Chapter 9
Time had passed before I knew it…
The coming-of-age ball was now only about four days away.
In the meantime, many things had happened around us.
Perhaps because I had dragged out the time too long, from what I heard through rumors, Viola seemed to have accepted another young nobleman’s dance partner request…
And my father, while developing by digging underground to create the medicinal herb inn, discovered a hidden ancient temple, and since he had obtained underground usage rights from the Lord of Runier from the beginning, our family came to own it and struck it rich…
Well, our family was already well-off financially, so I couldn’t really feel the celebratory atmosphere of striking it rich.
I reflected on the events that had passed. And there was a very important problem remaining for me.
‘Dance partner… what should I do?’
Right. A dance partner to dance with at the ball. The fact that I still hadn’t decided on one even now with only four days left until the ball… was currently the most important problem for me.
Cedric never introduced a suitable dance partner candidate until the end, and I also couldn’t make any real decision until now.
Of course, since I felt sorry toward Viola, I thought it was rather good that she had decided on someone else as her dance partner early on.
Anyway.
Now it was really time to make a decision.
Whether to find a dance partner or not.
If I was going to find one, I needed to contact someone right away, but who should I contact to ask their intentions?
It takes three days to reach the imperial palace, so considering that time, I needed to depart by carriage tomorrow morning, making the time too tight.
That’s why Riette and Cedric are also at our house right now. To travel together tomorrow morning.
“Haah.”
Actually, even contacting someone right away felt like I’d missed the timing. Even if I sent an express letter now, there was a high probability I wouldn’t receive a reply by tomorrow morning.
Of course, since the ball wouldn’t proceed immediately upon arriving at the palace, it would be possible to find a partner there if necessary.
The problem is if there’s no one left without a partner. Honestly, going around pathetically asking whether people have partners or not is also somewhat…
‘In that case, it’s better to just stay in my room alone.’
If you don’t have a dance partner, it’s impossible to participate in the Great Hall where dancing takes place, so while others are laughing and enjoying themselves dancing, I’d be alone in my room chewing on solitude.
“Phew.”
Perhaps my soon-to-come future…
“I heard Lord Edgar couldn’t find a dance partner in the end?” or “Oh my. How pitiful.” Such stories would probably circulate behind my back.
“Haaaaah.”
“Why do you keep sighing since earlier?”
“Doesn’t the situation call for sighing right now?”
This is all because of someone.
Something surged up inside me, so I snapped back like that, and Cedric stared at me intently.
After dinner, Cedric and I had washed first, and Riette had briefly stepped away to wash last, so only Cedric and I remained in the salon.
“…Stop being stubborn now.”
“What?”
“You’re going to ask Ret to dance with you anyway.”
Ugh, that again.
“I’m not going to!”
I shouted while keeping my voice as low as possible, worried that Riette might hear this conversation if she was returning from washing.
When I glared at him with wide eyes, Cedric, who had briefly closed his mouth, fluttered his eyelashes down.
“It’s fortunate if you really don’t have such intentions.”
“Right! How many times do I have to say it?”
“So Eddie, what are you going to do now?”
“What now?”
“Because you acted like an idiot, Ret already decided on her dance partner first. You… won’t be able to dance with Ret at this ball.”
Huh? What does this mean? Is he saying in a roundabout way that she’ll be dancing with him?
As I hesitated to answer because I couldn’t understand the meaning behind his words, Cedric, who sighed briefly, added.
“Ret said she’s going to dance with Gareth.”
“What?”
“I asked when you went to wash up.”
Where did this Gareth guy pop up from?
“Hey! Why did you…”
If it followed the original story, Riette would have definitely accepted this guy’s partner proposal. This kind of thing shouldn’t happen.
“Don’t tell me… you didn’t ask Ret to dance with you?”
“I didn’t.”
“Why didn’t you!”
“…Why should I?”
Cedric raised one eyebrow crookedly.
I felt like my throat was blocked.
“Don’t you care if Ret gets taken by someone else?”
“I don’t care.”
It was an answer without even a hint of hesitation. Confused by the unexpected situation, I just gaped like a fish, and Cedric, who was looking at me with unusually subdued eyes today, asked calmly.
“Were you worried that I would ask Ret to dance?”
“…That was part of it, but anyway, I wasn’t going to do it.”
“Eddie. I don’t have to be Ret. Really, it doesn’t matter.”
“Same here. Please believe what I say now.”
With my mumbled words, silence fell.
I never thought the situation would turn out like this.
I fidgeted with my hands for a long time before asking.
“Then who are you dancing with? Have you decided?”
“I… don’t have a partner yet.”
His tone suggested it didn’t really matter if he didn’t have one.
So until then, I thought this guy probably didn’t care if he couldn’t dance at the ball. That was until Cedric suddenly made an expression like he was dying of sadness.
“Eddie, what should I do?”
“Huh?”
“It’s too late to find someone to dance with now.”
“Ah, hmm.”
When he suddenly exuded a pitiful atmosphere like a puppy caught in the rain, it tugged at my heartstrings. I observed Cedric’s mood and clumsily comforted him.
“But if you ask, I don’t think anyone would refuse. Even if they have to change partners, they’d definitely want to dance with you. Don’t worry too much.”
“No. That’s too trashy. And if I look for someone without a partner, that’s also a bit… I don’t think there’s anyone left. I’ll just have to watch others dance and suck my thumb sadly.”
No, why is he suddenly being so negative?
When I was flustered, not knowing how to respond, Cedric’s voice continued cautiously.
“So, couldn’t you be my dance partner?”
“What? Me?”
“You haven’t found someone to dance with yet either. I heard that Viola woman also found another partner.”
“That’s true, but…”
“We both don’t have partners anyway, and in cases like this, it’s not strange for friends to dance together, so it’s fine. At this rate, we’ll just end up sitting face to face in our rooms giggling anyway, so let’s be partners, okay?”
He argued so logically that I had nothing to say.
Right. There’s no problem with that.
Dancing between the same gender isn’t something that would draw harsh social criticism.
The only problem would be that I’m a little, just a little uncomfortable with a male partner… but even that, since it’s Cedric who’s a friend.
“Mm… sure. Why not.”
I eventually accepted his proposal.
I couldn’t just leave him whining like that. After hearing Cedric’s upset feelings, my heart had softened and I couldn’t be as harsh as before, nor did I want to.
“…You’ll really be my partner?”
“You’re the one who asked to be partners first. Were you just joking?”
“No.”
Cedric immediately shook his head in denial.
His face quickly relaxed into a pleased expression.
‘Was he that happy about having a partner?’
Perhaps he had been very worried inside about not being able to find a dance partner. If he’s the Grand Duke’s son, he’d be more sensitive about it due to social appearances.
After watching Cedric’s face for a moment, I soon brought up my earlier question.
“So who is this Gareth guy anyway?”
Cedric answered lightly while picking up his teacup, looking much more excited than before.
“He’s the son of Marquis Leonhardt.”
“Ah, Marquis Leonhardt?”
The Leonhardt Marquis family.
I naturally knew that family name. Along with the Soliwen Grand Duke family, the Leonhardt Marquis family was called a pillar of the empire.
‘It was a family that wielded great influence in the western territories, opposite to the eastern territories centered around the Soliwen Grand Duke family.’
And I was also well aware that the marquis had a young son who was coming of age this year like us.
Until I recovered my past life memories, I had thoroughly studied the Nemad Empire as the heir to the Lowell Count family.
However, since the territories were quite far apart, we rarely met, and young nobles before coming of age don’t engage in official social activities, so this was the first time I heard that son’s name was Gareth.
I guess he’s coming up to the capital for the ball…
‘How did Ret get to know him?’
That was what puzzled me.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
