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Chapter 19
Dancing only with the person who will be your fiancé? No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t recall anything like that in the original story. This kid was just unbelievably innocent!
My conscience squirmed again like a devil doused in holy water.
But the drunk man next to me didn’t seem to have a conscience to begin with. He smirked openly and said,
“What’s this? She’s not good enough to be your fiancée?”
“What? Not good enough…? Sol isn’t my fiancée.”
“You said ‘the person who will be your fiancée’—so she’s not your fiancée yet, right?”
“Right.”
“Then that means you can dance with someone who’s not your fiancée.”
“Um…?”
“So who becomes a fiancée?”
“S-someone good!”
This was just a drunk man teasing a child, clear as day.
Kai, caught up in the whirlwind of it all, came to his own conclusion and turned to me with a dramatic shout.
“May I have this dance, Lady!”
The drunkard doubled over laughing, as if it were the funniest thing in the world. I shot him a glare.
“Mister, stop teasing the kid!”
“Whoa there. But the one who started it was his grandfather, not me.”
That might be true, but you’re the one enjoying it the most!
At that moment, Kai’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Grandfather was teasing me? Then he lied to me?”
“……”
“My grandfather would never… No way…”
“Enough! Let’s dance already! Lady Sol Schlesinger, I accept your request!”
Not wanting to trouble this innocent kid any more, I quickly took Kai’s sleeve and led him toward the ballroom.
Behind us, the drunk mimed a silent “sorry” and pretended to clink an invisible glass in the air. What the heck was so funny!
At first, Kai was being dragged along, clueless, but as the music from the hall grew louder, he started to get excited. Before I knew it, he was walking ahead of me, pulling me along.
When we finally stepped into the brightly lit ballroom and Kai’s hand naturally found its place on my body, I realized the biggest problem.
“W-wait. I don’t know how to dance!”
“Just spin around in circles!”
Like that’s going to work!
But we were already standing on one side of the dance floor. The surrounding adults smiled warmly and made space for us.
So embarrassing!
Soon the music began, and Kai, surprisingly confident, placed his hand on my back. He gently guided my clumsy hands into place and began to lead.
I whispered urgently into his ear as I tried my best to keep up.
“Kai! Are we doing this right? I really don’t know what I’m doing!”
“You’re spinning fine! If you get bored, try stepping on my feet!”
“What kind of logic is that?!”
“Dancing should be fun!”
This kid is seriously weird!
Still, I couldn’t push his hand away—not when the duke had asked me to “draw attention.”
Where had the shy little kid gone who had just been saying, “You should only dance with your fiancée”? Well, I couldn’t really blame him.
Kids dragged to adult parties get bored out of their minds. Meeting someone their age is bound to make them overjoyed.
Eventually, I gave up and just started dancing with Kai.
The grand ceiling of the marquisate spun above us. The guests we passed were all smiling warmly.
Ah…
Maybe I really have become ten years old in my head. This is kind of fun.
After several songs, we finally stopped when I started stumbling and moved to a corner of the ballroom.
“Huff, huff… I’m tired…”
“Thanks, that was fun. Here, Sol, drink this!”
Kai held out a glass of juice he’d gotten somewhere. What a sweet kid.
“And let me know anytime you need a fiancé! I’ll be ready!”
“…No, thanks. That’s never going to happen.”
Kai’s green eyes wavered.
“…Am I really that bad?”
Ugh, what a troublesome kid! I’d rather babysit a three-month-old retriever!
While I was at a loss for words, Kai gave a bashful smile. But despite his face, I could clearly see his hand trembling and the juice sloshing inside the cup.
“Was my escorting awkward? It’s my first time… And we kept bumping knees since we’re the same height…”
“That’s not it! My dad told me not to think about that stuff until I’m grown up! It’s not that I don’t like you, seriously!”
“…Really?”
“Really!”
Thankfully, the mention of the duke seemed to shift his attention.
“Your dad is Duke Schlesinger, right? Can he really make ice?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
That time at the orphanage, when he defeated the count with his ice sword. I’ll never forget that sight.
But Kai brushed aside my horrifying memory with an innocent voice.
“Wow, then you can make sherbet even in summer, right?”
“…Does it work that way?”
“You could skate too! I love peach sherbet. Can I come over and eat it at your place? I’ll teach you how to skate in return!”
This kid is loud! Ugh, reminds me of my younger orphanage siblings—guess I’ll let it slide.
“My dad doesn’t waste his power on stuff like that! And besides, in summer—”
“In summer?”
“Uh, never mind.”
I quickly shut my mouth.
The duke has a harder time using his ice powers when it’s hot. That’s why the king only summons him in midsummer when the sun’s at its peak.
It’s not a secret, but there’s no reason to advertise it everywhere.
Fortunately, Kai seemed to get restless waiting for my answer and started dragging me all around the marquisate again.
Ah, so in the end, things went exactly the way Kai said they would.
…Well, I won’t lie. It is fun. The marquisate is so grand and spacious that it feels like walking around a weird, fancy amusement park!
The first hallway we visited only had the same painting over and over again—portraits of Marquis Godell in fur, chin raised high. Our school’s music room was more exciting than this.
But Kai still found something to talk about.
“Sol, do you have a portrait in your estate too?”
“No. Why? Is it really necessary?”
“It’d be nice! Ask your dad to hire a painter. You’ll need three—one to hang in your room, one to go in his pocket watch, and one to mail to me!”
“Why are you naturally including a portrait for yourself?”
“Because I said to paint it!”
He answered proudly and smiled, and somehow it didn’t annoy me.
We toured the hallway, peeked at the training ground, looked down at the greenhouse…
Honestly, I was really looking forward to the hedge maze!
“The hour is late. I’m afraid I can’t let you enter now.”
We got turned away by a servant.
I pouted before I realized it. Kai chuckled and whispered.
“You wanted to go in the maze?”
“…A little.”
“Then do you want to go in?”
“Huh? Is there a way—no, never mind. If it’s over, it’s over.”
Kai’s a noble and I’m the duke’s daughter, so if we pressed, the servant might’ve looked the other way.
But I’ve seen way too many entitled customers back when I worked part-time. I didn’t want to be one of those people.
As soon as I shut it down, Kai’s eyes widened.
“You follow rules really well. Is your dad strict?”
“This has nothing to do with him. I just don’t want to make unreasonable demands for my own fun.”
“That’s so cool, Sol! But I wasn’t planning to ask the servant anything.”
“Hm? Ohh, were you going to use that secret way to never get lost in the maze? Planning to sneak in that way?”
“Yep!”
Kai grinned.
“Just dig a hole!”
His actions match his retriever personality a little too well.
I spun away from him.
“Nope. I’m done playing.”
“W-wait, Sol! I was joking! Just kidding!”
His cheerful laughter followed me. It felt like waiting for a summer breeze. Well, judging by his tone, it didn’t sound like a joke… but I’ll let it slide this time.
And before I knew it, I was smiling at him again.
As we wandered around the marquisate, the conversation circled back to my family.
“I heard Duke Schlesinger is super scary. Did he kill that bug earlier?”
“I let it go.”
“You spared it? He sounds like a good guy! Do you like your family? Who all do you have?”
“Two stepbrothers. Two years and five years older.”
“You’ve got a lot of older brothers! If someone makes you cry, they’ll be in big trouble. The three of them will probably come charging with swords!”
“…Highly doubtful.”
They’d more likely tell me to shut up because I’m too loud.
Just as I was thinking I should use the “I’m tired” excuse and head to bed, Kai whispered:
“Wanna play again later tonight?”
This brat.
I raised my voice.
“No night games. Kids need to sleep early so they grow up healthy in body and mind!”
“You sound just like a teacher… Was it not fun hanging out with me? I haven’t played with someone my age in years, so I was kinda awkward…”
Kai looked up at me, eyebrows drooping. Ugh, why do you have to make me feel bad?
“…It was fun. Let’s hang out again sometime.”
“R-really? You had fun for real?”
“I’m not lying. I had a good time.”
His face visibly lit up. Aw, his smile is cute… or at least, it was, until—
“Then, Sol, invite me to your estate this summer! Ask your dad and tell me tomorrow, okay?”
“What? Wait, you want to set a date already?”
“Yeah! Who knows when we’ll see each other again? Promise to tell me tomorrow, okay? I’ll ask Grandpa if I can invite you too!”
“Hey…”
“Good night!”
The boy who’d stormed in like a hurricane left just as abruptly.
Wait a sec… did he just say to ask Duke Schlesinger if I can invite a friend over?
Doesn’t it sound like he’d say, “You’re free to invite them… but whether they return is another matter”?
Should I lie and tell Kai, “I asked but my dad said no”? Or should I just take a chance and actually ask?
Ugh, I think he knows Marquis Lapland. He wouldn’t bully his grandson’s friend… right?
…Anyway, where even am I now? I walked around so much while thinking that I’m completely lost!
It was dark. Must’ve been an old, neglected garden. Under the moonlight, the overgrown foliage looked wild. A small greenhouse in the corner, its windows broken, looked terribly eerie.
Feels like a ghost might pop out. I should head back toward the light.
…But before I could turn around, I saw a familiar face inside the greenhouse. Or more precisely, familiar blue eyes.
Duke Schlesinger was standing in the abandoned greenhouse.
Uh… about that invitation… should I ask now?
