NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 57
– 1 –
The knowledge of dance in this world already existed in my mind. I had practiced with the two of them beforehand.
However, actually dancing felt quite different from practice.
The stage and costumes were different, my mindset about the dance was different, and finally, the way my partner treated me was also different.
♩ – ♪♪ ♩
Even though I had only heard a few songs on Earth, I couldn’t tell what this song resembled, yet I could certainly sense the music known as ‘waltz’ in this world resonating intensely.
Perhaps amplified by magic, the sound was rich, immersing my entire body in it without any pain to my ears or head.
“They say it feels like music seeps into your whole being. So this is what it’s like.”
I felt as if I were lying in a space meant solely for music, but I wasn’t alone there.
It was my partner, Xue, who allowed me to immerse in that music.
– Hoo… Hah…
Despite the music hitting my entire body, my breath matched the rhythm of Xue’s soft whispers, rather than the music’s tempo.
“One. Two.”
For the first thirty seconds, she looked at me and smiled, whispering that voice of hers.
The sensory stimuli hitting my whole body were not limited to just that.
When I turned around to meet her eyes again,
“…!”
Just like this.
Every time Xue caught my eye, she couldn’t help but break into a bright smile, and my heart reacted oddly every time I met that smile.
Thump…
It beat stronger, stomping out of rhythm.
With a slightly flushed face and an overflowing heart filled with affection, it seemed so.
“Ah.”
Thud!
That irregular heartbeat made me forget the rhythm of the dance.
Why aren’t you doing your job, ‘Nobility’?
If there’s someone worth making up for, shouldn’t I not show up? Or is it better to just accept ‘love’ as it is?
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
I occasionally stepped on her feet, and whenever that happened, she seemed to show more delight as she said that.
“Wait…?!”
“Yeah? I said it’s fine.”
She would then wrap me in a comforting embrace, shifting into a more static motion.
Even though it didn’t fit the music, it was a way of making my heartbeat louder, enough that I couldn’t pay attention to anything else.
Thump. Thump.
Instead, in those moments, I also heard her heartbeat, which was louder than usual, calming me down.
I realized I wasn’t the only one feeling nervous.
Swish.
Sometimes, she would subtly touch different parts of my body with movements that didn’t match the dance rhythm.
Then, suddenly surprised by that unfamiliar sensation, my movements became slightly more exaggerated, and I realized that my dancing had become more exquisite or beautiful than before.
So, Xue was the one making me stand out the most right now.
“You really dance well.”
“Hearing that from a Lady is so rewarding…”
She really danced beautifully.
Far beyond what she had shown during practice.
Therefore… it was a bit embarrassing to say, but ultimately, I had almost no lead and was simply being dragged along.
“Ah…”
I realized that dancing together made me feel like we were both in each other’s worlds.
Unified breaths and gestures, intersecting smiles and glances.
“It’s enjoyable.”
Before I knew it, I had let go of all my tensions and was just smiling.
Feeling my heart sinking deeper into her.
– 2 –
Sonia and Leonis.
Xue and I.
And although we were reluctant, we also partnered with Maria and Alexis to blend into the ballroom atmosphere.
When the three pairs had their times and gathered back on the terrace, quite some time had passed.
“Did you arrive?”
“You were here first.”
“Dancing is quite tiring…”
To be precise, only Xue and I arrived on time, as the other couples had danced once before and had been seated for quite a while.
“So…”
As I turned my gaze to the others while sitting down, the unusually heavy atmosphere struck me first.
The source of that atmosphere was one couple.
“What happened? The mood feels heavy. Sonia.”
“Ah, um, that… I’m sorry…”
“I’m not blaming you.”
“But…”
Sitting at the table, Sonia appeared flustered, glancing awkwardly, while Leonis, further away, spoke with others but wore a gloomy expression.
They had been sent together to get closer, yet somehow they seemed to be drifting further apart.
“… Hmm.”
I had a few guesses about the reasons, but directly asking them felt too presumptuous, even for a Lord.
“Leonis didn’t do anything, did he?”
Looking at Sonia, she seemed more than just disappointed… she looked extremely shocked.
It didn’t seem like a major issue, but her expression made it feel like all the memories of their first party might have vanished.
After pondering for a moment, a decision came swiftly.
– Eve, Xue.
There must have been some negotiation with Eve behind Xue having dared to ask me to dance, considering how they usually acted around me.
I’d better appear as if I were asking both of them for their opinions.
Even if they opposed it, I wouldn’t stop what I intended to do now; rather, the very fact I asked would put them at ease.
– Clink.
– Hmm…?
Feeling a bit heavy-hearted about having to apologize to Xue and Eve, this wasn’t just any scene; it was the first memory of my disciple and subordinate.
I already had a sweet memory, so I wanted to give this young lady just a bit more joy.
– If I take this girl and dance, would you dislike it?
– Eh…?
– Bam!
Just as expected.
After a moment of blankness, Xue’s expression stirred into a mix of irritation and jealousy.
The wave of those feelings was clearly emerging from the shadows, so it was not hard to guess their emotions.
– …
They didn’t say it outright, but it was evident that these girls liked me unusually much, judging by their emotional shifts.
Approaching Xue, I squatted down and met eye to eye with her who was slightly bowing her head.
“Is it bad?”
“Do as you wish… asking us for your thoughts doesn’t really make sense… what the Lady wants is best…”
– Bam.
Xue uttered her words of affirmation, but her face was still quite glum.
Having turned into a defeated-looking wolf, Xue, and Eve emanating a similar aura.
Recalling the joyful memory she had just given me, I couldn’t allow myself to be brazen either.
Thinking how I might ease their hearts a bit, I impulsively decided to do something I would’ve never done in normal circumstances.
– Kiss.
After brushing my finger against my lips, I placed it near Xue and gently called out Eve from the shadows.
“Eh…?”
– Clink.
I could hear the sound of them breaking down, but I didn’t check the outcome and hurriedly turned my body to Sonia.
Sonia and Maria gazed at me with shocked rabbit eyes, which I tried to ignore as much as possible.
“Sonia. Would you like to dance with me? I think it’s still a bit lacking, so I’d love for you to join me.”
As I extended my hand and spoke, Sonia’s rabbit-like eyes widened even more as she pointed at me in disbelief.
“Wha…? Me? But I don’t dance with guys…”
“Of course, you’re the male side, right?”
“Ah, that’s not what I meant…”
“Don’t worry. Xue just taught me well. Now I’m confident regardless of the side.”
I took her flustered hand in mine and led her back to the stage.
Of course, my stamina was top-notch.
Regarding attributes and the body performance typical of a Dungeon Lord, I’d still excel against beings with other intellects.
And as for technique, there was no issue at all.
Thanks to dancing with Xue, I had a general idea of how to lead a female partner in a male role.
So dancing with Sonia would practically be like practicing.
“Uh…”
– …
Xue’s face, which I briefly caught a glimpse of, still wore a dazed expression, and Eve remained silent.
It seemed it was quite a shock… and I felt a heat rising on my own face.
‘What on earth did I just do?’
It was clear I had been intoxicated by their fondness and had lost my sanity.
There’s no way I’d do something like that sober.
Neither a real kiss nor that kind of innocent display of affection from those kids.
“I-I’m not really…”
“If you’re not here to embarrass me, then give me your hand.”
“Ah, yep…!”
Catching myself trying to gravitate towards them, I quickly steadied my mind, placed Sonia’s hand around my waist, and interlocked one of her hands with mine.
I offered her a smile first.
“Don’t feel pressured.”
“Master…?”
Sonia looked exceedingly tense just from looking at me.
Fortunately, by adding a few comforting words, I managed to ease her tension considerably, but just moments ago she had that expression as if someone were choking her.
I might be a tense presence for her, but I would imagine she also felt conscious of being the one playing the leading role as a man.
“We’re not here to debut in noble society, are we? We came to have fun.”
“… Yes! Right…!”
What echoed was a lively music that seemed to express the fluttering heart of a girl.
Although I had never heard the music before, the underlying rhythm was similar to what I had danced with Xue just earlier.
“Alright. One, two.”
“Ah, yes…!”
The time following that was quite enjoyable, at least enough for me to feel like I understood half of what Xue experienced leading me.
“Ah, I’m sorry…!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Sonia, attached to me and unsure what to do, occasionally made mistakes, which I found extremely cute.
Of course, those mistakes were possible because they didn’t hold any real harm. Generally speaking, if it were serious, even small mistakes couldn’t just be brushed off easily.
Though I couldn’t move her around like Xue did, holding her closely.
“Just like this. Slowly.”
“Ah… yes!”
Instead, I was able to naturally turn those dodging movements into dance, so it didn’t matter.
I might not have had the finesse of Xue, but I maintained a calmness that allowed me to see Sonia cutely while employing techniques beyond hers.
As we danced, mitigating each of her mistakes one by one, I noticed Sonia slowly dancing more gracefully.
By then, her smile had completely returned, and I could feel she was having fun.
‘Hmm. Maybe the odd atmosphere between Leonis and Sonia was because they weren’t able to dance well.’
It shouldn’t be that. It must be because I was playing the male role now.
If that were the case, that would be a relief.
For someone quietly nurturing fondness, such times would only become pleasant memories in the future.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes! Ah… that…”
“Then that’s good.”
Sonia’s bashful smile after the dance seemed to peel away a bit of the distance she usually kept.
If I gradually close the gap like this, wouldn’t we have a much better atmosphere later on?
I looked forward to that time.
– 3 –
“I got dumped.”
“Oh dear.”
However, it seemed that good atmosphere was perhaps only on my side.