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Chapter 82 Part 6 – First Dance

Mother, as a woman who has given birth, please don’t make such a heroine-like move by saying things like, ‘Someone like me’. Those kinds of actions should be done by me, who is still a young lady. Mother, noblewomen constantly change their clothes many times a day. Don’t wear commoner clothes with an apron just because it’s comfortable. Wearing a proper dress is the first step to being a noblewoman and to dancing confidently in the public eye.

「B-But Scarlet. Wearing this immodest dress since the morning is too much ……」

It’s certainly strange to wear an evening dress with a wide neckline during the day. I can understand my mother’s feelings of not wanting to wear it because of her substandard bosom. Yes, I do understand that feeling more than anyone else. But I dare to harden my heart. For dresses, rather than learning about them, it’s better to get accustomed to them. It’s all right. Something of this level is nothing compared to Melville’s outrageous war outfit.

Besides, that wife-crazy pervert …… Ehem, just look at my father’s reaction. He is thrilled every day to see mother all dressed up in various outfits.

「Currently, in our house, my beloved Cornelia and the flowers of the garden delight my eyes with their many colors. As a man, I couldn’t be happier.」

As usual, he is not shy about saying those cringy lines ……

「I want to hold you in my arms so that this happiness will not escape. Come here, my lovely flower. Show me how you bloom on the bed.」

With a serious face, the hero invites his wife to a reproductive act in front of their daughter in the middle of the day …… I wonder if there are pink flowers blooming in his head. Or is it mold? It’s hard, but you have to endure it, Scarlet. After all, it is a fact that the blood of this lustful demon is flowing in my veins as well ……

However, thanks to father’s passionate approach, mother no longer dislikes wearing dresses in her daily life. After all, a woman blossoms into a big flower when she is praised. And one more thing ……

「Cornelia. If you want to learn to dance …… do you mind if I help you as well?」

Surprisingly, this perverted duke, who looks like a rabbit in heat, was also an expert dancer to an unbelievably perverted degree. I was so shocked that my jaw nearly dropped. Until now, all dances had been sealed off in order to avoid stimulating my mother’s trauma. I felt a little sad when it occurred to me that perhaps my father in the previous 「108 times」 had consistently not danced, not because he was not good at it, but because he was doing it for my late mother.

In this way, with my hellish special training and the support of father, mother learned the dance steps. Once she got the hang of it, her speed of improvement was astounding. Well, I guess that was only natural, since she had always taken pride in her outstanding reflexes and physical abilities.

Now let’s get back to the main subject!! Anyway!! The current mother is more than capable of dancing!! That’s right. If the outfielders try to interfere, all I have to do is stop them. Then, all that’s left is ……

With tacit understanding, mother smiled confidently.

「…… All that’s left is to stay calm and concentrate. That and …… to have the tiny bit of courage needed to step forward. A dangerous situation? Bring it on. I’m already used to it since the battle against the demon dog Gallam. Let’s go.」

We followed Countess Rosenthal and the red nobles around her to the mansion. Since the countess had called out to us, we were able to pass through the reception area without showing our invitations.

Mother looked up at the huge, intimidating staircase that led to the second-floor ballroom.

「…… 14 years ago, I stood in front of this staircase while trembling with anxiety. I was frightened and constantly kept my head down. But now ……」

Mother looked forward and stepped forward confidently.

The music changed to a majestic polonaise. It was the signal for the start of the ball. Since all the participants had already moved to the ballroom, there was no line of people waiting to enter the room. Countess Rosenthal was already waiting for mother in the center of the ballroom.

The voice of the attendant at the entrance of the ballroom resounded through the room.

「Duchess Wilhelm is entering.」

All eyes in the hall focused on mother as she entered. The crowd splits and a path is opened. Not intimidated by the hostile gazes, mother slowly made her way to Countess Rosenthal.

「Cornelia-san, focus on the dance.If they try to do something, I can read their minds through their blood flow and I’ll be there to help you right away.」

「I am also keeping an eye on their movements. It is not so difficult to do compared to going through a stormy sea in the dark of night.」

Mother nodded slightly at Bradd and Seraphy’s encouragement.

These two people. When they are on our side, they are extremely reliable allies.

「Master!! Fighting!! Leave the support fire from the rear to me!!」

You idiot Arnold. Shut up. Don’t swing around the dangerous iron bow in the midst of a crowd just because you don’t want to lose to Bradd and Seraphy. That’s the thing you used to directly hit your opponents in close combat that amassed a mountain of injured people in the previous 「108 times」. I think this guy must have mistaken the ball as a place for killing each other or something.

Countess Rosenthal laughed arrogantly as she welcomed my mother.

「…… Fufu, I’ll praise you for not running away from an invitation sent by me, who is known as the poisonous scorpion of the palace. I hope the situation won’t develop so that it would suit a funeral march more than a polonaise music.」

To the countess’s venomous words, mother returned a gentle smile.

「When I exchange attacks through archery, I can sense the true intentions of a person. No matter how much they keep up appearances as a good person, the attitude of their heart will always appear in their behavior. The opposite is also true. And I believe that I can do the same thing through dance.」

「…… That’s quite a thing to say. Just try if you can.」

Countess Rosenthal snickered and raised her hand toward the orchestra.

I gulped down my saliva.
Now then, what kind of dance would Countess Rosenthal challenge my mother with ……

「I’ll accept your determination. But I’ve told you that high society is a woman’s battlefield. It’s not just the men and you who put their lives on the line on the battlefield.」

More than half of the members of the stringed ensemble, including the majority of the violins, put down their instruments. At first I thought it was a minuet. However, the faces of the orchestra members were stiff. Are they nervous ……?

「…… Don’t tell me ……!?」

A shiver ran down my spine.

「…… Sca-chibi!?」

My hair probably stood on end. Bradd was worried and called out to me, but I didn’t even notice it. I was grasping the armrest of the chair beside me until my fingers turned white.

‘Don’t tell me …… Is it the Thunderbolt dance……!!’

The Thunderbolt dance, which increases the speed of the dance without limit, puts a tremendous burden not only on the dancers but also on the musicians. The stringed instruments won’t be able to hold up. That’s why, by reducing the number of performers, the musicians will take turns in rotation to distribute the burden.

Among the red nobles, the sharp-eyed ones noticed Countess Rosenthal’s intentions and gasped loudly. The shock was even greater than when they saw our luxury carriage.

Foolishly, I was mistaken in my thinking. The Countess Rosenthal in the previous 「108 times」 could not dance the Thunderbolt as it required an abundance of energy and stamina. That’s why I ruled out the possibility of the Thunderbolt dance from the beginning. However, if it’s the Countess Rosenthal before she indulged in debauchery and power, maybe ……!!

This is bad!! The clash of thunderbolts that exceeded human limits will wear away the spirit at a terrible rate!! Ultimately, a tempo deviation of one second can be fatal. In the previous 「108 times」, even amongst the candidates for the throne who excelled at dancing, none of the women could make it to the end except for me.

Mother has just started learning the Thunderbolt dance ……!! And to make things worse, she is currently pregnant!!

My skin was tingling with fear as I recalled my rivals who ended up with cyanosis and had expressions of anguish on the floor.

「Sca-chibi!! Where are you going!!」

「Scarlet-san!?」

I shook off Bradd and Seraphy’s hands as they tried to hold me back and ran through the crowd.

There’s no other way. I have to go and do the dance instead of my mother ……!!

「Ohhh, are you going to have a fight? Okay, count me in, I’ll cooperate with you!!」

Don’t follow me, you idiot Arnold. You should just go back to your house.

E-Eh? I can’t move. Why ……!?
Don’t tell me!! Is this also caused by the evil eye ……!!

Huh? The number of words is already over the limit?
If I add more than this, no one will read it?
For more details on the Thunderbolt dance, please refer to chapter 77?

W-Wait a minute!? Don’t joke around!!
If you have the spare words for a silly comment, you should get on with the story a little more!!
For example, making me reminisce about Alisa’s suggestive behavior or something.
What the heck is this ending!!

Mother is in a pinch!! My highlight scene!!

Ahhhh!! Seriously!!

S-See you next chapter!!