Draco changed the subject, his tone becoming more confident, "Besides, if I were really the kind of animal that thinks with its lower body, my wife would have dealt with me long ago. The fact that she can say it so openly proves that I have nothing to hide, doesn't it?"
The four women exchanged glances, all agreeing that this made sense.
Kate nodded. "That's true... Anyone with a guilty conscience wouldn't dare to say it so openly."
Mary agreed, "Indeed, the fact that they can admit it so readily actually means it's not a big deal."
Becky shrugged. "Alright, alright, you're right. But— Hermione, you'd better keep a close eye on him, don't let him get carried away with his 'food and sex'." Her last sentence was clearly a joke, which drew another burst of laughter from the group.
The three gentlemen smiled as well. After Draco and the others finished speaking, Trillian said to Tom and the other two, "Thank you for your kind words, gentlemen. I am honored. However, I am just my young master's maid. My main task tonight is to take good care of the young master and young mistress. I cannot leave my post to go dancing."
After she finished speaking, she distanced herself slightly from the three of them.
This was a clever way of putting it. On the surface, she only said that she was Draco's maid, implying that she had a close relationship with Draco, but she didn't say it too directly, so as not to arouse Hermione's suspicion.
The three boys understood the underlying meaning. Their eyes widened, and they immediately and tactfully withdrew all their enthusiasm, no longer mentioning the dance invitation. They each found an excuse to leave dejectedly.
Seeing the three of them put on a bad show, Becky shook her head and chuckled. This was typical for them, so Becky ignored them and changed the subject:
"By the way, Draco, I haven't seen you guys playing tennis these past few days. I was thinking of playing another match with Hermione."
"Thank you." Draco picked up a glass of champagne from the waiter's tray, took a sip, and gave his reason for not going:
"Tennis is great, but high-intensity exercise every day isn't good for longevity. I still want my wife and I to live to 100."
"Wow?!" Becky exclaimed, feigning shock. "Aren't you basically cursing us to die young? That's outrageous!"
Mary and the other girls also looked over.
"I didn't say anything," Draco quickly explained, "I only said that excessive exercise is bad, the rest was what Becky said."
"Isn't that what you mean? You're just too lazy to move, yet you're talking about longevity!" Becky persisted.
"Don't try to twist the truth," Draco said helplessly. "I only said that overexertion is harmful to health, I wasn't targeting anyone."
"That's clearly it!"
"No!"
"That is!"
"Alright, alright," Susan said with a laugh, trying to smooth things over. "You two have been arguing from the tennis court all the way to the dance, don't you get tired?"
The two argued back and forth, and the women nearby realized they were just bickering and joking. They didn't take it seriously and were even amused by their banter.
After a few playful banter, Becky returned to her original question, "So what have you been up to these past few days? I haven't seen you at the casino either."
"What else can we do but wander around the cruise ship and try out other leisure activities?" Draco replied casually.
"That's not fair!" Becky snorted, sounding resentful.
Why didn't you invite me? I wanted to go and have some fun too.
Draco gave her a disdainful look and asked in return:
"I want to enjoy some time alone with my wife. What do you want? What, are you going to be a third wheel?"
"Pfft—" The girls burst into laughter instantly, leaving Becky speechless and only able to glare resentfully at Draco.
That look was as if he were looking at a faithless man.
Susan smiled and patted Becky on the shoulder:
"See? You've made a fool of yourself."
The atmosphere of the ball gradually warmed up, and guests gathered in twos and threes around the dance floor. The band tuned their instruments, preparing to play the first formal dance of the night.
Just then, Windsor, arm in arm with Bruce, walked towards them with Evelyn. Windsor had changed into a dark blue sequined dress that accentuated her sculpted figure, making her stand out. Evelyn wore a simple black velvet dress, looking cool and elegant. Bruce was wearing a well-fitting suit, but his burly frame made the suit look a bit tight.
Upon seeing them, Draco took a few steps forward and introduced them, "These are Windsor, a fencing coach; this is her boyfriend Bruce, a Sanda coach; and this is Evelyn, also a fencing coach, Windsor's friend and rival." He then introduced Becky and her group to Windsor and her companions. The two sides nodded to each other and exchanged a few pleasantries.
As they were talking, several wealthy middle-aged men dressed in fine clothes walked over and greeted Draco warmly. Draco smiled, shook hands with each of them, and chatted for a few words.
After dealing with these social obligations, the ball lights suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the band in the center of the stage.
As the conductor's gesture fell, the melodious tune of a waltz flowed out slowly, filling the entire banquet hall.
The ball has officially begun.
The men invited their female companions or crushes to dance, and after the women accepted, the two entered the dance floor.
The atmosphere was perfectly set, Trillian, as the first woman to invite a man, took the initiative to walk up to Draco, a playful smile on her face, and generously invited him:
"Young master, may I invite you to this dance?"
Upon hearing this, Hermione's expression stiffened. Although Trillian was a maid, inviting her husband to the first dance in front of her still made her somewhat uncomfortable.
However, Hermione neither showed it nor said anything.
Trillian, of course, wasn't foolish enough to completely ignore Hermione. Before Draco could respond, she asked Hermione for her opinion first:
Hermione, can I go first?
Hermione was naturally unwilling, but she couldn't take the initiative to invite Draco to dance. To ask her to raise her hand and invite Draco would be too forward and direct for her, which made her instinctively embarrassed.
But if I refuse outright, I'll seem petty.
But agreeing to it like that made her feel resentful.
For a moment, Hermione hesitated.
" Hermione, think about it. If I go first, then the rest of the time is yours, right? The first dance is just a formality; you're the star of the whole night," Trillian analyzed.
Hermione's resolve wavered slightly.
She also wanted to dance the first dance with Draco, but if it was just Trillian dancing first, and then it was all her and Draco's time afterwards... it didn't seem so unacceptable.
Just as Hermione was starting to soften her stance, Draco suddenly said, "No, I want to dance my first dance with my wife."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat.
She hadn't expected Draco to so firmly reject Trillian and choose her instead. Although she never said it, she actually cared a lot about the significance of this first dance.