Chapter 10
Of course, Riette was well-known among the three of us, and even in the unofficial social circles held before coming of age, she was quite famous as a sociable child.
So it wasn’t strange that she was meeting and getting around with various people, but…
‘I’ve never heard that she knew the son of a marquis family.’
I remember there being no connection in the novel either.
Could this be a change that occurred because I didn’t ask Riette to be my partner and Cedric didn’t end up partnering with Riette? Since when had she known this marquis family’s son?
I thought I knew Riette quite well as a friend, but this was a bit shocking. I was also somewhat hurt that she hadn’t told me sooner.
“I also found out for the first time today that Riette knows the marquis family’s son.”
Suddenly Cedric offered information I hadn’t asked for. It seems my concern was completely obvious. I was feeling embarrassed and scratching my cheek when…
“What? Why is the atmosphere like this?”
Riette returned. She came in with a refreshed-looking face, but seemed to sense something strange in the two gazes directed at her and widened her eyes in circles.
“Did something happen?”
“…Riette. You chose the young master of Marquis Leonhardt’s family as your dance partner?”
“Ah, that’s actually what I was going to tell you about.”
Riette approached the seat next to me and plopped down, glanced sharply at Cedric, then looked back at me with a bright smile.
“Have you two decided? What are you going to do?”
“We decided to do it together.”
It was Cedric who answered. Riette widened her eyes, then nodded happily saying, “Yeah, that’s good too.”
“I was actually worried about what you two were going to do.”
“Mm. But how did you get to know him?”
Was this perhaps an awkward question?
I was careful even as I asked.
No matter how close we are, there’s no rule that we have to play only among ourselves. While I was curious about how she got to know him, I was worried about whether I was making her feel uncomfortable for no reason.
Fortunately, Riette laughed nonchalantly.
“I also got acquainted with him recently when Father introduced us. During our conversation, Gareth suddenly asked me to be his partner, so I just said I would.”
So that’s how it was.
‘Something recent…’
Then it’s natural that I didn’t know.
“Was it okay to decide on a dance partner like that?”
“Yeah. His face and personality were my type.”
“Ah.”
“When we talked, I felt favorable toward him and we communicated well.”
Very clear and straightforward reasons.
…Oh no. Now that I’ve quit being the sub male lead, has a strong rival appeared to replace that position?
I found myself glancing at Cedric without realizing it. Wondering if he might be bothered by this. But Cedric seemed uninterested and was just sipping his tea.
‘Hmm.’
I suddenly remembered that guy saying it didn’t matter if it wasn’t Riette… when I asked if it was okay if someone else took her, he said it was fine.
‘He should like Riette, but this is strange.’
Aside from me not asking Riette to dance first, there wasn’t anything that should have changed the original content, was there?
‘Why has his attitude changed like this?’
It’s incomprehensible.
It was a night of deepening questions.
Something felt off, but somehow I forgot about it for the time being, and that day we chatted and played card games until we went to sleep.
In the middle, the story of an ancient temple that our Lowell family had discovered was also mentioned, but…
〈Could it be a temple related to Chronos?〉
〈Chronos? Hmm, I don’t know the details either.〉
Since I didn’t know much, the only thing I could answer was that I didn’t know. So Cedric, who had asked that question, seemed to quickly lose interest too.
After playing like that for a while, when Riette started getting sleepy, we decided to gradually disperse and cleaned up the cards.
“Sleep well, Riette.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Riette, who looked sleepy, went back to the guest room first. When it was just Cedric and me left, I was about to turn around to tell him to go to sleep too.
I made direct eye contact with Cedric, who happened to be looking at me.
“Eddie.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to sleep right away?”
“Mm, no.”
Actually, I wasn’t sleepy yet. Even if I returned to my room, I probably wouldn’t fall asleep for about an hour after lounging around.
“Why do you ask?”
“I was thinking we could practice dance choreography together until bedtime.”
“Ah.”
“If we don’t practice, I feel like I’ll step on your feet a lot.”
…That’s true.
If I can’t keep the beat and end up falling…
I don’t want to think about the embarrassment that would follow.
Fortunately, the music to be used at the ball was written on the ball invitation including the order, so we just needed to prepare the appropriate dance choreography for it.
And usually, this kind of social dance choreography was something nobles needed to know as part of their education, so I’d been exposed to it frequently since childhood.
In that process, I’d matched dance steps with Cedric several times, so with just a little practice, we could reduce many mistakes.
“Alright, let’s practice and then sleep. Just wait a moment first.”
The device containing the music was in my room.
It was a recording device called an Arcana Crystal, and it was essential because you had to insert it into the Arcana music box in the salon to properly hear the desired music.
I told Cedric to wait for a moment, then went into my room and opened the storage box containing tools I mainly used as a child.
Inside were several Arcana Crystals shaped like long hexagonal gems.
After checking the title strips attached to those crystals, I gathered only what was needed for this practice and returned.
When I approached waiting Cedric and handed them over, he received them and walked toward the salon first.
“Do you remember dancing the Favorite with me when we were kids?”
Favorite was one of the dance choreographies for the music to be used at this ball. Having been stung by many memory-related things, I quickly answered his surprise question.
“I remember that one too.”
“Really?”
“I clearly remember you stepping on my feet back then too.”
He was quite clumsy back then, that young master.
There were times when I caught him when he almost fell while fumbling around, and times when we both rolled on the floor together because he fell while being pulled forward.
He had begged so earnestly for help practicing dance choreography between men that I reluctantly helped, but his dancing skills at the time were so slow to improve…
If Riette hadn’t been watching from the side, I would have lost my patience, gotten angry, and run away.
…Hmm. Not exactly pleasant memories to recall.
Anyway, that’s how he was, but it was fascinating how he became skillful as if he’d never been clumsy once his head grew to a certain extent.
Was Cedric also recalling memories of his awkward days? He folded his eyes into half-moons and laughed happily.
“At least you remember something.”
“Do you think I have amnesia or something?”
“I did suspect it a little until recently.”
At Cedric’s subtle sarcasm, I shut my mouth. The actions I’d been indifferent to him came flooding back.
Since I was in the wrong, I had nothing to say.
When I argue with him, I can’t win because my conscience pricks me.
Wanting to quickly cut off this topic, I cleared my throat with a “Ahem.” Cedric looked down at me quietly from in front of me.
“Go put in the crystal.”
Cedric, who raised the corners of his mouth and smiled once more at that, quietly headed toward the music box. When the crystal was inserted into the music box’s insertion slot, music began playing after a moment.
I awkwardly joined hands with Cedric, who had returned. The prelude part was for preparing and getting ready, so we stayed still in that position for a moment.
Cedric’s calm voice fell from above my head.
“But, Eddie.”
That voice somehow felt ticklish, so I slightly twisted my shoulders.
“…What.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to practice choreography first without singing?”
“Mm. Won’t the body remember and follow along?”
Soon the music entered the part where choreography begins.
The initial movements were just simple steps to match the beat, and this opening section wasn’t difficult because the general choreography and the choreography danced between men were similar. As I had said, the body remembered and followed along.
But the problem was after that.
When it seriously changed to a completely different tempo and rotation movements began, my feet got tangled. Then I completely lost the beat and the dance became a mess.
I barely moved as Cedric led, but in the end, I almost fell forward, and I was saved thanks to him supporting me.
“Ugh.”
Though I ended up burying my nose in his chest.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
