By Zephyria 
Edward was taken aback and left speechless by the sudden, threatening voice. Why the hell was this bastard acting like this?
“I’m just asking for a dance, and only one song at that….”
“Exactly.”
Cassian cut Edward off instantly, still muttering in a low voice.
“Why the hell are you dancing with this guy?”
Pausing deliberately for a beat, he curled one side of his mouth into a sneer.
“Who do you think you are?”
With those words, Cassian shifted a step to the side. As a result, Bliss was completely hidden behind his body.
“Hah.”
Is this guy crazy? Edward let out a sigh of disbelief. He couldn’t fathom Cassian’s small but definite intention to deliberately block his line of sight. After all that talk about ‘poisoned marshmallows’ and whatnot, what on earth was he doing now?
Absurdly, Edward pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a boiling sigh, glancing sideways to glare at Cassian. It was annoying, but he had no choice. To follow his Grandfather’s orders, he first had to break through this ironclad defensive wall.
To think he was so ridiculously large that not a single strand of that poison-mellow’s hair was visible. What a brute.
“Cassian, look. I have business with that… person behind you. Not you.”
He barely managed to restrain himself from saying ‘poisoned marshmallow.’ Having barely finished his sentence, Edward pointed behind Cassian with a grimace, sending a silent message that he hoped the man would move aside.
Whether he understood or simply chose to ignore it, Cassian didn’t budge. Instead, he crossed his arms and looked down at Edward, his lips twisted as if mocking him.
“Like I said, if you have business, tell me. If you can’t, then get lost.”
This bastard!
A vein popped in Edward’s temple. This situation was absolutely not what he wanted either. He was only doing this because of his grandfather’s coercion, yet Cassian had no idea.
“Are you doing this on purpose to interfere?”
Edward spat out through gritted teeth. He couldn’t help but think so. Despite talking about forgiveness or whatever, he was clearly still angry. That must be why he was blocking Edward’s path and sabotaging him.
Petty prick, seeking revenge over something like that.
“If you keep interfering, I won’t have a choice.”
Edward hissed. Of course, he didn’t think he could actually beat Cassian. He just needed a tiny opening. If he could just grab that little guy and run away to the dance floor in that split second, it would be over….
Or so he thought.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Suddenly, ‘that’ marshmallow leaped out from behind Cassian and wedged himself between the two. That wasn’t all. He spread his arms wide to block Cassian’s front, glared with wide eyes, and shouted.
“How dare you try your dirty tricks on the Count! Don’t even dream about it; this time, I’ll make sure you don’t leave here in one piece!”
At the sincere warning, the color drained from Edward’s face in an instant. As the nightmare of that day resurfaced in his mind, his limbs froze. Between the stinging gaze of Marquis Manon he felt on the back of his head and the vicious glare of the poison-mellow in front of him, he could do nothing but break into a cold sweat.
…Heh.
Suddenly, Edward felt as if Cassian had laughed. Leaving the blinking, doubtful Edward behind, Cassian spoke confidently to Bliss for all to see.
“Forget it, Bli—Blair. Let’s just leave a guy like this alone and dance, shall we?”
“Dance?”
“Yes.”
As Bliss looked up in surprise, Cassian smiled and took his hand, leading him away. Bliss, dragged along in confusion, shouted urgently.
“I-I can’t dance!”
“It’s okay, I’m good at it.”
Cassian replied without hesitation, a full smile on his face. Feeling the reassuring smile, Bliss felt his heart ease. However, there was one thing left to do.
He whipped his head around, and Edward, who had been standing in the same spot, flinched and shrugged his shoulders in shock. Bliss narrowed his eyes and pointed two fingers at his own eyes, then turned them toward Edward. The meaning of the rapidly repeated gesture was obvious.
I’ll be watching you.
“Gah!”
Edward took that gesture as a threat. Completely pale, he let out a silent scream. Seeing this, Cassian turned his gaze back to Bliss. Bliss was still looking at Edward. It would be more accurate to say he was glaring, but regardless, Cassian didn’t like the situation.
“Ah!”
When Cassian pulled the hand he was holding, Bliss let out a short cry and ended up right in Cassian’s embrace. Looking up in bewilderment, he saw Cassian looking down at him with a smile, asking.
“See, easy, right?”
“Ye, yes….”
Bliss answered blankly, not understanding what was supposed to be easy, nor what he had just done. Cassian felt satisfied by the slender body fitting perfectly in his arms and the gaze directed only at him.
As he immediately began to move, stepping smoothly, Bliss scrambled to follow him. Amidst the classically echoing music, Cassian led Bliss with ease. Though clumsy, Bliss worked hard to keep up with the steps.
Moving frantically, the song soon came to an end. Letting out a sigh of relief, Bliss relaxed his shoulders, and at the same time, Edward hurriedly stepped forward. Just as he approached them, a new song began.
Cassian held Bliss and immediately pretended to dance, moving far away from him. Just as he felt a sense of triumphant satisfaction at the sight of Edward frozen in disbelief, a flustered voice came from below.
“Are we, are we dancing again?”
“Yes.”
At Bliss’s confused expression, Cassian said with a straight face.
“We have to keep doing it until you learn to dance perfectly.”
“Hieek!” Bliss gasped. ‘Learn’ and ‘study’ were the words Bliss hated most. He swallowed hard and asked cautiously.
“Until when?”
“Until you’re proficient?”
“Aaaah!”
While Bliss could only open his mouth in a silent scream, Cassian led him with ease. The two circled the floor with fluid movements. Bliss, hurriedly turning his body following Cassian, accidentally looked up and locked eyes with Edward. When he furrowed his brows and glared at Edward, who was still staring at them helplessly, Cassian naturally performed a turn.
“That guy keeps looking at us.”
As Bliss tried to turn his head to glare at Edward again, Cassian moved his feet in the opposite direction. This time, he blocked Bliss’s view with his own body and replied lowly.
“Ignore a guy like that.”
He wasn’t pleased, but there was nothing he could do about it right now. Bliss pouted and asked suspiciously.
“Why did that guy suddenly act like he knows me? Was getting beaten like that not enough?”
And to dare ask for a dance.
At the unpleasant memory, the smile vanished from Cassian’s lips. Thinking that he might need to teach the man a lesson sometime, he spoke.
“He probably had some sinister motive.”
“After being beaten to death by me?”
To Bliss, who glanced at him suspiciously as if wondering if the man hadn’t tasted enough of the ‘beating flavor,’ Cassian replied in a voice laced with contempt.
“Some people have a taste for being beaten. They’re perverts.”
Yes, he hadn’t known until now, but Edward must have been a pervert. Otherwise, could it be that?
‘You’re the first person to ever hit me.’
Just as a chill ran down his spine, Bliss asked, observing his expression with suspicious eyes.
“You too, Count?”
For a moment, Cassian froze. Looking at the youthful face looking up at him, a sudden wave of self-loathing washed over him. What on earth am I doing to this child?
Slowly loosening the grip of the hand around Bliss’s waist, he muttered in a displeased voice.
“…I don’t like being beaten.”
Does that mean he admits to being a pervert?
“Then what do you like, Count?”
When Bliss asked with an innocent face, Cassian stopped moving for a split second. “Ah,” Bliss stopped along with him and looked up again. Snapping back to his senses at the questioning gaze, Cassian resumed the steps as if nothing had happened.
“Anyway, be careful. We don’t know what he’s plotting.”
This guy avoided the question.
Bliss noticed immediately, but he didn’t think Cassian would answer even if he asked again. Hmph, just how much of a pervert is he that he can’t even say it? Bliss replied in a grumpy tone.
“It’s okay. Because I’m strong.”