Chapter 13
As I stood there blinking like an idiot, Kaelon spoke again.
“You lost the bet, didn’t you?”
“Ah.”
A short sigh escaped my lips.
“That… right.”
“You came here not even knowing that?”
Haa. Why on earth did Ria dress me up like this without telling me anything?
Coming here for a punishment, yet dressed up so elaborately—my face burned with embarrassment.
I’m definitely going to give her an earful when I see her later.
“Well, being dressed up does suit today’s punishment.”
“What is the punishment?”
“Something essential for the upcoming banquet. Something you don’t particularly like.”
Something I dislike… and a banquet…?
Suddenly, Eket’s memories struck my mind like a bolt.
Eket absolutely hated dancing. Given how stiff her body felt during physical training classes, it made sense she would hate it.
Whenever she danced, she looked ridiculous. At social gatherings like banquets, dancing would often make her the subject of ridicule.
After being embarrassed a couple of times, she avoided dancing altogether.
It wasn’t that she had opportunities to attend banquets with Kaelon often, but even when she did, she would refuse to dance with him and insist on dancing with someone else.
“So you’re saying you want me to practice dancing?”
“You catch on quickly.”
There’s no way I could confidently dance in this body.
“You know the basic starting position, right?”
He stood in front of me and, like a gentleman, extended his left hand politely.
With a heavy heart, I stepped forward and placed my right hand on top of his.
As if flowing naturally, his other hand lightly rested near my shoulder blade. His arm wrapped around me in a posture that felt almost like he was embracing me.
“Why aren’t you placing your hand on my shoulder?”
“Oh, right.”
“Your basics are lacking.”
Muttering as if to himself, he added, “I’ll have to teach you step by step.”
“Who even decided on a punishment like this?”
“If you’re going to a banquet, you should at least practice dancing.”
I never said I wanted to go to a banquet. I swallowed my grumbling internally.
“Alright, from here, step to the left with your left foot first, then bring your right foot along in rhythm.”
“How do I do that?”
“Like this.”
He demonstrated a smooth step first. I clumsily tried to follow.
“This is too difficult.”
“Let’s try again.”
We stepped once more. It was clear I was completely uncoordinated.
While Kaelon moved gracefully and like a true gentleman, I was nothing more than a stiff wooden doll.
“…At this rate, it won’t work.”
“I agree.”
I had no choice but to agree with him. At this rate, how long would it take to learn dancing?
“For now, you need to get used to the rhythm. I’ll lead—just follow me however you can.”
“Just follow?”
“If you keep following, you’ll gradually get the feel for it.”
He tightened his grip on my hand slightly.
“Trust yourself to me.”
He began stepping. From my perspective, it felt about seven times faster than our earlier practice.
I flailed around trying to keep up with his rhythm.
Whenever it looked like my feet might tangle, Kaelon would instantly notice and lift me slightly. Thanks to that, I somehow managed not to fall and could continue stepping.
When Kaelon slowed down, I slowed down; when he sped up, I sped up.
I followed along breathlessly as he led.
Normally, during dances like this, partners would maintain gentle eye contact and exchange subtle, private conversations that others couldn’t hear—but for someone as uncoordinated as me, such romance was out of reach.
I couldn’t even look Kaelon in the eyes. I had no choice but to keep staring at my feet, trying to mimic his steps by watching them closely.
While I was focused on my feet, a brief lapse in attention caused my steps to tangle.
“Ah—!”
I nearly cried out as I lost my balance—but Kaelon pulled me in.
In an instant, his face came close.
His thick arm supported my waist as he drew my body toward him. Our bodies were pressed so close our chests nearly touched.
“Are you alright?”
His gaze met mine at uncomfortably close range.
“Uh… y-yes, I’m fine.”
In truth, I wasn’t fine.
Thanks to him catching me, I didn’t twist my ankle or fall—but instead, my waist and hand hurt. Perhaps startled, he had gripped me too tightly without controlling his strength.
And then…
“Sh-should we stop practice for today?”
“Hmm? Why?”
If he kept grabbing me like this a few more times, I felt like I’d be crushed. I pushed against him and slipped out of his hold.
More than that… being this close to him felt unfamiliar. His hands holding me, his eyes tracking my every movement.
If this had been the old Eket, she might have felt her heart flutter at such small moments—thinking that her husband was finally paying attention to her.
But I wasn’t that foolish.
I wasn’t naïve enough to feel happy over mere warmth for a moment. I already knew exactly what kind of person Kaelon was.
He was the kind of man who would easily shatter the faint expectations of a gentle-hearted Eket.
“I’m not feeling well today, so I can’t continue.”
“Are you about to start coughing again?”
His eyes widened.
“No, it’s not that—I just don’t feel well overall. I can’t continue.”
“Should I call a doctor?”
I shook my head.
“It’s not that serious. I’ll rest in my room and feel better.”
I pulled my hand free from his grasp and straightened my clothes.
“See you tomorrow, then.”
After giving a stiff farewell as if we lived in separate homes, I left the hall.
The maid Ria was organizing her mistress’s clothing.
When her mistress returned, she had briefly grumbled about why she had gone to the trouble of dressing up if she was just going to go practice dancing immediately. Still, she was a kind person and didn’t scold her harshly.
Compared to other noble ladies, her mistress was like an angel.
Ria had heard many things about nobles from other maids who served them. Because of that, she had once believed all nobles were selfish people who cared only about their own interests—until she met her mistress.
Her mistress was different from the rest. She did not treat Ria like a possession, but rather spoke to her sincerely, like a companion.
That’s why it hurt Ria whenever her mistress seemed lonely.
She was perhaps the person in the capital who wished for her mistress’s happiness more than anyone else.
So today, Ria was especially happy. It was because His Grace the Duke had, for the first time, summoned her mistress himself.
She had long hoped for this day—the day when His Grace would reach out to her mistress first.
It was only natural that she wanted to dress her mistress as beautifully as possible, hoping she might receive even a single warm glance from her husband.
She was nearly done organizing the clothes when—
“Ria.”
At the butler’s call, she immediately stepped out of the room.
“What is it?”
The butler’s answer surprised her.
“The master is looking for you. Go at once.”
“Pardon? Me?”
Her eyes widened.
Why would he be looking for me?
Though she served the mistress, she rarely received direct orders from the Duke.
With a nervous heart, she quickly made her way to the Duke’s study.
Is this about the mistress? Or is he finally going to punish me for blocking his path the other day?
During the short walk to the study, countless possibilities ran through her mind without pause.
She arrived quickly and knocked on the door.
“Enter.”
The Duke’s characteristic cold voice came from beyond the door.
Ria carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside. The Duke sat there, waiting with an expressionless face.
She quietly approached and stood in front of his desk.
“My lord, what is the reason you called for me?”
Her question hung in the air unanswered for a moment. Ria kept her head respectfully lowered, glancing up at him cautiously.
At last, the Duke spoke.
“You are likely the one who knows my wife best.”
So, as expected, this was about the mistress. Was this going to be good news or bad news?
With a slightly trembling heart, Ria listened to what came next.
“Have there been any other times when she was ill that I haven’t seen? Tell me everything—even minor things.”
Ria didn’t know why her master had suddenly taken an interest in her mistress, but she felt nothing but relief.
Had he finally decided to care for her? Had he finally changed?
In any case, she had a lot to say.
This was her chance.
She resolved to tell him everything—from the times her mistress had caught a cold to the times she had been ignored by other nobles and had suffered for days because of it.
