* * *
Since he had anticipated my question, Klen’s answer also came easily.
“I was dancing with Mother and fell spectacularly.”
“…You fell?!”
And while dancing with the Countess?
That’s a more serious problem compared to simply stepping on a foot.
Even if falling is his specialty.
In a place like this?
But Klen just slightly raised his shoulders, as if it were nothing.
“I only stepped on the hem of the dress, and of course, I supported Mother well so she wouldn’t fall. I was the only one who fell, but it was reportedly more spectacular than expected, drawing everyone’s attention in the middle of the hall. Thanks to that, it became something that people in the territory were reluctant to mention for a long time.”
His tone was calm, as if he were recounting gossip about someone else, not himself.
There wasn’t a shred of embarrassment.
Well, of course.
“…On purpose?”
“On purpose.”
Everything was planned, and he must have fallen on purpose.
He was indeed worthy of the person who declared he would give me advice on acting.
He was always ready to perform, anytime, anywhere.
He had warned me not to dance with other women because I might step on their feet.
Yet, he himself had even fallen down.
And in the middle of the hall, at that.
“I wasn’t invited to other balls for a while.”
“…Well, yes.”
Normally, one would be too embarrassed to show their face.
Perhaps people considered it pitiable even to invite him to such an event?
“Are you planning to fall today, too?”
If so, I wouldn’t have needed to practice dancing so hard.
“How could that be? I cannot show such a disgraceful sight in front of my beloved wife.”
I let out a soft chuckle.
It was as if he had only shown me his best side.
Clearly, since we met after the wedding, he spilled milk, or was violently rolling around.
In any case, it was fine as long as he wasn’t going to step on my foot or fall.
I took a bite of the sandwich on my plate.
The combination of meat and vegetables, arranged very neatly so as not to drip onto this attire, was good. It tasted both savory and sweet.
I recalled the sandwich Linda prepared that night.
Of course, the one I ate back then was incomparably tastier.
‘Should I ask her to make it again sometime…’
I picked up a raspberry and held it out to the side, and Klen bent down and eagerly bit it off.
It must have tasted quite good, as his face soon came closer again, and I pushed another one into his mouth.
We enjoyed the desserts and looked around.
People, who were usually the same, were dressed up differently and chatting merrily.
There were more unfamiliar faces, but this atmosphere wasn’t bad either.
‘Hmm.’
Of course, I wasn’t just aimlessly sightseeing.
The glass bead Ebony gave me was in my pocket.
Yet, no one showing a special reaction has appeared so far.
The possibility that the person wouldn’t come to the ball fleetingly crossed my mind.
But I pushed that to the corner of my mind as the worst-case scenario and continued to scan the room.
The Healer hadn’t arrived yet, either.
The people who were still watching us quickly turned their heads away the moment our eyes met.
At this rate, there was no point in standing in the corner of the hall.
“Adrian. Have you tried this?”
“…?”
I quickly bit down on what touched my lips.
The soft whipped cream on a crispy biscuit spread throughout my mouth and disappeared as if melting after only a few chews.
Feeling a bit sad, I slightly opened my lips, and the same dessert slipped right in.
As I chewed that one and looked around, several people suddenly froze.
‘Did something happen?’
And as I was eating the third one, my eyes met with a girl who was smiling brightly, unlike the others.
“Lord Klen. Lady Adrian.”
“…Lady Madeline.”
“It’s been a while.”
The girl who approached us in one go was Madeline Verr.
Her hair, braided up, made her look even younger than usual.
Today, she wore a pearl hair ornament instead of an emerald one, adding to her glamour.
Even though she wore a dress boldly cut to expose her collarbone, it felt cute, perhaps because of the pink background with white flower patterns.
Then, belatedly, she blushed with embarrassment.
“I heard the rumors, but I never expected both of you to attend the ball.”
“Ah…”
I had asked Willow to tell her that it would be difficult for me to attend the ball, hadn’t I?
I had completely forgotten.
I quickly added an excuse so she wouldn’t find it strange.
“It’s thanks to resting well and recovering my stamina recently.”
Even though I was banned from going out and immersed in dance practice.
“Besides, the food Lady Madeline sent helped too.”
“R-Really?”
Madeline smiled innocently.
When I first saw her, she couldn’t even show her face properly, standing behind Willow.
She had become much brighter.
“If so… um, would you accept a dance request?”
“Oh? A dance request?”
Her sparkling eyes were focused straight on me, not the person next to me.
The surrounding atmosphere also felt like it had moved one step closer.
A dance request. Was she asking me, not Klen? Or both of us?
Even when a couple attends a ball together, there’s no problem with each person dancing with others.
Otherwise, the partners would be limited, and such things are just a part of social activities.
However, the rule of not dancing more than once with a person other than one’s spouse should be followed as much as possible.
Therefore, it might be most ideal for Madeline to dance once with each of us.
‘That seems a bit too greedy, though.’
But wouldn’t choosing to dance with one member of the couple at a time be unprecedented?
“Lady Madeline.”
Klen’s face, who had been quietly listening to the conversation beside me, was smiling as usual.
But he couldn’t completely erase the coldness from his eyes.
A clear smile with a cold gaze.
A bizarrely entangled, incompatible combination was unfolding before my eyes.
“Since she has a spouse, the first dance cannot be with anyone else.”
“Ah! I-I’m sorry. I was so excited after seeing Lady Adrian looking healthy! Of course, I didn’t mean for you to dance with me right now…”
Blushing, she began to stammer, spewing out words quickly.
The latter part was so quiet it was barely audible.
“Oh dear, it seems my daughter has been rude.”
Just as tears looked about to fall from her reddened eyes, the person who would save her strode toward us.
And he gently patted Madeline’s slightly trembling shoulder.
“Lord Klen. Lady Adrian. Good evening. I didn’t expect to see both of you in a place like this.”
“So, Sir Willow is here too.”
He was wearing a neat knight’s uniform.
Unlike the other knights, no other decorations were added to it, and he looked comfortable enough to immediately grab his sword and rush into battle.
Willow opened his mouth as if to say something but quickly closed it.
And he glanced back, mindful of the approaching presence behind him.
Of course, the person standing behind him offered no further interference.
He didn’t even give a subtle hint.
He just stood there quietly, waiting for his turn.
“……”
But his closed lips didn’t open easily.
* * *
