The Dragon King's Heart

Amongst his many admirers was Lady Lizette. Like many other noblewomen, she too was mesmerized by Dante. She usually would not have attended such a large-scaled function, but upon hearing that it was Dante's coronation; she accepted the invitation. 

She had hoped to speak to him in person and introduce herself. But no matter how hard she tried, she could not muster enough courage to do so. Hence, she chose to observe him from afar for the rest of the evening. 

"My my, is this who I think it is?" it was Lady Melrose. 

Lizette instantly recognized her voice. She wanted to leave but Lady Melrose's friends blocked her path, forcing her to interact. 

"Lady Melrose, it's... it's nice seeing you here," she quickly greeted her as she bit her lip. 

Lady Melrose had been nothing but horrible to Lizette every time they met. She and her ladies in waiting would always attempt to ridicule Lizette. They seemed to enjoy her misery very much. 

"I must say, I am quite surprised to see you here! Didn't you lock yourself in your room since your parents passed away three months ago?" Lady Melrose asked condescendingly with a smirk on her face. 

Lizette clenched her jaw as she curled her hands into fists. She was trembling in anger and embarrassment as Lady Melrose's companions joined in. She never once fought back, knowing it would be pointless to do so. 

"I... I'll be taking my leave now," she finally gathered enough courage to speak up. 

Lizette attempted to walk away from them a second time. But Melrose grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back.

"Where are you going? Aren't we friends? Let's catch up!" 

Someone placed their foot out, causing Lizette to trip. She desperately tried to cling onto something, in hopes of maintaining her balance. As it happened, a waiter came by carrying drinks. 

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She grabbed onto his sleeve but it was not enough. In the end, both of them crashed onto the ground. The tray of drinks crashed onto the ballroom floor with a loud clang. The glassware shattered into a million shards. 

Everyone was stunned by what had happened. Those who were around Lizette took a few steps back. Lizette was covered in red wine and there was broken glass all around her. Everything was a complete mess. 

The incident caught Dante's attention too. He went over to see what the commotion was about. 

"What is going on here?" he asked. 

Lady Melrose and her ladies in waiting attempted to blend into the crowd. If Dante found out what they had done, they would be in big trouble. Lizette was about to place her hand on a piece of glass when Dante stopped her from doing so. 

His touch sent shockwaves through her entire body. She was in such a mess and now the man of her dreams was right before her! He was holding her hand!

"Lady Lizette, are you alright?" Dante asked, concerned for her well-being. 

There were many glass shards scattered all around them, plus the spilled wine, making the ballroom floor slippery. 

"I...I..." the words were at the tip of her tongue yet she could not vocalize any of it. 

Dante could tell she was clearly shaken. The scent of blood caught his attention. He checked her other arm, only to realize she had shards of glass stuck to her arm. 

"You're hurt," he said, his voice filled with concern. 

For some reason, the scene before him made him feel a sense of nostalgia. A long time ago, Laina was in the same situation. It was one of their many encounters. 

Dante helped Lizette to her feet. Unfortunately, she had twisted her ankle during the fall. Lizette winced in pain with just a few steps. Lady Melrose, who was watching this, gritted her teeth in anger.

She was the woman who gathered enough courage to speak to Dante but was ignored by him. She wanted to ridicule Lizette to get some enjoyment out of her agony. But due to an unforeseen chain of events, she had created the perfect opportunity for Lizette to converse with Dante. 

"You've sprained your ankle," Dante said as he looked down at her swollen ankle, "Can you walk?"

Lizette tried her best, but the stabbing pain in her ankle was too much to bear. She could barely take a step without having tears in her eyes. 

"Marius, carry her," Dante called for him to come over.

Marius did as he asked. He took over from Dante and picked Lizette off her feet with ease. She needed immediate medical attention so they brought her out of the hall and back to Dante's private quarters. 

A doctor was called to his quarters at once. In the meantime, Dante and Marius tended to her. Lizette did not know how to react, her mind was spinning. One moment she was in the ballroom being bullied by Melrose. 

Then, she spoke to the famous Dragon Emperor! The man of her dreams. While a small part of her wished it was Dante who carried her, she was still extremely grateful. 

"Thank... thank you for your help, Your Majesty. You didn't have to," she stuttered as she spoke, her cheeks blushed beet red. 

"Looks like this one is another admirer of yours, Your Majesty," Marius teased. 

Dante shot him a look that immediately silenced him. He turned his attention back to Lizette. 

"You got hurt during my party, it is only right for me as the host to take care of my guests," Dante replied with a soft smile. 

He knew he had a reputation for being cold. Laina often chided him for being cold and expressionless when he interacted with others. So he made an active attempt to present himself a little more approachable. 

The doctor came shortly after. After examining her injuries, the doctor cleaned her wounds and helped her to wrap her ankle with ointments. All she needed was some rest and she would be up on her feet in no time. 

"I'll call for your parents, then you can all return home together," Dante said to Lizette. 

Marius bit his lip. Dante did not know that her parents were no longer around!

"My parents are dead, Your Majesty," she said with her head hung low. 

Dante widened his eyes in shock and horror.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Lizette. Forgive me, I did not mean to be so insensitive," Dante apologized. 

"It's alright...," she forced a smile so that he would not worry, "It isn't your fault. You didn't know."

Dante glanced over to the clock that hung on the wall. It was getting late. Seeing as Lizette was still injured and she likely did not have anyone who could take care of her adequately, he knew he had to do something to help. 

"Marius, get the servants to make the necessary arrangements. Lady Lizette will be staying in my quarters as my guest until she recovers."

Lizette was surprised by his kindness. She struggled to get back up on her feet, "Your Majesty, I can't..." 

Still weak from her injuries, Lizette loses her balance again. She almost falls to the ground again, but lucky for her Dante caught her just in time. She blushed as she was so close to Dante. 

She could feel that his hands were ice cold. 

"You can," he corrected her as he helped her to sit back down, "You can leave whenever you like after your injuries are healed."

"But-" 

"No buts," Dante stopped her.

Without any other choice, Lizette finally agreed. Marius did as Dante asked and made arrangements for her to sleep in one of the guest rooms in his quarters.  After she is situated, Dante returned to his room to rest.

"Are you sure about this, Dante?" Marius asked.

He was certain news of a lady staying in Dante's personal quarters was sure to spread across the palace soon enough. He could already hear the maids and servants gossiping about it. 

"I don't have feelings for her, you know that," Dante replied without looking up. 

"I know that," Marius replied. He knew there was only one person in Dante's heart. 

"But aren't you worried about what others might think? What they might say?"

"They can say whatever they want. I don't care,"

He could not be careless. They could gossip all they liked. It would not matter to him. Laina was the only one for him, nothing would ever change that. Dante looked at the Soulium locket Laina had given to him. 

He could feel the warmth radiating from it. He brought it to his lips, kissing it gently as he closed his eyes. 

"I miss you dearly, my love," he whispered beneath his breath.