TEASER CHAPTER 8 PART 11
Nozomu
left Victor's office while holding an indescribable feeling of discomfort in
his heart. His steps were heavy as if he were carrying a stone statue on his
back.
He
was told about Irisdina's past. She was a young girl, but she was moving
forward with firm determination in her heart.
He
had thought he understood her somehow, but he realized that he had not really
understood her determination, and he was filled with a sense of shame.
"Hm?
That's..."
At
that moment, he noticed a light leaking from the hall of the mansion.
The
light was leaking through the slightly opened door. Nozomu peeked through the
doorway to see what was inside.
"Iris?"
"Nozomu?
What are you doing at this hour?
In
the hall was Irisdina, dressed in silk clothes that seemed to be easy to move
around in. Beads of sweat were sticking on her forehead, and her clothes were
damp and wet.
In
front of her, a large full-length mirror was placed, candlelight illuminating
her alluring limbs through her sweat-stained clothing.
"Well,
I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk ....... So you're up this late
practicing your dance moves?"
"Yeah.
As the daughter of the Francilt family, I can't afford to be seen embarrassing
myself at the opening party."
“…………”
Nozomu
felt a tingle in his chest as he watched Irisdina working so hard to practice
until this late at night, determined not to show any signs of weakness.
For
Irisdina, ballroom dancing should be something she is used to. She should be
able to handle it with a light wave of her hand.
Even
so, she never cut corners. Perhaps it was because she carried something
tremendous on her back.
"Ah,
right. Nozomu, let's practice a little. We didn't get to practice together much
today, so this is our chance, right?"
In
today's practice, Nozomu stumbled through the preliminary stages of the dance
and barely practiced the dance itself.
He
had a little time to practice, but it was more like a frog dance. It was not
the kind of dance that could be performed at a social event.
Nozomu
was taken aback by Irisdina's sudden suggestion but decided to take the
opportunity to practice the dance again.
"Y-yeah,
sure."
"Well
then, Nozomu, please take care of me..."
Nozomu
gently supported Irisdina's hand from below.
Slender
and beautiful hands. But in those hands, Nozomu could clearly feel the hard
calluses which were the proof of her hard work.
He
felt a slight pain in his chest.
"Umm,
from here..."
While
suppressing the tingling sensation in his chest, Nozomu tried to escort
Irisdina as he was taught today. However, the fact that he was doing it while
remembering and his body was shaking from the tension must have made his
movements awkward.
On
the other hand, Irisdina was looking at Nozomu, who was stiff, and her eyes
were relaxed as if she was watching something interesting.
"You
don't have to be so nervous. Remember what Madam Parline said. A good dance
only works if you relax, you know."
"E-,
even if you say so..."
Irisdina's
expression was happy all the time as she talked to Nozomu in a lighthearted
tone.
On
the other hand, Nozomu's hands were stiff with nervousness. He put his hands
around Irisdina's waist and began to dance, but he seemed to be struggling and
his steps were unsteady.
With
a smile on her face, the ashen-haired girl let out a sigh as if to say it
couldn't be helped, and she put some strength into the hand that was resting on
Nozomu's shoulder.
"You're
still a little stiff... Nozomu, I'm going to lean in a little closer."
"Eh?"
