A Dance Machine That Defiles Even Social Traditions (3)
A Dance Machine That Defiles Even Social Traditions (3)
After Kir had been attacked while stepping into the garden for air, Yune came to her rescue.
Kir's reason had first crumbled when she saw Yune's bare body. The banquet hall's heat finished the job.
She had been clinging to her sanity by a thread, but the repeated physical contact with Yune during their dance snapped it clean.
The result was a confession so bold it shocked even herself. Yet deep down, Kir felt a swell of pride.
'I was so womanly just now...!'
A waltz and a confession in front of everyone. This was the stuff of the romance novels she devoured.
Perhaps that was why. Her mood was soaring so high that even Yune's dumbfounded stare looked adorable to her.
But that blissful feeling plunged back to earth the moment she returned to the table with Yune.
'...Huh? Why did everyone suddenly go quiet?'
The atmosphere turned so icy that even her scattered mind could feel it. An oppressive weight pressed down on the entire space.
The closer she drew to the table where Duchess Schmut and Erengard sat watching, the heavier the pressure became, and her sanity slowly trickled back.
By the time she pushed through the crowd and could finally see Erengard's face, the Northern Grand Duchess was already watching her.
-Goooooo....
"Hi, hiiik!?"
Kir's mood, which had been sailing above the clouds, plunged to the ground in an instant.
How could it not? The mighty Northern Grand Duchess was staring fixedly at her without so much as a twitch. Her eyes practically dripped with killing intent.
Worse, Kir could clearly see the Grand Duchess's arm trembling beneath the table—visible proof of barely suppressed fury.
And the crack splitting the table. The fissure, so obviously made by Erengard, was thick and unambiguous, a perfect symbol of the rage she must have felt.
To think the Northern Grand Duchess—famed for her deep loyalty—would mar the Imperial Household's furniture so grievously on a day as auspicious as the Founding Festival, seated so close to the Empress. Just how angry was she?
Kir's mind, having grasped the depth of fury required to provoke such an act, seized up once more. This time from sheer terror.
'A-am I... going to die today?'
She realized that waltzing with Yune had crossed a line, and she could imagine exactly what Erengard—who had watched everything—was feeling.
But it was too late. Erengard was already burning with wrath.
Kir's face drained of all color at the creeping certainty that today might be the day she died.
Even so, Kir ignored every survival instinct screaming at her to run and forced herself to step forward. She would die before she let herself back down in front of Yune again.
Her legs trembled with each step closer, like a deer approaching a lion. Duchess Schmut, who had evacuated to a nearby table and was watching the scene, felt a pang of pity.
'I-I'm sorry, Kir. But when Er gets like this, not even I can stop her. And the waltz was a bit too provocative, I admit. You did mess up. Still, she won't actually kill you...!'
Schmut's desire to help her daughter was desperate, but...
This was the first time she had seen Erengard so furious since their academy days, when Jürgen—whom Erengard was already involved with—had nearly been molested by a gang of thugs.
Knowing exactly what had happened that day, Schmut was too worried to step in and rescue Kir. This was the worst possible moment to get on Erengard's bad side; the woman seemed ready to wage a territorial war over this.
And so Kir drew closer to Erengard, unaided and alone.
As she approached the furious Grand Duchess, she looked exactly like a convict walking to the execution block of her own volition.
It seemed Kir was about to bear the full, cold brunt of the Northern Grand Duchess's wrath by herself...
-Patter-patter!
'Y-Yune?'
But because Yune suddenly shook off Kir's hand and bolted forward,
the situation took a violently sharp turn.
* * * * * *
I had to save her. That was the only thought in my head.
-Patter-patter!
'I don't know the details, but if Kir faces Mom like this, she's dead!'
After Kir's sudden confession, I'd had no answer for her and was just awkwardly heading back to the table. I noticed the surroundings growing quieter and quieter, and then I realized why.
The moment I spotted my mother's eyebrows arched higher than I'd ever seen them and her gaze locked onto Kir,
my body shot forward on pure instinct.
"M-Mommy~!"
"...."
Without a care for the eyes of everyone around us, I ran straight to my mother and threw myself into her arms.
But her eyebrows were still arched at a terrifying angle. Tch, this wasn't going to be easy.
To soothe the inexplicable fury she had directed at Kir, I pulled out every cutesy trick I had perfected.
-Grab.
"That dance was supposed to be for you, Mom. How was it? I'm good, right?"
"......."
"Heh, hehe. I only danced so well because you practiced with me so much. It's all thanks to you! Mom's the best! I love you!"
After clinging to her with all four limbs like a koala, I nuzzled my face into her chest, pouring on the cuteness in rapid fire. I threw in that she was the best in the whole world and that I loved her, just for good measure.
I clung to her, completely forgetting the advice from my sisters and even my mother herself about not latching onto her like this in public.
Exclamations burst from the crowd, but I paid them no mind and kept acting cute.
This was a noble act to save a life. My sisters would understand and let it slide, since there was no helping it.
But.
"...Yune. Step away for a moment. I have a brief matter to discuss with your fiancée."
'Even that wasn't enough...?! Just how angry are you, Mom...?'
My mother's anger didn't abate in the slightest even under the bombardment of cuteness I'd poured my heart into.
I had no idea what Kir could have done to make her this furious, but...
one thing was clear. If I didn't stop my mother here, no one could. I doubted even a direct command from Her Majesty the Kaiserin would do it.
So I resolved to keep showering her with cuteness. Because there's no tree that won't fall to ten axe swings, and no mother who won't melt after ten rounds of cuteness.
"Don't be like that~. Ah, I want to dance with you too, Mom."
-Flinch.
'...I-I found it! A breakthrough!'
Right then, my mother reacted to the words "dance with you too."
I started relentlessly pressing that exact point.
"You said I could play however I wanted once the dance was done, right? I want to dance with my mommy~."
"...."
"Don't you want to dance with me, Mom? Is talking to Kir better than dancing with me?"
"......."
"Aah~ it would be so, so wonderful if I could dance with you on my first day as a debutante. You like Kir more than me...."
"Stop."
Perhaps my focused attack had an effect; my mother stopped glaring at Kir and stroked my hair as I clung to her like a cicada.
-Strooooke, strooooke.
"Yune. It honors me that you say such things, but you are a proper debutante now. You should only dance with those your own age, or the person you like...."
"But I like you most in the whole world, Mom?"
"...."
"So please, dance with me~."
My mother's expression gradually relaxed. Then she let out a deep sigh.
"Haa. You leave me no choice. To love your mother so much even as you grow older, I swear."
She peeled me off her embrace and set me down. Her expression, despite her words, suggested she didn't dislike it at all.
And then,
"Take my hand, Yune."
My mother crouched down to meet my eyes and held out her hand.
Finally feeling the joy that I'd soothed her anger, I took it.
-Grab.
"Okay!"
After our hands met, we walked together toward the center of the hall, amid the murmuring crowd.
The people who had been gathering to dance stared wide-eyed at us...
But
-Grin.
"Then I shall grant you a single dance. My apologies to your fiancée, but I'll make sure you have an unforgettable memory."
"Yes!"
We paid them no mind and smiled at each other.
...I was a little uneasy that my mother's eyes kept darting oddly toward Kir, though.
The music soon began in earnest, and the second dance of the ball commenced.
-Whish! Whoosh!
"Relax your body, Yune."
My mother began controlling my body using a technique called Void Object Grasp, just as she had in our last practice. I entrusted myself to her and danced.
The dance was even a waltz, the same as the one with Kir. But perhaps because the tempo was faster, or because my mother's skill was simply too superb,
my movements were far smoother and more brilliant than before.
My mother's Void Object Grasp guided my body, making me dance as if I'd become a legendary performer.
'T-this is incredible...!'
Flustered by how the movements resembled the dance with Kir yet felt completely different, I still swept across the hall, carried by her hand.
"Oh dear... I knew she'd do that."
"Isn't this bad? Charl, can she even manage the fallout from this? A young noble waltzing with his mother at his debutante ball is something I've never even heard of."
"Our Head of House, I'm so jealous... slurp."
"...Sister, could you please watch with your mouth shut? You're embarrassing our entire house. Please."
We passed the table where my three sisters were gathered,
-Fixed stare.
'Ah, it's Chloe. I wondered where she went; she was attending my sisters.'
We also passed by Chloe, who was biting her lip and staring at me.
And then.
"......."
"Pfft."
We passed in front of Kir, with whom I'd just danced, and Duchess Schmut. Both were staring at us wide-eyed; they seemed quite moved by our performance.
Perhaps my imagination, but as we stood before them, I thought my mother's steps slowed a little and I heard a scoff. Probably just my imagination.
After completing a lap around the hall, the music stopped the exact instant we finished.
"...How was it?"
"That was the best!!"
Under the gazes of people who had covered their mouths in shock,
my mother and I faced each other and beamed brightly.
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Yes, Mom. I love you! You're the best!!"