to appear on my face. Soon, Emi and I bowed to the audience, thanking them for their applause. While we were at it, I could hear some people's voices talking about us.
"The two of you danced so well together"
"Yes, they both paid quite a bit of attention to their partner. They spent almost the entire dance looking at each other's faces"
Hearing this, a blush appeared on my face. Sorry about that, actually, it was simply because Emi looked prettier today than usual.
"But... which noble family does that boy belong to, so he can dance with the princess... besides, they both seem to know each other"
"Now that you say it... I don't remember seeing him at any parties before"
Hearing the woman's words, in a domino effect, everyone started looking at me with questioning eyes. Everyone seemed to want to know who I was. As I was thinking about how to get out of this situation, applause came from behind Emi and me, catching everyone's attention, including ours. As soon as we looked back, the entire royal family was clapping as they looked at us with smiles on their faces.
"That was a beautiful demonstration you showed us"
Said the king with a smile as he approached both Emi and me. With that, Emi and I bowed our heads in thanks for the king's words.
"It is an honor to receive such words"
I said, keeping my gaze on the ground.
"You don't have to be so modest; you know I have great affection for you"
Said the king. As soon as he said this, several murmurs began to echo from all sides. For some reason, it seemed that the king had said something quite intriguing, but I honestly couldn't understand what it meant.
"Everyone, please enjoy yourselves. Let's liven up my daughter's party even more. Today is a very special day for her"
Said the king. After that, he turned his gaze to me with a smile on his face.
"Isn't that right?"
He said while looking at me. As soon as I heard those words, I somehow realized that he knows what happened between me and Emi.
(Did they manage to hear our conversation?)
I thought, still keeping my head down. Several thoughts were going through my head. Would they accept my relationship with Emi? I am only a baron. Surely it would be much better to marry Emi to a family that has more power than me. Would my inventions be enough to make me a good match for Emi?.
"You don't have to be so nervous"
Perhaps noticing my nervousness, the king caught my attention, causing me to look at him.
"I am not particularly against your relationship with Emi. You have proven yourself enough that you could extract such a thought from me"
He said, resting his hand on my shoulder. At this point, both Emi and I looked at the king, waiting for his next words.
"I ask you this as a father and not as a king... Ren, please take care of my daughter and make her happy"
Said the king, looking at me with a soft smile on his face. Hearing those words, determination surged in my chest. Looking again at the king, I expressed my true feelings.
"I promise, I will do everything in my power to make Emi happy"
Hearing my words, the king nodded, keeping a smile on his face.
"Yes, I know you will"