Cinderella put her hands on the window edge and leaned slightly, watching curiously at the carriages coming and going below.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps in the silent hallway. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and Cinderella turned around happily with a smile, "Earl......"

She only had time to say a title, and when she could see who it was, she swallowed back the rest of the words, and she blushed and said, "I'm sorry, I thought it was Earl Grant." ”

The prince, who had been mistaken for Count Grant by Cinderella, smiled indifferently and said tentatively, "...... Ella?"

Although when he asked the chamberlain, the chamberlain said that her name was Cinderella, but he had heard Count Grant call her Ella, and the prince decided that it would be better to call her Ella with Count Grant. Hopefully this is indeed the girl's name.

Cinderella was a little surprised that the prince knew his name, probably because the Count had sued him. She gave the prince a skirt salute.

The prince's right arm made an arc, and finally rested on his chest, he returned the salute, and then he was a little apprehensive in his heart, but he forced himself to invite calmly and confidently: "I wonder if I have the honor to invite Miss to be my dance partner?"

Cinderella blinked, smiled and said, "It is my honor to be invited by Your Highness. ”

In fact, Cinderella is not a very confident girl.

In her eyes, a person like herself, who is not outstanding in any place, can also get an invitation from the prince, and she thinks it must be the reason for the earl. I heard that the king had a good relationship with the earl, and probably he was also familiar with the prince, and perhaps it was the earl who hinted at it that the prince invited her to dance.

Cinderella's heart was a little empty, no one knew that she had been expecting to be the Count's dance partner all along, but ...... How could a man as good as the Earl lack a female companion.

However, in fact, Qiao Heng does lack a female companion.

In other words, it should be described in this way, the many gentlemen who came to this ball, except for those men with their wives or lovers, the remaining young men who were young and did not have a marriage contract were probably the ones who did not love their mothers the most among all the people present.

The young ladies who are not engaged in marriage are waiting for the prince's favor, and they are willing to accept the invitation of others in advance.

From the point of view of the purpose of this ball, at this moment, all the men are destined to be the foil of this group of young and beautiful girls.

Until half an hour before the ball was about to begin, the ladies did not see the prince they were waiting for, and they knew that the prince had probably chosen a dance partner and would not choose among them, so the young ladies were disappointed to invite the other men, after all, the opening dance of the ball was for everyone to participate, and it was not possible to do without a dance partner.

Qiao Heng was not keen on the ball, and he rarely appeared in front of many royal city nobles, and among all the men present, he was a fresh face.

Occasionally, a few nobles who knew him, knowing that he liked to be quiet, would just raise their glasses to him and not come over to say hello.

And those who did not know him only thought that he was a relative of some visitor, or that some gentleman had brought him out to see the illegitimate child of the world. But looking at his general temperament, it really doesn't look like this kind of undignified background, maybe he is a nobleman from other regions, and he happened to be a guest at a friend's house in the royal city recently, so he was invited by a friend to attend a ball.

"Good night, Earl Grant. His voice was low and a little hoarse, and it was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties and fifties.

The young man with a pair of silver-gray eyes looked in the direction from which the voice came, then nodded and replied, "Good night, Baron Maurice." ”

Qiao Heng was a little surprised that Baron Morris would take the initiative to talk to him, this was the father of his wife who died young. Although he is a father, he has not taken the initiative to contact his daughter once since he got married.

Beside Baron Morris stood a middle-aged woman with a gentle and effeminate expression, who was none other than the Baroness. If you look closely, you will find that these two people are actually somewhat similar, and as cousins, it is reasonable that they look similar. And it is even more reasonable for close relatives to give birth to a defective child after marriage.

A fall into the water ruined only their daughter's health, not her brain. Their daughter's mental condition has been in an abnormal state since birth.

There is such an example in the past, Qiao Heng thinks that it is quite good to say that marriage is not allowed within three generations.

As for the statement that it is easier to give birth to geniuses after close relatives get married, Qiao Heng did not consider it at all. This is not mating/mating, can it still be disposed of as defective products for the sake of the genius who will appear at some point?

No wonder he diverged his thoughts, just now, he saw the figure of his "sister", but fortunately she didn't notice him. Her thoughts, the marriage of her uncle and niece, are too whimsical. Although this is a norm for people in this era.

Maybe...... He should come up with a one-and-done solution.

Baroness Maurice is well maintained, with no other noticeable wrinkles on her face, except for a slight crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. There was often a sadness in her eyes, and her figure was thin and delicate, and she did not say a word, but looked at the young earl opposite with this faint mournful gaze.

Qiao Heng couldn't help but glance at her because he noticed the inexplicable little blame in his eyes.

Baron Morris added: "These are really good days. Did the Earl just arrive today?"

Qiao Heng took a step forward, and he replied, "I arrived two days ago." ”

The Baroness was on the sidelines and stopped, mournful.

She didn't speak, and Qiao Heng was not in a hurry to listen.

The orchestra was playing a soothing and soft tune, and he listened to the low and gentle music for a while, and then introduced a few words to the baron about the piece and the orchestra, so as not to leave the conversation cold.

As long as Qiao Heng wants to do this, he can always liven up the conversation very quickly.

Baron Maurice had no choice but to be taken by him to talk about something that was not what he originally intended.

What exactly the Baroness wants to say is not difficult to guess. It was nothing more than to know if their daughter was doing well before she died, but if they really cared about her, why had they never visited her since she married him?

If there is a reason, there is nothing incomprehensible, probably to prevent her from tarnishing the family reputation, so as to simply cut off contact with her after her marriage. Although he didn't understand that this was already a well-known thing, what else was there to hide.

No one knows better than him what it feels like to be regarded as a stain, to be regarded as a heresy, and to be guarded against it.

After the orchestra finished playing a piece, Baron Maurice knew that the ball was about to begin, and then the opening dance began. Seeing that Count Grant had not yet found a female companion, he had no choice but to say, "Didn't Count Grant bring a dancing partner? ”

Qiao Heng glanced in the direction he was pointing and echoed with a smile.

The Baroness lowered her eyes in disbelief and left with the Baron.

......

Cinderella dressed in the clothes that the Count had prepared for her before he came, and she could feel the envy of the maid who served her behind her, and she sat up a little uncomfortably.

Although the prince invited the Earl to dance at the Earl's request, he ......

She still felt a little embarrassed.

For a person of such noble status as the prince, there must have been many beautiful noble ladies pursuing him. It doesn't matter if the prince invites himself without inviting them, but if others learn that he was recommended to the prince because of Earl Grant, someone will surely complain about the earl.

How could a kind and kind man like the Count make trouble for him himself?

Thinking of this, Cinderella finally made up her mind. She pulled down the hem of her skirt, she stood up, and said sincerely and apologetically to the maid beside her: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry to say to Your Highness, I want to ...... He can choose another lady as a dance partner, I'm really sorry, I'll go first. ”

With that, she lifted the corner of her skirt and bowed and left the room.

Cinderella arrived at the ball, and at a glance she saw the young count with whom she had spent all her days and nights. The light of the fire cast from the delicate candelabra shone on him, softening the sharpness of the metallic color in his eyes.

She came to him with the corner of her skirt and said, "Count." ”

Qiao Heng looked at her and said a little strangely, "I thought you should be with Your Highness now." ”

Cinderella lowered her head, looked at the bottom of her skirt, and said nothing.

After a while, she asked in a whisper, "Why didn't the Count invite a dance partner?"

"I'm waiting for you. The young Count replied, and his demeanor seemed very natural, with a hint of unthinking.

Qiao Heng always has some habitual clichés when facing women, just like when he gives a gift to the other party, if the other party says something that is too expensive and does not dare to accept it, he will habitually reply with words such as "as long as you like it" and "you like it".

He is always subconsciously pleasing everyone.

Maybe even Qiao Heng himself has forgotten how this habit was formed.

Cinderella looked up, a small surprise in her eyes.

At this moment, the orchestra at the ball has played the music again, and the opening dance has begun. When many of the noble ladies saw that the prince still did not appear, they knew that he probably would not participate in the first dance.

Cinderella plucked up her courage, "Would the Count want to dance with me?" her voice was almost drowned out by the orchestra's music.

Qiao Heng paused for a moment before replying, "Naturally, I am willing." ”

The prince stood on the second floor of the great ballroom, holding on to the railing in one hand, and watched Cinderella from top to bottom.