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Chapter 82 Part 3 – First Dance

Despite our concerns, the imperial guards continued to make a big fuss.

They are a lively bunch to begin with, but when youthfulness and stupidity is added to the mix, they are out of control. No wonder that burly fighters like the three old warriors and Matzo were the ones that can make them behave. When push comes to shove, you have to pound them with an iron fist to control this frenzy.

「I-I’m also going to have a dance with my master ……」

Hey, don’t just nonchalantly join the crowd of fools, you idiot Arnold. In the first place, I’ve never seen Arnold dance in the previous 「108 times」. He’s not going to do a courtship dance or a dance to offer a sacrifice to the archery god, would he?

「…… Arnold may not look like it, but he has learned ballroom dancing.」

Noticing my suspicions, Seraphy casually said so to support his best friend.

Ohh, that’s surprising. Come to think of it, he is the son of an upper-class noble.

「Seraphy, can you dance too?」

「Yeah, my skill is just average. I’d love to have a dance with Scarlet-san sometime ……」

If this modest guy says he has an average level of skill, that means he is confident. He is indeed a hardworking student. In preparation for the future, he has already mastered social etiquette. And just now, with a smile on his face, he swallowed the words that he had nearly put into his mouth. This lady didn’t miss it. He must have noticed the height difference between me and him. In the adult form, Seraphy is over 180 centimeters tall, while I am about 150 centimeters tall. Even with heels on, the difference is obvious. Normally, it would be impossible to dance with a height difference of 30 centimeters. Normally, that is.

「Yes, at that time, please be gentle.」

I didn’t become angry and refute him, but just responded with a relaxed smile.

It is true that even as an adult I was shorter than average in height. But I have never suffered an embarrassing defeat when it comes to dancing. When I invited foreign dignitaries in the previous 「108 times」, the faces of those who had initially underestimated me changed to admiration after one dance. For me, who had won the battle for the throne and was the queen, dancing was a weapon for survival. In a stifling atmosphere where showing an unsightly appearance would affect my advances and retreats, I sublimated my dance to the realm of a deadly blade.

Dance is a form of exquisite manipulation of the human body.

Weight shifts, body movements, preliminary muscular movements, and axial movements are used to guide their partners and create a good flow together. Some parts of it are similar to advanced martial arts. A martial arts expert with a small build can skillfully control the force of the large man that attempts to grab him, and conversely, throw him into the air. I can do similar things when it comes to dancing. For example, even if someone maliciously tries to intentionally hook my leg or try to break my posture with an arrogant hold, I can sense their intentions long before they make that move and avoid them.

…… Mother has also mastered all the general dances, except for special ones such as Thunderbolt. However, if the man who should be leading the woman deliberately does not cooperate or they are obstructed by the pair dancing beside them, she won’t be able to dance properly. That is why mother will need my support in tonight’s ballroom, which will be filled with malice.

My fighting strength is far below that of mother and Bradd.
But let me assure you.
Now that I’m in my adult form, I have confidence that I will not lose to anyone when it comes to dancing.

…… I’m sorry, there is only one opponent that I don’t have the confidence to win against.

And that is the idiot girl, Alisa.
She’s stupid in everything, but her dancing was extraordinary.

Because Alisa always got hated by the women, she was often treated horribly. Well, she’s always clinging to the men she likes irrespective of the occasion, so it was her own fault that they resented her. It was not uncommon for her to have wine poured on her from behind while she was dancing. But Alisa, in the midst of dancing, gracefully spun around and slipped between the countless droplets of water. To say she has her eyes on her back isn’t enough. At that time, Alisa had closed her eyelids due to being hit by the light reflection from the ill-natured madam’s hand-mirror.

And yet, the Atlas silk shawl draped over her arm fluttered like a colorful cloud, moreover, there is not a single stain on it. When spun at a certain speed and angle to the light, the Atlas silk fabric changes from a rainbow of colors to a single radiance. In fact, that is the true characteristic of Atlas silk and the proof of an expert dancer.

Alisa’s specialty was blue …… a color reminiscent of the top of a frozen mountain range. At that moment, Alisa was like the goddess of winter clad in an icy stream of water that had descended from the heavens.

I was fascinated as I watched her dance. Then I was overcome with a sense of defeat.

I could have done the same thing under the perfect circumstances. However, I can’t do the same as Alisa when I’m surrounded by so many enemies. To be honest, it was frustrating. I think part of the reason I became an expert in dancing was because I kept chasing after the shadow of the aberrant Alisa.

「…… Scarlet-sama!! Alisa danced and got sweaty. I can’t reach it myself, so please stick your hand between my breasts and wipe the sweat.」

But when she’s not dancing, that girl is just like a child that would trip on a completely flat floor while running to me and would then cry loudly. I had no choice but to pull back my hands, which were about to rub her breasts until her skin was red, and comfort her.

「…… Scarlet-san, what’s wrong? The ball is about to begin.」

Feeling worried about me standing still, Seraphy called out to me.

「S-Sorry. I’ll go now.」

I blushed in embarrassment and shook my head to drive away the illusion of Alisa. The image was so powerful that reality and dreams were reversed. This was unusual for me, a realist. Or perhaps I had a foreboding of what was to come. After all, I was about to encounter a crisis at the ball that would require Alisa-level divine feat ……

◇◇◇◇◇

At Countess Rosenthal’s mansion, the orchestra continued to play the music in an elegant manner.
It was a large orchestra of more than 40 musicians, including a harpist. Even though I could not see them from here, I could perceive that from the music they’re playing. The scale of the orchestra’s performance showed the enthusiasm that Countess Rosenthal had for this ball.

「I never thought that we would end up participating in the dance ball.」

Bradd whispered to me while squinting at the candlelight from the chandelier and the scent of roses that filled not only the grand ballroom, but also the entrance hall. How adequate with her name, Rosenthal.

「I don’t mean to be rude, but would you normally let a stranger like me in when you don’t know the background of that person? Countess Rosenthal is very magnanimous for a noble. Just like Sca-chibi’s family.」

I nodded as I estimated the price of the silver candle stands.

Bradd is right. This came as a surprise to me as well. In the previous 「108 times」, just because she didn’t like me, she immediately sent an assassination squad against me. But the current Countess Rosenthal is like a completely different person.

A proper ball will not let just anyone enter. An invitation is generally required. This is because the organizer needs to know the number of participants and make sure they have enough cloakrooms, food for breaks, places to park the carriages, and so on. In reality, it is a pipe dream to suddenly jump in and attend a court ball like Cinderella. Unless that person has a great relationship with the event organizer, she is sure to be turned away at the door.

The more dignified and larger the event, the more nervous the organizers become. Even if it is not as large as a formal gathering, if the hospitality is not impeccable, the hosting noble will be subjected to mockery and ridicule. It is, so to speak, a battlefield of women that greatly influences the reputation of the hostess, who is in charge of hospitality, in high society.

It can only be described as a double-edged sword. I have seen many young wives go into a half-crazy state due to shock from receiving unfavorable evaluations despite the large amount of money and manpower invested in their first event.