The night was still early, and she didn't feel like returning to the manor yet. The pantry was still severely lacking food, so she had few options to work with for supper. It wouldn't take that long for her to prepare the same meal for the stepsisters as last night – bread, cheese and some milk.
She was standing by a marble pillar, watching the couples dancing on the floor. A server passed by her, offering her a drink, and she declined. She had never drank wine before, and she did not want to try. Lucinda acted in the most ridiculous manner when she was drunk, and she would not risk the same thing happening to her at the ball. The server simply nodded and moved away from her.
She wanted to dance. She could feel her body swaying slightly as the orchestra played. They were playing a light, lively tune now, perfect for laughing and twirling. She could imagine herself on the floor, like the rest of the dancers, exchanging partners and smiles and spinning around and around until she spun right back into the arms of her first partner. But who would her first partner be?
An image of the prince, with his cerulean eyes and knowing smile – a borderline smirk – flitted through her mind, and she blinked. He was a good dancer, she admitted. Last night, he led the dance perfectly, and seemed perfectly at ease with the steps and motions of each piece. He was one of the best dance partners she ever had, not that she had many to compare him to. Her father too was a wonderful dancer, and when he was in a playful mood he liked to pick her up and twirl her around, her mother laughing and clapping as they romped around rambunctiously in the drawing room.
Her eyes felt like they were misting up, and she blinked rapidly, wiping the moisture that leaked from underneath her eyelids away from her face. Thinking about the past would bring her nothing but sadness and longing; she would have to let go, she had to look forward to the future and think about her plans. She could reminisce about the past when she was free from the mansion, when she was no longer at the beck and call of her stepsisters. Then, she could do whatever she wanted.
"Good evening," she jumped a little, startled by the sound of someone speaking to her. She turned to face the speaker, and her eyes widened – there stood her stepmother, dressed in black like her, a netted veil covering half her face. She looked stern and imposing, and Miku's first thought was that her stepmother had discovered her identity, and was about to reprimand her and force her to go home and await her punishment. "I am sorry, but you look rather familiar to me…may I know which family you're from, my dear?" her stepmother suddenly smiled, and Miku felt relief flood through her body. So her stepmother still did not know who she really was, then. But now she had to think of a name that was not her true name or her nickname. What should she call herself now?
"My name is…" she hesitated for the briefest of moments, then made up her mind and carried on, "Kamui Miki, it is a pleasure to meet you, Lady…?" she paused here, lingering as if she did not know what her stepmother's name was. Her stepmother seemed rather surprised at her false identity.
"I am Lady Hatsune, the head of the Hatsune family. Not that there is much of a family left," she laughed, sounding bitter. Miku did not comment, though she was tempted to blame her stepfamily for the decline of the family legacy. "Kamui…" her gaze lingered on her, making her feel uneasy. "Are you related to the king, then?" she asked. Miku blinked. The king? Was he a Kamui? She did not know there was a connection between the royalty and the name she chose. She only used the name Kamui because it came to her from some distant memory – the name was rather familiar, as though she knew someone from the Kamui family, but she could not recall whom. Her recollection of the name came from so long ago that she didn't even know how old she was when the memory formed.
"I am…a distant relative," she fibbed, figuring that her stepmother wouldn't even talk to the king and ask about her anyway. "I came to stay with an aunt, from my mother's side. I am not from this land," she curtseyed, behaving as politely as she could – if she allowed her unhappiness with her stepfamily to manifest in this situation, her stepmother would surely begin to suspect something. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Hatsune. I hope I have the delight of your guidance through this new land," she kept her gaze downwards so her stepmother would not see the distaste on her face.
"Spare the formalities, Lady Kamui," her stepmother responded, in what Miku had to admit was a most gracious manner. "I came to speak to you because I found you rather familiar…you look like a girl I know, back in my manor. She has the same teal hair as you, as well as your green eyes. You even sound somewhat like her. But she can't possibly be at the ball, since she has no transport here nor does she have anything to wear to the palace. Otherwise, I might have thought you were her."
"A girl in your manor?" Miku asked, injecting curiosity into her words. "Is she your daughter, this girl? Or merely a servant? If she is your daughter, surely it would not be surprising for her to come to the ball with you," she ran a hand down her braid, smoothing the wispy strands of teal which had escaped the tight plait. Her stepmother watched her move her hand, still looking rather curious. Miku wished she could quickly conclude the conversation and move away from here, because the more she spoke to this woman the more likely she was to figure out her true identity. But she did not know how to end their exchange, and simply resorted to seeming as uninterested as she could possibly be without being outright impolite. She sincerely hoped her stepmother would get the hint.
"She is just a servant," her stepmother finally answered. Miku knew she would say that – there was no way anyone from her stepfamily would claim any relationship to her, be it through blood or marriage. "I only have two daughters, and they're both at this ball tonight. Perhaps you will meet them. They are both rather interested in you, Lady Kamui. Many people want to speak to you."
"I cannot, for the life of me, understand why. I am a mere girl, and there is nothing very interesting or special about me," she lied through her teeth because she knew she was most unordinary, but it was unbecoming to blow one's own trumpet, she knew. Noblewomen were expected to be demure, humble and gentle. They did not speak of their own merits, and when other people complimented them, it was best to either be thankful and appreciative, or to deny they had those merits at all.
"You caught the prince's attention, and that is not something many girls can claim to have done," her stepmother responded, tilting her head as if to study her closely. "You danced with him all night last night, and tonight people are whispering about how he left the ballroom with you. There are rumours abound that he has his sights set on you to become his wife. Many girls are jealous of you," she shook her head, a smile creeping over her face. "Young love and adoration! It makes me wish I could be young again, seeking the attention of the charming prince but only ever gazing on from afar."
"I am merely fortunate," she lowered her gaze, "and he is interested in me because I am a foreigner. He speaks to me about travelling, and I am most willing to listen for his stories are extremely fascinating. He would gladly entertain any other lady as well, as long as they are willing to listen to him," which was a complete lie, but her stepmother didn't have to know that. Her stepmother appeared to be a little disbelieving as well, giving her another curious look, but she did not question her words.
"I see…" she murmured. "Well, I hope you enjoy yourself for the rest of the night, Lady Kamui. It was a joy meeting someone as well-mannered and delightful as yourself. Perhaps, if you wish, you could come to my manor in the future and we can have a nice chat over a cup of tea and scones. One of our servants bakes excellent scones, you must come and try them some day," she offered. Miku nodded and smiled, knowing exactly which servant her stepmother referred to – it was true that the scones she baked were delicious – and, after bidding her farewell, she was finally able to escape. She let out a sigh of relief, glad that she was finally away from the woman and her incessant questions.
She looked around, wanting to ensure that she would not be cornered by Anastasia or Lucinda after getting away from their mother. Anastasia was standing with a group of other noble ladies, who were all chattering away about some matter – given that Anastasia was among them, it probably involved knitting or gardening or some other equally dull activity. Lucinda was at the other end of the ballroom, attempting to dance with an unfortunate young nobleman – unfortunate for Lucinda was a poor dancer, and she kept stepping on the poor man's feet. Miku snickered at the sight.
"My dear lady, I realised that you never gave us your name," once again, someone startled her. This time, it wasn't her stepmother, but she still found the voice vaguely familiar – it took her a few seconds to place the voice, then her memories clicked together and she could attach a name and face to the person. She turned to face him, a smile prepared for conversation. The young lord who gave her a ride to the palace on both nights of the ball so far beamed back at her, clearly excited.
He was a handsome young man, tall and dapper with bright blue eyes, an enthusiastic smile and dark, navy hair which flopped carelessly over his forehead. She might have been more attracted to him, but she could not help thinking of him as a clumsy little puppy, seeking her attention. It was not that she looked down on him or anything of that sort, of course – she merely preferred to be spoken to in a less excited manner. Seeing someone so clearly delighted to meet her made her feel strange.
"My name is Kamui Miki," now that she finally managed to come up with a name for herself, it slipped off her tongue much easier, the words flowing so naturally that she almost thought of it as her real name. "My family chose not to come to the ball tonight, actually," she added, in case he said he wished to speak to the aunt she claimed to live with. "My aunt is feeling poorly, so my uncle remained at home today to stay with her. I was sent here alone, so once again, I had no transportation. They told me to come and find you if I wished to go to the ball, since you offered to send me all three nights. I do hope that I am not intruding," she said politely, curtseying to him.
"No, of course you're not!" he answered vehemently, and she flinched back slightly, shocked by the sudden energy in his words. "You're most definitely welcome to take my carriage again – tomorrow night, and whenever else you might want," he hesitated. "I hope my fervour does not make you feel uncomfortable?" he asked, and she wondered if he had noticed the anxious look on her face. She was unaccustomed to being shown so much attention, at least not on such a personal level.
"I'm very well, thank you. You flatter me with your words," she smiled, clasping her hands together. She hoped he was not here to invite her to a dance. She really did not want to dance with all those wondering strangers now, at least not without the prince – at least, when the prince was around, no one dared to come up to her and ask her anything. She did not think that this young lord would hold the same sort of influence. "Any lady would be absolutely taken with your compliments, Lord…?"
"Oh, yes. You never got my name either, did you? Mother was monopolising the conversation," he realised, laughing softly. "My name is Shion Kaito, though you probably already knew I was from the Shion family. Mother is proud of our heritage," she could tell he wanted to roll his eyes, but politely refrained from doing so in front of her. "As for you, Lady Kamui…are you relative to the king?" his eyes widened. "He is a Kamui too, in fact. But you say that you are from overseas…and there are no families with the Kamui name living in the area, at least none that I know of."
Lord Shion seemed confused, not that she would blame him. "I am a Kamui from my father's side of the family," she hastily made up, "and I came to stay with my aunt, from my mother's side. The Lady Hatsune," she added, not knowing any other woman amongst the nobility and not wanting to make up some other name again. Shion Kaito would be harder to bluff than her stepmother. Her stepmother married into nobility, and was originally from a middle or lower class working family. Shion Kaito, no doubt, was an aristocrat from birth, and probably knew the history and bloodlines of the nobles around him. If she just threw out some random name, it would definitely make him suspicious.
"Oh, the Dowager Duchess Hatsune is your aunt! You are indeed a true noble," taking hold of her hand, he kissed it, surprising her. "But you say your aunt is ill, and your uncle is taking care of her?" he questioned, a frown crossing his face. "Is she not right there? I saw her speak to you moments ago – and from what I heard, isn't Lady Hatsune a widow?" for a moment, she panicked internally, not knowing how to get her way out of this. The young lord looked at her quizzically, completely unaware of the dilemma his questioning was putting her through. Taking a deep breath, she planned out her tale, making sure that the story she hastily fabricated would have no loopholes to exploit.
Then she smiled at him. "Well, my aunt was ill before I arrived, which was why I had no transport once again, but shortly after I arrived at the ball, she decided she felt well enough to come down and observe me for herself. She wants me to marry a nice nobleman, you see. She feels that it is past the age for me to be married," which was true, since many young ladies were married by the time they were sixteen. "As for my uncle…" she lowered her voice, and Lord Shion had to lean in closer to listen to her, "there is a man courting her! She seems quite fond of him, but she does not wish for anyone to know about him yet. When I mentioned my uncle to you, it was an unfortunate slip of the tongue. They seem set to marry soon, and he allows me to call him uncle though they have not had a formal union yet. His identity must be kept secret to protect my aunt's reputation, I hope that you can understand why, but he is a pleasant, friendly man and I really do see him as my uncle now."
He nodded. When she mentioned that her aunt wanted her to marry a noble earlier, his eyes lit up with interest, and she hoped that he would not talk to her stepmother about her niece looking for a man to marry. That would raise many awkward questions. "Oh, and Lord Shion? Regarding the matter of my marriage – I would prefer it if you did not talk to my aunt about that, she is extremely particular about the nobleman I should end up marrying and would be most displeased to hear that I am speaking of my hopeful engagement so casually," she stared into his eyes intently, desperately hoping that he would listen and agree. He shot her a puzzled frown, but nodded again to her relief.
"You seem to have quite a complicated family, Lady Kamui!" he observed. "Why did your mother send you all the way here instead of simply arranging a marriage for you where you were? Of course, I do not complain about meeting you, but one is curious about your family's rather…convoluted way of doing things," he explained, still with that puzzled look on his face. When he asked her about her mother, a small lump formed in her throat, and she wanted to say that it was because her mother was in a faraway place she could not reach – that was why she was sent to her aunt. It was the truth, after all. Her mother was dead, and Miku would not see her until she herself died a natural death.
Before she had to explain though, she heard the prince exclaim in delight, and he sounded like he was uncomfortably nearby. She turned – there was the blond haired prince, standing only a few steps away from her, looking at the man she was speaking with as though he was an old friend. For all she knew, they were old friends. "Lord Shion!" the prince called, a beam on his face. "I have not seen you in…a year, perhaps? How are you, are you and your family doing well?" he sounded most unlike what she was used to, and she couldn't help but stare at him in shock. He ignored her.
"Oh, I'm doing very well, Your Highness," the navy haired man bowed deeply before the prince. "My father sends you his blessings. Unfortunately he could not attend the ball as he is still overseas on business, trying to negotiate with the fishermen. The strikes keep continuing, my father told me that the fishermen speak of demons and monsters in the sea. Of course, it is all mere nonsense, there are no such things as monsters," he laughed a little, while the prince looked rather thoughtful. Miku found Lord Shion's story quite compelling – though the young lord seemed to scoff at the tale, she was quite interested in travelling overseas and listening to the stories and legends of other people. She wondered what sort of monsters these fishermen saw.
"Indeed, you are right, Lord Shion. The only monsters there are in this world are human men themselves, after all," the prince finally said, a remarkably philosophical comment that Miku had honestly, until now, thought him incapable of. At that statement, Lord Shion looked slightly uncomfortable, but the prince merely beamed again and patted him on the shoulder. "Well, do enjoy yourself, and pass my greetings on to Viscountess Shion," the prince smiled. "As well as to The Viscount of Chalice, when he returns. It has been a long time since he and my father last spoke."
Lord Shion nodded. "I will let my parents know," he cast both of them a lingering look before he turned and walked away. Miku stared after his retreating back, and only looked up when the prince waved his hand before her face. She blinked, glancing at him – he looked almost entertained, though she could not imagine what he could possibly find amusing. She was quite tempted to glare at him, actually – she could hardly believe she just ran into the king, much less spoken at all to him. The king, and she had been utterly unprepared.
"Are you smitten, Cinderella?" the prince asked. "Lord Shion is a nice man, perhaps a little stick-in-the-mud for my preferences, but he is pleasant and easy to take advantage of…well, that's a secret from me to you," he grinned. "And his father is the Viscount of Chalice, which should satisfy your aunt I suppose. His peerage can be traced back for generations. Or, if that is not sufficient," he placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her slightly to face the dancing crowd, "that man there with the blond hair standing by the pillar is Earl Akita Nero, son of the Marquis of Ashtonbury. Or over there, the one with the silver hair and strange eyes – The Viscount of Lexane, son of the Marquis of Archex, Utatane Piko. I could introduce you to anyone you want, Cinderella, if only you'd move to my palace."
She knew there had to be a point to that long-winded spiel. "And what of yourself, Prince Romeo?" she asked coquettishly, curious about his own title. After all, if he was adopted three years ago, then surely he must hold multiple titles. "What esteemed peerage do you come from?" at her question, he stilled, and for the longest time he said not a word. She began to wonder if he was offended by her.
"Me? Nothing much, really. I'm just the prince," he sounded stiff. "Prince of Denvy, Earl of Ginshire, all the titles that come with being son of the king. You should know them," he tilted his head. "Technically, I'm not supposed to have all those titles. I'm adopted, after all. But there is no other heir apparent, nor does my father have any interest in starting a family, much to the scandal of the ministers. So I am in line to the throne now," he took his hand off her shoulder. "As for my personal peerage, those are of the past. I no longer desire to hold those titles," he said, voice very quiet.
It sounded like this was a sensitive issue. She knew it would be better not to probe, so she directed the conversation towards a more light-hearted topic. "Oh, that's fascinating to know – however, I did not know about the prince's titles. I'm a foreigner, remember?" she stepped away from him, still playing the part of the kittenish girl. Some look crossed the prince's face when she said that – a look that flitted across his face so quickly that she almost missed it – and he grinned again, the previous solemnness he had fallen into entirely gone. It was so unlike him to be formal or proper, at least from what she knew of him. When he was speaking to Lord Shion, it was the first time she ever saw him behave like a prince.
"Indeed, you are! And that makes for lively conversation," he answered, looking out at the dancing couples. "The night is young, and I wish to be entertained. Could you, perhaps, bless me with a dance?" he bowed, extending his hand. She knew it would be rude to reject since he was royalty, and besides she did wish to dance, so she took hold of his hand and allowed him to lead her to the floor. She would only be able to dance a few pieces before she had to leave, but she would make sure that she enjoyed herself to the fullest. After all, tomorrow was the last night of the ball.
They danced in complete silence for a while, just moving and twirling quietly as the sounds of the orchestra music flowed over them. She was so used to the steps – she knew these songs, they were what she danced and practiced to when she was a child – that she could afford to pay attention to other things. She saw the colour and elegance of the women and their dresses, the charming smiles of the men and their wit and manner – she saw the lights and marble of the ballroom and the sounds of laughter and music and making merry. It was a delightful atmosphere, one she failed to appreciate fully yesterday due to her panicking over the prince paying her such special attention, and worrying over the consequences of her actions and words. Tonight, she was relaxed, and that showed itself in the smile on her face and the fluidity of her movements. Len was surprised by just how much more graceful she seemed – she was a good enough dancer last night, but now she moved with an elegance which defied his expectations.
"What do you think of my father?" he decided to ask. Was the king correct in saying that she did not remember him at all? She looked up at him, obviously startled out of the comfortable silence that was between them – at least, it appeared to be comfortable for her, seeing how absorbed she was in the dancing. He did not feel as immersed. He was still distracted, thinking about the improbable story his father shared earlier. Truly, what were the odds? The Hatsune family…he had not heard anything of them ever since the head of family died, six years ago. He didn't even think he would meet a Hatsune in his lifetime, their family was so small. It was said that there was a curse on the family, for every single generation only ever had one son, perhaps two at the most. The Hatsune line would have stopped with the late Duke since he died without a male heir, unless his daughter married one of the other noble families with Hatsune blood somewhere far back in their lineage – but then, their daughter was dead too. And with the only Hatsunes left being the woman who married into the family and her daughters, it would appear that there was no true Hatsune blood remaining, and the family legacy would eventually die out, becoming a mere fragment of history.
Yet here, this girl he was dancing with, this girl who so adamantly refused to reveal her true name, might be the last Hatsune, the only person left to inherit a legacy of fame and fortune. The Hatsunes were always the most prominent out of the four great families, the other three being the Kamui family, the Sakine family and the Kagamine family. It made him think about how far the mighty had fallen. Perhaps there was something to be said about the apparent curse the Hatsunes suffered.
"Your father? His Majesty, the king?" Cinderella looked surprised to be asked such a question out of the blue, not that he could blame her. "I think he is extremely polite…as befits a king," she said carefully, obviously wary since he was the adopted son of the man they were discussing. He nodded, indicating that he wished for her to continue, and she cleared her throat. "I did not know his name when I first saw him in the throne room, but some people have mentioned to me that he is from the Kamui family, which is one of the four founding families of this country. He must be a very remarkable person."
"Indeed, he is remarkable," he echoed. "But all of the founding families are remarkable, wouldn't you say so? They must be, if even a foreigner like you knows of them," he eyed her, wondering if she would hesitate and make up something to cover up her knowledge of their history. The founding four were common history among the nobility, every noble child knew the story, but it was local history – not something that he expected a foreigner to know about. Given that she did not even know his appearance or his personal background or who the king was, he hardly expected her to know about the four families. It was suspicious.
However, her reply was smooth and poised, as though she had been expecting him to question her. "I asked the people I spoke with why they seemed so awed at the Kamui name, and they told me about the history of this country. I listened with rapt attention, for it pleases me to learn," her fingers dug into his shoulder, and he almost winced. It was as if she was trying to get, in some small petty way, revenge on him for probing so much into her identity. She was, from what she had shown so far, not stupid – she was probably aware that his words indicated some doubt regarding her claimed identity. "I know of the other three families as well. The Kagamines, the Sakines and the Hatsunes. This all interests me greatly – would you like to tell me more about each family, Prince Romeo?"
"Gladly," he smiled, wondering if he could somehow trick her into letting something slip. He really did not believe that she was a mere foreigner who happened to have teal hair and looked like she was the same age as the deceased Hatsune daughter. It was much too coincidental, and Len did not believe in mere coincidence. "The Sakine family is hot-headed, but they are generous and have good hearts. The counties over which they hold rule love them dearly. They are the lowest ranked out of the four founding families, if the four can even be ranked at all. The families all hold the peerage of Duke and Duchess, but…the Sakine family presides over the fewest counties, I suppose."
"What of the others?" he steered them easily away from the larger crowd, towards an area with fewer people – mostly the older aristocrats, who showed less interest in either him or her, more interested in building ties and relationships with others of their noble rank. The two of them ended up near the window, which was not as well-illuminated as the rest of the ballroom. Perhaps they would have some privacy here, and he would not have to deal with other noblemen trying to ease their way into taking over his place and dancing with Cinderella. He had no time for such theatrics.
"The Kamui family only has one son, who is my father, the king. Technically, he has nephews and nieces, but these nephews will come behind me in line for the throne. The king has specifically named me his heir, much to their displeasure," he laughed sourly. "They have one county more than the Sakine family. After that…the Kagamine family," he paused, the name falling flat on his tongue. He still called himself a Kagamine, unwilling to totally accept his role of the prince and take on his adopted father's family name. Technically, Len was still the Marquis of Kinsen, since his father had no right to take away his title, but it was a title that he would never use, personally. It brought back too many memories of a time gone past, and not all of those memories were entirely pleasant.
"You seem to be unsure of yourself. Could it be that your knowledge of your own history is not as up to par as it seems?" she asked, almost sly. His smile returned – she was unlike many other aristocrats indeed. The faint moonlight that shone through the window illuminated her face, leaving the rest of her body in darkness. He was suddenly quite tempted to reach over and yank away her mask. He was so curious about what she looked like. Green eyes, teal hair, pale skin…she cut a striking figure, and her mask only added to her air of ambiguity. Perhaps that was why he found her so intriguing.
"No, I am simply gathering my thoughts," he pursed his lips. "The Kagamine family. Where do I start? They have a legacy for sure," he said blithely. "The Duke of Fendley has many titles to his name, the Marquis of Kinsen being one, along with the Viscount of Venin and Earl of Insidia. It's a pity they have no heir apparent. But the Duke is young and he will have time to marry another woman, who might perhaps bear him a son. I do not know," Len turned away from her, looking out of the window. "Nor is it my business to care," he added. "As for the last family, the Hatsune family…well, they used to be highly favoured, they were loved by their people. But from what I heard, the head of family died six years ago and the entire bloodline has been in disarray ever since. I don't know what Dowager Duchess Hatsune is doing, but from rumours among the aristocracy, the family is going to disappear. And then we'll be left with three founding families. It's tragic, don't you agree?"
He shot her a sideways glance, trying to see if his words had affected her in the slightest. But with that infernal mask on, he had no idea what she was thinking. "It does sound rather upsetting," she agreed, voice perfectly placid. "Does the Hatsune family not have any descendants at all? You speak of a dowager – surely she had some sons or daughters," she observed. A hint of doubt sprang up in him – was she just a good actress or was she truly unaware of the Hatsune family's situation? He thought that by bringing up her tragic family history she might be incensed to defend her family's honour, but that did not appear to be happening. Perhaps his father was wrong…but no, he did not believe that his father would have suspected her for nothing. There had to be more to this girl.
"She married into the family after the death of the previous Duchess, and from what I know, she and the late Duke had no children," he answered her. "In fact, some people question her standing in the family…she was not from another noble family, and people doubt her. They say a commoner has no place in the house of nobles, and that she lacks the proper knowledge and etiquette to maintain the dukedom," he repeated the rumours he heard from other aristocrats when they had their audience with the king, discussing the downfall of one of the country's greatest families. "If only the Hatsune bloodline did not die out! The late Duke had one daughter, but she's dead too, I heard. No one ever heard anything about her. The king would recognise her right to the title. She's the only child, after all. And if she took the title of the Duchess of Cante, no one would question her appropriateness."
"Dead?" the girl repeated, now sounding confused. "How did she die? Was she ill?" here was his first hint that perhaps she was who they thought she was. She didn't just sound confused – she sounded almost accusatory, as though she could not believe the girl they were speaking of was dead. And why would anyone behave that way unless they were not truly gone? He hid a smile, still looking out of the window so that he did not have to meet her gaze and she would not see the knowing smirk on his face.
"People say she perished in the fire which…killed," he was reluctant to use such a word in this setting, but he could come up with no other euphemism, "her father, six years ago. She was in the same summer cottage as her father, apparently he was on business there. Neither of them got out of the house in time," she stayed silent, and after a few moments he turned to look at her, curious about her lack of reaction. He saw that she was staring intently at the floor, hands clasped together. "Are you all right, Cinderella?" he asked, a little concerned now. This did not seem like characteristic behaviour from her. He was used to her witty comments and her sharp, almost doubtful questions – this strange quietness was most unlike her. Even while standing before his father she had not been totally silent.
"Yes, I'm fine," she looked up, a smile plastered onto her face. He could tell it was fake. He had three years to get used to forced smiles and faked laughter. "I just…need to be leaving now. My aunt will be curious about where I am. She does not like me to stay out late," she curtseyed, making him think back to last night when they first met and she was nervous, perhaps even scared of him. And he knew that something was most definitely wrong, something had affected her during the course of their conversation. It made him all the more certain that, even if she was not the supposedly dead Hatsune Miku, she was involved with the missing duchess somehow, and he would get to the bottom of it. He gave his father his word. "I will see you again tomorrow, Prince Romeo," this was said quickly, and before he could react she turned around, slipping away into the dancing crowd.
"Well, drat," he muttered, staring at the little gap in the crowd through which she had disappeared – a few seconds later, the gap closed up, and she was completely gone. "I was just beginning to uncover hints that she's not a mere foreigner…she has to be the missing girl," he turned to look out of the window once more, hoping that staying in the darkness here would camouflage him and hide him from the other nobles a little while longer. "Cinderella…" the name rolled off his tongue, no longer as awkward for him to say as it was the first time. "I'd like to know you better. You say you want to marry a nobleman, don't you?" he mused. "Perhaps you'd like to marry a prince instead?"