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Chapter 82 Part 5 – First Dance

「Scarlet is cute with or without breasts. That’s great enough.」

Perhaps sensing the lamentations of my soul, Bradd didn’t even get angry and just patted me on the head and comforted me. He even wiped my tears away with his fingertips.

「W-What? I’m taller than you now. Even if you compliment me as cute …… I-I’m not happy about that!!」

That’s a lie. I’m extremely happy.

「Well then, you’re a beautiful woman. So don’t get all upset. That would spoil your beautiful face.」

He said so with a smile. I hurriedly turned away, trying not to let him see my bewildered face.

I’m not happy just because Bradd complimented me. Girls are creatures that become happy when they are praised.

Seeing me in a better mood, Arnold and Seraphy secretly whispered to each other.

「H-Hey, Seraphy. Was Bradd’s action just now calculated?」

「No, he just naturally does that. That’s what makes Bradd so scary.」

「That’s amazing. If my brother had heard that, he would have cried tears of blood and felt frustrated. He literally risks his life when flirting with women.」

「It’s a pity. If he had put all that effort into archery, he would have become an expert archer as good as the duchess. What a waste of his talent. God gave the gift of archery to the wrong person.」

Seraphy lamented.

Arnold’s older brother is a good-for-nothing who was stabbed in the back because he played around with too many women. He should have just bled to death at that time.

Countess Rosenthal let out a sigh and interrupted the conversation.

「…… I wonder if the lover’s quarrel is over. Can we move on now? I don’t have the time to take it slow.」

「T-This isn’t a lover’s quarrel ……」

My face blushed and I was about to flare up at her, but the countess’s pale complexion threw cold water on me. She was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Clearly, this was not trivial.

「…… Countess Rosenthal, are you all right? Why don’t you take a rest somewhere ……」

Mother became worried, rushed over to Countess Rosenthal, and extended her hand.
But Countess Rosenthal roughly shook off mother’s hand.

「You seem to be quite composed. If you have the time to worry about a villain like me, you should concentrate more on presenting yourself in a dignified manner. High society is a nest of evil spirits. If you look away and give them the chance, they’ll eat your flanks off.」

Countess Rosenthal raised her chin.

It was only then that we realized that the red nobles were stiff, as though they were tied. Countess Rosenthal had stopped their time so that they would not witness our disgraceful behavior. It turns out she can even do something like that. However, if she manipulate this many people at once with her evil eye, the burden would also be staggering.

「Just as men risk their lives on the battlefield, women risk their lives in social events. That’s why they would not hesitate to use dirty tricks. They try to demean people with silly rumors. For you who can fight on the same stage as men, you probably just can’t come to like this place as it is so effeminate. However ……!!」

Countess Rosenthal took a deep breath and grabbed mother’s shoulders with a roughness that did not match her previous graceful movements.

「However, if you want to be the partner of the hero, the Crimson Duke. If you really want to support him …… You have to fight and win in this high society. You have to play by the rules of this extravagant and ostentatious stage. If you can’t do that, you won’t be able to move the women standing behind the noblemen.」

Countess Rosenthal’s fingertips were clenched tightly and her uncontrollable emotions seemed to gush out. I could tell that Countess Rosenthal was serious about what she said to my mother.

In response to this, mother had a tense expression, but she did not avert her eyes at all.

Seeing the seriousness in my mother’s gaze, Countess Rosenthal suddenly softened her stern expression.

With a snap of her fingers, the spell that stopped the time of the red nobles was broken.

「Cornelia-san, I will nominate you as my partner for the first dance. If you fail miserably, I will point my finger at you and sneer. I’m sure the red nobles will also act arrogant and ridicule you. I wonder if your fragile heart can stand it.」

After saying that, she sneered and held out her hand.

「From here on out, you’ll be on a stage where your expert archery won’t work. Do you have the courage to jump in?」

Mother took her hand without any hesitation.

「I will gladly take up your offer. Countess Rosenthal.」

The two ladies looked at each other for a moment and smiled.

…… However, unlike the first dance of the bride and groom at the wedding reception, this is a clash of the will and pride of the two women. Behind their smile, invisible sparks of tension scatters.

「Everyone!! The duchess is going to show us her dance as an example. And I have been given the honor to be her partner for the dance. Ahh, what an honor. To the point that I feel disgusted.」

Countess Rosenthal spoke so that the red nobles could hear her, then she turned her back on mother and walked away. We, who had been watching the situation while holding our breath in anxiety, let out a sigh of relief.

But, it’s going to be the first dance ……!! I didn’t expect that she would come up with this move. At a ball, the first dance which precedes the other participants, is usually performed by the highest-ranking person or the host of the event. My mother is a duchess, so there’s nothing strange about her having that role, but …… The red nobles who despise my mother will not be happy with this. When the red nobles learned that the person who will be doing the first dance is my mother, their complexion instantly changed. The first dance is a big responsibility, but it is a shining stage that every woman dreams of at least once. They must be extremely jealous. If mother makes a mistake, as Countess Rosenthal said, they will surely make a fuss. Will mother be able to withstand the pressure of having her every move and action scrutinized by those watchful eyes?

Mother must have noticed my anxiety. She smiled at me and asked.

「You look worried, Scarlet. Answer me honestly. What is my current level in the eyes of you who taught me to dance?」

I hesitated for a moment and then answered honestly.

「Mother has mastered the art of dancing, so much so that you can probably get through the dance with the highest difficulty, the Thunderbolt. Even in a royal court ball, you will not fall behind anyone. But when you’re in an extremely dangerous place with enemies all around you, it’s ……」

As I spoke, a sense of pride welled up in my heart.

The fact that she has grown to this point is the result of my mother’s tireless efforts. Until just a few months ago, every time she danced in her evening dress, she would step on the hem of her dress and fall down, instead of performing the dance steps.

Mother’s lack of dance skills was part of the reason, but that’s not all. She was completely unaccustomed to the feeling of wearing a formal dress as she had spent a majority of her life hunting in Melville’s family home. After marrying into the duke’s family, she was extremely poor because of my rotten Vygod grandparents and spent most of her days wearing durable commoner clothes. All she had was her nightgown, commoner clothes, and that war outfit. She was an extremely pitiful duchess. Even after our family’s financial condition turned around for the better, she was already accustomed to wearing those clothes.

So, I scolded my timid mother who said, 「It’s such a waste for that dress to be worn by someone like me. Besides, it’s going to make me act way too careful and it’s hard to move in it」. Then, I forced her to wear an evening dress in her daily life.