‘Wait... this dress was like this?’
Rine was utterly taken aback by the change in her dress’s appearance.
Violetta had never mentioned that it had this kind of feature.
Had she known, she wouldn’t have been caught so off guard.
Rine suddenly remembered how, when Violetta had first drawn the initial designs for the dress, there had been three different sketches.
She had assumed those were simply three separate concept drafts, but it turned out all three designs had been incorporated into a single garment.
Now she understood why Violetta had smiled mysteriously and said it was a secret.
‘Still...’
It didn’t feel bad at all.
If the first version she had worn had been like a soft cloud, then now it was like the warm glow of a sunset settling onto her skin.
The flickering embers rolling across the surface of the gown created an enchantingly captivating effect as they spread around her.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the sight.
The gazes of the women in particular were startlingly intense.
A dress that could change?
This was a groundbreaking innovation in the clothing industry.
The idea of enchanting clothing was nothing new—everyone had thought of it at least once.
In fact, the robes worn by mages not only displayed their affiliation but also granted resistance to magic.
And yet, the reason it had never become a real trend came down to practicality.
Yes—practicality.
If you were going to enchant something, why bother with robes or clothing? Engraving a defensive barrier onto a ring or necklace that could stop bullets was far more efficient.
If the effort required differed vastly but the end result was the same, who would choose the harder path?
Thus, the concept of magically enhanced clothing had always remained at the planning stage.
In particular, Rine’s dress had no real magical function beyond being visually beautiful.
In other words, in terms of utility, it was completely impractical.
If anything, it was an excessive investment.
Ludger, however, only smirked faintly to himself as he watched the sunset-like, fire-laced dress.
‘But the world doesn’t run on practicality alone.’
That was the nature of human desire.
If all that was needed was the basic function of clothing, anyone could just wear an ordinary cheap outfit.
But the wealthy—especially high-born ladies—spent enormous sums to adorn themselves in splendor.
It wasn’t unusual for a single dress to cost more than a car.
They didn’t care how much it cost.
That was human desire.
The dress Ludger had created in collaboration with Violetta pushed that desire to its absolute peak.
The women’s eyes on Rine were burning with such yearning that the flames dancing on her gown seemed paltry by comparison.
“Rine... that dress is... what exactly...?”
Erendir swallowed hard as she asked.
As an imperial princess, Erendir had seen countless dresses.
Some had been adorned with the most extravagant jewels, others hailed as masterpieces from the finest designers of the time.
But none had ever truly moved her heart.
Part of it was because she preferred a life far removed from ostentation, but it was also because her standards had been set high from constant exposure since childhood.
For even Erendir to be captivated by Rine’s dress—it was no wonder everyone else was spellbound.
“The House of Verdi... I thought they’d been gaining fame lately, but to think they would enchant a dress for the social scene...”
Logically, it wasn’t something one should do.
But not everything in the world ran on logic.
Targeting a niche no one else dared to touch... in some ways, that was an even more rational decision than the obvious choice.
Of course, that wasn’t the important part now.
Everyone was watching.
Watching Rine.
Watching her dress.
No matter how gorgeous the dress, if the wearer lacked presence, its value would fade.
But this dress suited Rine perfectly—so perfectly it was as if it had been part of her from the start.
The pristine white had been beautiful at first, but the blazing flame was equally breathtaking.
Perhaps it was even more so because her hair was ash-gray.
Flames were beautiful.
But when they were gone, all that remained was ash.
Just like the color of her hair.
The initial panic faded, and Rine instinctively knew what she should do.
Perhaps Ludger had foreseen this and given her such an important role.
Rine gave a light spin where she stood.
She’d grown used to the once-uncomfortable shoes, so moving like this was no problem now.
The embers that had been rising like a shimmering haze from her dress scattered outward in all directions.
Like dandelion seeds, the sparks spread and decorated the surroundings, much like the magic Flora had once used.
They weren’t real flames, so they weren’t hot.
But people could feel an unexplainable warmth rush to their faces.
Was this what it felt like to be overwhelmed?
A mysterious girl shrouded in secrets, a beautiful dress...
And just then, as if prepared in advance, the perfect spotlight of the moment.
Right now, it felt as though the entire world revolved around the girl named Rine.
And then, beyond the windows, the sun fully sank.
The sunset faded, and a touch of cool blue light spread around them.
As if to cool down the heat that had built up until now.
The heat faded from Rine’s dress as well.
The blazing fire of moments ago vanished as if it had been nothing but a dream, leaving the dress blackened.
Like the remnants of something completely burned away.
“Ah.”
Someone let out a sigh full of regret.
The most beautiful dress in the world had vanished in the blink of an eye.
In a ballroom, what could be sadder than that?
Meanwhile, the sky outside gradually darkened, and the light from the ballroom grew stronger.
Under that light, Rine’s burned-black dress looked strangely out of place.
In the solemn atmosphere, only one person moved.
Ludger.
Without anyone noticing, he quietly spread his mana into the air.
Slowly.
Thinly, but widely.
It wasn’t a flashy spell—quite the opposite.
What he wanted was something to punctuate the solemnity of the moment.
A spell of the darkness attribute.
[Holy Night]
Darkness settled over the space.
Not pitch-black like midnight, but the gentle darkness of early evening.
Its only effect, if one could call it that, was to soften the overly bright atmosphere.
But for Ludger, that was enough.
No—more importantly, it was enough for Rine.
Gasp.
A small intake of breath sounded.
Rine’s dress was changing again.
On the black, night-like fabric, faint points of light began to appear, one by one.
They spread until the entire gown shone clearly even in the darkness.
They had thought it was nothing but charred remains.
But once the surroundings fell into shadow, that thought was instantly overturned.
It wasn’t ash at all.
It was something far more beautiful.
“...The night sky.”
Flora murmured without realizing it.
The final form of Rine’s dress was a night sky where a beautiful Milky Way flowed.
At the same time, the ribbon tied at the back of Rine’s waist loosened on its own.
From the semi-transparent fabric that drifted through the air spilled a bluish moonlight.
A star-filled night sky—something you could no longer see in Rederbelk because of pollution—was recreated perfectly on Rine’s gown.
She was, in that moment, a goddess of the night.
Like Cinderella’s final magic, it was the most sacred finale to crown the entire spectacle.
Rine lifted her gaze toward the terrace where Ludger stood.
She instinctively knew who had summoned this sudden darkness.
When their eyes met, Ludger gave her a small nod.
This was your stage now.
Here, you were the protagonist.
That was what his gaze told her.
Rine steadied her breath, then took a step forward.
Her movements were far more elegant and restrained than when she had first entered the ballroom.
Naturally, the people before her stepped aside to make way without even thinking.
Their bodies reacted before their minds did.
Standing at the center of the ballroom, Rine spoke to the contest’s panel of judges.
“You said you were accepting applicants, correct? I’ll participate.”
At those words, the judges were struck silent.
Yet in their surprise, there was no hint of rejection.
It was Jesse Luna who, regaining her senses, finally spoke.
[Ah—! S-scores! We’ll give the scores now!]
She stammered uncharacteristically, urging the other judges with sharp looks to get moving.
Pulled from the trance the miraculous scene had cast over them, the panel began scoring one by one.
The result: a perfect score.
Regrettably, Flora had to settle for second place.
[Flora Lumos’s magic was truly outstanding as well, but this event is ultimately a showcase of feminine beauty, so we were unavoidably compelled to give the edge here,]
Carter Roer explained on behalf of the panel.
[If this had been a competition to judge the qualities of a mage, the rankings might have been different. But if we are to name the one most fitting for this occasion, there could be nothing but unanimity. Congratulations.]
At his words, applause erupted from all sides toward Rine.
With her breath a little uneven, she dipped her head in thanks to the judges.
“Thank you.”
When the applause faded, silence returned.
All eyes were still on Rine.
The winner of the Miss Contest had been decided, but the most important moment was yet to come.
Who would be granted the honor of receiving a dance request from tonight’s heroine?
The men gathered in the ballroom all knew it likely wouldn’t be them, but none could let go of that small, flickering hope.
The most probable choice was Freuden Ulburk, with whom Rine was often seen.
A man with no fault in either looks or lineage.
Even women who had hoped to use this event to dance with Freuden had to give up, at least for now.
Yet Freuden’s expression was anything but pleased.
He knew.
He had seen exactly who Rine had been looking at when her dress transformed to hold the night sky.
‘No.’
It was fine if she wore a dazzling gown, something uncharacteristic for her.
It was fine if she had refused the offer he had made.
It was fine if the beauty he thought only he knew had now been revealed to everyone here.
All of that was fine.
But—
“No.”
Freuden muttered quietly as he saw Rine’s gaze slowly turn in one direction.
For someone who usually valued dignity above all, it was an act he would never normally commit.
That was how desperate he was.
He didn’t have to be the one she chose.
It didn’t matter if she danced with someone else.
Everything else was fine.
But not that man.
Anyone but that man.
Yet Freuden’s silent plea never reached her.
“Professor Ludger Cherish.”
Rine called his name, looking up toward the second-floor terrace.
Naturally, every gaze turned to Ludger, and a portion of the spotlights in the darkness shifted to illuminate him.
Ludger gazed back down at Rine with his usual, unshaken calm.
Rine smiled softly at him and extended her hand.
“Would you do me the honor of a dance?”
Everyone present was stunned.
She had asked a teacher—not just any teacher, but Ludger Cherish himself—for a dance.
Flora and Selina watched with nervous eyes.
Bathed in the pure white light, his expression was the same as ever, unreadable.
It was then that a trace of emotion touched Ludger’s otherwise impassive face.
A faint, amused, approving chuckle.
“Gladly,” Ludger said.
And with that, he stepped over the railing and leapt down into the ballroom.
The suddenness of the act left everyone startled, but only for a moment.
Instead of plummeting, Ludger’s body descended slowly, gliding through the air as if he were swimming.
The hem of his black coat billowed like a cloak.
Like the feather of a divine message falling from the heavens, Ludger came to rest gently in front of Rine.
The separate beams of light that had been illuminating them merged into one.
Ludger placed his hand lightly atop the one Rine held out.
Ah.
At the warmth she felt in his touch, Rine couldn’t help but let a small sound escape.
Some women clasped their [N O V E L I G H T] hands together, gazing raptly at the sight.
That a commoner girl no one had paid attention to could become the star of the night—this was enough to inspire not only envy, but also awe and admiration.
The soft music that had paused resumed once more.
And to its rhythm, Rine and Ludger began to waltz in the center of the ballroom.
Everyone else kept their distance, their eyes drawn entirely to the pair.
In the quiet hall, beneath a single spotlight, the two moved together in graceful steps.
It was only then that Rine realized she had never danced in a high-society setting before.
‘Wh-what do I do? I got carried away with the moment and asked him, but...’
Then Ludger’s voice came softly to her.
“Don’t panic. Follow the flow. I’ll lead you.”
As she relaxed her body as he instructed, Ludger guided her movements.
“Slowly. No need to rush.”
His touch and pacing were far gentler than the strict manner he usually displayed.
It was as though she had stepped onto something that carried her forward, her body instinctively matching his lead.
When he spun her, starlight shimmered around them.
The closeness where she could hear his breathing.
The warmth between them.
The blue eyes fixed upon her.
For Rine, it all felt like a dream.
A dream that might scatter like sand slipping through her fingers the moment she lost focus.
Yet the solid grip guiding her reminded her this was reality.
When the waltz came to an end, the two remained standing, gazing at each other.
In the heightened atmosphere, Rine was too overcome to speak.
Ludger quietly offered his congratulations.
“Congratulations on becoming the star of the night.”