CH 77

Even the most violent storms have a calm center.

Unlike Silkisia and the other nobles who were in a mess, Lestir was extremely peaceful.

No, it was not only peaceful, strangely too peaceful.

“Dance lessons?”

It was one afternoon, less than five days of the Second Prince’s banquet.

Psychke took her eyes off the papers, blinking slowly. She was currently in her small state as she was not using the artifact.

Verndia was sitting leisurely on the sofa then nodded his head with a very serious expression on his face.

“Princess, you can’t dance.”

Psychke felt agitated when he said that. When did he see that?

“Yes, I don’t dance good.”

“You mean you don’t dance well.”

“Does the Duke dance well?”

“I think I dance better than you.”

She didn’t know anything as she never saw him danced at all.

She seldom attended social gatherings, and she never crossed paths with Verndia.

When she got engaged with him, they had a simple party but was not in the mood to dance.

Well, it didn’t matter what he said. Now was not the time for leisurely dancing or practicing.

She flatly refused.

“I know how to dance in moderation. I don’t even need lessons.

Using Isolet, Verndia was the one who spread the rumor that ‘ Glorielle will appear at the Second Prince’s coming of age banquet’.

Therefore, that banquet is where the direct descendant of Silkisia will report her existence and the turning point for the future.

For this, Psychke prepared a lot, and was still preparing.

When she didn’t fall for his provocation, Verndia pouted at her.

“It’s still not enough. It’s your first time standing in front of the people as the ‘Glorielle Silkisia’, hence everything has to be perfect, right?”

That was what Psychke agreed to.

However,

“I don’t have to be perfect in dancing since you will lead the dance, in moderation, please.”

“Do you want me to lead without even guessing your level of dancing?”

“I think you can do it just like how you danced with other young ladies, I will match your steps.”

“Do you think I’ve ever danced with another woman?”

Finally, Psychke turned her head to look at him.

She was clearly offended by the word ‘other young lady’.

‘Well, the duke isn’t the kind of person who would ask someone to be his partner.’

She then wondered if she could kick out the young lady whom he asked to be his partner, if he did.

“It’s usually polite to try to get the partners to agree before attending such an important banquet.”

“Were there any manners like that at banquets other than the debutante? I am hearing it for the first time.”

“It just happened.”

… I’m not a kid, why are you doing this? Psychke intently stared at him.

She notices everything quickly but this one just isn’t.

In his frustration, Verndia finally raised hi forehead and grumbled.

“I just wanted to take a break. To cool off, practice dancing with me.”

Ah. That’s what it meant.

She looked at the thing she was holding once and at Verndia afterward.

She then put down what she was looking at.

“Yes, I understand.”

A paragraph just came to an end.

Struggling, she moved her feet and headed towards the doll’s bed on one side of her desk.

“I’ll get some sleep. The Duke, please go in and rest.”

“Do you want to practice dancing?”

“No. Rest.”

He pretended to be fine, but she knew that his physical condition was not normal.

The aftereffects of using the blue flame remain.

Not too long ago, when he faced swords in sparring, the strength he felt was different from before. Should I say that there is a crack in the wall that was not even scratched?

‘He seemed to have strained his body because he used more than his limitations. It would be best not to use superpowers for the time being.’

After an unsatisfying sparring, she happened to overheard a conversation between the attending physician and Verndia.

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘It’s nothing.’

‘Do not lie.’

Verndia, who did not want to answer, persisted in asking, and at last, she raised the white flag.

‘I lost it for a second when I saw the princess get beaten up….. Well, that’s what happened, though it’s funny that I missed that woman, Shiona.’

Silkisia and Lestir’s abilities influence each other. Be it suppressing or reinforcing other one.

He replied as if nothing was wrong, but Psychke felt sorry for that.

Even if she hadn’t been beaten by Shiona, he wouldn’t have used a stronger blue flame than usual.

She didn’t want to put a physical strain on Verndia for anything.

So, her swordsmanship training was in the process of being alone these days.

The man who read her mind crossed his arms and grunted lightly.

“It means you don’t even want to dance with me.”

“I meant to take a break because I didn’t have to practice.”

“The princess won’t rest, won’t she?”

“I will rest.”

“What are you doing?”

“Just lie still and-”

“You thought?”

“No.”

“You’re bad. You know that I still think of you when you lie down.”

“Do not.”

“Think when you work, think when you eat, think when you walk.”

(TN: Naauurr, Verndia is too expressive when after confessing, my heeeaarttt)

Psychke deftly avoided the man’s gaze as she picked his fingers one by one.

An indescribable feeling of embarrassment crept in.

“I’m going to sleep, so get out.”

“Dance lesson with me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Then I won’t go either.”

He know that she will not really go to sleep.

She’ll close her eyes, pretend to sleep, and go over the paperwork in her head.

That wasn’t all. Verndia clung to her tenaciously.

“Looks like you’re going to practice dance.”

“No.”

“We’ll be the first-time partners don’t even work together.”

“Get out. I will be fine.”

“I should sleep here too.”

“…!”

Psychke, who turned her back to him and lay down, was startled.

Where would he sleep?

As if to corroborate what she said, he sat upright on her sofa. He placed her tightly clasped hands on his stomach and closed his eyes.

To her perplexity, Psychke remained still with her mouth slightly open.

Then she came to her senses and gave out a small voice.

“Duke?”

He didn’t even budge. Even the irregular breathing sound has changed.

However, Psychke was also a high-ranking player.

“Don’t hold me here. I will sleep really well.”

“Do you know what it means to sleep with a man and a woman in the same room?”

“… Get out.”

“Nope.”

“Then I will leave.”

She was going to go out and grab the papers she was looking at.

However.

“Do you hate dancing with me so much?”

He had approached her before she knew it, pressed her fingers firmly to prevent her from lifting the papers.

“Do you hate dancing, or do you hate me?”

“It’s because you’re feel unwell.”

“I know my body best. There is no need for the princess to care.”

“…”

“You don’t spar with me, you don’t want to dance with me, you don’t care about me, you’re the same as you were when we were kids, how can I make you see me?”

“… All right. I will.”

It came out like that, and she couldn’t deny it.

It should be a short practice, Psychke thought as she changed her body size with the brooch he gave her.

But that wasn’t it.

* * *

“I heard you dance well?”

“Isn’t this enough to dance well?”

Are you serious?

With that meaning in mind, she looked at Verndia. He shamelessly smiled without averting his eyes.

“As long as you don’t step on my feet, you can dance well.”

“It is natural.”

“Your eyes are too high, princess.”

Soft waltz music rang through the empty space.

Holding hands, the two rotated their bodies half a turn. The wide-open blue skirt hem also drew a round curve.

Psychke, who accepted his jerking gestures without restraint, cut it off.

“I really can’t dance.”

“It’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

“Get into the rhythm. This is not swordsmanship.”

“Even though I did my best.”

“…”

It seemed that he was dancing with a machine, not a person.

Her movements were correct, but her stiffness was on another level.

“You’ve never danced in front of people except for practice, have you?”

“Do you think I would have danced?”

“No.”

It was obvious that he didn’t dance because he didn’t have a partner, or because she was annoyed.

So it was like this.

‘That’s why he said to practice with him.’

Several times he asked her to follow the rhythm and move smoothly, but she was really stiff.

As she turned three times in a row, he let out a sigh.

The words that had been lingering in his head also came out of his mouth.

“Body.”

“I beg your pardon, princess.”

“Because you are a sword master, I thought you would be good at anything you do with your body.”

“I can’t dance… No, isn’t this good enough?”

“No.”

“How do you make that conclusion? Have you tried dancing with someone else?”

“Yes.”

In an instant, the strength in his hand went up. His expression hardened, and he let out a very low voice.

“With whom?”

“It is bro… ther. this. I danced in the debutante.”

Inadvertently calling Yzhar ‘Brother’, she was startled. Oh my, brother, brother.

“Oh, it wasn’t another bastard.”

He hated that he wasn’t the first to dance with her but it was Yzhar but it couldn’t be helped.

The strength in Verndia’s hands was relaxed. The same was true of the stiff facial muscles.

“Still, you did the debut tantrum.”

“It’s about Silkisia’s reputation, and she didn’t want to say that I was an adopted daughter or he’d be labeled.”

She danced several times without stopping, and then she kept turning around and getting dizzy.

Psychke suggested them to rest.

Verndia escorted her to the couch. He sat down beside her and gently brushed her hair from her flushed cheeks.

“Does the princess still think of Yzhar as her brother?”

It was a voice that contained questions or concerns thrown in passing by.

He wondered if there’s anything left of their twenty years together.

Psychke buried herself in the couch and smiled hollowly.

“No. I think it’s because it’s stuck in my mind.”

“Yzhar Silkisia is a worshiper. I don’t know if Logan is in the cult too, but he’s associated with forbidden magic.”

“Yes, they are.”

Verndia parted her lips.

But instead of speaking outright as usual, he looked at her eyes and raised his voice.

“Tell me in advance. I’m sorry for the princess, but I won’t keep alive the people involved in that cult.”

Psychke stared at him.

There was no expression on her face, but Verndia quickly apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

“No. Could it be that the sudden death of the predecessor Lestir 20 years ago had something to do with forbidden magic?”

Psychke asked cautiously.

It was natural for ordinary people to hate their worshipers, but it wouldn’t just be an ordinary hatred to say that he wouldn’t let them live.

I don’t know if it’s his enemy.

“Um, yes.”

Verndia laughed bitterly.

“Should I tell you about it?”

“No, it’s okay.”

She was curious, but she decided to stop because he seemed to be burying the dark past.

She could just ask, said Verndia, leaning slightly against her.

“No. Now let’s talk about what you needed to.”

While doing so, before going to the banquet hall, he began to explain carefully, saying that he would tell the princess what she must know.

(TN: The leaning of his head to her shoulder, or the sort, the pouts, the cute complaints, how I love them. I need MORE~)