episode_0063

“All I can see are the two young ladies. Who is escorting them?”

“Of course, I was escorting Lady Elsie.”

“Ex.”

“Are you saying that the Grand Duchess is escorting the Baroness? A person of higher status is escorting someone of lower status?”

“ Originally, at a ball, escorts were not determined based on social status, but rather, a more familiar person would escort an unfamiliar person. That is why it is called an ‘escort.’ After all, Lady Elsie was a Baroness and, as you know, lived with nature as her friend. That’s why I’m not that familiar with such a complicated place.”

“Eek?”

“I understand that the two of you have been accompanying the escort and the escorted person for 10 years. If so, you must have followed the Grand Princess of Delki City to many places. You have never been to a place like this?”

“The person who escorted me was usually a relative. Sometimes it was my father, sometimes it was my uncle. But once again, ‘as you know’, Delkisi is currently fighting, and all men who can fight are always fighting. He is either preparing for or is on the battlefield. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to see Elsie in places like this. Usually, she was just my escort.”

The crown prince’s face turned towards me. I thought he was asking, ‘Is that really true?’, so I quickly nodded.

In fact, about 70% of it was exaggerated and made up. I was originally extremely uncomfortable coming to places like this, so Amelia made up an excuse for me.

Delkisi was also a collateral family of the Grand Duke’s family, so if you ask to be an escort, you can go with as many people as you like. However, the people who can escort him include Amelia’s father, so if I make a mistake, I end up being a noble daughter ‘escorted by the Grand Duke himself’. .

The Archduke knew very well that he did not want me to face such a situation, so he joined in Amelia’s ridiculous excuse.

They were patient people.

… … No, now is not the time to be thinking about that, really.

“In that case, am I not qualified?”

What nonsense is this man talking about?

Ignoring the fact that I was looking at him with an expression of astonishment—no, with an expression of open enjoyment—the crown prince pounded his chest with his fist and said,

“Doesn’t that mean that this is the place where the Lady of Delkisi is properly introduced for the first time? I can make her debut splendid.”

I was startled when I heard a small exhalation from those around me.

When I came to my senses, there were people surrounding us and watching.

That’s only right. The crown prince is talking to us. Moreover, the person they were arguing with was Amelia. It ended up being like the crown prince and the grand duchess fighting over the baron’s daughter.

Even if I explain it in words, it feels very strange, but what do people who see this scene think in person?

I am seeing this as an aristocrat and as someone who has not completely abandoned the conservative medieval notions of food.

“Sorry, sorry.”

In order to somehow resolve this situation, I quickly opened my mouth.

“My dancing skills are so poor that I feel like I will be a disgrace to the crown prince.”

A startled intake of breath was heard.

It was said that he had outright rejected the crown prince’s request to dance.

No, he said that if I couldn’t dance, he would kick me from behind.

The more glamorous and shining the debut position was, the more merciless the social world was to those who were deemed unworthy of that position. Moreover, considering my age, my debut was quite late, so I guess you could say it was already flawed.

Although I had no intention of debuting in the first place.

“Can I teach you well?”

The crown prince was persistent.

The more we talked, the more he seemed to be enjoying this situation. When I thought about it again, I realized that this person was enjoying the fact that he was now in a more advantageous position than me.

When you met me in Delkisi before, it was my home ground, but now this is the crown prince’s home ground… … No, it was because of where I was from.

Could it be that they think this is the second round?

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

But Amelia spoke firmly to the prince.

“Sorry, but the person Elsie will dance to for the first time has been decided.”

“Oh, someone?”

The crown prince asked, deliberately looking a little exaggeratedly surprised, as if he already knew that fact, or expected it.

So, who is it? This story has never been discussed.

Is it possible that a distant relative I know is at this ball? It wouldn’t be strange if Amelia had talked to that relative in advance.

“When you come to a place like this, the first person you dance and learn from is the person who escorts you. That’s the way to feel most at ease.”

“… … .”

Ugh, I couldn’t even make a sound.

At Amelia’s confident declaration, the people around her even stopped whispering.

No, what are you talking about now?

“Hoo.”

Why does this person have that ‘I thought it was like this’ look on his face?

Rubbing his chin and grinning, the crown prince turned to me and then sent his gaze back to Amelia.

“Is that so?”

“That’s right.”

The gazes of the two people collided in the air.

The side that retreated first was the crown prince.

“Then I have no choice. Can I borrow it after the dance is over?”

“Are you planning on putting that much strain on a woman dancing at her first dance?”

The crown prince also seemed a little taken aback by these words.

… … There was no way I would get tired just dancing, but I desperately avoided the crown prince’s gaze on me.

“If you refuse so stubbornly, I have no choice.”

The crown prince shrugged his shoulders.

“Lady Delkisi.”

“Yes!?”

“I’m sorry for being rude. Could you please forgive me?”

“Ah, yes, yes… … .”

To the crown prince who greeted me politely, I responded a little confused.

“Then, I will see you next time, Lady Grattenmount, Lady Delkish.”

“Please have a good time.”

The crown prince greeted Amelia politely and then left. Although he was a little worried when he saw me again.

“Grand Duchess?”

There were still a lot of people around, so when I spoke to her like that, Amelia looked at me and smiled softly.

Then he held out his right hand palm up towards me and said.

“Elsie Lady, would you like to sing a song with me?”

I remained frozen in my seat for a while with my mouth open.

*

Calm music ringing in my ears.

Although it is said to be the Middle Ages, whatever the technology was, the music I heard was not much different from the classical music I heard in the world I lived in. It is said that among the instruments used in modern classical music, there are some that require quite high technology to make, and when the author set the setting for this world, I’m not sure if they captured the time zone in the background amazingly, or if they just ignored that and made it up.

Anyway, if you look into it, there is a reason that you can understand.

“… … Amelia.”

And as the music continued, I called Amelia.

The people dancing around were all male and female couples. Sometimes they were in love, sometimes they weren’t. In some cases, they seemed like a grandfather and granddaughter.

However, among all the different age groups and relationships, we were the only ones dancing with two women.

“Huh?”

“Why did you say that? The other person is the crown prince.”

Amelia looked straight up at me and smiled.

“That’s right, you’re here because of me.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t like it. Things like prom.”

It would be more correct to say that I feel uncomfortable rather than dislike it, but if I were forced to answer either I dislike it or like it, I would choose dislike.

“But still, it would have been over if I just danced one song with the crown prince.”

Although I was resisting in my own way, I was mentally prepared that I would dance in the end. Because I had a status as a nobleman.

“But you didn’t want to dance, right?”

This time, the answer didn’t necessarily have to be narrowed down to one of two, but it was definitely ‘I don’t like it.’

With a man… … Because I didn’t want to dance like this.

“I promised. If you don’t betray me, I won’t betray you either.”

Amelia said with a smile.

“And if I had pretended not to know you in that situation, that would have been an act of betraying your trust in me.”

“… … Did you expect it from the beginning?”

“Well?”

Amelia’s hand around my waist gained some strength.

Through the thin dress, I could clearly feel the lines of Amelia’s slender, yet voluptuous body.

I thought Amelia was feeling the same thing, so I felt a little embarrassed.

“For now, let’s just enjoy it. We’ve already come here. Anyway… … I’m thinking of getting caught up in an incident soon.”

“… … Yes.”

I don’t really like balls and I don’t like dancing, but—

Honestly, it was a pleasure to be with Amelia like this.