"Young Master, you're being biased again..." Trillian said aggrievedly, but there was no annoyance in her tone, only a hint of coquettishness.
"Of course, the first dance should be with the most important person. This isn't favoritism," Draco replied matter-of-factly.
Hearing Draco's words, Hermione blushed even more, but her heart felt as sweet as if it had been filled with honey. She thought to herself: This guy...
"Alright, alright..." Seeing Hermione's secretly delighted expression, Trillian could only sigh helplessly and wave her hand, "You two are so devoted to each other, I'll wait for the second one, okay?"
Draco nodded in satisfaction, then, facing Hermione, took a half-step back, placed his right hand on his chest and his left hand behind his back, and bowed slightly, giving Hermione a standard invitation to dance.
Then Draco opened his right hand, looked tenderly at the girl, and softly invited, "So, my Miss Granger, would you do me the honor of dancing the first dance of the night with me?"
Hermione looked at the man who had invited her to dance. He was dressed in black, his hair gleaming gold under the lights, his posture elegant, his eyes gentle, as if the noise of the entire ball was irrelevant to them; at this moment, he only had eyes for her.
Hermione's heart fluttered. She calmed her racing heart, met Draco's gaze, and gently placed her hand in Draco palm, responding softly but sweetly:
"... good!"
The music flowed like water, the waltz melody melodious and lingering, enveloping the entire banquet hall in a dreamlike atmosphere.
Draco, hand in hand with Hermione, walked through the crowd and into the center of the dance floor. They were the most eye-catching couple at first glance.
After choosing a good spot, Draco faced Hermione, gently taking her left hand in his right and placing his left hand on her waist. Hermione placed her right hand on his shoulder and moved closer to him.
"Honey, are you ready? Do you remember how it felt during the last practice session?" Draco gently looked down at her.
"I don't remember," Hermione answered softly. She wasn't sure if she danced well, so she prepared herself by saying that the last time she practiced was back in school, and now it was summer vacation.
"It's alright," Draco said with a smile, reassuring her timid expression. "I'll guide you through the memories slowly..."
"Okay, then I'll go with you." Hermione felt much more at ease.
Draco precisely caught the beat of the music, guiding Hermione to take her first step. His palms pulled Hermione's waist along, and they took a few basic steps, allowing her to readjust to the rhythm of the dance.
Hermione reacted instinctively, her steps hesitant at first, but with Draco's guidance, she quickly found her rhythm.
As the music entered its first climax, Draco and Hermione began their actual spinning, their movements precisely timed to the beat, each spin landing on the accented notes.
Hermione's skirt billowed as she twirled, the nude pink satin shimmering under the light like a blooming rose.
Hermione's body gradually relaxed. She no longer needed to consciously remember her next step, but instead completely trusted Draco, letting him lead her through the dance floor.
The distance between the two grew closer and closer, gradually transforming from a standard social distance into a more intimate embrace.
Draco tightened his grip on Hermione's waist slightly, pulling her closer until their bodies were almost touching.
Hermione looked up and met his gentle eyes. Their eyes locked, reflecting only each other's image.
At that moment, all the surrounding sounds disappeared: the footsteps of other dancers on the dance floor, the music played by the band, the conversations of the guests... everything became distant and blurred.
"Do you remember?" Draco asked close to her ear. Hermione blushed even more, but didn't answer. Instead, she gently rested her face on his shoulder, letting her actions speak for themselves.
Meanwhile, by the dance floor, Trillian held a glass of champagne, her gaze fixed on the two graceful figures in the center of the dance floor.
"Beautiful lady, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" The strange man approached, a smile he thought was charming on his face, and bowed in an inviting gesture.
"Get lost." To a stranger, Trillian didn't even bother with pleasantries, her gaze fixed on Draco's broad back.
The man's smile froze, as if he had been slapped hard in public, and he retreated, feeling utterly humiliated.
This attitude deterred many people, but some were still unwilling to give up. After all, Trillian was just too beautiful, and they were willing to be scolded. Soon, two more men attracted by Trillian's outstanding temperament walked over together, one of whom even tried to attract her attention with more exaggerated body language.
"Miss, your eyes are so beautiful, just like..."
"Please get away from me, okay?" Trillian finally turned her head, her beautiful eyes devoid of warmth, filled only with warning.
The two men exchanged a glance and slunk away.
Trillian's gaze shifted back to Draco and the others, but before their dance was over, a figure quietly blocked Trillian view. Trillian wanted to get angry, but seeing it was Windsor's boyfriend, Bruce, she held back.
" Miss Cui, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Bruce smiled what he thought was a dashing smile, then leaned forward in an inviting gesture. "It's so boring being alone, why don't we dance? I'm quite a good dancer."
After all, he was Windsor's boyfriend, and out of consideration for their relationship, she couldn't just give him the cold shoulder like she would a stranger. So she replied in a calm tone, "Aren't you going to dance with your girlfriend?"
"I just finished dancing with her, so I let her rest for a bit." Bruce made no attempt to hide his admiration for Trillian, staring intently at her as he said, "Well, I just happened to see you here alone, so I thought I'd ask you to dance for me."
"You're quite eager, aren't you? You just finished dancing with your girlfriend, and you're already asking other girls out?" Trillian looked at him teasingly, her tone laced with sarcasm.
Trillian's barbed words stung Bruce for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure, as he thought he was wearing.
Moreover, he made no attempt to hide his interest in Trillian, his gaze lingering on the curves outlined by her red dress before he bluntly stated his thoughts. "To be honest, of all the girls at the ball, I most want to dance with you."
"What would your girlfriend think if she heard this?"
"Didn't you hear me? Besides, it was just a regular dance, just ballroom etiquette, nothing inappropriate." Bruce's tone was relaxed, trying to downplay the situation. "Dancing between friends is normal; I don't think she'll think much of it."
"Your girlfriend might not care, but I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you." Trillian's lips curled into a smile. Too lazy to waste any more time on this man, she stated directly, "I'm the young master's woman, and I won't accept invitations from other men."
Upon hearing this, Bruce's smile froze for a moment.