“I’m just in time. Aren’t you, Ellie?”
I laughed awkwardly as she watched Ernest quietly close one eye towards me.
'Why is he here again!'
I cursed inwardly at the Crown Prince who appeared as if it were a lie.
This left me unable to even utter the excuse I had prepared.
“Ellie, will you dance with me?”
He reached out his hand and asked me to dance, not knowing my speed.
As politely as if you were asking to dance at a party.
And I had only one answer.
“...Of course, Ernest.”
It's going down very smoothly.
I let out a sigh of resignation as if I had already put everything down and grabbed Ernest's hand.
At the same time, Caroline began to play gracefully on the piano keys next to her.
Ernest placed his hand on my waist and pulled me closer to him, following the soft melody coming from the grand piano.
“You seem nervous, Ellie.”
“Haha. Just a little...? But it’s been so long since I’ve danced. I might be a little awkward.”
I whispered so quietly that only Ernest could hear.
“Then leave yourself to me. I will take care of everything.”
Ernest's breath reached my ear.
The distance between us is only about three finger joints.
Is it because it's too close?
The sound of his heartbeat mixed with the sound of his breathing filled my ears.
When a romantic atmosphere began to develop between the two.
“Ugh.”
Just as we were about to start dancing, I stepped on the Crown Prince's foot.
“I’m sorry...!”
That too, several times.
“No. It’s okay... Ugh!”
What should I do!
I don't know how many times I stepped on this guy's foot.
Even the Crown Prince has probably never had his feet stepped on like this since he was born.
At that moment, I was biting my lip out of embarrassment and regret.
Ernest bowed his head and asked quietly.
“Do you have a leg injury or any other discomfort?”
His eyes were very serious as he asked carefully.
“A, a little...”
“As expected. Otherwise, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“That, that’s right...”
Ernest answered with a smile as he looked at me, who had my head bowed with a blush on my face.
“I’m joking. But for the sake of the other spirits’ healthy feet, I’ll have to be your dance partner from now on.”
I feel once again, that the Crown Prince's manners are probably the best in the Empire.
Even in the midst of all this, he tried to relieve my embarrassment by telling a lame joke.
But that was only for a moment.
After I stepped on his foot for the tenth time, he just kept his lips tightly shut and said nothing.
***
Caroline, watching the two with astonished eyes, approached the Crown Prince as soon as she finished playing the song. In fact, she tried to stop playing several times in the middle, but she barely managed to finish one song after the Crown Prince gestured for her to continue.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince! Are you alright? Oh my goodness. I am worried that there is something wrong with your bones. Should I call the royal doctor immediately?”
Caroline asked Ernest.
She seemed genuinely concerned about the Crown Prince's feet.
But Ernest waved his hand and answered.
“What kind of doctor is that? Ellie was as light as a feather.”
Even though the man's face, which had been gradually becoming paler, was still vivid, I applauded inwardly as I watched the gentle Prince until the end.
Caroline answered the Crown Prince's words, wiping her sweat with a handkerchief.
“I don’t think it’s time to teach other etiquette. I’ll focus on dance lessons from now on. The national wedding is just around the corner... What should I do about this?”
Caroline sighed, placing one hand on her forehead.
It was only natural that on the day of my wedding to the Crown Prince, we had to dance their first dance together in front of numerous nobles.
But the Crown Princess' dancing skills are so poor.
Caroline felt her future was becoming bleak, as she thought that if the other nobles saw this, it would be a disgrace to the royal family's name.
'What the hell is this,'
She's never seen it with her own eyes.
It was widely rumored that the Crown Princess-to-be, Young Lady Cretian, was a perfect young lady with nothing to teach.
Moreover, she heard that her dance moves were as elegant as a butterfly fluttering its wings on a ballroom dance floor.
So, in the beginning, she tried to act a little bit cautious so as not to be discouraged.
Rather, she ate a room that looked nice.
'I wonder if you got a head injury somewhere. This is...'
Or maybe all the rumors so far were just false.
Whatever it was, one thing was certain.
'If things don't change at the upcoming wedding, then...'
How could it be anything but a disgrace to the imperial name?
The reputation she had built up over a long period could have collapsed in an instant.
'I can never leave it like that.'
Caroline looked up at the two as if she had made up her mind about something.
“Then I will go out and bring someone strong enough to be Lady Cretian’s partner. Lady Cretian, please do not even think about leaving the palace until you have become familiar with me and the staff today.”
"Yes...?"
Excuse me. Are you asking me to stay overnight in the palace?
A terrified me looked at the Crown Prince for help.
But instead, he patted my shoulder and pushed my back.
“Then please take good care of Ellie.”
“Excuse me. Ernest... !”
“Ellie, I’m going to go now. Actually, I just put off what I was going to do. I think Taylor is probably crying for me by now.”
“Oh, dear. I have taken up Your Highness the Crown Prince’s precious time. Don’t worry about the education of Lady Cretian.”
Caroline and Ernest were a perfect match.
He left the room, leaving me in a daze.
***
The Crown Prince, leaving the Lily Palace, looked back for a moment and tilted his head.
“Something seems strange.”
It seemed like she had no basic skills at all, to the point where her body was stiff from not dancing for a while.
Although he was puzzled by how different it had been from when they had danced together before, he soon shook his head.
'Well, it's cute just the way it is.'
Ernest, who thought that she had changed a lot lately but that the change wasn't that bad, was about to return to the main palace.
Her eyes met with Carsis's, who was standing at the entrance to the Lily Palace.
Carsis, who discovered Ernest first, stepped forward and bowed.
“See the little sun of Spain.”
“...”
Ernest muttered, staring blankly at Carsis, who was bowing his head in front of him.
“Yes. Carsis. We didn’t get to say hello properly that day because of Ellie, right?”
He approached Carsis with a smile on his lips.
“I heard. I heard you moved to the room next to Ellie’s this time.”
It was only two days ago, but he asked calmly as if he already knew everything.
Despite the Crown Prince's bold question, Carsis answered without being flustered.
“Yes. It was the order of His Excellency the Duke of Cretian, who was concerned about the young lady’s safety.”
“By the order of the Duke of Crete.”
He raised one corner of his mouth as if he had heard something funny.
What kind of father would have a knight escort in the room next to his daughter who is about to get married?
Anyone could see that it was an excuse Carsis was making for Ellie, but he didn't bother to touch on it.
“The Duke of Cretian has many worries. Who would dare harm Ellie, my fiancée and the only daughter of the Duke of Cretian? Isn’t that right?”
“...”
“Well, in the imperial palace, the knights usually stay in the next room for safety. There’s no particular problem or anything. Anyway, once Ellie enters the palace, new knights who are suitable for the position will guard the Crown Princess.”
He straightened Carsis's collar with a leisurely smile.
“Shouldn’t people of the same type hang out together?”
Ernest took a step back from Carsis and tapped his shoulder one last time.
“Then please take good care of Ellie for the rest of her time.”
As Ernest, who had left such meaningful words, was about to leave.
Elllie appeared with a noise.
“Ellie? What’s going on?”
“Ah, that’s..”
She came out to tell Carsis that she might be late.
Ellie was momentarily speechless when she saw Ernest.
“...Ah, I don’t think I was able to see you off earlier. But, those two...were talking?”
Ellie quickly came up with another excuse and looked back and forth between the two of them.
“Ah. I heard that Carsis isn’t feeling well. I was worried.”
“Huh? Are you feeling unwell?”
Surprised by those words, Ellie examined Carsis's body.
“If you were not feeling well, you should have told me earlier. Then you would have come to the palace with another knight.”
“...No. I’m fine..”
But Ernest intercepted Carsis' answer.
“Carsis, don’t push yourself too hard and go to the Duke’s mansion first. As for Ellie, Sir Alestain, the best knight in the empire, will take her home safely.”
“Yes, Carsis. I’m fine, so go first. I don’t think I’ll be able to get to the mansion until after the sun sets today.”
Carsis nodded after a moment of silence at the two people's suggestion.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment