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Chapter 26
Starting today, Mrs. Janet’s class was to be attended by Kalcion.
“There are not many things Your Excellency needs to understand, but if he is familiar with a few, we will focus on those that are easier.”
“Wow, her attitude changed.”
Selena spoke out what was supposed to be just her thoughts. Immediately, Mrs. Janet’s eyes darted to Selena.
“Even a complaint should always be seen as a part of a polite conversation in the eyes of a third person. I believe I’ve already mentioned it.”
“This isn’t the scene. I’m usually good at performing on stage and on TV.”
“Even when there are no eyes to judge, we should always pay attention to our behavior and try to make it a habit……”
Kalcion was taken aback.
He definitely had never seen Mrs. Janet like this before. The head maid’s mouth shut only after she spotted Kalcion’s astonished look.
“…..I’m afraid there’s a difference between the etiquette Your Excellency and the Lady should know.”
“Why?”
“That’s because it’s supposed to be…..”
Selena tilted her head. She had never witnessed Mrs. Janet to be so embarrassed.
‘It’s supposed to be.’
But Mrs. Janet confessed she did not know the reason, nor did the people she used to live with.
Selena smirked.
“You know what, I didn’t tell you I wasn’t motivated because of the Duchess’ position, did I?”
“What?”
Mrs. Janet was startled. She, perhaps, was convinced that Selena was after the seat beside the Duke.
“I am not interested in that. I don’t want to spend my whole life here. I’m very much capable of taking care of myself once I return.”
She was not lying. She had adjusted the terms of the contract with Kalcion.
“I mean, you don’t have to teach me like you’re preparing a future Duchess. Well, I don’t know if you did it to anyone else.”
The Baron’s daughter, Irelle, was in her mind when she spoke her last words.
People were bound to make mistakes, no matter how much they were raised in an aristocratic family. They might forget or inadvertently develop a habit. If all of them were pointed out, would they be able to hide in peacefully?
Only then did Kalcion start feeling nervous, finally realizing the change in the atmosphere. Excessive loyalty could sometimes pose as a stumbling block.
“Let us proceed with the lesson to only the extent we need, as long as it doesn’t undermine Renbird’s reputation.”
“……Yes, we shall do as you say.”
Mrs. Janet bowed obediently to Kalcion. She was submissive enough to make Selena wonder if she was the same as before. Selena smiled bitterly.
***
The lecture began momentarily. Selena did excellently well, as Mrs. Janet had reported before.
It was Kalcion who was wandering off.
“Your Grace, the signal meant ‘to meet at the terrace’.”
“Ah.”
“But Your Excellency cannot respond to that with ‘asking directly to a girl’.”
“……”
Kalcion knew the basic social etiquette. So, of course, he expected the rest to be easy.
Wait, I’ll give you a look at his prediction.
The level of socializing that Kalcion knew was only up to greetings. Other secretive languages or more precisely, gestures, included expressions of the eyes, shaping the lips, positioning the fingers, shaking or bending the shoulders, and so on.
“Are all of them familiar with these?”
“Ladies are. For men, very few of them as they often talk in person.”
Kalcion sighed, looking up at the ceiling. For this reason, he couldn’t know everything in the social circle.
“Which means they could have been talking to each other right before me.”
Mrs. Janet did not answer, but it now hit his clueless mind.
Selena smiled slyly, slightly raising her eyebrow and poking his cheek with the fourth finger of her right hand. It meant ‘Foolish Duke’. Kalcion frowned at her action.
“I can understand that.”
“Oh, my. What does it mean?”
Selena smiled brightly, tilting her head as if she were at a gathering. She swept down the back of his right hand with her left palm and grabbed his pinky finger.
‘So do you understand this as well? Let’s get a room, then.’
She could memorize all the gestures she learned.
‘There are a lot of rooms. Let’s use a cozy room.’
Kalcion silently retorted.
Selena muttered to herself, “Even if you’re acting so bluntly like that, doesn’t the seductive side of you get a good feeling?”
Selena’s meanness stuck to the corners of her mouth. She wanted to witness Kalcion’s face harden or redden with embarrassment.
‘Alone?’
‘What’s your point?’
‘I feel lonely.’
‘Why?’
‘Wouldn’t it be more lonely if you were alone tonight?’
Mrs. Janet didn’t tell her but it was easy to apply.
‘I’ll gather some time.’
‘Be with me.’
Mrs. Janet grimaced, but Selena did not stop.
No, she could not stop it because it had already started. Whatever anyone said, it was a secret conversation between the two. That’s how society worked. She was confident enough to have a secret social conversation.
‘At 12 o’clock, with a sword in the detached building–’
‘In bed.’
“……”
Kalcion’s hand paused.
“Miss Selena.”
Mrs. Janet stepped in, unable to look at their gestures anymore.
“We’re trying to practice here.”
Selena nonchalantly made an excuse.
“What if another woman tries to seduce him like this? We have to rehearse.”
“It’s not like it will–”
“Don’t you think so?”
Kalcion’s words were cut off. No one was sure. There would be only two of them who’d attend from Renbird and the question was how many people would approach either of them.
“It’d be nice if you refuse, but you might think it’d be your fault because you’re in the same team, right?”
“It would’ve been better if I didn’t learn these and just ignored everything like I did until now.”
“If that’s the case, how do you think you’re going to get the signal I’m going to send you?”
‘The woman in that red dress, she’s been staring at me.’
She sent an incidental message as if to prove it. Kalcion shook his head. He had already lost his motivation.
“Can’t you just go into the social circle alone?”
“At least the Duke should accompany us to present ourselves first.”
“I am the guest according to the invitation.”
“Which is why you must do something alone at a party where no one’s paying any attention.”
Kalcion said something ridiculous. He must really be against performing like this. He stopped again when he realized that Selena was right.
“Don’t be so tactless, just try to give your best.”
“As long as you don’t joke around.”
Selena’s face lost all its emotions.
Why was she risking her life here?
But, she couldn’t yell it out because of Mrs. Janet. On the other hand, Kalcion was quiet. He could sense the new turn in the air around him.
‘Don’t look at another woman after you get to know me.’
She sent a signal to ease the mood. Of course, this was, as well, within the scope of Mrs. Janet’s teaching. Would it be good if a brilliant student of hers couldn’t apply it properly?
‘I don’t.’
‘You’re lying.’
She was looking forward to it. She wondered how the wooden Kalcion could prove it.
He rose from his seat, extending his arm towards Selena.
“The conversational lesson seems to be enough, so let us stop here and proceed with the dancing lesson.”
“……All of a sudden?”
Kalcion looked down at Selena, still not taking away his hand.
“I’ll demonstrate it with my body.”
‘Gasp’
Selena and Mrs. Janet’s eyes widened at the same time.
“Oh–Oh, my–You–Y-You must be crazy.”
Sometimes, it’s even scarier when people, who never one danced, did it.
“If you ever receive a request, you must accept it. Except for situations where your feet hurt too much or you can’t dance for any longer.”
Mrs. Janet stepped in, trying to keep her name and thought of something in order to teach.
“You can turn it down on the pretext that your feet hurt, right?”
“If you refuse, it is polite to be escorted to the lounge with the help of the person who asked you.”
“…….That means, there’s no way to turn someone down.”
“In order for a man to be qualified as a partner, he must exchange signals in advance and make eye contact at least three times when one song is over. It is rude to request for a dance without it, so you can ignore it.”
Although she did not exchange the signals with Kalcion, she had stared at him the whole time.
‘So, this is it. Let’s hit it.’
She coyly placed her palm over his, while his bigger, hard, calloused hand wrapped around hers. She rose up from her seat, rolling up the corners of her lips.
“Oh, Cion, you’ve hardened just from touching my fingers, and now you have to get used to it, don’t you?”
He was calm, but as soon as Selena used her words, his hand flinched.
“If you want to dance, you can’t just stand around like this.”
She wasn’t sure if it was an excuse. Holding her hand, Kalcion led her to the center of the hall.
From the beginning, the class was held in a hall to mimic the atmosphere of the banquet as much as possible. They were sitting on chairs with a table in front of them on one corner of the small hall. The space in the center was large enough to hold a dance.
“Have you learned how to dance?”
“Not yet.”
“When we get an escort to the center of the hall, we first greet each other.”
Kalcion taught her the way of greeting. The partners should bow gently to each other. He greeted her before reaching out for her hand again.
“Now, the other hand.”
She did as he said. Grabbing her fingers, Kalcion brought his lips to the back of her palm.
They almost touched. Her shoulders trembled as the soft lips met their destination. She pretended not to be flustered, but she couldn’t hide it from Kalcion, who had a keen sense as a knight.
He swiftly raised up his head, his eyes meeting her red cheeks. It had always been Selena who’d tease him, so this was her first time to be teased back. She swallowed on her dry lump, desperately trying not to let the fire escape from her cheeks. Kalcion graciously let it go without further teasing.
“Now, the basic steps. You don’t have to memorize the pattern. If someone pushes it like this, he steps in that direction, and if he pulls it like this, it’s the other way around.”
As his class began, the fire on her cheeks quickly subsided. Kalcion focused only on teaching the steps.
“Do you understand?”
“I think we’ll know more about it once we try it.”
“Very well, let us proceed.”
Kalcion earnestly reorganized his posture before starting to dance. He placed his palm around her back while his free hand held hers.
And then, his eyes met hers. Both of them spared a moment to take a short breath.