Since When Were You The Villain?

Chapter 60.

 

It’s like a newbie claiming to run a 100-meter race when they’ve barely even taken their first steps. A baby trying to do a marathon, so to speak.

At that moment, the dance instructor asked Ian.

“Sir Ian, if you have the time, could you assist in the lesson?”

“You want me to help?”

“Our young lady needs a partner for practice.”

The dance instructor explained that she had limitations as a woman in properly executing the male role. She could teach the posture and steps, but replicating a man’s physique and strength was beyond her capacity.

While it might not be an issue if Sophia’s partners were feeble or shorter men, her main partner was none other than Killian himself.

No matter how skilled a dance instructor might be, there was no way to match his part.

And at that very moment, Ian was available!

Although he might not be as seasoned as Killian, he was relatively close in terms of skills and physique. He was tall, had good strength, and a well-trained body, making him more than capable of standing in for Killian.

“Matching your rhythm with various partners is also important. Of course, I would never presume to command you or force you into this.”

With a contemplative expression, Ian nodded after a brief pause.

“Alright.”

Ian’s agreement brought smiles to the faces of the instructor and Jenny.

He placed his sword on one side of the practice room and approached Sophia.

“You’re volunteering to be my partner?”

Sophia asked, surprised, and feigned a reluctant tone.

“Unless you’re planning to serve cold soup instead of hot soup.”

{T/L: The phrase “찬 수프 더운 수프 가릴 처지가 아닐 텐데” (literally “You’re not a person who would distinguish between cold soup and hot soup”) is a Korean idiom that means “You’re not someone who would miss an opportunity”, means she is willing to miss this opportunity}

Ian extended his hand towards Sophia, as if inviting her to a dance at a ball.

Taken aback by his unexpectedly polite gesture, Sophia gave him a puzzled look.

However, she couldn’t assert her pride here. If she were to attend the ball as she was, Killian would be utterly disgraced.

Since Ian had taken the time to offer his help, refusing wouldn’t be polite either.

With a sense of resignation, Sophia took his hand.

“Let’s try to match the music, then.”

The instructor, with an expression of delight resembling a liberated butterfly, went over to the harpsichord.

“Match the music?”

“We’ve brought a musician today, and you should try to dance to the music.”

Sophia had never actually danced to real music before. She even stumbled when trying to clap to the beat, so she was worried about matching the rhythm of the music.

“It’s a simple waltz piece, so try to follow the rhythm, Lady.”

As the instructor spoke, Sophia’s palms grew sweaty.

Finally, the musician who had been dozing off in front of the harpsichord since morning also had something to do.

The instructor positioned Sophia and Ian facing each other and elegantly signaled to the musician.

As the musician pressed the keys to signal, Ian greeted Sophia courteously.

Following the etiquette she had hastily learned, Sophia smoothed out her skirt.

Without waiting for further cues from the musician or the dance instructor, Ian naturally took her hand and encircled his arm around her waist.

They drew so close that it felt like their chests would touch.

Sophia managed to find the waltz position, albeit a beat late.

He must have come after training in the morning, because Ian smelled like a spring garden.

Did he train in the courtyard and come here, carrying that scent?

Sophia pondered for a moment, but soon lost the luxury of further contemplation.

Ian pressed his hand against Sophia’s back and firmly held her shoulder blade with his touch.

“Tighten this area between your shoulder blades to make it strong. Lower your shoulders.”

He whispered softly as he adjusted Sophia’s posture.

Her back was weakly rounded, and her tense shoulders were slightly raised.

“Straighten your back, tighten your lower belly. Let your feet open naturally. Spread your collarbone and shoulders to keep your chest straight…”

In response, Sophia extended her chest, pushing her shoulders back and inflating her chest excessively.

Seeing her puff up like an overeager pigeon, Ian shook his head.

“No, close your ribs and tuck in your sternum.”

“You said to straighten my chest?”

“I said straighten your chest, not push it out.”

Sophia stuttered like a malfunctioning machine in response to his contradictory commands.

Although Sophia didn’t understand anything, she tried to adjust her posture based on her own interpretation.

Ian, who was less experienced in dancing, eventually stepped in to physically mold Sophia’s posture.

Like a wooden puppet without her own will, Sophia let him arrange her body as he saw fit.

“Who’s holding their breath? Breathe comfortably. And don’t tilt your head too much.”

“I closed my ribs and engaged my abdomen. How am I supposed to breathe comfortably?”

“Just breathe with your shoulders and back.”

“How can I breathe with my shoulders and back? My lungs are in my chest!”

Ian couldn’t respond to Sophia’s rebuttal.

Unlike him, who had finely tuned his body throughout his life, Sophia was a fragile individual who had never observed her own body.

Ian seemed to give up and let Sophia breathe as she pleased.

“Didn’t the teacher even correct the basic posture?”

When Ian glanced at the dance teacher, the teacher looked embarrassed and lowered their head.

“I did provide guidance. However, there wasn’t enough time to correct each and every detail, especially when we needed to learn the steps as well.”

There was no spare time to individually correct every aspect from head to toe.

They couldn’t afford to spend time on basic posture when they had to prepare for the ball within a month.

“So, that’s why you’re floundering like this.”

Ian shook his head in exasperation.

However, he couldn’t deny the dance teacher’s point that they couldn’t waste time on posture correction.

So, he took Sophia’s hand once again and guided her into the dance position, determined to learn the steps together.

While the musician, who had been waiting for the posture correction, started playing the music slowly as the two of them got ready.

Moving to the rhythm of the music, which flowed slower than the actual piece, the two took their first steps.

Ian smoothly executed the required steps, timing his movements precisely.

However, Sophia was half a beat behind, her tense posture evident as she struggled to catch up with Ian’s lead and begin dancing properly.

Thankfully, in the initial steps, there were no major mistakes.

Of course, she was too focused on getting the memorized steps right to pay attention to Ian’s response or the surroundings.

Ian created space and adjusted his steps to accommodate Sophia’s inexperience as best he could.

As they progressed into the later part of the routine, it happened.

“Oops! Sorry!”

Stepping incorrectly, Sophia accidentally stepped on Ian’s foot and let out a surprised exclamation.

“Young lady! I told you to do a down-up-up and then left-right-left there!”

The dance instructor, also taken aback, pointed out Sophia’s mistake.

‘I know! I know everything in theory!’

Sophia grimaced in embarrassment, feeling her cheeks flush.

It was as if a connection had been severed somewhere between her brain and her legs, making her legs unwilling to listen.

“It’s okay, just keep following along.”

Ian confidently led Sophia through the dance, making sure she didn’t feel disheartened by her mistake.

He didn’t get upset even when she stumbled; he hadn’t expected perfection from the start.

In fact, he found it rather enjoyable.

Seeing Sophia stumble in front of him.

However, despite that, there was Sophia, putting in effort to dance with all her might.

She seemed more spirited than before, displaying a wider range of expressions.

For the first time, Ian found the dance rather enjoyable.

‘Considering the short amount of time, she’s doing well.’

While Ian held incredibly high standards for the knights’ training, he had become more lenient with Sophia’s dancing.

Sophia made several more mistakes along the way, and as they progressed to the latter part of the routine, she was completely guided by Ian’s lead.

Finally, the routine for one song came to an end, and the two exchanged polite greetings.

“Well, I still did somewhat better, right?”

Sophia turned to the dance instructor and asked.

She had stepped on Ian’s feet about five times, but she felt much better than during her usual practice sessions.

There was a sense that her turns were more graceful and her timing was better.

“That’s not because of you, Lady. It’s because of Sir Ian’s skill. Towards the end, Lord Ian was even lifting you and guiding your movements.”

The dance instructor didn’t seem to give an inch, as if saying there was no way she could praise Sophia even slightly.

The reason Sophia faltered in the latter part was mainly due to her stamina. As fatigue set in, her posture started to falter, and her steps became heavier. No matter how well she remembered the steps, mistakes were bound to increase as they progressed.

The dance instructor was worried that Sophia would not be able to dance properly for the remainder of the routine.

“But compared to the beginning, isn’t there a significant improvement?”

“Well, she is a fast learner.”

“Is that so?”

Despite her concerns, the dance instructor acknowledged the progress Sophia had made.

In front of Ian, whose foot had been stepped on five times, Sophia smiled proudly.

Beyond their lesson times, she had found it fulfilling to practice alone in her room.

“But you’re still not ready for the ballroom. Even when practicing together, it’s more challenging to dance with others at the ball.”

“Well, there are still about two weeks left until the ball.”

Sophia thumped her chest, determined to show remarkable progress within the remaining two weeks.

“Can I check how much you’ve improved later?”

Ian asked Sophia as if he were testing her.

“Of course. Would you be surprised by the incredible improvement?”

Sophia exclaimed confidently.

She had lived her life diligently and industriously. She had received recognition in various aspects for her dedication and hard work.

Of course, if someone told her to become the best dancer in the world, she wouldn’t be this confident.

However, at this moment, she was a complete novice, much like an infant!

With effort poured into the basics, she could at least bring herself to an average level.

After all, wasn’t it natural for babies to grow rapidly?

Especially since Sophia had only just started to find an interest in dancing.

“As the ball approaches, I might even lead you?”

Sophia pointed out Ian’s negligence in practicing dancing.

Of course, Ian knew that such a thing would never happen.

Still, her effort and enthusiasm were appreciated, so he nodded in agreement.

And just as he hoped, a bright smile bloomed on Sophia’s face.

A fact that hadn’t been known for a long time, but it seemed that Sophia Fraus’s face was better suited for smiling than for a gloomy expression.

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