In the solitude of the prayer room, Radinis massaged his left arm. It bore an unhealed wound that throbbed with discomfort.
⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰
Derivis unceremoniously removed the robe that covered his face as they climbed into the carriage together.
“We’ve investigated everyone related to the Eastern Forest and the nearby villages, including even distant relatives of the Empress and her vassals. However, none of them owned any property there.”
“As expected…”
All the forests surrounding the capital belonged to the palace.
‘If they wanted to hide the proof of their corruption, then they would have to use a building for it.’
However, Derivis’s search yielded no records of any buildings being constructed there. It seemed that they had no choice but to follow Rosalie’s plan.
“If only Radinis knew something.”
“I believe he’ll cooperate with us. Even if that’s not the case, our knights will find out soon.”
Derivis nodded.
“Aren’t you busy preparing for the banquet?”
“It’s not that grand of a gathering. It’s just a bit troublesome.”
Thinking about the banquet, Rosalie groaned about her neglected dancing skills.
Bianca had already prepared a dress for her to wear at the event, so there was no avoiding attending the banquet. Rosalie glanced at Derivis, who sat opposite her and was gazing out the window.
‘He’s a living testament to my terrible dancing skills.’
She couldn’t recall how many times she had stepped on Derivis’s feet when they danced together in the garden. Although he eventually spun her around with an amused expression, dancing like that at the banquet was out of the question.
This held true especially since she would be wearing high heels that matched her dress at the banquet. If she kept stepping on her partner’s feet with those sharp heels, their feet would be in ruins.
‘No matter how much I try to hide, I’ll end up dancing at least once.’
Rosalie felt confident that she would step on her partner’s feet more than ten times even with just one dance. She was also sure that it would be enough to break their feet.
“What’s wrong?”
Feeling Derivis’s gaze on her, Rosalie turned her eyes away from the window. Although she didn’t think Derivis’s feet would break, she let out a small sigh.
“I’m worried about my dancing skills for the banquet.”
Derivis, who had already had his feet stepped on by Rosalie several times, understood. He immediately nodded in agreement, which in turn made Rosalie ask seriously.
“…Was it that bad?”
“You kept stepping on my feet.”
“That’s why I didn’t want to dance in the first place.”
“So, you should only dance with me. My feet are probably the sturdiest in the empire.”
Along with that mischievous response, Derivis added that a person’s feet were important. Despite the cheeky reply, Rosalie didn’t find it annoying.
‘Is this what they call being blinded by love?’
Rosalie thought that as she rested her chin on her hand and contemplated the notion of being blinded by love.
“Rosalie, you just need to practice dancing.”
“What if I crush the feet of the person I’m practicing with?”
Her voice carried a hint of sulkiness.
Derivis gave her a meaningful smile and looked intently at her. His smile was the kind he wore when planning something, causing Rosalie’s eyes to narrow.
But before she could inquire further, the carriage suddenly came to a halt. Derivis opened the carriage door and extended his hand to help her down. Taking his hand, she stepped out.
“Devi came today?”
Nathan, who had come out upon hearing their voices, recognized Derivis. He nodded, and Nathan looked at him inquisitively.
“Did you come today because you have something to say?”
“No, I’m here today to be a practice partner.”
Rosalie looked at Derivis with a bewildered expression after hearing his casual reply. However, he nonchalantly called a servant who was passing by and instructed them to prepare a phonograph.
“A practice partner?”
When Nathan raised an eyebrow in curiosity, Derivis simply explained that it was for dancing. Nathan then showed interest, saying that he was curious to see Rosalie dance.
Naturally, he joined in on the dance practice that followed.
“Why are you interested in something like this?”
Rosalie raised an eyebrow as she plopped into her chair. Nathan chuckled, unable to hide his overflowing curiosity.
“Well, I’m just curious about what you look like when you’re dancing.”
“Let’s get started.”
Derivis approached Rosalie and extended his hand politely, bending at the waist.
“Shall we dance, my lady?”
Nathan, who had been observing, shook his head at the rather courteous and mannered tone. For some reason, he thought that the restrained and refined aristocratic speech didn’t quite suit Derivis.
Rosalie seemed to feel the same way. She awkwardly extended her hand, and the two began to dance slowly to the music playing from the prepared phonograph.
‘This kind of music feels so unnatural.’
Rosalie had never been one to enjoy music and songs, and dancing to classical music, which was already unfamiliar, made her body stiffen like a machine.
Despite her efforts to focus on the music, her feet ultimately ended up lightly stepping on Derivis’s foot. It was no different from what happened in the garden.
“Rosalie, you stepped on his foot~.”
Nathan, who had been watching them, burst into laughter before saying that he expected Rosalie to step on Derivis’s foot. But unlike Rosalie, who looked frustrated and angry, Derivis remained nonchalant.
“Hmm, I guess you should really only dance with me.”
“…What I need is to find a way not to step on anyone’s feet, not someone who can withstand it.”
Derivis chuckled and changed his steps at that. He slowed down and simplified his steps compared to before, making it much easier for Rosalie to follow along.
“Don’t try so hard to match the beat. Just enjoy it lightly.”
Following Derivis’s advice, Rosalie gradually reduced her focus on her feet. Her once mechanical body began to loosen up, and she became more comfortable with the steps.
In this way, Rosalie managed not to step on Derivis’s feet until the music came to an end. Then, she proudly declared.
“I didn’t step on your feet.”
“That’s right. Well done.”
Derivis urged Rosalie to dance once more, and this time, too, she finished without stepping on his feet.
“Ah~ you’re getting the hang of it so quickly. How boring.”
As Rosalie quickly learned the dance, Nathan got up from his chair, saying he had seen enough. He quickly left the room when Rosalie glared at him, trying to avoid being scolded.
He encountered Erudit as he opened the door and stepped out. He seemed to be approaching the room.
“Is the Duchess here?”
Nathan chuckled as he patted Erudit on the shoulder. Erudit tried to shake off his hand, but Nathan didn’t let go easily.
“Don’t go in~ You might get hurt.”
Upon hearing this, Erudit’s expression darkened. It had been just before this encounter that he had heard from Joey that Rosalie had returned with Derivis, so he had a rough idea of the situation.
“You… Are you okay with all this?”
Erudit asked, and Nathan, releasing the arm he had placed on his shoulder, chuckled.
“I’m different from you, Erudit. Besides, I think this is better. Everything’s just right now.”
“Just right?”
“Yeah, something like that~. Erudit, go downstairs with me and have some macarons.”
Nathan sang a little tune, adding that he was going to eat a whole box of macarons before leaving quickly. Erudit felt puzzled at his mysterious behavior and looked at the tightly closed door of the room Nathan had just come out of.
The faint sound of music tempted him to open the door, but he hesitated. He feared that he would get hurt just as Nathan had warned. So, he withdrew his hand.
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After dancing several more times, Rosalie was filled with a sense of accomplishment. Throughout their dance practice, she hadn’t once stepped on Derivis’s foot.
“Now I won’t step on anyone’s feet anymore.”
With confidence in her voice, Rosalie watched as Derivis paused and approached the phonograph. He lightly touched the phonograph with his fingertips, the corners of his mouth lifting.
“You’re full of confidence.”
“Didn’t I just avoid stepping on your feet, even with the changed steps?”
“Well, how about making a bet?”
Rosalie, who had never truly defeated him before, perked up at the idea of a bet.
Seeing her interest, Derivis started the phonograph, walked away with a confident gait, and spoke.
“If you can dance without stepping on my feet, you win.”
When Derivis extended his hand, Rosalie took it with a hesitant expression.
Something didn’t feel right, but her trust in her excellent athletic skills and her newfound sense of accomplishment made her accept the bet.
Their dance began again. Rosalie followed Derivis’s lead, executing the steps smoothly.
“You’re doing well.”
Derivis’s praise made Rosalie’s lips curl upwards. She wasn’t just avoiding stepping on his foot; she was enjoying the dance as well.
The song then entered its later stage, and Rosalie, feeling victorious, began to relax. It was then that Derivis gave her a meaningful smile.
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, the steps became more complicated, leaving Rosalie perplexed as she looked at Derivis. He continued to change the steps with an unruffled expression.
‘What is he doing?’
Unable to complain because of the fast-paced steps, Rosalie focused on keeping up, and her body tensed up again.
“You stepped on me, Duchess.”
In the end, despite her efforts, Rosalie lightly stepped on Derivis’s foot.
The dance came to a halt, and Rosalie looked at Derivis in dismay, realizing that she had fallen victim to his scheme. She applied more pressure to the foot she was already stepping on.
“It hurts.”
Even though she stepped hard, Derivis’s expression didn’t change, and he even feigned injury instead. Rosalie withdrew her foot, irritated by his calm demeanor.
“Did you purposely make this bet?”
“I did it since you seemed so confident. Besides, I have a bit of a competitive streak.”
He was truly a mischievous person. Rosalie glanced at him suspiciously, sighed, and stepped away from him.
“So, what do you want as a prize?”
“It’s not that difficult. It’s something very simple.”
Although she couldn’t entirely erase her skeptical look, a bet was a bet. She leaned against the window frame, ready to listen. Then, Derivis approached her, placing his hand on the wall beside her.
“From now on, you should dance only with me; it doesn’t matter whether it’s practice or the real thing.”
Rosalie’s eyes narrowed. Clearly, this had been his plan all along. And yet, Derivis acted as if there was nothing wrong.
“What if someone else asks me to dance? It’s a ball, so it’s not always possible to just refuse.”
“Ah, don’t worry about that.”
Derivis grinned.
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