"I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize this balcony was occupied! I will..." The woman meekly replied, yet her words merely passed through my mind, like a breeze through thin fabric, as my entire self became enraptured by her familiar voice.

"Wait!" I called out, as she turned around to leave.

"P-Please, have mercy my lord! The girl is blind, so she didn't realize..." Another, older woman possessing the same characteristics and attire as the first girl then arrived, with only her mask deviating from the younger woman's, as it didn't cover her eyes, allowing me to see the painfully familiar pale blue and deep green shade of her heterochromatic eyes, which further allured me to approach the heavenly vision in front of me, the same one that has both captivated my thoughts and eluded my longing eyes for centuries now.

Yet before I could reach them, the older woman quickly pulled the trembling girl behind her, shielding her from my advancing form, yet I showed no hint of agitation or pause, as I stopped a mere single step from them and asked "What's your name?"

"M-My name is..." The older woman began in a trembling voice, but I instantly interrupted her.

"Not you." I clarified, as I slowly leaned my head to the side, peeking at the still terrified girl behind.

"I-It's Esra." She replied, having understood my meaning from the context of my words.

Once again hearing her voice with the added proof of the name she introduced herself with, a secret once shared between no more than a few trusted individuals, doused all the remaining flickers of doubt from my mind, as the barriers of my heart and mind finally relented, allowing me to be fully engulfed in the euphoria of simply hearing her voice bestowed upon me.

"What a fitting name. But I believe there exists a more suitable one, wouldn't you say?" I lightly said, as an unstoppable smile stretched across my lips, one I had long since thought I had forgot how to cast.

Both of them imperceptibly flinched at the insinuation of my words, yet I still caught it and my smile only broadened in response, especially at hers, since she would never have done that in my past life, but she was now still a girl of eighteen, without the lengthy experience she had collected when we first met in my memories.

"W-We will immediately take our leave, my lord! So please sire, overlook this transgression of us sisters, just this once!" The older woman swiftly said, as she bowed again, before she quickly began to drag her supposed sister away from the balcony post haste, yet how could I allow such a thing, after waiting so many centuries to behold her again.

"Acting so meek doesn't suite you." I replied, my tone still light, yet now infected with a slight humorous undertone.

And just as I expected, upon hearing my words, the younger woman froze in her tracks, making the older woman undoubtedly grit her teethe beneath the mask, before she turned back to me and bowed as low as she could and pleaded "We dare not lie before you my lord, we only ask if you can not find it in your heart to excuse the innocent mistake of a pitiful blind girl, and her foolish older sister that did not properly keep an eye on her."

"Still clinging on to your little play? How stubborn." I said with a small sigh, before I locked onto the older woman with a shred of my bloodlust, as I took a single, aggressive looking step towards her.

Yet before I could do anything else, I caught the expected dagger's glint appeared in right eye's peripheral vision, making me instantly swerve in place, as I caught the assailant's dainty wrists, pausing the blade's edge a mere hair's breathe away from my neck, making my smile return even broader than before, as I stared into her faceless mask.

But before I could say anything else, I heard a plop sound to my left, where the older woman had fallen to her knees, as her eyes flashed with a hint of pure panic, before she then unceremoniously threw the rest of her body onto the ground, kowtowing before me, as her whole pitiful begging form trembled and shuddered "My lord, please! I will be sure to properly discipline my sister, so please stay your hand! Take out your anger on me, but please, spare her!"

"Discipline?" I echoed in mild amusement, before saying in a knowing tone. "How fascinating. This must the first time in history, that I hear a servant promise to punish her mistress, wouldn't you say so too Yara."

Hearing the mention of her true name so casually, even though she never even mentioned the name of her cover identity, made her body begin to shiver even more noticeably, as she still bowed there on the cold floor.

Even the blade still pointed at my neck momentarily trembled, before it quickly returned to it's menacing stillness, after which her euphonious voice, that was now cold with the weight of her unspoken pride and confidence, echoed out authoritatively "Yara, leave us."

"My lady!" She exclaimed, nearly screaming as she threw her head back off the floor.

"If he wanted to do us harm, he already would've. Now do as you're told." She apathetically pointed out, her masked face never deviating from mine.

"...As you command, my lady." Yara still seemed unconvinced, but she eventually relented, though her apprehension was painfully audible in her weak reply.

Once she collected herself off the floor, and made her exit from the terrace before closing it behind her, 'Esra' and I remained in our place, unmoving as we silently faced each other from behind our masks, until she finally asked "May I have my hand back?"

I was still clutching the wrist of her extended arm, that held the dagger to my throat.

"No, you may not." I answered with a satisfied smile, and an even more pronounced light-heartedness in my words, as I knew she could not see my expression.

"...I won't try to attack you again." She assured me a moment later, her tone resolute.

"I know you won't, but that is not the reason why I refuse to let go." I replied cheekily, with a brief chuckle.

Though I didn't see it, I knew her eyes were now furrowed in an adorable scowl, which made it difficult to choke down my coming laugh. I was also certain that she could not break free from my hold, primarily because if she could, she already would have done so; and secondarily, I sensed her power level when she attacked.

Though her annoying ability to completely disguise her power, and even her God heritage from all prying eyes; a gift that was inherited from her divine ancestor, was always present, especially in this situation, where she stood before a man she not only distrusted, but was also felt threatened by, I was still able to discern her ability level, by being prepared to make sure to check which gate she was currently at when she used her power to teleport to my side, for her ambush.

A few seconds later, her voice filled my ears again, saying "How do you know what you do?"

I smiled at her question, knowing that she was foregoing the prior issue to focus on gleaming as much information as possible from me, the newest and most dangerous exigency she now perceived before her.

"I know much more than I've shown you so far." I mysteriously said, deliberately trying to pique her interest even more.

"Such as?" She challenged, taking a step closer to me, making it so that our bodies were almost touching, which assaulted my noise with her dearly beloved and soul soothing scent, the one that I had for so long obsessively yearned for, and dreamed of smelling once again.

It was at that moment, that the hall's music snuck into my ears from the sealed doors of the balcony, birthing within me an urge so ravenous I could not with all my will power ignore, nor did I want to, as I simply acted upon it, saying in a teasing tone "And in return, what would you offer me in exchange for such valuable information?"

"What would the mighty Ruinous Dragon, emperor of the vast Eclipse Empire want from me?" She coldly asked, as she instantly took a guarded step back. Yet within that icy tundra that was her proud voice, I caught a whiff of something that made me question my own ears if they were suddenly malfunctioning.

It was a hint of self-deprecation.

'Her? The ever proud and confident her?! Impossible!' I instantly dismissed the thought, as the idea of black snow and a white midnight sky was more believable than she of all people talking in such a manner.

"...My lord?" She called a moment later, seeing me remain silent.

Which instantly broke me free from my stunned state, as I quickly answered "A dance."

"A dance?" She repeated in confusion.

"Yes." I affirmed. "A single dance and I will reveal to you all that you wish to know."

She remained quiet for a second or two, before then asking in valid scepticism "And how do I make sure that you keep your word on the matter, and won't just tell me utter lies or simply refuse to speak at all, after my... payment is given."

"Because I plan to form a very long relationship with you tonight, my lady. And I don't plan to construct it on such shoddy foundations." I replied as I released her hand, making me instantly covet that sensation again, as she quickly withdrew her hand and pretended to massage her wrist, as I was sure she was in no discomfort the whole time I held her hand in.

"Do we have a deal?" I knowingly asked, as there was no chance she would refuse, while I drew my hand forward again, both searching for that warmth again, and to properly escort her in.

She stayed motionless a second longer, before she then decisively put her hand in mine once again, saying "Let us hope this proves to be worth my time."

"I promise you it will." I confidently vowed as I locked her fingers with mine, and slowly strode back into the Banquet hall.