episode_0021

[Episode 21] – Dance Dance Dance (2)

“Princess…”

“…”

“You really can’t dance, can you?”

Although she hadn’t practiced dancing exclusively for a month, the princess’s dancing skills were dismal regardless of her young age. She turned her back to me, puffing out her cheeks as if she no longer wanted to dance.

The dance the princess was learning at the moment was the ballroom waltz, a dance that relied on elegant and restrained grace. However, somehow when the princess danced the waltz, it turned into traditional mask dance.

Clumsy and awkward.

The princess had a good memory, so she had memorized all the movements, but her body couldn’t keep up at all. Puffing out her cheeks as if to warn me not to make fun of her while frowning, she looked up at me.

Ignoring her gaze, I continued massaging the princess’s legs thoughtfully. I, too, understood the heart of a princess who couldn’t dance. When I was in school, I was heavily criticized for being clumsy when forced to learn group dances. There was a time when everyone else was in sync, but I couldn’t keep up with the beat alone.

No matter how much I practiced, I couldn’t keep up with the rhythm, felt self-conscious around friends, and no matter how hard I practiced, my clumsiness didn’t improve.

“If I used the method I used back then… could the princess’s clumsiness improve?”

At that time, I thought, if I used the method I used back then, even if I couldn’t fix her clumsiness, could I fix her awkwardness? No, I had to fix it somehow.

Already, a whole month had passed, and there wasn’t much time left until the party. I couldn’t let the princess show her boneless dance to others at her birthday party.

After finishing the princess’s leg massage and getting up from my seat, I reached out my hand to help her up. With a resigned expression, the princess reluctantly took my hand and got up from her seat.

“Princess, do you know about rhythmic gymnastics?”

“Rhythmic… gymnastics…?”

The princess widened her eyes in surprise.

It seemed as if there was no rhythm here, or perhaps the princess was simply unaware of it. Regardless, the princess appeared to be oblivious to the concept of rhythm. I had once managed to overcome my clumsiness to a certain extent through rhythm. No matter how uncoordinated one might be, as long as you could keep the beat, you could dance. By ingraining a sense of rhythm into my body, I was able to flawlessly perform group dances with everyone.

Even after becoming an adult, dancing to a rhythm was embarrassingly mortifying. Nevertheless, in order to correct the princess’s clumsiness, I had no choice but to start with simple rhythms.

“…For now, just follow along with your body.”

Recalling a very easy and short rhythmic exercise I had heard in a TV commercial long ago, I raised both hands above my waist in front of the princess. Then, moving back and forth, I began to keep the beat.

“Clap clap clap, arms go round and round~”

Following the lyrics, I clapped three times and then rotated my arms around my chest. The princess also started earnestly imitating my movements while looking at me.

“Pound pound pound on the stomach, stretch out tall~”

Using both hands, I pounded on my stomach and then raised my hands above my head, stretching onto my tiptoes. The princess also diligently followed my movements, starting to do rhythmic exercises.

Somehow, the princess’s face was full of smiles as she enthusiastically did rhythmic exercises at her young age. Was it fun for her to do rhythmic exercises at her young age? For now, I continued the rhythmic exercises as far as I could remember.

After the rhythmic exercises ended, I looked down at the tired princess. Even though the movements were simply repetitive, she still repeated the movements from the rhythmic exercises, seeming to find them enjoyable.

When I looked down at the princess, who was swaying her hips back and forth with her hands on her waist, a chuckle escaped me. I remained crouched and met the princess’s gaze.

“How about this? Isn’t this a bit easier?”

The princess nodded.

“Let’s start by matching the beat with these simple rhythmic exercises. If we practice each rhythm one by one, we’ll quickly be able to learn the waltz.”

“Are there other types of rhythms?”

The princess grabbed my knees with an excited voice, her round eyes sparkling as she looked at me. Indeed, one could say she still seemed like a six-year-old child.

Just by looking at her, she seemed no different from an ordinary child rather than a princess. I chuckled and gently ruffled the princess’s hair. She giggled as if my touch tickled her.

“Alright then, there’s more. Let’s learn step by step through practice.”

As I got up from my seat, I continued the princess’s dance practice. After teaching her the waltz for about a week, I would switch back to teaching her the minuet, expecting her posture to improve somewhat.

“The movements are easy, so you’ve already memorized them, right? I’ll sing the song, so try it again to match the rhythm.”

Clap! I clapped my hands to draw the princess’s attention to me and resumed her dance practice. Then, I began singing the children’s dance again, enduring my embarrassment.

“Clap your hands, clap clap~”

Apart from the dance lessons with the princess, I had a lot to do. I needed to study about “witches” as Einzel had instructed, and I also had to prepare lessons about the princess’s fairies.

And the most important thing I had focused on for the past month…

“I greet Her Majesty, the Queen.”

“Bangcho.”

While walking through the grand corridor, I encountered Bangcho carrying something in his arms. I gazed at the ‘something’ in Bangcho’s arms and let out a long sigh.

“…Are you going to bring ‘paints’ to Her Majesty again today?”

“…This is all I can offer to Her Majesty.”

“You seem to indulge Her Majesty’s whims too much, don’t you think?”

Bangcho smiled bitterly at my words, as if he knew it himself.

I headed to the same place with Bangcho. For the past month, without fail, I had visited this place every single day. It was the deep chamber of the palace where the king had abdicated.

Bangcho knocked on the door twice as if familiar with it, placed the paints in front of the door, and then, distancing himself enough that his footsteps couldn’t be heard from inside the room, he checked on Her Majesty’s well-being.

Creak—

The door opened ever so slightly, and from within, a delicate, slender arm extended. Just as Bangsyo had said, I wondered if anyone could mistake that hand for a man’s arm. Even my own forearm seemed thicker in comparison.

The hand, as if snatching at paint, swiftly retreated back into the room. I, too, gazed at this sight and, like Bangsyo, let out a deep sigh.

“Once again, it is fortunate that Your Majesty is still with us today.”

“…It seems that with each passing day, Your Majesty’s strength is waning. It may not be long now before Your Majesty’s time runs out.”

“…”

Without another word, Bangsyo turned her head briefly and wiped away a tear. Indeed, just by looking at the king’s arm, one could say that only bones remained. While Bangsyo saw to his meals, there was no way to confirm if he ate properly, leaving his actual health status uncertain.

“Oh, I wish I could just pull out that arm when it comes out. Seriously.”

I had tried once before. I waited until the king’s arm emerged outside the door where the paint was placed, but somehow, on the day I stood at the door, the king did not reveal himself.

I sighed quietly and approached the firmly closed door, knocking firmly. Now, disregarding the familiar silence, I began recounting the events of the day.

How the princess was faring.

What the princess had been up to today.

What was happening in the capital.

How the queen was doing.

Every day, I came here and spoke to the king in front of the firmly closed door. Of course, there had never been a single response, but even if someone had never shown love to their child, I wondered if there wasn’t an ounce of affection. To provoke that tiny bit of conscience.

At least, I believed the king was still human.

However, whether there was any conscience in this human heart at all, the king remained silent even as the talk of the queen aging slowly crept in. Sometimes at moments like these, I wondered if he truly was human.

“…I will come to visit again tomorrow, Your Majesty.”

Eventually, I had no choice but to turn my back here again today. Frustrated, I let out a deep sigh and turned away, muttering curses under my breath as I shook my head in annoyance.

Then, Eincelle asked me with concern, “Are you okay?”

“I’m feeling nauseous from the irritation. Every time I speak to the king over there, it feels like my stomach is turning inside out.” I felt a burning sensation every time I addressed the king there. Frustrated and seething with anger, I found myself soothing my aching heart every day.

Honestly, how did Bangsyo endure this for two years?

“…Well, I’m putting up with this because there’s still time. If the king doesn’t emerge from his corner by next month…”

The thought irritated me more and more. Despite my willingness to wait until the last moment, if that period passed, I would be so agitated that I wouldn’t know how to act.

Sighing to calm my frustrated mind, I made my way back to the room where the princess was practicing her dance. I breathed several times to cool my temper and minimize any signs of irritation.

As I slowly opened the door and entered the room where the princess was practicing, she stopped drumming her belly and met my gaze. She puckered her lips as if embarrassed and resumed her dance moves, even singing the song I had taught her.

“Clap clap clap, arms go zoom zoom~”

Seeing the princess dancing with such enthusiasm, the feeling of frustration I had just experienced melted away. Leaning against the wall with my arms crossed, I smiled and watched the princess’s dance.

Perhaps due to the simple rhythm of the song, the princess quickly matched the beat of the dance, swaying her hips. I truly hoped this adorable princess hadn’t been hurt by that reclusive king in the corner.

At least I prayed inwardly that the king would come out of his corner within the given time frame. After all, I didn’t want to show a fighting spirit in front of the princess for no reason.