Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate-Chapter 183: A Dance with Zade...

As if reading her unease, Zade tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Expecting someone else?" he asked lightly, though his tone had a trace of curiosity.

Caught off guard, Evelina blinked and met his green eyes. For a brief moment, she debated whether to admit the truth.

But Damian’s absence bothered her, and she hesitated. If he was handling something dangerous, there was no harm in keeping up appearances. A single dance wouldn’t change anything.

Finally, she sighed softly and nodded. "Yes, but..." Her voice trailed off as she straightened her posture, brushing her lingering worries aside. She turned back to Zade, a polite smile gracing her lips. "A dance won’t hurt."

Zade’s lips curved into a charming smile, and he extended his hand once more. "Then allow me the honor."

With a graceful curtsy, Evelina placed her hand in his. "You’re very persistent, Zade."

"I prefer to think of myself as determined," he said with a playful grin as he led her onto the dance floor.

The orchestra began playing a lively waltz as they entered the center of the room. Zade moved smoothly, leading Evelina across the marble floor. She matched his steps effortlessly, her gown flowing around her like bright, swirling flames.

"You dance well," Zade remarked in an admiring and teasing tone. "But then again, I wouldn’t expect anything less from you."

"And you seem to be full of surprises tonight," Evelina replied. "First your appearance at the ball, now this."

Zade’s green eyes sparkled with amusement. "I aim to keep things interesting. Speaking of interesting, you’ve become quite the talk of the evening," Zade remarked in a low and smooth voice, just loud enough for her to hear.

There was a flicker of amusement in his green eyes as he added, "They’re all wondering what the new Luna is like."

Evelina met his gaze evenly, her posture relaxed yet poised. "Let them wonder," she replied. "I’m not here to entertain their gossip."

Zade chuckled at that, his grin widening. "Fair enough," he said lightly. "But you should know—you’ve made an impression."

Her brows arched slightly at his words, her lips curving into the faintest of smirks. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"It’s the truth," Zade replied simply, his expression softening.

For a few beats, they danced in silence, the music enveloping them. Evelina moved with practiced grace, but her thoughts were elsewhere—specifically on Damian. "Where are you?" she wondered.

The ballroom seemed impossibly large, and yet there was no sign of him.

"Your mind seems far away," Zade observed.

Evelina glanced up at him with a calm expression. "I’m fine," she replied smoothly. "Just got a lot on my mind."

He raised an eyebrow, watching her closely. "Is that so? Or does it have something to do with the man who was by your side earlier?"

Evelina’s steps faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "You’re observant," she said quietly, quickly masking her distraction. "Do you always make it a point to analyse your dance partners?" she asked lightly as she tried to deflect his question.

"Only when they’re as interesting as you," Zade replied smoothly. There was a glint of mischief in his eyes as he added, "But don’t worry, I’ll stop prying."

She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "Interesting is one word for it," she said wryly.

"Only one?" Zade countered. "I’m sure there are many others they’re using tonight. Bold. Fearless. Elegant." He leaned in ever so slightly, his voice dropping. "Intimidating."

Evelina let out a quiet laugh at that, though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. "If they find me intimidating, that’s their problem, not mine."

Zade nodded, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "A fitting mindset for a Luna. You’ll need it."

"And what about you?" she asked, shifting the conversation. "Why are you really here, Zade? It’s not like you to attend events like this without a reason."

He hesitated for a fraction of a second, a flicker of something unreadable passing across his face. "Maybe I just wanted to enjoy the evening," he said lightly. "Good music, fine wine, excellent company..."

"And a front-row seat to all the gossip?" she finished for him, her tone tinged with dry amusement.

He grinned. "It’s a bonus, I admit. But I promise you this—none of the gossip will do you justice."

They twirled effortlessly through the crowd, the music rising to a crescendo. Evelina let the rhythm guide her movements, though her thoughts continued to drift.

Relia’s voice broke through, teasing as always. "If he sees us dancing with someone else, he might get jealous. That could be fun."

"Not helping, Relia," Evelina thought back firmly.

Her gaze flicked toward the entrance of the ballroom once more, searching for any sign of Damian. Relia’s voice whispered in her mind again. "If you keep looking for him like that, Zade’s going to notice."

"He already has," Evelina thought back dryly.

Zade tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Expecting someone else?" he asked.

She hesitated for only a moment before replying. "Yes," she said evenly, though she didn’t elaborate. "But a dance doesn’t hurt."

His eyes searched hers, but he didn’t press further. "Then I’ll do my best to make it worth your while," he said, his tone returning to its usual playful lilt.

As the music swelled to its final notes, Zade spun her in a graceful turn before releasing her hand and stepping back with a bow.

His expression was unreadable, though his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than necessary. "Thank you for the dance, my lady," he said softly.

"Thank you," Evelina replied, curtseying with practiced ease. Her tone was polite but distant, her mind already elsewhere.

As she turned, her eyes immediately began scanning the crowd. Relief flooded her when she finally caught sight of Damian near the edge of the room, his silver eyes locked on her.

For the first time that evening, she felt her heart steady.

Zade noticed her attention shift and followed her gaze. A knowing smile tugged at his lips, but he said nothing, stepping aside as Damian approached.

Damian’s silver eyes softened as he stopped before her. "I see you’ve been keeping yourself busy," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.