The Director Is Satisfied With You - 3
I caught Luise before she could fall, but she had been staggering in those high heels, so I couldn't help worrying about her ankle. Who runs in high heels? It wasn't as if she'd set out to get hurt on purpose.
She seemed fine for now, yet the pain might still catch up later. If any club members had been nearby they would have looked after her themselves, but of course they were nowhere to be found when actually needed. Useless lot.
That said, I couldn't very well keep holding onto Luise when I already had a partner in Margeta. Having a partner and then spending time with someone else is a serious breach of etiquette—more awkward, even, than simply turning down a partner request in the first place.
"I'm sorry. I ought to be fulfilling my role as partner properly."
"It's all right. I don't feel good leaving a junior behind either."
I was moved by how lightly she answered. Between the way she had come to caution Luise before and this moment now, Margeta seemed to care for her sincerely. Or perhaps it was simply the instinct to look after a junior. Either way, it was a warmth rare among noble daughters of her rank.
"Lady Luise, do be more careful from now on. It's fortunate Young Master Karl caught you—you could have been badly hurt."
"Yes, senior! Thank you so much!"
Luise's eyes sparkled as she nodded again and again, clearly touched by Margeta's kindness. Only the other day she had been scolded by Margeta and sniffling in the club room; it seemed she had finally overcome that terrifying first impression. They rarely crossed paths, but if the bad impression was gone, that was a relief.
And so I entered the banquet hall with Margeta on my left and Luise on my right. When our party of two became three, curious glances stabbed our way, yet they soon slid aside. It is a virtue of blue blood to lose interest in anything that promises no profit.
"Oh."
"Wow, it's beautiful."
The instant we stepped inside, the sheer splendor and scale nearly blinded me. That an entire massive building served as a banquet hall was absurd enough; the interior itself looked as though gold coins had been stacked upon gold coins. The only one among us who did not react was Margeta, who had already seen it the year before.
"Oppa, look at that."
"Yeah. I'm looking too."
At Luise's soft whisper, her eyes tipping toward the ceiling, my own gaze followed.
These absolute madmen.
I almost dreaded to learn how much budget they had poured into it—colossal chandeliers hung everywhere, gold for a base and every sort of jewel set into them.
"If we just stripped every chandelier out of the Academy, we could put out the urgent fires."
"Have you been day-drinking? I ask for a little extra budget and you start spouting nonsense."
"A fellow whose highest education is private tutoring wouldn't believe it even if he heard it."
"Hey, damn it—suddenly attacking my schooling."
Two years earlier, when the Ministry of Finance's surplus funds had scraped rock bottom in an unprecedented crisis, the minister had muttered those words. At the time I dismissed it as a madman talking mad. Even an amount just large enough to quench the fires would have been enormous if it could affect a department the size of the Ministry of Finance.
Yet we would get that simply by stripping a few Academy chandeliers? I assumed he was saying whatever he liked because I had never set foot in the place—like teasing a country bumpkin that you have to take your shoes off on the subway.
It was real.
The minister's words had been true. These crazy Apels bastards—the more you dig, the more horror stories surface. They blew this much money on a mere banquet hall? Now I understood why every other nation had turned its back on Apels during the invasion war. At least they had judged Kfelopen the lesser bastard of the two.
While I unexpectedly felt the legitimate reason Kfelopen held the Mandate of Heaven, the club members Luise had sent ahead spotted us and flocked over.
"Have fun among yourselves."
I gave Luise a light pat on the back. An advisor in his twenties wedged among seventeen-year-olds was not a pretty picture. Besides, catching sight of Villar discreetly stationed in the corner put my mind at ease. With Villar there, I had no need to stick close.
"You enjoy yourself too, Oppa. And you as well, senior."
"Yes, Lady Luise. I hope you have a wonderful time as well."
Luise looked ready to say something, her eyes flicking to Margeta, then she obediently let me go. Since I had come as Margeta's partner, she could hardly hold me back. Until now we had stayed together only because no members were available to look after her; with five of them already gathered, it was fine.
I took Margeta's hand and stepped back. All that remained was to find a decent spot and pass the time until the dancing began.
"Perfect timing, Brother. How about a toast to celebrate the victory? Including your partner, of course."
Tanian catching me like that was unexpected.
"You lot did the hard work, so you should enjoy yourselves among yourselves. No need to worry about me."
"Surely the club's joy ought to be shared with the advisor as well, no?"
Why did he only talk sense at times like this? It would be easier if he simply stayed consistently dense; every time he didn't, it felt strange.
"He's right. Let's do that, Young Master Karl."
"Mar?"
Before I could even work out a refusal, Margeta stepped forward and accepted Tanian's proposal.
"It wouldn't do for the advisor to abandon the members, would it? I'm perfectly satisfied just dancing with you."
"I feel embarrassed always being the one receiving consideration."
"In return, I absolutely will not yield the dance. Keep that in mind."
"Of course."
If you cannot grant the single request of someone who keeps yielding to you, you are not human. Dancing itself is not even difficult…
It will be hard, though.
When would I ever have occasion to dance? Social events were rare, and even when I attended I mostly mingled with older gentlemen.
The belated thought made me carefully look down at Margeta's feet. Her small feet nestled demurely inside red high heels. The idea that I might keep stepping on those fragile-looking feet while we danced made my head spin.
If I step wrong, they might break.
As I suddenly cast my eyes downward, Margeta tilted her head with a puzzled look, and a quiet anxiety rose inside me.
Oppa and the Young Lady walked hand in hand toward the center. Other students parted to open a path for them, and the sight looked so natural it seemed only right.
"None of us are actually going to dance, it seems."
"Why, bored? If dancing between guys is fine by you, I'll partner up."
"Haha. I'll pass."
"Good. I was nervous you'd actually take me up on it."
Listening to Ainter and Ryutis trade jokes, I watched the two of them from behind. Maybe I could have been dancing beside them with one of the members. Someone had suggested a member dance alongside so Oppa would not grow bored dancing alone.
But dancing is done in male-female pairs. I am the only girl in the Baking Club, so I would have had to choose one of the five. All five are good friends. Picking just one would leave the other four feeling left out, so I hesitated. Relationships can deepen—or break—over the smallest things.
"Dance? Luise twisted her ankle, so she needs to be careful. If you want to dance among yourselves, I won't stop you."
As if sensing my hesitation, Oppa came to my rescue. I'm fine, though—I can dance carefully enough.
Yet seeing Oppa step up for me, and the way he nodded just slightly so only I could see, I could not bring myself to say I was all right. When the members heard my ankle hurt, they showed no disappointment; instead they only worried.
Sorry.
Guilt that I could not even apologize made my lips merely twitch. If I could dance with all five I would do so gladly, but choosing only one is something I simply cannot do.
Looking down at the floor, my legs naturally came into view—and the high heels that had made me fall so spectacularly in front of Oppa.
How embarrassing…
Remembering what had just happened, I squeezed my eyes shut. Embarrassing. So embarrassing. If I could turn back time I would go back to the moment before and stop myself from running.
The unexpected victory trophy had left me floating far too long. So when I saw Oppa I ran the way I always do, and only realized the shoes were different after my body had already tipped forward.
Ugh…!
Thinking of how I ended up in Oppa's arms makes me want to cover my face and sink to the floor. Doing that here would only worry the members, so all I could do was bite my poor lip. You idiot, why did you do that…!
And behind Oppa stood the Young Lady. She was clearly attending as Oppa's partner, and I had shown that kind of display right in front of her. I was certain she would be angry. Even when we first met she had emphasized a noble young lady's dignity—and now I had done something so completely at odds with it.
"Shall we go in together?"
"Lady Luise might be hurt, you know?"
But contrary to every expectation, the Young Lady did not grow angry at all. She showed warm consideration instead, worrying that I had nearly fallen to the floor.
I was so moved that I felt ashamed of having been frightened of her until now. Yes—Oppa had said back then that she had not acted out of malice. Oppa had been right after all. She had even generously overlooked my embarrassing display.
And knowing the Young Lady's nature that well, Oppa and the Young Lady really did seem close.
He looks happier.
Oppa with the Young Lady looked happier than he had yesterday. Being with her seemed more effective than the comfort I had arranged through the members.
As expected, I'm no help…
I was glad Oppa had cheered up, yet my chest ached at how small my own role had been. But what can you do? The Young Lady's bond with Oppa runs far deeper than mine.
I'm glad.
Still, I am truly glad he has someone close enough to ease his heart—because I cannot play that role. Yes, and right now the two of them are dancing so beautifully—ah?
Watching Oppa and the Young Lady, I blinked several times. Something was off.
Oppa?
Just how many times are you stepping on the Young Lady's feet?
Young Lady?
That last one seemed rather hard—are you all right?
As I stared blankly, before I knew it they had finished dancing and were returning to us.
Oppa's expression was stiff, his gaze fixed on the floor, while the Young Lady's face was faintly flushed yet wore a bright smile.
Young Lady…
And at the corners of her eyes, faint moisture sparkled. I saw it clearer than anyone, yet for her sake I pretended I had not. Because she seemed happy.