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Chapter 83 Part 6 – A letter from Rona. And the “Thunderbolt Polka”. Ironically, the dance that plunged so many young ladies into the abyss became the bridge between mother and Countess Rosenthal.

I raised my eyebrows and muttered a foreign language in a low tone. I also occasionally mix in some broken Hydrangea language.

「…… blood, hanging …… skewer …… slowly roast …… turn ……」

I made a throat-slashing gesture and their faces all stiffened up. In their eyes, I must look like a savage that lost her mind in anger due to being insulted and is now swearing harsh retribution in my native tongue. None of them would make eye contact with me. They treated me like a tumor.

Of course, it’s all an act.

Countess Rosenthal introduced me as the daughter of a great noble from a distant small kingdom. That place is known as a radical military kingdom. I just played according to that setting. No one would understand the language from such a remote place anyway.

「Woah, it’s dangerous if you make her angry ……」

Arnold was taken aback, but Bradd, who could read minds, and Seraphy, who was good at languages, held back their laughter.

Because at the foreign language part,

「About the spit-roasted meat made in a fireplace. I want to make sure that the meat is evenly cooked because half-roasted meat with blood still dripping is not hygienic. But that rotation is quite a heavy labor. I want to make an automatic grilling machine that uses heat to rotate the rod.」

That’s what I was saying. In fact, there is a cast iron oven range made with my knowledge from the previous 「108 times」, so such an old-fashioned thing is already unnecessary in our house.

「…… I can’t believe she lost her temper from being called flat-chested …… She was acting cool and thinking stuff about how magnanimous her heart is, but one insult about her flat chest and she’s going into a frenzy …… Ahh, that’s so funny ……!!」

Shut up, Bradd!! That’s why you were laughing!? Don’t make an in-depth disclosure of a lady’s mind!! Everyone, that’s not true!! I got angry because they insulted my mother!! Although, I was also a little angry at them for calling me flat-chested.

In the meantime, mother finished choosing the ‘Thunderbolt’.

「The ‘Thunderbolt Polka’ dance. It is considered the first in the Thunderbolt series …… It is said that the name ‘Thunderbolt’ is derived from the intense tapping sound of this physically exhausting dance.」

The knowledgeable Seraphy is also well-informed about ‘Thunderbolt’ and has begun to act as a commentator.

Hey, please don’t take my chance to shine.

But, mother, that was a good choice.

If I had to choose one, I would choose the same one. You have to jump and leap without a break for the ‘Thunderbolt Polka’ dance, but that is exactly what makes it hard for the audience to follow with their eyes, which makes it hard for them to spot mistakes. It’s even more so since mother is wearing a long skirt that covers her legs. This is not a dance contest. Unlike the fight between the candidates for the throne that I experienced, there should be few people here who know the ‘Thunderbolt’ correctly. As long as she doesn’t do so badly, these amateur red nobles won’t even notice the mistakes.

「…… I’ll play the role of the man. Your eyes don’t seem to be desperate. Are you confident that you can dance well?」

To Countess Rosenthal’s question, mother replied calmly and confidently.

「I don’t know. However, I do not want to show you an embarrassing dance. For some reason, I feel that way so strongly. That’s why I’ll do my best.」

「Your words make me feel happy. I wish I had heard those words 14 years ago ……」

Countess Rosenthal’s mouth curved up in a smile as her eyes looked down.

Mother realized something and asked her in surprise.

「Countess Rosenthal, at that time, could it be that you were …… that bow was not ……」

The countess snorted as if to make fun of her.

「…… You know …… I am not the kind of affectionate woman who would feel nostalgic for old stories. Enough of this, let’s talk with dance instead of words. Hurry up and get in position.」

I wondered if I was mistaken when I saw something shimmering in her eyes as she dashingly held the side of her dress and turned around.

「Ugh, come on, that woman is going to be master’s partner for the dance. I hope she doesn’t try to lay a trap for master. Or rather, how can she dance the male part while wearing a dress.」

Arnold, who has no good feelings for Countess Rosenthal, clenched his sweaty fists.

「…… It is not impossible to do it. But she’ll have to practice a lot beforehand. It’s not something one would do just to harass or ridicule another person.」

Not all ‘Thunderbolt’ dances are possible for two women dancers as the hems of the dresses would collide with each other, but the male role of the polka dance is relatively simple to do. And, the male part of ‘Thunderbolt’ is slightly less difficult than the female part. This is particularly noticeable in the most difficult fourth level. Nonetheless, for a woman to go out of her way to learn the male part, even if she had mastered the female part of ‘Thunderbolt’, it still requires a lot of time and effort to master it. This fact can only mean one thing.

「My guess is that Countess Rosenthal was sure that Cornelia-san would have chosen the ‘Thunderbolt Polka’ dance. That would mean that Countess Rosenthal has a good grasp of Cornelia-san’s personality. And that she’s extremely serious about this. Countess Rosenthal’s physical condition is not good and yet her complexion hasn’t changed a bit. Cornelia-san accepted and responded to that spirit and determination.」

Bradd had the same opinion as me.
Seraphy followed suit and also stated his opinion.

「…… I know about the unfortunate bullying that happened 14 years ago. I also know that Countess Rosenthal was the leader of the bullying. But after seeing her behavior now, I don’t think that that is true. My intuition tells me that she is innocent. What exactly happened that night 14 years ago?」

Seraphy’s intuition is outstanding, as he can read the wind that is invisible to the human eye and even the currents of the sea beneath the surface. In the battle against the demon dog Gallam, he was the one who stopped my father, who was about to head for the duke’s mansion that was already burning with a pillar of fire, and guided him correctly to mother, who had already moved somewhere else. Thanks to him, we narrowly escaped death. It is said that at that time, Seraphy did not change his opinion even when my furious father pointed the tip of his sword at him. He has that much confidence in his intuition.

「…… I don’t know. But …… when the two of them finish dancing this ‘Thunderbolt Polka’ dance …… I have a feeling that …… the answer will surely appear.」

As if to support my words, the ruby ​​hidden under my dress began to emit a faint glow.

「…… What is it ……」

The faint heat emitting from the ruby made me notice it.

But then, the music that signaled the start of the ‘Thunderbolt Polka’ dance began to play and I quickly raised up my head.

Bradd, Seraphy, even the noisy Arnold, and everyone else in the hall held their breath and focused their eyes on the center of the stage.

Mother’s green eyes and Countess Rosenthal’s hazel eyes reflected each other with a flood of emotions. The two bowed gracefully. Countess Rosenthal, who is playing the male part, stepped closer to mother and took on a ready stance to accept her hand. Mother gently leaned in close and the two intertwined their fingers.

This was also the moment when the lives of those two people, who could have become friends, crossed paths due to a misunderstanding. They took the promenade position and looked in the same direction. The step begins as the tips of their toes send the heel of the other foot off the ground. The wheels of destiny began to turn.

…… And this was the last dance of Countess Rosenthal’s life.