this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!
It went without saying that I had not once danced since possessing this body, so it was only natural for my body to be bad at dancing.
The reason my feet were moving to the rhythm of their own accord was not because of my own will, but because there was a memory imprinted in my body. It was because Lorella Mayred had been educated and raised as a noble daughter.
However, that only meant I was ‘moving’, not that I was actually dancing properly.
I had already expected it to a certain extent. But I had already longed to dance at the ball for so long, and my only friend, who was both sweet and handsome, had even asked me to dance, so how could I possibly refuse him?
‘I stepped on him again!’
No. I should have just turned him down.
I could feel the moment my foot, which had rushed out in a hurry, pressed against the top of Leonon’s foot.
Wow, that must have hurt. No matter how I thought about it, this one must have been really painful. I spit out my forty-ninth apology with a pensive look on my face, “I’m sorry…!”
“Don’t be. It’s only natural for you to make mistakes.”
Although he had said it in a firm and resolute voice, Leonon bit his lip, as if he was struggling to endure it.
As soon as I saw that appearance, a line of cold sweat trickled down my back.
Looking over Leonon’s shoulder, I could see couples that were dancing gracefully and lightly, completely unlike me, who was stiff all over. Among them was Countess Lewen, who I was introduced to earlier.
Sure enough, not just anyone could be a popular socialite.
“Even your forehead’s filled with sweat now… I think it’d be best for us to take a short break first.”
As I paused to watch other people dance, Leonon took out a clean handkerchief from the inner pocket of his uniform and dabbed at my forehead, expressing his concern for me.
“Then, j-just for a moment…”
I quickly took the handkerchief from his hand and wiped my forehead.
In fact, it wasn’t me who needed to rest, but rather, Commander Leonon, whose foot I had stepped on about fifty times, and sure enough, it seemed like the strength I had exerted hadn’t been small either seeing as my legs were trembling.
In the end, with his support, I limped back awkwardly toward the comfortable sofa in the banquet hall. Even without shifting my eyes up to see, I could feel the stares of everyone around me.
“Haa…”
As I sat on the sofa and sipped at the refreshing drink Leonon had brought me, I finally felt like I had come back to life.
“Are you alright?”
He continued to study my face with eyes full of concern. I quickly corrected my posture and muttered out an excuse, “To be honest, this is my first time dancing after two years, so…”
It was something that could be revealed to Leonon, who knew better than anyone how I had been living whilst in the North.
Though of course, this was actually my first time dancing in twenty three years, not two years, but I couldn’t be honest to that extent.
“I’ve always been extremely uncoordinated since a long time ago too,” I even smiled shyly while adding a perfect alibi.
“If someone has something they’re good at, they’ll also have something they aren’t good at.
Leonon, who had offered me a gentle consolation, suddenly gave a suggestion with his eyes sparkling, “If it’s alright with you, would you like me to be your practice partner?”
“Pardon? I-I couldn’t possibly ask someone who’s always so busy to do something like that…”
“You’ll get better quicker with more practice. I really want to help you.”
There was a certain firmness in his sweet voice.
Suddenly, it dawned on me that he was a knight commander. He had also said that he was the type that couldn’t stay still without doing anything when he oversaw the knights’ training.
“Don’t tell me… you’re going to treat this just like a sword drill…?”
“Pardon?”
When I joked half sincerely, Leonon looked startled and waved his hand, “N-No. How could I? Just that with Miss Lorella…”
However, instead of finishing his sentence, he quickly shut his mouth. At the same time, his face was dyed even a deeper shade of red.
“With me? What do you mean…”
Just as I was tilting my head and asking about the unfinished conversation, the entrance to the banquet hall became noisy as numerous attendants suddenly appeared in a row.
I stopped talking and turned my head toward that direction.
“Announcing the entrance of His Majesty the Emperor, and Her Majesty the Empress!”
As soon as that loud cry rang out, everyone who had gathered in the banquet hall immediately bowed down.
Although I was startled by the sudden appearance of the imperial couple, I quickly stood up from the sofa and copied the people around me. At the same time, I also slightly raised my head to look around.
Soon afterward, between the rows of neatly lined up attendants, appeared two people who walked gracefully down that aisle.
The emperor, who was dressed in an impressive yet noble looking ceremonial uniform of white and gold, walked step by step, his cloak embroidered with the insignia of the imperial family fluttering in a dignified manner.
Donning a golden dress to match, the empress had a kind yet elegant smile on her face.
However, what stood out the most was the large crown full of jewels that adorned the grey heads of the two.
Behind them came a series of people each more dressed up than the other, as if they were competing. They were probably the people in charge of assisting the imperial couple.
This was my first audience with the emperor and empress. I was instantly overwhelmed, unable to blink until the emperor and empress climbed up to the innermost podium of the hall and sat down on a large chair.
The emperor scanned his eyes over the crowd for a moment and then opened his lips in a solemn voice, “Please, all raise your heads.”
Only then did people start to cautiously straighten their backs.
“Today is a truly happy day. After a long war, we have regained the territory of our ancestors that we have all yearned for, with it being commemorated as a glorious day that will forever remain in the history of the empire.”
As soon as he finished speaking, cheers and shouts of joy rang out from all over the place. A happy smile also spread across the emperor’s face.
“I hope you will all share in that joy with us today as well. As everyone here is well deserving enough to do so.”
As soon as the empress said those words, the emperor immediately nodded his head as if it were appropriate.
“Before sharing in that joy, it should be our priority first, to recognise and praise the achievements of those who have made great meritorious contributions. Be sure to clearly engrave those names that have greatly contributed to making our empire stronger.”
At that time, Leonon quietly whispered in my ear, “Excuse me for a moment.”
He asked me for my understanding and left quietly. His steps were headed towards a place where the knights I had seen while I was at the temple were all gathered together.
It wasn’t surprising as it was only natural for the Holy Knights of Ecrestus, who played the role of protecting the empire, to be praised by the emperor. It was nice to see uninhibited smiles on the faces among those knights.
An attendant holding a luxurious scroll shouted in a loud voice, “Duke Periot of House Chambers, please come forward!”
…What?
An unexpected name struck my ears.
At the same time, the audience, which had been whispering excitedly here and there, became as quiet as if they had been hit with cold water.
It wasn’t long before a tall man slowly approached the emperor, his black cloak fluttering.
I slowly closed my eyes and opened them again, wondering if I had perhaps been mistaken.
Good heavens.
The person that was quietly crossing the middle of the golden banquet hall was really… Periot.
Even on the day he returned from the battlefield, at a banquet held to celebrate his own safe return, he had only given a brief greeting before going up to his study. The Periot I knew hated banquets so much that he even avoided his own position.
Though of course, this was no ordinary banquet, so it would’ve been difficult for him not to attend since he would’ve received summons from the emperor to go.
However, it was still a shocking sight. Despite the fact that I thought Periot and banquets seemed to be extremely incompatible, the sight of him standing in the middle of a luxurious banquet hall just seemed so natural.
Different from the one he normally wore, he had donned a deep purple jacket while the black silk shirt he had on underneath was patterned with luxurious embroidery.
With a black sash that I was seeing him wear for the first time, as well as a cravat that was adorned with a diamond it was as if he was the main character of today’s banquet.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
No, wait a moment.
That deep purple… just where had I seen it before?
“Come closer, Duke Periot.”
Then, the emperor himself called out his name. Those long legs of him also moved in response to that address.
His confident yet unwavering steps, as if he didn’t care at all about the air that sank heavily and the frozen faces of those around him, were like those of a graceful beast.
Today, those perfect and beautiful features beneath that soft black hair were particularly eye-catching.
Was it because of that?
It didn’t take long for the frozen eyes of most people to change into admiration. Many of the ladies even gave him passionate looks with flushed faces, as if they couldn’t even bear to miss a single move he made.
Soon, Periot, who had climbed up to the podium and lowered his posture, kneeled down on one knee in front of the emperor.
“Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor, and Her Majesty the Empress.”
A deep voice echoed throughout the grand hall.
“Welcome, Duke Periot!”
The emperor seemed to be pleased and had a smile on his face.
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. It would be no exaggeration to say that the Duke is the hero who saved this country.”
“You overpraise me, Your Majesty.”
“The imperial family has pledged to provide generous support to the North. Everyone that is gathered here today can serve as witness to that. I would also like to give the Duke a large reward. Anything is fine, so if there is anything you’d like please let me know.”
“It’s an honour, Your Majesty. However, I would be even more grateful if you could give me some time to think about it.”
A respectful attitude that was without even a single flaw, and a dignified yet somehow cold tone.
Perhaps that’s why I couldn’t take my eyes off Periot.
Since I had the illusion that he was a different person to the one I knew.
“There’s no rush, so take your time to think about it. After all, the bigger and better the painting, the more time it will take.”
The emperor was so happy that he even laughed out loud.
But there was no change in Periot’s facial expression. Following that, he received numerous praises, but his eyes remained calm and serene.
It was only after the high praise that made everyone else around him embarrassed that he was then given permission to leave.
It was the moment he turned his body after slowly straightening his back.
‘Ack.’
Those deep and profound black eyes inevitably turned toward me of all places. They were like the eyes of a wild beast looking for its prey, so I lowered my head in a hurry.
Although it was such a short moment that he couldn’t have possibly spotted me, I somehow had the sinking illusion that his cold gaze was constantly on me.
…No, could I have been mistaken?
“Oh my, be careful.”
Instead of being aware of my surroundings, I kept cowering and retreating backwards to the point where I ended up bumping into a noble madam who was standing next to me.
“M-My apologies.”
“Are you alright?”
At the unusual sight of me, who had my head lowered, she expressed her worry to me in a sweet voice. I couldn’t even give her a proper answer and just nodded a few times.
Only when there was no longer any place for me to retreat did I stop walking backwards. Is it okay for me to raise my head now? Since I had already mixed in with the crowd, there was no way he would have seen me, and also, wouldn’t he have gone down from the podium by this point?
After numerous internal arguments, it was when I finally lifted my head.
My heart fell with a thudding sound.
Those pitch black eyes shining with a brilliant light of his were looking straight at me.
I could feel his gaze even from a considerable distance away. It was an intense gaze that seemed to be scanning through all the clothes and accessories I was wearing.
It was such a blatant and obvious stare that even the people around me started to glance at me whilst their feet unknowingly approached me.
Finally, the moment his gaze landed on the diamond hairpiece that was sparkling on top of my hair.
Periot’s lips curled up in a smooth line.
His lips hadn’t moved at all, even after receiving all kinds of praise from the emperor.
The sound of voices chattering here and there scratched at my nerves. Additionally, I could hear a loud pounding sound coming from somewhere.
Although I couldn’t believe it, it seemed like it was a sound that resonated from inside me.
Flustered, I clenched my fists until the backs of my hands turned white.
J-Just why in the world… had it become like this?
author’s note
who knows?
naver comments
kshc****
ah… let’s just live in a reverse harem… live with flowers in both hands unnie…
min
in any case, it seemes like leonon is destined to be the second male leadㅠㅠ although leonon is the one whose actions make your heart flutter, periot is the one who makes the female lead’s heart react…
mou
grand duke of the north: obsessive ml
holy knights commander leonon: golden retriever ml
then is the guide a tsundere?
i believe in you, author^^
ding dong!
[mio slams her head on the keyboard and shamelessly buys 10,000 shares]
I DON’T CARE IF IT’S TOXIC THE OBSESSIVE GRAND DUKE OF THE NORTH CAN POISON ME FOR ALL I CARE ♡
OH MY GODSKDFFS I KNOW HE’S A RED FLAG BUT I’M A BULL AND MY FAVOURITE COLOUR IS RED
please im just a sucker for cold and obsessive mls if this was real life i’d kick him to the curb BUT GOOD THING THIS IS FICTION AND NOT REAL LIFE HAHAHAHAHAH
you’ll be happy to hear tho that our girl lorella does not tolerate red flags like me, and that this in fact, is her real life hehehe trust in our girl ฅ́˘ฅ̀
OMG OMG OMG