Chapter 16: 15

***

“Oh my God, did Lady Daphne ask Prince Usher to dance?”

A woman from the crowd standing with me spoke blankly as she looked up at the platform. In fact, all the women standing with me looked at them.

Soon, the entire banquet hall began to roar. In general, there was no case where a woman asked a man to dance first. However, lately, I’ve heard that at a light ball, a woman may approach a man she likes first and ask for a dance.

But now this place was right after the Emperor had just officially announced Usher’s marriage.

It was a ballroom. The case was different.

Daphne courageously approached the Crown Prince, who no one dared to approach first. Daphne shyly turned her gaze to Usher, reaching out to him with her beautiful hand that all men would want to hold at least once.

I could tell. Even that shy look, there was a sense of certainty in those eyes. If she approached someone with those eyes, she was confident that the man wouldn’t reject her. In reality, Daphne had lived a life that had never been rejected. So, ironically, her gaze was arrogant.

All eyes were now on Usher. Will the Crown Prince accept Daphne’s dance request? The moment Usher received her dance request, the action would be magnified and spread throughout the empire. Perhaps it was Daphne’s intention.

That also meant, in other words, that she wanted the Empress seat.

It was then. Usher’s and my eyes met. Suddenly, Usher let out a soft sigh.

He stood up as if he had decided something. Soon, Usher passed Daphne and started walking somewhere. It was a cold movement that did not give a single glance to what many people were watching. It contrasted with Usher’s usual friendly image, causing people to lament.

Daphne’s face became empty when she realized that Usher was passing by.

Usher came down from the platform and went somewhere. No, he was approaching…

“I think the Crown Prince is coming towards us right now.”

A woman from the crowd standing with me said so. Yes, he was coming… to me.

Soon Usher’s footsteps stopped in front of me. A tall man was standing in front of me. The eyes of the young girls standing next to me widened. In the midst of it, I stared blankly at Usher. 

“Lady.”

Usher, standing in front of me, reached out to me, with a beautiful smile.

“Would you like to dance with me?”

“….”

It was a very interesting situation.

People were now looking at us with open eyes full of interest. A group of women standing next to me, and the emperor sitting on that platform. And even Daphne.

I suddenly wondered what Daphne’s gaze would look like, but I didn’t have time to look at it. 

I looked at Usher’s hand. A large hand stretched out straight toward me.

In fact, I was embarrassed and tried to refuse. But at that moment, his puppy-like eyes caught my eyes. There were words written in his eyes.

Only then did I understand his intentions.

Usher must be in a very difficult situation right now because of his father’s sudden announcement of marriage. In the midst of that, Daphne came and asked for a dance, so the difficulty must have been doubled. If he recklessly asks or accepts someone to dance, it was like he decided on a set partner in people’s view. 

So Usher came to me. The person he was most comfortable with will be me.

Besides, I was recently divorced, and we were engaged in the past, it was relatively less burdensome. People would gossip a little bit, but I had the status and power to ignore it.

When I realized that, I changed my mind about rejecting him. I thought it would be fun to be able to get revenge on Daphne, who I thought would never be rejected.

I put down the champagne and answered.

“Shall we, Your Highness?”

Usher smiled at me. He smiled gracefully and took my hand.

People’s eyes widened.

***

I went with Usher to the room where the ball was being held.

In the middle of an outdoor stage basking in the sunlight, the nobles who came first were dancing. As Usher and I entered the middle of the stage, the music was just playing ended.

People’s eyes were still on us. Feeling those gazes very well, Usher and I looked at each other more affectionately than usual.

However, there was one thing that came to mind at that moment.

“Oh.”

When I suddenly let out a bewildered tone, Usher asked softly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t dance well..…”

Come to think of it, it had been too long since I had danced.

I accepted Usher’s dance request, but my dancing experience was non-existent.

I had an accident when I was 11, so I didn’t have many opportunities to dance properly. I had a few memories of learning etiquette and dancing when I was very young, but I couldn’t fully remember it.

I bit my lips. I regretted it. I should have learned to dance beforehand. Until recently, living with a cane, I couldn’t afford to learn such things. It was a noble’s job to dance at a banquet, but I forgot such an important thing.

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In the first place, it was a matter of choice whether or not to dance at the banquet.

I never thought I’d be in a situation where I would choose the option of dancing. Because dancing was a life that I thought was far from me in the first place.

“Don’t you remember we danced when we were young? When you first learned to dance, you learned it together with me.”

“I have a memory of learning to dance as a partner with Your Highness. Literally, it’s just a memory.”

“That’s it.”

Usher said calmly. Looking up at Usher, he grinned.

“Trust me and leave it to me.”

He looked so relaxed, I was even more embarrassed.

It was when I couldn’t control my expression and looked at him. The music rang out.

“Grab my shoulder, Aileen.”

“…!”

The music started, and we started dancing. My one hand was holding Usher’s hand, the other was on Usher’s shoulder.

One of Usher’s arms wrapped around my waist.

The posture was close to the norm, but my dancing skills were not. I almost surrendered myself to Usher. I wondered if it would be better to get on his feet and waddle.

It wasn’t just that. Why do I keep stepping on his feet?

“Ugh.”

When I stepped on his foot for the fifth time, I eventually let out a grotesque sound.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay.”

Even though his feet must have been quite painful because I was wearing high heels, Usher looked relaxed. My heart pounded with every step on his foot, but when I looked up, he even had a smile on his face. It seemed like he was having fun.

It was when I was thinking that he was mean for some reason. Usher whispered to me.

“Feel the beat, Aileen. It’s not that difficult of a dance. If you learn the beat and movement, you can dance quickly.”

“….”

One, two, three. One, two, three. Usher gently whispered to the beat.

After that, I exhaled. Yes. It was not right to continue to step on his foot while helping him like this and cause trouble.

Besides, many people were watching. It was embarrassing to show such poor dancing skills.

I looked down unobtrusively and watched Usher’s feet and my feet move. I glanced around and began to learn movements to the beat. It couldn’t be called easy movements, but the pattern was repeating itself. Usher smiled proudly at the way I was quickly learning the moves. 

‘Yes, you can do it. Aileen.’

The more I learned the dance sequence, the less I stepped on Usher’s feet. Usher said.

“You’re good. If I take a lesson after the banquet, you will get better in no time.”

It was then. The flow of music changed. Usher said, realizing that it was a climax.

“Now is the climax. Floating pose. Can you do it?”

“What? no?”

“Leave it to me.”

“….!”

Usher grabbed my waist tightly before I could even think of what to say. He lifted me up and I leaped into the air in astonishment, leaving myself in his hands. The music was at its climax.

For a brief moment, I felt the bright sunlight shining high on me. I felt the wind passing by as if hugging me floating in the air. I felt the gaze of people looking at Usher and me. My skirt and my hair fluttered gently.

My body went round and round.

One, two, three, my body moved automatically. Another lap and another lap.

Finally I landed on the floor. I took a breath.

….It was a success.

My heart was pounding. A refreshing feeling flooded in. At the same time, the music ended.

I looked up at Usher. There were no words, but there was little emotion in my eyes that I had successfully danced.

It was the same with Usher. He smiled brightly as he looked at me.

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“Well done.”

It was a friendly voice.

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