Undead Beast Master: Living Solely for My Desires

No matter what Althea did, it was too late; everyone's attention was now on her and Zaroth. Under normal circumstances, she would refuse, as she had been strictly instructed to appear invisible to the emperor.

And yet…

"...It would be my pleasure." Althea answered without even having time to think about it.

At this moment, she didn't care about her surroundings, as her gaze was solely focused on Zaroth.

She wanted to experience it… she wanted to see what it felt like to be treated like a human being.

Zaroth smiled wide as he heard her response. Then he rose to his feet and pulled her toward himself, making it easier for her to stand.

She rose from her chair, but due to the fact that her muscles were weakened to an unbelievable extent, she began to fall to one side as she couldn't control her body properly.

She was sure she was going to hit the ground and make a fool of herself, but before that could happen, Zaroth seemed to sense it and moved his other hand, wrapping it around her waist to stop her in her tracks.

Not only did he stop her from falling, but he also made it look intentional, as if it was no mistake on Althea's part.

With a pleasant smile, he took a step forward toward the dancing ring, and Althea followed behind.

Her hand was still gripping his. Before she realized it, she was holding onto it with all the strength her damaged hand could muster. It was like she was unwilling to let this moment go.

'Is this a dream? Somebody wants to dance with me? Somebody is not afraid of touching me?'

This had never happened before. The last time she remembered feeling like this was when she was a child, before the curse had taken hold of her.

As Zaroth stopped in his tracks, he turned his body to face her.

Because he was on the shorter side, the two were the same height, which made their eyes meet directly.

Dozens of eyes were staring daggers at Althea at that moment, but she didn't seem to care at all about them.

The only gaze that mattered was the one in front of her.

Zaroth smiled politely once again as he stepped closer to her, bringing their faces mere forty centimeters apart. He moved his hand and placed it behind her waist.

Once he did, standing became much easier for Althea. Zaroth was holding her firmly, supporting part of her weight, making it easier to stand.

Zaroth not only displayed care for her but also took proper caution to ensure that she had an easier time dancing, as if he was familiar with taking care of someone with the same curse.

The man on the piano sensed the moment and changed the music to a softer style.

Luna grinned as she watched the two of them dance.

"You little rascal," she muttered as she observed Zaroth and Althea.

With one clear motion, she sat atop the grand piano as her lips parted.

As Zaroth and Althea danced, some of the onlookers who had been fixated on them shifted their gaze toward the angel's song, which had suddenly filled the air beside them.

Zaroth knew of Luna's great talent for singing, so he had instructed her to make the atmosphere as pleasant as possible. And Luna, true to her master's wishes, was doing just that.

"Is this some kind of fever dream?" Draconis muttered, dumbfounded, as he watched the scene unfold before him.

This had to be Elysia's plan somehow, but he failed to see the point of it.

Was this supposed to distract him?

Or did Zaroth genuinely just want to dance with Althea?

But why? It would have made sense if he had invited literally every other member of the royal family, yet he chose Althea—the defective one of them all?

"I don't like this," Draconis spoke as he watched them, feeling completely out of control of the situation. It was something he hated experiencing.

After a few minutes, other people decided to begin dancing as well.

Yet most of the attention was still on Zaroth and Althea.

'It hurts,' Althea thought. Her heart was a muscle too, and since it was now beating wildly, it hurt greatly.

And yet, she found herself not caring as a small, genuine smile appeared on her face.

Dancing with Zaroth was incredible. He moved slowly, yet with precision, holding her body firmly, not allowing her to fall.

Her attention wasn't on keeping balance anymore, thanks to him, so now she could just move as her heart desired.

It was fun!

When was the last time she had truly experienced fun?

"Thank you," a quiet whisper left her mouth before she realized it.

Althea didn't know why Zaroth was doing this. Maybe it was out of pity, or maybe Elysia's plan somehow involved Zaroth dancing with her. Regardless of the reason, she was grateful.

Hearing her words, Zaroth gazed into Althea's crimson eyes.

"No need to thank me. I'm just doing what I want," he said with a smile on his face.

For a second, Althea was about to fall again, but Zaroth held her light body firmer, not allowing her to slip past his hands.

"But there must be a reason you're doing this, right?" she asked.

Zaroth chuckled. "Well, I guess there might be, if you consider wanting to dance with a beautiful lady reason enough."

Althea's heart stopped for a moment as her eyes widened.

"...Beautiful, me?" she repeated in disbelief. Did he just call her beautiful?

She, the one no sane person would ever want to look at, burdened by her cursed body—

"Yes, you. I've seen few who can rival your beauty," Zaroth said calmly.

"But I—"

"Please, don't speak ill of yourself," Zaroth interrupted, guessing what she was going to say.

He took a step closer, their faces almost touching for a moment.

"I have eyes, and I can see just fine. I've only spoken the truth up until now."

Althea was dazed, unsure how to react. She might not have known what to do, but her body did, as her cheeks reddened and her heart raced faster.

This time, it wasn't because of physical exertion. It was simply because she was so close to Zaroth.

It was like there were hundreds of butterflies in her stomach.

Her mind, usually clear, began to panic as countless thoughts flooded her head—thoughts she hadn't experienced ever.

"Oh," she whispered, as her body began to feel hotter and hotter.

For a moment, it felt as if her knees were about to give way, but Zaroth seemed to sense it just in time. He shifted his body and bent slightly, catching her before she could fall, their faces now only inches apart.

Althea's heart felt like it was about to explode as she felt Zaroth's breath against her face.

She was in such a vulnerable position, yet she didn't feel even the slightest bit of fear, as if being close to him was the safest place in the entire world—a world that had always rejected her.

There was no doubt at this moment—she had fallen for Zaroth.