Chapter 52: Dance Lessons — 2

When I timidly extended my hand and placed it in his palm, my body began to move as if it were gliding.

It wasn’t like he was pushing or pulling me in any obvious way.

So this is what it feels like to be guided effortlessly in someone’s hand… how mysterious.

When I looked toward him, he smiled softly, and I found myself smiling back without thinking.

As I gazed into his eyes, the distance between us had somehow closed.

Is this magic, or a dream? I wondered faintly again.

The music and his eyes became my entire world, and I simply drifted within it.

Applause rang out, and the music stopped.

At the same time, the world returned to normal.

“My lady, that was wonderful. I was captivated.”

Bell approached with a handkerchief.

As I dabbed the sweat from my face, my brother came over.

“That just now was thanks to the Vice-Captain, not your own skill. Normally it doesn’t go like that. You should practice with people at an average level—or even clumsy ones.”

Still dazed, I looked up at him dreamily.

“You mean… someone at your level, Brother?”

“I’m good. The Vice-Captain is exceptional. If that’s all you know, you won’t be able to dance with ordinary people.”

Next, I danced with my brother.

It really was quite different. And I stepped on his foot three times.

He said nothing.

When I glanced up at him cautiously, he muttered, “I’m used to it.”

Hearing that being stepped on was normal actually reassured me.
Everyone dances so beautifully that I thought such things never happened. That had been one of the reasons I disliked dancing.

“How often does it happen?”

“Once or twice per song, maybe. Your level is within tolerance.”

“And the worst case?”

“I’ve had someone step on me so much it felt intentional. When I asked other men later, they said the same.”

I burst out laughing.

“Then I’m quite adorable in comparison.”

“Yeah. You’re normal.”

That made me happy.
I never thought I’d be able to chat like this while dancing.

From the other side, I heard a low growl from Brian-sama and turned to look.
But he smiled, so it must have been my imagination.

Practicing with him was deemed “not proper practice,” so it was rejected.
After that, I danced two more songs with my brother, and today’s lesson came to an end.

“You’ve got the feel for it now. The rest is just practice. You dance far better than I expected.”

Bell, who had been offering drinks to the musicians and Madame Mont, returned.

“Of course she does. My lady doesn’t lack rhythm. She simply struggled with facing men. In other words, she needs practice dancing with men other than her brother and Brian-sama.”

Reluctantly, I admitted that was true and agreed to attend a small ball before the court’s formal one.

“Shall we go for a picnic in the forest behind the house for lunch?”

At my suggestion, everyone agreed.

We had the head chef, Bill, prepare a simple meal, and we walked leisurely toward the forest.
Bell and my brother’s attendant, Darryl, carried the food.

We arrived at the very place I had seen in my dream.

We spread out a cloth, set up a low table, and arranged wine and food.
Even though it had been prepared in a hurry, the quiche was crisp and delicious, and the herb-roasted chicken was perfectly seasoned.
I stuffed it into bread with dried tomatoes and mushrooms and took a big bite.

This slightly unrefined way of eating felt incredibly freeing.

“This is such a comfortable and pleasant place. And the food is exquisite—the wine selection as well. Is this the work of the chef and Lloyd together?”

Sitting beside me, Brian-sama sipped his wine with a satisfied expression.

My brother leaned toward us.

“That’s right. Those two often debate food and wine pairings. I just leave it to them.”

I picked a piece from the cheese platter.
A rich red wine had been paired with it.
As I slowly drank, I realized how well I had been provided for all my life.
It took me eighteen years to notice that.

“Maria, you look very satisfied. Perhaps I’ll try that wine and cheese as well.”

At his words, I pointed out the cheese I recommended.
He ate it in one bite and drank the wine.

“This is a wonderful pairing too. The Cruz family truly lives well.”

As I watched him smile, I remembered the couple from my dream.
A sharp pain tightened my chest, and my expression twisted.

“Is something wrong? Did I say something upsetting?”

“No… I had a dream this morning. I think it was of my grandmother and the King of Bayer. A young couple was sitting here, laughing together. They looked so happy.”

My brother turned toward me, and Bell stopped pouring wine and came closer.
Darryl stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

“What’s that about? The stone shouldn’t be involved anymore, right?”

“It is strange. I don’t understand it either. But a woman who seemed to be my grandmother in her youth, and a young man, were here. The man had beautiful reddish-brown hair.”

Brian-sama said, “I’ve heard King Marcus had reddish-brown hair as well. The current king, his son, inherited it.”

My brother idly turned his wine glass between his fingers.

“Why would something like that happen? Could the stone’s power still remain?”

Brian-sama added, “Is it possible the blessing hasn’t yet transferred to the crown prince?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t know at all. I don’t even know when the blessing transferred to me. Grandmother held the stone all along, but she didn’t seem to have it. My mother said it never glowed when she saw it, and her wishes weren’t granted either. How does it even transfer?”

After thinking for a while, Brian-sama drained his wine in one gulp.

“Maria… before you died, you wished to start over, didn’t you?”

My brother and Bell both stared at him in shock, then all three of them turned toward me.

Still caught in the memory of that dream, I found myself speaking, almost pushed by their gazes.

“…I said I didn’t want to be like that… that I wanted to go back. With the fan that had the stone in it, I struck my own hand… and then I died. I saw it in a dream, a few days after the wedding.”

Bell covered her face and sank to the ground.
My brother’s cheek twitched.

Even though the sunlight poured down brightly, the air felt faintly cold.

The next moment, I was suddenly pulled into Brian-sama’s arms.

“I’m sorry for making you talk about something so painful. Please don’t cry.”

I hadn’t realized I was crying, so I was startled.

But I could feel tears running down my cheeks, falling in drops onto the back of my hand.

Seeing that, something inside me broke and overflowed.

I found myself telling them everything—

About the murder plot I had overheard from Jason-sama and Mary.
About how Mary had called me useless until the very end.

And about how the timing of my previous death overlapped with the Belsia visit.
That Mary—and probably Jason-sama too—had died around the same time.
That I was terrified I might not survive past that point this time.

When I finished pouring everything out, I felt strangely empty, yet refreshed.

I let out a long breath and collapsed weakly against Brian-sama’s chest.