After having his appetite completely ruined by that bizarre cake, Lin Gui, undeterred, used Levitation again.
He tried several other exquisite and tempting-looking dishes.
There were small crepes garnished with caviar, fruit tarts coated in a glass-like glaze, and aspic arranged like a work of art.
However, without exception, all of these foods carried an indescribably odd taste.
Either the spices were stacked so thick they were overwhelming, or strange ingredients that didn't harmonize were added for the sake of rarity.
His taste buds were subjected to one shock after another.
“Tch, do nobles have a problem with their sense of taste?” Lin Gui grumbled in a low voice.
In the end, he only managed to retrieve a few pieces of white bread to barely fill his stomach.
Then, he sat back in his chair with a face full of despair.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he prepared to continue his great undertaking of “praying” that had been interrupted.
Watching him remain completely unmoved, Elvia finally snapped.
It went from gentle pokes to indignant shaking.
In the end, it almost became a series of small, frustrated slaps against his arm.
“Hey! Wake up! Wake up!”
Finally unable to bear the harassment, Lin Gui caught her misbehaving hand in a single move.
Elvia's hands were fair and soft, but the palm and the webbing of her thumb bore thin calluses from years of sword practice, giving them a unique texture.
He opened his bloodshot eyes helplessly and asked wearily, “What is it?”
Elvia lowered her voice, carrying a trace of grievance and urgency that even she didn't notice.
“I’m telling you, this is our wedding banquet! I’ve dressed up in my finest and come all this way. No matter how bad things are, you could at least... go dance a song with me, just for show!”
“Otherwise, everyone else will think we’re a fake couple!”
Lin Gui gave her a faint glance and spoke in a calm tone. “They won’t.”
“Huh?” Elvia frowned in confusion.
Lin Gui raised a finger to point at the corner of her mouth.
“At least when you’re with me, every expression you show—whether it’s anger or speechlessness—is very natural.”
“It’s not... that standard, flawless professional smile you always have on your lips.”
“Based on that alone, others can tell that our relationship isn’t ordinary.”
Elvia was stunned.
Immediately, a faint, genuine blush quietly climbed onto her cheeks.
She suddenly realized that she didn't know when it had started.
Perhaps it began with the threat of the poison.
Perhaps it was during the journey across the rift and through several narrow escapes.
On that seemingly perilous road, she had unexpectedly bared a part of her heart to two people she was supposed to be wary of, or even hate.
In front of him, she had been exasperated, she had grumbled wordlessly, she had been sarcastic and calculating, and she hadn't even bothered to hide her fear of death...
All of these seemed to have become a type of... truth that is only revealed between friends?
This thought caused a strange emotion to rise in her heart.
She felt a bit bashful and a bit lost.
She quickly coughed a few times to dispel these inappropriate thoughts and searched for a new reason.
“Anyway... I want to dance! This is my first time dancing!”
Lin Gui looked at her strangely. “How is that possible?”
His gaze swept across the dance floor.
“Given your status and... well, your looks, you must have attended quite a few balls, right?”
“Look, there are plenty of young rich playboys staring at you right now, dying to come over and invite you to dance.”
Elvia smiled bitterly. “The people with whom I would need to dance to build a relationship won't invite me because of factional reasons.”
“And for those mid-level wealthy merchants, minor nobles, and knights, there's no need for me to lower my status to cater to them.”
“So... the dance skills I’ve practiced for years have indeed never been used in a formal setting.”
She raised her head, her azure eyes looking directly at Lin Gui with a rare, almost pleading intent.
“Would you... be willing to be my first dance partner?”
As she spoke, she performed a standard and graceful invitation to dance.
Bending her knees slightly, she reached out her hand.
In noble etiquette, it was extremely rare for a woman to take the initiative to invite someone to dance.
This gesture itself drew many surprised gazes.
Then, she leaned closer and lowered her voice, a flash of cunning and ruthlessness appearing in her eyes.
“Moreover, I want to trample that little bitch who’s being so insolent at my wedding banquet!”
“You must have been given a hard time just now, right? Don't you want to strike back?”
“The opponent is exactly the type of arrogant noble with their nose in the air that you hate the most!”
Lin Gui raised an eyebrow. Looking at the light in Elvia’s eyes—a mix of anticipation, calculation, and indignation—he suddenly felt it was a bit interesting.
He stood up, the corner of his mouth curving into a faint arc.
“Fine, I accept your goading.”
He didn't return the gesture according to standard etiquette.
Instead, he reached out directly and somewhat casually gripped the hand Elvia offered.
As Lin Gui pulled her onto the dance floor, Elvia only then realized a key problem.
She asked nervously, “By the way, what can you dance? A court waltz? Or...”
Lin Gui was stumped by her question. After a brief pause, he answered honestly, “Neither.”
Elvia was instantly filled with despair, as if she could already see the scene where they would be mocked by the entire hall.
“Don't worry,” Lin Gui appeared very calm. “I know one dance, but it’s not a court dance.”
“What is it?” A spark of hope rose in Elvia.
“Hmm, a Dance of Magic. I saw the witches who knew Levitation perform it in the Magic City.”
“It left a very deep impression on me.”
“But I can't use magic.”
“It's fine. I’ll use Levitation to provide the force for you. Just don't resist and go with the flow.”
At that moment, the crowd in the center of the dance floor tacitly cleared a space, leaving the focus to the two main couples of the day.
The Third Prince and Emily, and the newly entered Lin Gui and Elvia.
Charles and Emily smiled at each other and danced gracefully to the music, their movements standard and elegant.
Emily wore a proud smile on her face.
Her eyes were filled with disdain, especially when she saw Lin Gui’s obviously clumsy positioning.
However, in the next second, something that left everyone dumbfounded occurred.
Lin Gui didn't try to follow the beat of the music or perform any known court dance steps.
He simply placed a hand gently around Elvia’s waist and held her other hand.
Then, simple incantations left his lips.
The glimmer of Levitation quietly enveloped the two of them.
He didn't rely entirely on physical strength to move Elvia.
Instead, he skillfully used precisely controlled levitational force.
He guided and assisted Elvia through a series of rotations, extensions, and leaps.
Elvia was a bit stiff at first.
But soon, supported by that gentle and steady magical power, she relaxed.
She followed his guidance with trust.
Thus, in the eyes of the crowd, they performed a dance that had never been seen before, yet was extremely captivating.
Elvia's white skirts fluttered like an elf dancing on the wind.
She would leap lightly at times, as if throwing off the shackles of gravity, and at others, she would perform beautiful mid-air poses.
Lin Gui’s figure served as a steady fulcrum and guide.
The radiance of magic flickered around them.
It merged strangely with the music, weaving a visual feast filled with magic and dreams.
This performance, which transcended the scope of traditional dance, shocked the entire hall.
The people who originally looked on with mockery couldn't help but gape, their eyes filled with amazement.
Even the Third Prince and Emily in the center of the floor stopped in their tracks involuntarily.
Their faces were written with shock and disbelief.
As for Elvia herself, she had long forgotten her initial thought of “getting her revenge.”
She was completely intoxicated by this wonderful Dance of Magic.
Opening her mind, she felt the wind rushing past her ears and the unprecedented lightness and freedom of her body.
An authentic and joyous smile bloomed on her face, breathtakingly beautiful.
However, as the true controller of this magnificent dance, Lin Gui had troubles he couldn't voice.
Although his mastery of Levitation wasn't at its maximum level, dancing wasn't like fighting; the intervals allowed him to quickly weave in incantations.
It was just that he had overestimated his ability to precisely control every tiny force point of the spell while in a state of extreme exhaustion.
Maintaining such a “magical dance” that required high precision and continuous mana output was a massive drain on his spirit and mana.
He felt his temples throbbing, and he was only holding on by sheer willpower.
Finally, after a finishing spin that looked simple but had exhausted his last bit of strength, this Dance of Magic that had captured everyone’s attention came to an end.
The surroundings were silent for a moment before bursting into spontaneous, enthusiastic applause.
Many young people even cheered with excitement.
However, this applause quickly died down under the warning coughs of some older nobles on the periphery, though the shock and appreciation in everyone’s eyes could not be hidden.
After the dance, Lin Gui released Elvia’s hand almost immediately.
Forcing himself to maintain a calm expression, he gave a slight nod to the surroundings.
Then, with somewhat unsteady steps, he quickly returned to his chair in the corner.
He sat down heavily and closed his eyes again.
It was as if the one who had just stunned the entire hall wasn't him.
Elvia was left standing alone in the middle of the dance floor.
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and exertion, and she felt the lingering, dream-like resonance that had not yet subsided, as well as the complex and difficult-to-describe gazes around her.
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