CHAPTER 47………………………………………….
The imperial princess’s birthday banquet would be held in about a fortnight.
Thanks to that, most of the essential preparations were nearly complete.
After changing clothes, the duke and I headed to a dance practice room made by combining two rooms. It was a space for practicing etiquette and various dances, and when I first began my studies, I practically lived there.
“Welcome, Your Grace, Duchess.”
As we entered the practice room, a middle-aged woman with neatly pinned-up brown hair greeted us.
With her sharp, exacting appearance, she was the widowed Baroness Aide, a famous tutor responsible for teaching etiquette and dance to young noble ladies.
Come to think of it, she must have been the person the duke said he would rescue when we first met.
He had said he would teach me etiquette and learn dance together with me.
For someone who joked often, the Duke of Nosedian was surprisingly strict about keeping his promises.
The two exchanged elegant bows.
“Thank you for your guidance today, Lady Aide.”
“The pleasure is mine, Your Grace.”
Surprisingly, the duke did not know how to dance.
“I’ve been busy practicing swordsmanship and never had the time to learn. There was no one to ask me to dance, and no one I wanted to dance with. But now…”
He said that as he took my hand and smiled.
“Now I’ve found someone I want to dance with, so I should learn.”
And he truly did carve time out of his busy schedule to take lessons. Since men’s and women’s steps were different, aside from the first day, we had taken separate classes.
But since we would soon be leaving for the capital, we needed to match our steps at least once to avoid mistakes in a real setting.
Baroness Aide showed not a hint of a smile, though she seemed faintly pleased. She clapped twice to signal us.
“Now then, you’ve both practiced quite a lot. Shall we try it together?”
“Let’s.”
“Yes.”
We stood facing each other in the center of the room. The duke seemed relaxed for some reason, but all my attention was fixed on my feet.
Please, just don’t let me step on his feet.
Following our instructor’s motto—“Practice as if it’s the real thing!”—I was wearing very high heels. Since I was on the shorter side, I had no choice if I wanted to somewhat match the tall duke’s height.
“Hm, seeing you like this again, you really are quite small. Perhaps more nutritional meals—”
“I’m past the age of growing taller, Your Grace. If you feed me more now, I’ll only grow sideways. Please give up that dream.”
I firmly cut off his hopes and placed my hand on his arm. I had felt it when he escorted me before, but his body was truly solid. Was an aura master’s body made of stone?
I kind of want to touch it.
Gulp. I swallowed unconsciously.
“That’s quite a suspicious look you’re giving me.”
“T-That’s not true. Just… hold my waist.”
“Very well.”
My face heated at the way he chuckled.
His instincts are terrifyingly sharp.
Soon his large hand wrapped around my waist. I was used to placing a hand on his chest to bind magic, but his hand on my waist felt entirely different. Tension surged through me.
“Shall we begin?”
The music was played by a knight who practiced the string instrument as a hobby. It was a dance tune that had been popular lately—one we had often heard during practice.
“Relax.”
“I’m not nervous.”
But even to my own ears, my stiff voice betrayed me. The arm he held trembled slightly—was he laughing?
As the beat approached, I took my first step.
“One, two! One, two!”
At Baroness Aide’s clapping to mark the rhythm, my steps began to move crisply. There were awkward moments, but I managed fairly well.
Still, it wasn’t entirely my own skill.
“Yes, very good, Your Grace. Keep it just like that.”
“Baroness, the tempo is slow. A little faster!”
Throughout the dance, the duke received only praise while I received only corrections. There was nothing better to sap one’s motivation.
And then the first song ended.
I struck the quintessential pose of despair and radiated gloom from head to toe.
“Are you all right?”
“Why…”
“Yes?”
“Your Grace, have you perhaps learned before? I heard you’ve had only half as many lessons as I have.”
“That’s impossible. I’ve barely been able to practice recently because I’ve been drafting the cooperation proposal with the Sky Ark.”
My eyes narrowed like a Tibetan fox’s.
It felt unfair. How could he barely practice and yet dance better than me? He even led flawlessly, compensating perfectly for my clumsy, faltering steps.
“Ah, I may have an idea why.”
“What is it?”
Was this his secret technique? I looked at him with shining eyes.
Come on! Reveal your ultimate trick!
He grinned mischievously.
“I’m generally good at things that involve using my body. Whatever they may be.”
“……”
My eyes returned to their Tibetan fox state.
“So you’re saying you’re just naturally talented.”
“Well, I simply learn faster than most. On the other hand, Eloa, you’re a bit clumsy when it comes to physical coordination.”
“Ugh. I already know that—don’t kill me twice.”
I’d thought it before, but this man was far too honest!
He stated other people’s weaknesses outright. What irritated me most was that he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it—and if you thought about it, he wasn’t wrong. Which made it twice as infuriating to hear.
And he was annoyingly handsome, too.
He smiled so radiantly it could have restored sight to the blind.
“Why would I kill my wife? I’ll help you, so just dance at ease, Eloa.”
I appreciated the consideration, but simply letting myself go with the flow was something I had done to exhaustion in my previous life. I had no intention of doing so again.
I took my starting position once more.
“That’s fine. I’ll practice more. So don’t resent me if the tops of your feet get bruised.”
As I burned with enough determination to set even the fireplace ablaze, the duke grinned.
“Very well. I’ll oblige.”
I grabbed his hand tightly and called out to Baroness Aide.
“Baroness, the fastest piece, please!”
He had said he would oblige me, so he wouldn’t complain if I accidentally stepped on his feet a little, right?
And so began a period of time where it was hard to tell whether we were practicing dance or playing a game of whack-a-mole.
That evening.
“Haah… Why did I do that?”
After sweating profusely and finally coming back to my senses, I regretted my actions. I couldn’t lift my face from embarrassment.
“Ow, ow…”
After wearing unfamiliar high heels and enthusiastically playing whack-a-mole, my feet were in terrible shape. When they touched hot water, they throbbed sharply.
Still, thanks to the duke’s help, I had nearly memorized the steps perfectly. With just a little more practice, I wouldn’t make a mistake in front of the nobles.
How many times did I step on his feet, exactly…?
I had declared I would, but sometimes I had stamped down with my heel so hard that even I was startled.
Each time, his smile only deepened—though it was hard to tell whether that meant he was angry or enjoying himself.
He doesn’t have that kind of tendency, does he?
Entertaining that oddly rational suspicion, I finished washing and came out to find only Sera in the room.
“Where’s Sina?”
Sera, who had been drying my hair with a towel, jumped at my question.
“W-Well… Ah! She went to fetch some ointment for you, my lady.”
“Really? I can just use this.”
I took out the ointment the duke had given me when I first came here. Though nearly empty, there was enough to apply to my feet.
“Tell Sina to just come back. You two should hurry and sleep as well.”
“No!”
“Hm?”
What do you mean no?
“N-No, I mean… S-Sina…”
“What is it?”
Sera’s hesitation was strange. She seemed restless, as if waiting for something.
“Ah! Come to think of it, you’re leaving for the capital in a few days, aren’t you? W-What clothes would you like to take?”
“You want to choose them now?”
“N-No, that’s not it… Oh dear. Sinaaa!”
Sera looked as if she might cry. What on earth was wrong with her?
Knock, knock.
“My lady, it’s Sina. I brought the ointment.”
“Come in.”
Sina entered holding a jar of ointment, smiling more brightly than before. She applied it to my feet as Sera had said, but something felt off.
They’re both suspicious.
Though things had been quiet lately, I had already been ambushed twice in this estate. The sense that they were hiding something heightened my tension.
What if someone used brainwashing magic on them…?
Mental magic was known to be extremely restricted and usually short-lived. But I couldn’t rule out exceptions.
“My lady, could you come with us for a moment?”
“Where?”
Sina and Sera suddenly exchanged meaningful smiles.
Definitely suspicious. Should I use it?
I fiddled with the wedding ring the duke and I had exchanged at our ceremony. Instead of a diamond, the gemstone was a clear magic stone.
It had originally been a diamond, but after seeing me in danger when we went to town together, he had pressured Beric into replacing it with the highest-grade magic stone and cramming it full of protective spells.
This thing looks like it could block a missile.
I secretly brushed my fingers over the gemstone.
“Sir Beric said he has something to give you, my lady.”
Even more suspicious. With Beric’s personality, he would have simply come to my room and tossed over homework or a magic tool.
He wouldn’t go out of his way to summon me outside.
“All right. Lead the way.”
“Yes, my lady!”
When I readily followed, their expressions brightened.
If anything happens, I’ll activate the magic and call the duke.
The duke, extraordinarily sensitive to mana, would surely notice if I triggered the ring’s spell.
In most cases, problems were solved the moment he appeared.
Having thought that far, I suddenly paused.
Since when did I start relying on the duke like this?
