Shia, meanwhile, looked every bit the innocent beginner, his expression full of regret.

'As a novice, it’s only natural to struggle with rhythm and coordination, right? A misstep or two is totally understandable!'

As the music grew livelier, the next move presented a challenge.

Shia had to twirl Eileen twice and a half, then catch her gracefully.

Eileen carefully instructed him multiple times.

“Remember to catch me, okay~!”

She even tossed him a playful wink.

Letting go of Shia’s shoulder, she raised his hand, tilted her chin slightly, and spun. Her long hair swirled, brushing against Shia’s face, leaving behind a faint, sweet fragrance.

When the spin ended, Shia reached out and pulled Eileen into his arms.

Her slim waist was completely encircled, his grip firm and steady.

Perhaps for balance, Shia held her a little too tightly. His long arms enveloped her, his hand resting on an undeniably soft area.

Eileen’s expression froze for a moment.

Lowering her head, she saw Shia’s hand pressing against her chest. The force of his grip caused the fabric to sink inward.

Shia seemed to realize the unusual sensation at last. He quickly withdrew his hand.

But as he let go, Eileen, who had been leaning on his support, lost her balance and began to fall.

A flash of panic crossed her eyes. She braced herself for the pain that was sure to follow, already imagining the crash to the floor.

Then she felt her hand being grasped.

Shia pulled her back up, his expression tinged with an apologetic look.

“I didn’t mean to… just now—”

Eileen swallowed the surge of frustration rising in her throat.

Her smile remained sweet.

“Thank you. Otherwise, I definitely would’ve fallen.”

Shia returned the smile.

'Yeah, I planned that.'

When the dance finally ended, Eileen could barely stand from the pain but still forced herself to maintain an elegant posture.

Shia offered a sincere apology once more.

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Though her feet throbbed and she’d been taken advantage of several times, Eileen found solace in having achieved her goal. She magnanimously accepted his apology.

“It’s normal for beginners to feel a bit out of place.”

She even added a playful smile.

“Alright, I’ll go return you to Sistine now. Mission accomplished~!”

Just as the two were about to walk toward Sistine, a commotion erupted near the entrance of the grand hall.

Shia turned to look. The doors stood open, and the silvery moonlight spilled inside.

A tall, graceful figure stepped into the hall, bathed in the soft lunar glow.

Draped in a silver-gray evening gown that accentuated her frosty elegance, her silver hair cascaded like streams of moonlight, making her seem as though she had walked straight out of the moonlit night.

Standing over 170 cm tall, her long, shapely legs were accentuated by sky-high heels, exuding an aura of dominance that commanded the room.

As she entered, her cool and detached gaze swept over the crowd with an air of nonchalance.

Her pale, icy features bore no trace of warmth, radiating an unapproachable aura. Her black eyes occasionally glimmered with a faint crimson hue, adding to her enigmatic allure.

This late-arriving icy beauty was none other than the third goddess hosting the ball—White.

She was also Shia’s next target, the second key figure required to unlock his ring.

The Eternal Night True Ancestor, the ice-cold mountain even Lilith could only dream of conquering.

Lilith had somehow appeared at Shia’s side, her gaze glued to White with undisguised infatuation.

“See her? That’s her.”

“The Eternal Night True Ancestor. The real ice queen, untouchable and aloof.”

“Her beauty is so aggressive that just one glance feels like being frozen solid.”

Lilith’s eyes shimmered with obsession.

'I’d give anything to be under her heel, crushed by that cold, disdainful gaze.'

'To become the dog at her feet...'

Lilith finished the thought silently in her head.

Shia glanced at her sideways, noting her pathetic demeanor.

White’s gaze skimmed over the crowd before settling in Sistine’s direction.

With elegant steps, she walked toward them.

Sistine and Eileen, who had been chatting, turned their heads at the commotion.

“White, you’re finally here?”

Eileen beamed, her entire being seemingly radiating a soft glow.

White spared her a glance, her eyes filled with faint disdain as her brows furrowed slightly.

It was clear that the three goddesses knew each other, though their relationship seemed far from harmonious—particularly between White and Eileen.

As a princess of the Eternal Night Clan and a vampire progenitor, White had always disliked the Dawn Saintess.

Faced with Eileen’s greeting, she even took a subtle step back, her voice cold and lazy.

“Don’t act so familiar.”

'When were we ever on good terms?'

Due to her personality and experiences, White had always found Eileen’s sanctimonious radiance insufferably fake.

She didn’t even bother feigning civility.

Eileen’s expression froze for a split second but quickly returned to normal, her smile unwavering.

White’s gaze shifted to Sistine.

The Sword Saintess, still dressed in her white gauze gown with her eyes veiled by a silk ribbon, stood coolly, her presence soft yet detached.

Even beside White, her distant demeanor seemed gentler in comparison.

If Sistine was a high mountain flower, White was a solitary peak shrouded in eternal frost, loftier and colder.

Sistine nodded politely at White.

White’s expression softened slightly in response, though only enough for a nod in return.

Her relationship with Sistine was neutral—neither close nor hostile. She had no reason to dislike or favor her.

Lilith, watching the three goddesses together, grew even more excited.

'This is my chance!'

She nudged Shia.

“Now’s the perfect time to strike up a conversation. Go for it!”

With his connection to Sistine and his recent dance with Eileen, meeting and greeting White as a friend’s friend seemed perfectly reasonable.

Given Shia’s growing reputation on campus and the buzz from his dance with the Dawn Saintess, the Eternal Night True Ancestor would surely take notice of him.

Shia allowed Lilith’s push to guide him as he approached the three goddesses.

Lilith clenched her fists in anticipation, her whole body trembling with excitement and nerves.

Closer, closer…

'Now!'

Then, Lilith’s eager expression froze.

She watched as Shia walked straight past White without so much as a pause.

Neither spared the other a glance.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com