A Dance Machine That Defiles Even Social Traditions (2)
A Dance Machine That Defiles Even Social Traditions (2)
Beneath the gentle orchestral piece flowing through the ballroom, under the gaze of countless onlookers, Yune held Kir's hands, looking up at her as he whispered.
"What kind of dance are we doing? That thing you've been learning... ballet? I don't think that's something you can do here."
"Pfft. How would I even do ballet here? Have you heard of the waltz?"
"Waltz? I think I've heard of it. Sir Max said there would be no occasion for me to dance it, so he'd teach me later..."
"Let's do that. Now. Here. Just the two of us."
At Yune's question, Kir smiled and declared they'd waltz. Just the two of them.
Yune, who had only ever practiced group dances with rotating partners like the quadrille, immediately showed his reluctance.
"...What about the other debutantes?"
"Look around. Everyone here is older than you, right? You're the only one making a debut today, Yune."
Yune scanned the ballroom for other debutantes.
But there were no other debutantes in the ballroom. Only young noblemen who had already finished their social debuts watched the anxious Yune with lukewarm interest.
"And the first dance is reserved exclusively for the year's first debutante and his chosen partners."
"I-Is that so?"
"Of course."
It was an Imperial Ball tradition—an unspoken rule that when a new debutante is present, the first dance is yielded to him and the partners he selects.
Kir invoked this tradition and began persuading Yune as if it were perfectly natural.
It wasn't exactly a lie—but...
When there are fewer than four debutantes, it was also tradition to invite noble peers to join the dance. Yet Kir conveniently left that part out and told him he must dance only with her.
And she smoothly steered the choice toward the waltz, claiming it suited them best if they were to dance together.
Still, unease lingered on Yune's face.
"I don't even know how to waltz in the first place. Let's just do the quadrille..."
"It's fine. I'll lead. I'm a woman, after all. Guiding a gentleman is a lady's duty. Enough talk—will you kneel down in front of me?"
Having forced down the anxious Yune's protests, Kir told him to kneel.
Flustered, Yune wondered what kind of dance required kneeling. But Kir quietly urged him on, so Yune carefully knelt before her.
His gaze dropped at once. And then—
"...Like this?"
"Yes."
Kir smiled, utterly helpless before the sight of him looking up at her so adorably. She reached out her hand toward Yune.
The onlookers, who had been watching with anticipation to see what kind of dance the two would perform, finally realized their intentions and were aghast.
-Is that... a waltz?!
-A debutante dancing that? Good heavens.
-Goodness, how provocative... I haven't even danced that once myself.
-Shouldn't someone stop them...?
Unlike other dances, the waltz involved very explicit physical contact, with a pair roaming the floor together. For a newly debuted debutante to dance the waltz was considered taboo.
So when the children of great nobles brazenly broke that taboo, it was only natural that the observers around them were thrown into confusion.
Duchess Schmut and Grand Duchess Erengard, who had been watching the pair intently, were just as flustered.
-Crunch.
"Er. Calm down, calm down. They're engaged. Things like this can happen."
"...Just what kind of upbringing did you give your daughter for her to behave like this, Schmut."
"No, honestly, she's not normally like this—she really isn't. I admit I nudged her a little, but..."
"Tsk. I'll personally see to her reeducation. Right this instant."
"Er—Er. Please don't bring shame on the great noble houses and just bear with it! I'll apologize!!"
Already heartsick over her beloved son dancing with his fiancée, Erengard moved to separate them the moment she saw signs of a waltz. Schmut, as her close friend, did her best to hold her back.
Yet even during this exchange, both of them maintained perfect expressions befitting great nobles. To the other aristocrats in the ballroom, the two heads of house merely looked like a well-matched couple chatting amiably as they watched.
Seeing what looked in every respect like the matriarchs condoning their children's behavior—and going a step further, guessing that they had actually instructed their children to dance this way—the people around them began to speculate.
-Until just moments ago, I thought Nordkirchen was firmly among the Pro-Imperial Faction. Are they trying to keep a foot in the Noble Faction as well?
-Earlier at the banquet's opening, they were personally praised by Her Majesty, no less. And now they're about to waltz with the heir of House Charlottenburg, the leader of the Noble Faction.
-Just what is the Northern Grand Duchess thinking?
Groundless misunderstandings piled up, and the ballroom was engulfed in confusion.
But unconcerned with the shock around her, Kir whispered to Yune, who had taken her hand and risen.
"...Just follow my lead. I'll give you the directions."
-Nod.
"So... the move I showed you back then. Do you remember? The pose where you stand on one leg and extend the other straight back. Attitude Derrière. First, take that pose."
-Nod, nod.
Following Kir's instructions, Yune hesitantly raised his leg.
'Isn't this a ballet move?' The thought flickered through Yune's mind, but Kir gave him no chance to ask. She immediately moved behind him and took hold of his wrist.
Then she raised his right hand high and stretched his left hand straight forward.
Standing on one leg, Yune now looked as if he were drawing a cross with his arms and legs—a pose that seemed to emphasize his chest.
Holding Yune, Kir began to turn him slowly in a full circle.
-Murmur, murmur.
The leisurely spin made it seem as though she were showing him off to the crowd. Combined with the effect of Yune's artifact formal suit, the sight was like a painting.
It took less than three seconds for the onlookers' bewilderment to turn into admiration.
'What the—everyone seems to like it more than I thought...?'
Having completed one full rotation and surveyed the entire ballroom, Yune realized that everyone was looking at him and exclaiming in delight.
Anticipation, excitement, and enjoyment gradually filled Yune's eyes.
Unlike Yune, who was thrilled as he gauged the reactions, Kir paid no attention whatsoever to other people's stares and kept her eyes fixed on Yune's profile the whole time.
After completing the full rotation, she released the hand that held Yune's wrist and took hold of his waist—as if embracing him from behind.
Kir naturally pressed close against Yune's back, her modest chest flattening and threatening to spill out through her daringly low-cut dress.
Yet she began to turn again, utterly unabashed.
The rotation speed picked up a little compared to before, and slightly flustered, Yune turned his face toward Kir.
-Oh my.
-Goodness. I feel embarrassed just watching this.
-So romantiiiiic....
Because Kir had been staring at Yune the whole time, their faces drew close enough to feel each other's breath.
A distance where if either of them leaned forward just a little, their lips could touch.
Only then did a sliver of reason return to Kir, who had been moving as if intoxicated.
'W-Wait. Is this... a we're-about-to-kiss sort of atmosphere...?'
...No, her reason was even more paralyzed than before. To even consider a kiss in front of so many people—if she were in her right mind, she would never entertain the thought.
But Yune, unaware of what Kir was thinking, looked at her with bright, sparkling eyes.
'Wow, Kir, you're amazing! Everyone's only watching us!'
"...Yes. Yune, are you enjoying it?"
'Yes! What should I do next?'
"Now, when I count one, two, three, lower your leg and place your left hand on my right forearm. Your right hand takes my left."
Gazing into those blue-gleaming eyes, Kir felt that somehow, stealing his lips right now would be cowardly—and gave up the idea.
Too intoxicated by the drug called Yune to realize it, but if she had truly attempted to kiss him, Erengard would have instantly rushed in and kicked her rear. So it was a great mercy all around.
After adjusting their pose, the two faced each other, pressed their stomachs together, stretched out their joined hands forward, and spun around the ballroom.
-Squelch.
'Huh? What's this... Ah.'
With every step Yune took, the slight height difference between them caused his groin to bump against her thigh.
Her reason rapidly derailed as Kir vividly realized the identity of that soft sensation bumping against her thigh.
Perhaps because of that, she ultimately voiced the words she had carelessly spoken earlier, directing them at Yune once more.
"Yune. Before we danced, that phrase I said to you—'Geliebte, sollen wir tanzen.' You asked what it meant, right?"
"....?"
"It actually means, 'Beloved husband, would you care to dance with me?'"
"...!?"
She'd purposely used the Ancient Language so that Yune wouldn't understand, yet with half her reason paralyzed, Kir had gone and explained its meaning herself.
Yune's eyes flew wide open. He had understood the latter part as he heard it, but the words that came before—he was hearing those for the first time.
Even someone as dense as Yune knew that a girl his own age saying such words was a confession in and of itself.
Along with the spinning waltz, Yune's eyes began to spin in confusion as well.
"Wh-What do you mean..."
"Yune, back then you said we should break off the engagement, remember? That marrying without even liking each other would only bring unhappiness."
"..."
"But... after meeting you a few times, I've realized. There will never be anyone else for me. If I let you go, I'd live the rest of my life in regret. I like you, Yune."
Without giving Yune even a moment to collect his thoughts, Kir confessed, her body pressed flush against his, gazing down at him.
The feelings she had at last become aware of—love for the first male friend she had ever made, and her own fiancé.
"So, you see? I will absolutely never break off the engagement. I'm going to keep going out with you, marry you, and live happily with you. Because there is no one else in this world who can make you as happy as I can."
"Uh, K-Kir...?"
"You said you don't dislike me either, didn't you? Then from now on, I'll make you like me. I'll learn to be more womanly, like you said. I'll grow my chest and get taller, and instead of you protecting me like today, I'll become a woman who can protect you."
Emotion overwhelmed reason and rampaged, pouring out all her embarrassing words. As the final notes of the piece flowing through the ballroom came to an end, Kir came to a clean halt.
But she kept the arm wrapped around Yune's waist tight, refusing to let go.
Kir whispered:
"That's how I'll protect you for the rest of my life, always by your side. I love you, Yune."
Hearing that, Yune understood nothing—not why Kir was suddenly acting this way, nor whether her words were sincere or if she was trying to tease him—nothing at all...
But he realized one thing with perfect clarity: yet another colossal obstacle had arisen before his future dream of becoming an adventurer and roaming the world freely.
With an expression that blended embarrassment and a sense of betrayal in just the right proportions, Yune thought:
'W-Weren't we comrades, Kir?'