56. Dinner Party (3)
56. Dinner Party (3)
- 1 -
It was still only 'Lady' for now, but Shue's appearance as she requested a dance, tension filling her entire body, was directed at the one she truly wished to call 'Master' deep within her heart.
The reason this scene could unfold now involved a process of compromise for the greater good between Evangeline and Shue.
[Dalkak (I said I absolutely would not tolerate a single breach of the armistice until everyone was gathered...).]
[But I couldn't let Master attend her first fate (緣) gathering without a partner...]
[Tak (And right now, you're the only one who can be her partner. How frustrating)!]
The deep esteem that could not bear to let her master suffer the humiliation of being unable to dance for lack of a partner at the ball.
A sense of crisis that she could 'absolutely' never hand over any dance partner slot, especially her master's first ballroom partner in this other world, to a complete stranger.
[I swear upon our friendship and our love and esteem for our master... I will not use this as an opportunity...]
Those two feelings—the hearts of two rivals and friends—had united as one.
[Dalgadak (That's hard to believe! Even now, you act cute at every opportunity. But I have no choice but to believe you for now).]
[You have to understand cuteness... When the moment comes for you to hold Master in your arms, you won't hesitate either...]
[Tak (How foxy of you).]
[If you don't adapt... you can't survive...]
...It was probably more accurate to say they had united as one.
In any case, as a result of this compromise, Lin Xue was able to kneel before the master she loved.
"Lady. Please, won't you grant me the honor of sharing the first dance with you?"
And at Shue's earnest expression and solemn request, Libertas froze right on the spot.
For about thirty seconds, she could give no answer or reaction whatsoever.
- 2 -
She had thought she was getting used to receiving people's goodwill in this world.
After all, ever since coming to this world, she had been constantly showered with favor and emotions like respect from her summons.
Feeling other people's emotions—goodwill with not a shred of dislike mixed in, endlessly—was so addictive that she felt if she ever stopped steeling herself for even a moment, her perception of emotions might become warped.
The reason she had been able to handle everything relatively cool-headedly since coming to this world was partly due to the power of her Traits, but she figured this kind of emotional support played a considerable role as well.
'The belief that even if others hated me, no matter what happened, I had companions who affirmed me.'
That was what allowed her to feel confident in everything. Even with the assistance of her Traits, that was not a power that could create something that didn't exist within her.
"..."
However, even if that emotional support had made her accustomed to goodwill and better able to deflect others' hostility.
'It seems it has made me vulnerable to the collision of genuine fate (緣).'
"Lady...?"
She had sensed it occasionally.
Evangeline's restrained sincerity, felt across the path connected by fate (緣) as summoner and summoned.
Even though they were not connected by fate in that special way, Shue's intense true feelings, so straightforwardly directed at her they could be felt immediately.
"..."
She could see Shue, nervously putting forth a part of that colossal emotion, too immense to ever be hidden, afraid of being rejected.
She could not fail to recognize the emotion Shue was showing now.
Even without touching her mana to the contract path, her eyes and expression were already brimming with sincerity.
"Teacher...?"
"Let's go first. It seems it will take a little while."
"Ah, yes..."
Because there was a point of comparison right beside her.
Leonis's face from moments ago when he asked Sonia for a dance, and Shue's expression now, looking up at her nervously, were almost completely identical.
That was why she couldn't easily open her mouth.
'My heart... is beating too fast.'
She felt that if she let out this hot reaction within her chest, born from the duet of Shue's earnest emotion and nervous expression, it would simply burn her entire self away.
So hot that the result of such burning felt like it would leave only ashes, unable to sustain this emotion continuously.
So.
"I'm not yet skilled at dancing. Will that be alright?"
The voice she managed, restrained as much as possible, was composed as usual, but her expression was likely not so well organized.
- Ttagadak!
"O-o-of course...!"
Seeing Evangeline and Shue also looking flustered, nearly on the verge of going wild, confirmed it.
Seeing that.
"Be a bit more confident. Who is it you are dancing with?"
"Y-yes...!"
"Honestly, you too."
- Tak!
At the wave of embarrassment, she ended up unfairly blaming it on them in her mind.
- 3 -
Meanwhile, Maria, who had been watching the two couples from the side, was truly experiencing the meaning of the phrase 'fresh shock' at the new side Libertas was showing.
'So she can make that kind of expression too.'
The subject of that shock was Libertas's expression.
'Despite usually having such an expressionless face.'
Of course, it wasn't a stiff or cold feeling. It was more accurate to say it was a face with a comfortably calm aura.
Her smile was the same.
When dealing with people, she smiled more often, but that smile also felt restrained.
It was a smile that seemed to express 'friendliness' and a close relationship, while still maintaining proper boundaries and distance.
"I'm not yet skilled at dancing. Will that be alright?"
But whether on the 'face wearing no expression because she didn't know what to do' that Libertas had just made, or on her face now.
There was no hint of calculation from her at this moment, and even her usual nobility had diminished considerably.
Awkwardness, bashfulness, and a face smiling brightly, carrying the feeling of 'I like you and cherish you.'
Unlike her usual feminine and noble air, it was a very boyish expression that gave off a feeling of candor.
In summary, it was her 'hidden sincerity' revealed plainly.
'Even if that had been directed at me, it would have been hard to stay cold.'
Maria thought.
That it was a magical face that would break any dislike for the subject and simply change it all into 'like.'
What more if the person watching was someone who already harbored goodwill.
"O-o-of course...!"
Did she know well the genuineness of that expression?
Erasing her usual blank look, Shue, who had been endlessly tense until just moments ago, now wore a brightened expression that seemed to bloom outward. She nodded three times, then firmly grasped the small hand upon her own and kissed it.
She held it so tightly that as Shue rose, Libertas, following her motion, briefly lifted off the ground and ended up falling into her embrace.
"Sorry...!"
"It's alright."
Shue, who usually clung to her as if nestling into a body a head shorter than herself, froze for a moment this time upon seeing Libertas held in her own arms.
She had half-buried her face in the uniform before pulling back, and the face that looked up at her from between her cleavage.
Because the surprise that lingered on that face for a moment softly melted away, replaced by welling goodwill.
"Escort."
"Uh... huh?"
"Aren't you going to do it?"
"Ah... yeah!"
- Tak!
At Shue's blank reaction, Evangeline, from within Libertas's shadow, made a sound carrying the meaning of 'Do it properly, you idiot!'
But naturally, it did not reach Shue at this moment.
"...Hehe."
It only deepened Libertas's smile.
Ttubbeok ttubbeok
Where had her usual languid, slightly slouching posture gone? Lin Xue walked out with a bizarre gait, rigid with tension, extending one arm and one leg forward simultaneously.
- Look over there.
- How cute...
Laughter flowed from Libertas accompanying her, and from the noble ladies in the banquet hall who watched their figures with interest.
Among them, no one mocked or looked strangely upon a woman asking another woman for a dance.
It was a world where one could train in martial arts regardless of gender, and it was common enough for a lady's dance partner to be her escort female knight, given that even among noble ladies there were occasionally those with no other choice of partner.
- There was a time when I was like that too.
And there were even very rare cases where that female knight herself was not accustomed to the situation.
Though there were instances where people looked strangely upon it beyond that point, at this stage, it was simply something that happened within the bounds of common sense.
"Shue."
"Uh, uuuuh? Huh?"
"Try to calm down. You're going to faint at this rate. Aren't you going to dance with me?"
"...!!"
That state of hyper-tension was instantly shattered by a single word from Libertas.
Because if a situation arose where she couldn't dance after coming to the middle of the floor where people were already dancing, it meant Libertas would have to awkwardly stand there and then leave.
"I'll do well."
"Yes. I'm looking forward to it."
Having thought that far in an instant, Lin Xue quickly became the world's most chivalrous woman.
However, the tension that had filled the space between them did not disappear; it simply transferred this time, not to Shue, but to Libertas.
'Hmm. ...This is unfamiliar.'
As she felt Shue's hand, now turned chivalrous, boldly settle on her waist, and as Shue's eyes looking down at her grew earnest, she became newly conscious that she was dancing where people could see.
It wasn't a solo stage but a group dance, so there was no need to be mindful of people's gazes or evaluation, but the very awareness of being on stage was enough to cause tension.
Shue's much taller physique, newly apparent, also played a part in that tension.
"I'm ready."
Libertas hid that tension within her usual poise, but Shue already felt it in her muscles.
"Not yet. Relax, Lady."
Thus, the task of subtly easing that tension stiffening her back naturally fell to her partner, Shue.
The silver-haired, red-eyed werewolf, now completely relaxed with a smile gracing her lips, whispered low.
Her smile, revealing unusually sharp canines, felt much more refreshing than usual.
"I'm not as good as someone else, but I'm confident in the male role too."
"What do you mean by that...?"
"I mean that tonight, the best lady will be you, Lady."
Just as that 'someone' sighed within the shadows, and Libertas was about to say 'That much isn't necessary—'
♩ - ♪♪ - ♪♪
The music, which had been soft until now, changed to a piece with a somewhat upbeat air.
The grace period for those who had just stepped onto the floor mid-way had ended; the peak time had arrived when one must move after completing self-inspection.
"Leave it to me."
"No, I mean..."
The first couple's dance Libertas had ever danced in her entire lives, both on Earth and now.
Tak!
That commemorative first start was the lively step of her partner, Shue.