Finally, they all sighed in unison and returned to their respective family members.
Once outside, Eris turned to Roa with a serious expression and said, "You, you're going to help me later."
Roa chuckled, patted his chest, and said, "No problem. Today's your tenth birthday. I won't stand by and let you embarrass yourself."
Eris nodded in satisfaction, then glanced around at the curious onlookers. After a moment's thought, she said to Roa, "Stay by my side for a while."
Roa's expression turned a bit odd. He really wanted to ask, "Are you sure about that?"
But seeing the slight nervousness in Eris's eyes, he could only nod helplessly.
After all, she was just a little girl. It was natural for her to feel nervous in such situations.
The ball soon began. Sauros stood in the center of the hall, his imposing figure and fierce expression naturally drawing attention. Philip and his wife stood on either side. Sauros's red eyes swept over the crowd, and he declared in a booming voice, "Thank you all for coming to celebrate my granddaughter Eris's tenth birthday!"
With that, he pushed Eris forward and continued, "Now, in the name of Sauros, I declare this ball officially open!"
The nobles below exchanged glances, then broke into applause, filling the hall with a lively atmosphere.
After announcing the start of the ball, the main event didn't begin immediately. Instead, there was a buffer period.
This buffer period was the time for the less prestigious nobles to curry favor with the Greyrat family.
Facing the influx of middle and lower-ranking nobles trying to win over the Greyrat family, Philip and his wife skillfully handled the situation, and time passed in this manner.
Their actions could only be described as masterful, as it seemed no one could find an opportunity to get close. Some tried to flatter Sauros directly, but they had to deal with his loud voice and unreasonable, one-sided responses, eventually retreating in defeat.
After these people fled, their last hope rested on the ball's main attraction, Eris.
Eris had no experience in this kind of situation, or perhaps she simply didn't understand it. Given her age, she naturally became the target of everyone's attention.
Faced with these nobles who wore smiles on their faces, Eris couldn't bring herself to say anything to reject them.
Thus, Eris's fate was sealed—she became a mere tool for conversation.
Some even brought their seemingly well-bred sons or middle-aged men to introduce them to Eris, claiming they wanted her to meet their children.
However, the appearances of these children left much to be desired.
Their bodies, lacking exercise, were somewhat overweight, making Eris feel a bit disdainful.
Yet, Eris remained expressionless and coldly dealt with them. Roa watched from the sidelines, amused. It was clear that if today weren't such a formal occasion, Eris would have definitely lost her temper.
But now, Eris seemed to have lost her usual straightforwardness.
As planned, Eris was supposed to stand in the center of the stage and accept dance invitations, dancing with others.
Sauros, with his deep and powerful voice, declared to the crowd, "Well, those who want to curry favor with me, dance with my granddaughter!"
Sauros was always blunt, and Roa wasn't surprised by this. Some of the older nobles from prominent families told their younger members, "Go ahead and give it a try."
At this moment, a rather elegant-looking boy of about twelve or thirteen stepped forward. He was dressed appropriately and, compared to the other young nobles, had a well-proportioned figure. He could be considered somewhat handsome.
The boy bowed slightly to Eris and said, "Beautiful lady, may I have this dance?"
Eris's fiery red eyes swept over him, and she nodded expressionlessly.
Roa, who was swirling a glass of bright red wine, watched Eris's calm demeanor and nodded, feeling a bit impressed. "Surprisingly composed. I thought she'd be nervous."
He took a sip of the wine, and a sweet flavor spread across his taste buds. It was a low-alcohol wine, surprisingly pleasant to drink as a small beverage.
By the way, where was Rudeus?
Roa scanned the room and finally spotted a sneaky figure in the corner.
Rudeus was currently chatting with a little girl, who also seemed to be around ten years old.
Judging by her attire, she was likely from a minor noble family, but her daughter was quite attractive, ranking above average. Roa gave her a brief glance, enjoying the soothing music in the background, and decided not to bother Rudeus for now.
"Let him have some fun," Roa thought, turning his attention back to Eris.
The dance was a simple one suitable for children, and all she had to do was follow the steps she had practiced.
But just as the music started, Eris's movements became noticeably stiff.
Roa raised an eyebrow. Was she still nervous?
Was her calm expression just a result of being so tense that her face showed no emotion?
If this continued, it wasn't just about whether she could dance well anymore.
Eris's dancing was barely passable, and when she got nervous, her steps naturally sped up.
The outcome was predictable—their steps fell out of sync, and Eris accidentally stepped on the boy's foot. He, not expecting her dance skills to be so poor, stumbled and fell to the ground.
For a moment, the hall fell into dead silence.
Rudeus seemed to sense something and looked in Eris's direction, witnessing the awkward scene.
The young noble got up, forced a smile, and bowed slightly to Eris. Without saying a word, he retreated.
Even though he didn't say anything, the room soon filled with murmurs, and the whispers seemed to mock Eris.
Eris looked around in confusion.
Had she messed up?
That was her first thought. Instinctively, she looked toward where Roa had been standing, unsure how to handle the situation.
But Roa, who had been standing beside her, had disappeared at some point.
She got up from the floor, brushed off her skirt, and resisted the urge to flee. The murmurs around her grew louder, and she didn't even need to hear them clearly to know what they were saying.
Probably things like, "Is this the Greyrat family's heir?" or "How embarrassing, she can't even dance."
Sauros's face darkened as he scanned the room, and the murmurs immediately ceased.
Sauros was about to say something when he noticed Roa had somehow appeared beside Eris.
Roa spoke in a slightly exasperated tone, "Didn't I tell you not to be nervous?"
His golden hair tied back, the strikingly handsome young man stood in the center of the stage. He extended a hand to Eris and said, "Well then, beautiful lady, may I have this dance?"
His voice was calm yet exuded elegance.
Eris stared at Roa in a daze.
The lights in the room shone on Roa, making him the center of attention.
Eris fell silent. She looked at Roa's outstretched hand, the same hand she had held not long ago. It was so slender and soft, yet so strong.
She grabbed his hand like a lifeline.
"I'd be delighted."
Eris gently took his hand, a genuine smile spreading across her face.
Her smile was beautiful, like a spring breeze. Roa had never seen Eris smile like this before, and he was momentarily captivated.
The soothing music began again, and Roa guided her steps as they danced.
Dancing was an elegant art, using body language to express grace.
Eris's initial nervousness gradually faded, eventually settling into calmness.
For some reason, looking at Roa's face, which had made her feel so flustered yesterday, now filled her with a sense of peace.
Was it like this?
It seemed that as long as he was there, everything could be resolved.
The dance ended quickly.
In those short five minutes, Eris felt like she had come to understand the young man before her in a new way.
The nobles in the room were completely stunned. Someone started clapping, and soon the room erupted into applause.
Roa glanced down and saw Rudeus clapping the loudest. He deserved praise.
As the saying goes, "Raise a brother for a thousand days, use him for one." It seemed Roa hadn't spoiled him for nothing.
Sauros's gruff voice rang out, "Not bad! Very good. I like you much more than that brat Paul."
Roa's mouth twitched. Why did everything always come back to Paul?
Roa bowed slightly, feigning humility. "It's all thanks to Eris's dancing."
He pushed Eris forward and whispered in her ear, "Have fun."
With that, he left gracefully.
As the saying goes, "After accomplishing the task, brush off your clothes and leave without leaving a trace."
That's exactly the kind of outstanding young man Roa was.
Rudeus was still clapping enthusiastically below. When he saw Roa, his clapping became even more vigorous. Roa walked up to him and said with a hint of exasperation, "That's enough."
Rudeus didn't mind. He exclaimed, "Big brother Roa, you're even more handsome now!"
Roa nodded in satisfaction, giving Rudeus an approving look and patting his head.
Rudeus grinned, and Roa said to him, "Go have fun. Just don't go as far as Paul did."
Rudeus's eyes lit up. With his big brother's permission, he gave Roa a thumbs-up.
Roa's mouth twitched, and he left Rudeus to his own devices, wandering over to the food.
There were many rare dishes today.
For example, a pie made with some kind of sweet and sour fruit, a meat dish prepared with an entire cow, and a beautifully decorated cake, among others.
Roa ignored the nobles trying to approach him, picked up a knife and fork, and began to eat with practiced ease.
Since fusing with the dragon blood, his appetite had grown significantly. The food in front of him wasn't enough to fill him up. He was often only half-full, so today, with plenty of food available, Roa didn't hold back. He started shoveling food into his mouth.
The cuisine of this world was surprisingly good. The tender, flavorful meat melted in his mouth, filling his senses with its aroma.
As he sipped his wine, he felt incredibly carefree.
Since Roa was busy eating, the nobles who wanted to approach him stood awkwardly to the side.
When Roa finished the last bite of food on his plate, they quickly moved closer, eager to say something.
But Roa shot them a cold glare.
His molten golden eyes reflected their figures as he said calmly, "Has no one ever told you that interrupting a noble while they're eating is extremely rude?"
With that, Roa began to exude an imposing aura.
Immediately, the minor nobles who had been trying to curry favor with the Greyrat family apologized profusely.
They awkwardly retreated with their entourage.
Seeing Roa's domineering demeanor, some nobles felt displeased but didn't dare to argue. Soon, the crowd of nobles around him had completely dispersed.
With the buzzing voices gone, Roa smiled and brought over a steak from a nearby table.
However, someone's gaze was still fixed on him.
Roa frowned and followed the gaze, only to see Ghislaine.
At the moment, Ghislaine was on guard duty. Of course, as a guard, she wasn't allowed to come in and enjoy the food. So, she stood at the entrance, staring at the food on the tables.
Although she didn't show any particular expression, drool dripped from the corner of her mouth.
Roa fell silent. He grabbed a large piece of meat—some kind of animal leg—and waved it slightly. Ghislaine's eyes followed the movement of his hand.
Roa sighed and called over a cat-eared maid who had been sneakily watching him.
The maid, startled, approached Roa with a hint of shyness, deliberately exposing the fair skin of her neck. Unfortunately, Roa only gave her a cold glance and said, "Pack up this food and send it to my room."
Although the guards and servants would later receive slightly more luxurious meals than usual, they wouldn't get the same dishes served at the event.
The maid's enthusiasm waned, and she nodded, starting to pack up the food on the table.
By the time Roa was full, a large portion of the table had been cleared. He let out a satisfied burp and lazily leaned back in his seat.
Looking up at the ceiling, he sighed contentedly. "This is great."