“……….?”
Caught off guard and not knowing what was happening, I instinctively grabbed his hand, and my dad burst into laughter.
“My dear daughter, if you want to dance at the party, you’ll need to relearn the basics.”
“Oh.”
Damn. I just realized. If I go to the party, I’ll have to dance.
And that’s exactly why I always felt out of place in social gatherings.
A chill ran down my spine as I started to feel the blood drain from my face.
I tried to twist my hand free from my dad’s grip, but he held onto it tightly, as if he had no intention of letting go.
“Can’t we just not go? You haven’t replied to the invitation yet, have you?”
I pleaded desperately, but my dad shook his head firmly.
“Your mom already sent the reply before she came to see you.”
“So, I never had a choice…”
From the start, Mom had decided to send me there. Even if I had said I wouldn’t go to Olivia’s birthday party, Mom would have rejected my refusal.
My dad, seeing my stunned expression, smiled brightly and naturally led me as he spoke.
“Our Cherry dislikes dancing, saying it’s awkward, but it’s still something that involves using your body. A great knight must know how to control and manage their body.”
“That’s true, but…”
But what can I do if I absolutely hate it? I have bad memories associated with dancing.
Whenever I attended social gatherings like this, Enoch was always my partner.
We had to hold hands, even though we were more accustomed to swords and fists.
When Enoch’s arm wrapped around my waist, I almost grabbed him by the collar and flipped him over.
“I really don’t want to dance.”
“But your dad has volunteered to be your dance teacher. If you want to avoid it like before, you’ll have to turn me down first, my dear.”
“You’re doing this on purpose because you know I can’t refuse you, aren’t you?”
“Of course. It’s all part of the plan.”
At some point, a waltz started playing on the phonograph in my room.
It seemed my dad had turned it on when he entered, but I was too distracted to notice until now.
Realizing I was completely caught in my dad’s scheme, I quietly placed my other hand on his shoulder.
Then, trying to recall the steps I had completely forgotten, I began to follow his lead.
I ended up stepping on his foot three times in quick succession.
My dad sighed and spoke with exasperation.
“We’ve got a long way to go. You’ll need some intense training before the Balmore family’s party.”
“…………”
It was already overwhelming to keep up with my sword training, and now dancing too? I tried hard to suppress a groan of despair.
The thought of whether I could afford to waste time on something like this made me anxious again.
“I feel like practicing my sword a bit more would be more beneficial than learning to dance.”
“………..!”
“That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it, Cherry?”
My dad saw right through me.
My body involuntarily shuddered. Seeing this, my dad shook his head and said,
“You shouldn’t become too obsessed with swordsmanship. You need to experience more things.”
“But…….”
“Even Mel, your mom, never neglected her dance practice. I was always her practice partner.”
At my dad’s words, I recalled my mom’s dancing skills.
Whenever I watched my parents dance at parties, I couldn’t take my eyes off them.
It wasn’t just because they were a handsome and beautiful couple, but because their movements flowed together so beautifully.
“She’s practiced until she danced that well, but how is your mother now? Did she become weak at swordsmanship because of her dance practice?”
“No, mom is strong.”
I bit my lip. Indeed, if my swordsmanship were so fragile that a bit of dance practice could weaken it, then it was flawed from the start.
I thought I had regained some composure after being gently reassured by my mom, but in truth, I hadn’t, and my dad saw right through it.
“I’m sorry. I’ll learn properly.”
“We wouldn’t force anything on you that isn’t good for you. Trust us, okay?”
I nodded quietly and tried to follow the rhythm my dad set.
Honestly, I still doubted how dancing could help me with the block I hit in my swordsmanship.
Though I wasn’t sure, since it was my dad’s advice, I decided to push the necessity of dance practice into a corner of my mind.
“Oh, sorry.”
“…Our Cherry isn’t usually this clumsy with her body. What’s going on?”
It seemed it would take some time to get used to it.
***
At the Balmore Marquessate.
In the middle of a lavish and beautifully decorated party, Olivia anxiously gazed toward the entrance, tightly clutching her fan.
“Will they come? They’ll come, right? They’ll definitely come, won’t they?”
She had already rejected all the men who persistently asked her to dance one by one.
She had someone specific in mind with whom she wanted to share her first dance on her eighteenth birthday.
Watching Olivia, who was struggling to maintain her composure, her nanny gently reassured her.
“Just wait a little longer. They replied that they would definitely attend.”
Olivia’s gaze remained fixed on the entrance of the ballroom.
She was determined to claim her first dance on her eighteenth birthday, the day she would be recognized as a full-fledged adult.
Ever since she stepped into high society at the age of 14, that had been her only goal.
Olivia must have employed countless tricks to achieve that goal.
“But they rarely attend parties like this…”
She couldn’t be certain. But at the same time, she couldn’t give up hope either.
Olivia comforted herself with the thought that the party had just begun and took a sip of her drink, though her throat was parched with anxiety.
Just then, someone approached Olivia and spoke to her.
“It’s a beautiful party, Lady Balmore.”
“Congratulations on becoming an adult at eighteen.”
These were ladies she had often associated with since childhood.
Now, their families had grown distant.
Although they shared a slightly awkward relationship, merely exchanging greetings at social gatherings, such relationships were quite common in high society.
“Thank you for your congratulations.”
Olivia quickly shifted her anxious expression and smiled brightly.
As the main character of the party, Olivia, who was dressed lavishly, exuded a fresh atmosphere, like a flower bud in bloom.
Lizzy Vanderwall, one of the ladies who had approached her, covered her mouth with her fan and smiled as she spoke.
“Indeed, this is the Balmore Marquessate. They say the Marchioness Balmore was once called the flower of high society, and thanks to Lady Balmore, we have learned so much from her.”
“Is that so?”
Olivia also covered her mouth with her fan and smiled.
However, if one looked closely, they would notice her hand holding the fan was trembling slightly.
‘How dare she…’
It sounded like a compliment, but it was actually a veiled insult directed at Olivia.
Knowing full well that Olivia was hosting this party, Lizzy’s words carried multiple meanings.
They implied that Olivia had received a lot of help from the Marchioness, that she still hadn’t escaped her mom’s shadow, and that the party was somewhat lacking in sophistication.
These subtle digs infuriated Olivia, but before she could respond with a smile, Lizzy continued.
“By the way, it seems that not all the guests who should be here have arrived yet. Did you receive any notice, Lady Balmore?”
“……….”
Olivia’s smile, hidden beneath her fan, stiffened.
The entrance to the ballroom remained quiet, with the name she had been eagerly awaiting yet to be announced.
