TN: Sorry for disappearing like that, I’ll start with a quick explanation where I was. TLDR I went on holiday with a couple friends.
So now that I’m back, I’ll be releasing 4 chapters this week to catch up and a little extra(2 that I missed the one from this week and 1 bonus).
I’ll start doing some chapters in advance so there are no morepauses between releases even If IRL stuff comes up.(I know I should have been doing that from the start, but this is my first project, so I honestly wasn’t thinking about this stuff, my bad and sorry for the inconvenience.)
So, without further ado enjoy.
“The king’s birthday is coming up in two weeks.”
“I got it! Leave everything to me!”
My dance teacher lets out a satisfied smile.
Three months have passed since Serea and I got married. We are already really good at dancing with each other.
I’m wearing a tailcoat to practice for the birthday party, while Sera’s is wearing what of those skirts that has a hem that gently flutters about.
From today on a pianist will be coming to play for our dance practice.
Until now our practice was accompanied by a music box and teacher’s clapping, but at the birthday party we will have to dance to songs played by a live orchestra for a long time, which is an atmosphere that we can’t recreate without calling for a pianist.
Also, when it comes to a real pianist, he can freely stop and continue the song from any point.
First we have to remember the tune by listening it all the way through as the pianist plays it.
While we are listening to it, teacher will be giving us instructions on how the steps go, while demonstrating them.
“Do you understand? You guys are only ten years old, your dance doesn’t need to put the adults to shame. You need to dance like children, energetically and happily with smiles on your faces, in order to lighten the mood. You need to act out the ideal image of a child that the adults expect.”
“Yes.”
“After the children’s dance time, that’s in the early hours, passes and all the children leave and go beddy-bye, the adults start the real deal, with their back-and-forth arguments, probing of intentions, sly trickery, and fighting over the hearts of maidens. That’s how high society works. You guys are a side show, you have to understand that. Your dance doesn’t have to be so great that the adults who come after you feel embarrassed. Understand?”
“Understood.”
“And since you will be inheriting the throne and becoming the king and queen in the future, you can’t let yourselves look silly either. You need to look smart but prudent.”
I have to hand it to teacher...... He understands everything.
If he were a second-rate teacher, he would have had us do a difficult dance to impress the audience in order to distinguish himself as the dance teacher of the royal family.
“This is a dance that the king of Siam would perform with his foreign tutors.”
Face each other, hold hands. One, two, three! One, two, three!
Hahahahaha! This song is so intense!
It has four beats, with a little pause at the third. Skip to the side, and twirl.
“Do it lively! Like you are flying! Make Sera-chan’s skirt float up so high that you can see her steps.”
“What if her underwear becomes visible!?”
“Children don’t care about that! Now come on, spin, spin! Use the entire hall. Keep spinning!”
With our hands clasped together, I keep spinning Sera round and round.
“Kyaaaa! Ahahahahahahah!”
“That’s it! Smile just like that Serea-chan!”
It’s so much fun dancing together like this. We aren’t acting at all, it really just feels fun!
“Shin-chan and Serea-chan. The modest lady is being spun around by the lively prince, it’s surprising, but it really is fun to watch, and I can’t help being happy about it. It’s my first time seeing someone dance like this. Keep it up just like that.”
“We will!”
“Those sly old foxes at the venue will see how the children’s first love blooms during the dance. Let’s make it such a heart pumping and cosy scene!”
“We are already engaged though......”
“Love and marriage are separate things. It’s depressing, but that’s how it is for nobles. Those sly old foxes from all around the country will be watching you to see if you could be used as a pawn in their games. What’s important is to show them that you really love each other and that your relationship goes beyond just your engagement status. You have to show them that no one can steal away your hearts. Isn’t that what you guys are trying to do?”
......He’s really amazing. He can see through everything.
He laughed when he saw our surprised faces.
“Do you know how many years I’ve been a dance teacher? You guys are trying too hard, that much is clear. Children normally hate dancing, and I’ve never seen them take it so seriously.”
“......Is that how we looked to you?”
“I’ve never seen a child taking dancing so seriously. You can’t fool my eyes. What you two precocious kids need is to enjoy dancing from the bottom of your hearts again.”
As he said that he winked at me.
It was a bit creepy.
“You are going to be dancing all over the venue, so you have to learn how to do it without bumping into others. You will have to be able to fly through the gaps between people. It’s going to get a bit difficult now.”
We practiced this by laying out tables and chairs all over the hall and dancing around them.
When his highness the king and queen entered, many ministers and others lined up to give their congratulations, after which the banquet started. After having a meal, we move to the dance hall, where a standing buffet with drinks is being held, with sons and daughters of noble families mixing together. We are standing out a lot as I am escorting Serea In. I’m wearing my tailcoat while Sera is wearing a dress. People were congratulating us one after another, and we were returning their greetings, not letting our guard down for a second.
“Congratulations on your engagement your highness, and you too lady Serea.”
“Thank you.”
I wonder if I sound nervous and stiff. It’s a formal greeting, so I can’t be too laid back. Serea’s smile is stiff too.
We exchanged greetings with many of our peers, some of whom have been brought here by their parents.
“I’m hungry.”
“Everything looks delicious. But don’t eat too much ok?”
“I know, let’s take it to my room later. Here, some carbonated water.”
“It will make me bloated.”
I’m constantly at Serea’s side. When we need to move I properly take her hand.
Girls can’t do anything without an escort, just like infants. Think of it like that. The whole ladies first mindset where women are the same as children, and men are the protectors. It’s may seem like and antiquated idea, but you need to do it at official events in order to be considered a gentleman. Chivalry is difficult.
The music in the hall changed, it’s time for dancing.
Even though we were standing next to each other, I purposely distanced myself from Serea, put my hand on my chest, and bowed my head, asking her for a dance.
She took my hand and smiled.
I smiled broadly as well, and then we went to the centre of the hall where the other children were.
A fun song with a pleasant rhythm started, I took Serea’s hands, then we stepped to the left, and then to the right.
One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, and go! Skip, Skip, Skip. Then we start twirling together!
“Kya! Hahaha!”
Its like a merry go round!
We are spinning in circles around the older children who are dancing elegantly.
“Oh!”
“The prince looks very lively, doesn’t he?”
The adults looking over us are smiling.
“That’s the spirit, they look like they are enjoying themselves.”
“They really do.”
Of course we do. We really are enjoying ourselves!
“Oh my......”
Mother covers her mouth with her fan.
“Ha Ha Ha, splendid! Way to do it!”
Father sounds delighted.
The music changes tempo, so I take Serea’s left hand in my right, and I raise them.
I then put my other hand on her back as she gently walks up to me, and we switch from the children’s dance to an adult one. We practiced the steps a lot.
“Fufu.”
“Hahaha!”
The two of us end up laughing. We don’t do anything special with the steps, we just dance normally.
Turn, slowly like a fish swimming through water, one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four.
A couple of people in the hall might have noticed.
They are a bit surprised.
We continue dancing like nothing happened.
They seem to be thinking along the lines of ‘Did I see wrong?’ and ‘It’s probably that things appear like that from time to time’.
As Serea is spinning, the piece finishes.
We separate our hands and lower our heads, Sera also grabs the hems of her skirt and does a curtsy in greeting to the other ladies and gentlemen present in the hall.
After his majesty the King bids us good night, all the children leave.
The two of us return to the royal anteroom.
“Did it go well?”
“I think it went great.”
Serea was relieved.
I ask a maid to bring us some light supper.
“Did anyone notice the moonwalk?”
“Hahaha! I don’t think so!”
Putting me aside, there is no way anyone could even see Serea’s feet from her skirt.
When I ask the maid how things were going in the hall, she said that the party was very well received, and that the high class guests said things along the lines of ‘If it’s those two there is probably nothing to worry about’, when it came to our relationship.
“Everyone said that you two got along really well, and that you were a perfect match for each other.”
The maid said while grinning, and then went back to her work.
Thank god. I’m suddenly hungry.
I ate a lot of food from my plate.
“Shin-sama, your mouth......”
Serea wipes my mouth.
“Serea.”
“Yes?”
“Can I kiss you?”
I gently hold her close and to exactly that.
[TN-1]: “We just dance normally”Yeah, because every normal waltz has a moonwalk in it...
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