Volume 8
Chapter 6
Now, although the two of them had various things happen on the way, they arrived at the Francilt mansion without taking much time.
But as they passed
through the mansion gate and opened the main entrance, the expressions of the
two suddenly became listless.
"What is the
meaning of this..."
"Ah,
ahahaha..."
Irisdina curled her
lips in a displeased manner, and Nozomu let out a dry laugh.
At the end of Nozomu
and Irisdina's gaze were the figures of their comrades, starting with Mars.
Furthermore, beside them were also the figures of Mena and Victor.
"N-No. I was also
planning to attend the academy's lecture at first, but Tima invited me..."
"I-I was told by
Victor-san that since this mansion is spacious, I could use it as I pleased for
practice or whatever..."
"Not only
Nozomu-kun, but it seems Mars-kun also has no experience participating in the
opening festival, right? Then, if we practice dancing with a large group, it
will be an even better experience!"
"I am sorry, my
lady. It seems master deduced from your behavior that you would be practicing
dancing with Nozomu-sama..."
With Victor raising
his voice proudly with his chest puffed out, Mena bowed her head deeply.
It seemed this head of
the family, in order to interfere with Nozomu and Irisdina, had called out to
all of their other comrades.
At her father's
unexpected interference, Irisdina couldn't help but press her temples.
"Oh, so this is
Irisdina-san's house~. It's as luxurious as the party venue for the opening
festival, isn't it?"
"I mean, was it
okay for us to come too?"
And among the members
who had been invited were also the figures of Lisa and Camilla.
Lisa was looking at
the luxurious furnishings of the mansion at her own pace, and Camilla was
scratching her cheek with a somehow apologetic look.
Behind them, Victor,
who had taken his doting on his daughter too far, had a meaningful grin.
"Are Tom and the
others going to practice dancing too?"
"N-No, I was in
my workshop when Mimuru dragged me out..."
When Nozomu asked Tom
for the details, it seemed that Mimuru, who had received Victor's invitation,
had forcibly dragged him out of his workshop.
On the other hand, Shina
was away from the commotion, with her hand on her mouth, lost in thought.
"Shina
is..."
"Mumble mumble
mumble..."
"A-Are you okay?
You're acting really strange..."
"Somehow, she's
been like this all morning. It's like her mind isn't here, or something..."
According to Tom,
since she had come to the academy in the morning, she had been sunk in her own
thoughts and had not reacted at all.
While directing a
suspicious gaze at Shina, Nozomu called out to her for the time being.
"H-Hey. Are you
okay?"
"Mumble mumble...
fwah! Wh-Why are you here, Nozomu-kun! And why am I at Irisdina-san's
house!?"
"Just how lost in
thought were you?"
The moment Shina saw
Nozomu's face peeking in, she blushed and began to fidget.
Seeing her like that,
Nozomu tilted his head even more.
"Umm, Ai, sorry?"
"Somehow, it
seems like the timing was bad..."
"No, it's fine.
It was careless of me..."
To the groaning
Irisdina, who was suppressing a headache, Tom and Tima sent apologetic looks.
On the other hand, the
ones who showed no sign of remorse were the culprit, Victor, and the two
troublemaking beastmen.
"And besides, we
will prepare dinner, and I have ordered rooms to be prepared for 'the ladies,'
so you don't have to worry about going home. As the head of the Francilt
family, I will entertain you properly!"
"Man~, to be able
to stay in such a luxurious mansion is super lucky! As expected, you should
have friends!"
"Hooray for a
luxurious dinner! As expected of the boss, he's so generous!"
""Hahahahaha!""
While glaring at the
three who were laughing loudly, Irisdina couldn't help but clench her fists.
Right now, she
desperately wanted to punch the three in front of her.
At that moment, the
mansion's entrance was casually opened with a click, and a middle-aged woman
entered.
"Good grief,
Victor is as ill-mannered as ever."
The one who had
entered the mansion was a portly noblewoman.
Dressed in a
well-tailored dark brown coat and a neck warmer that exuded a sense of high
quality, she was seeping with an overflowing elegance.
"Wha!?"
The woman glanced at
the laughing Victor and let out a sigh as if she were completely exasperated.
On the other hand,
Victor, upon seeing the noblewoman's figure, was so surprised that his eyes
were wide open.
For him, who was calm
and dignified except when it came to his daughters, it was a very rare sight.
The noblewoman, who
was entering the mansion with a nonchalant air. The one who had called out to
her was Victor's personal maid, Mena.
In place of her
master, who was frozen in astonishment, she asked the suddenly visiting
noblewoman for her business.
"Madam
Mazarinette Parline, why are you come to this mansion?"
Mazarinette Parline.
Like Irisdina and
Victor, she was a person who was among the nobles of the country of Forsina,
and a capable businesswoman.
"Nothing, a cute
daughter asked me. She said there was someone she wanted me to see dance."
Saying that,
Mazarinette smiled at Irisdina.
"It has been a
while, Irisdina. You have become so pretty."
"Thank you very
much, Madam Parline. You are also as beautiful as ever..."
Lifting the skirt of
her uniform, Irisdina also returned a smile and bowed respectfully.
A smile full of
affection, different from the smile she would put on in noble society so as not
to be taken advantage of. Just that alone showed that Irisdina and the
noblewoman were quite close, even among old acquaintances.
"It has been a
while, Somilliana. You have grown quite a bit, haven't you? I look forward to
your future."
"Thank you very
much!"
Somia also returned a
graceful bow, just like her older sister, and Mazarinette stroked Somia's head
with a broad smile.
It seemed that this
noblewoman was also acquainted with Somia.
And the noblewoman's
gaze was directed at Nozomu, who was next to Irisdina.
"So, are you the
boy Irisdina was talking about?"
"Yes. He is my
friend, a person named Nozomu Bountis."
"N-Nice to meet
you. Iris, this person is..."
"She is a
classmate of my father. She has been a great help to me in high society since I
was young, and she also runs dance halls and theaters in our home country.
She herself was a
famous dancer, and she also educates the dancers of the theaters she runs. If
you want to learn to dance, she is undoubtedly the best person in
Arcazam."
Madam Parline,
although she was active as a businesswoman among the nobles, was particularly
outstanding in the fields of art and fine arts.
This was due to the
fact that she was a former dancer, but she also ran and managed multiple
theaters throughout the country, and in particular, the theater in the royal
capital of the country of Forsina was so popular among the nobles that it was
called the "Palace of the Red Rose" for its scale and elegance.
Also, she had a
reputation for her stage direction, and her direction, which not only pushed
splendor to the forefront but also brought out the individuality of the
dancers, had fascinated many people.
She was truly a woman
who could be called the mother of the arts.
"This morning, I
received a letter from Irisdina, asking me to teach a friend just the basics of
dancing. That's why I came."
"Thank you very
much for listening to such an impertinent request on such short notice."
"It's fine. I had
business and had been in Arcazam for a while, and I have nothing to do until
the opening festival. And besides, I also wanted to meet the rumored Nozomu
Bountis."
"Eh? Me, you
say?"
At Madam Parline's
words that she had come to meet him, Nozomu had a surprised expression.
He probably didn't
understand the reason why a noble who had a friendship with the Francilt family
would go out of her way to meet him, a commoner.
Seeing Nozomu's state,
Madam Parline's smile deepened.
"Ah, the outlier
of a student who held his own against that Jihad Roundel. I also saw your
rampage in the Martial Arts Garden, you know. I'm curious."
"No, rather than
holding my own, it's more correct to say that I was beaten one-sidedly..."
"To be able to
cross blades with the hero who holds that 'Jaw Breaker,' even if just barely,
is out of the ordinary in itself... I see, you seem to be a rather 'off'
boy."
"U-Umm..."
While letting out a
sigh from her deepened smile, Madam Parline looked at Nozomu.
At her amused, and at
the same time, bottomless gaze, as if she were a child who had found something
interesting, Nozomu couldn't help but shiver.
At the same time,
Nozomu also felt several strange gazes directed at him. There were gazes that
were watching him from outside the mansion.
There were probably
two people. Although they were wary, there was no hostility yet.
Nozomu's gaze was for
a moment directed outside the mansion.
Madam Parline, who was
watching his state, nodded with satisfaction and waved her hand as if to say
that was enough.
At the same time, the
gazes that had been directed at Nozomu disappeared. It seemed that this
noblewoman had lightly tested Nozomu.
Nozomu's face twisted
slightly uncomfortably.
Perhaps the owners of
the gazes were this noblewoman's guards. From the fact that Mars and the others
did not seem to have noticed the gazes from outside the mansion, it could be
predicted that they were considerably skilled.
For the lady, since
Nozomu was a complete stranger, it was not unreasonable for her to be wary, but
it was by no means pleasant to be stared at as a test.
On the other hand,
Mazarinette glanced at Nozomu and, without any particular concern, turned her
gaze to Mars and the others.
"Somehow there
are some unexpected children, but oh well. Anyway, as your instructor, I will
drill into you the etiquette, manners, and other things from scratch."
"Eh? Us
too?"
"You're
Irisdina's friends, right? It's the same whether I teach one or two, so I don't
mind."
And so the dance
lesson started, but not even ten minutes had passed before Madam Parline's
scolding began to fly.
"No, no, no,
that's wrong. The direction of your hand is wrong. When you're escorting a
woman, you take her hand from below. If you take it from above, it means 'I'm
taking you by force'!"
"Y-Yes!"
"That big oaf
over there is too tense. A good dance is only possible when you're relaxed. A
woman can't dance with peace of mind if you're so stiff."
"N-No, I know
that, but..."
"A-Auh~~"
"That wildcat
over there is pulling the man too much. And you're too close. If you're going to
a party, at least become a lady first. We don't accept undisciplined
pets."
"Eeh!?"
"Hmph..."
At first, Nozomu and
Irisdina, Mars and Tima, and Mimuru and Tom were supposed to dance, but for
Nozomu, it was a problem before he even started dancing. The pair of Mars and
Tima were so stiff from tension that they had become like poorly made
marionettes.
And Mimuru was
clinging to Tom with an obvious appeal, and Tom was blushing like a tomato.
This also ended in a disastrous result of not being able to practice dancing.
In the end, Nozomu and
Mars were separated from their first dance partners without having danced
enough. The two of them, without partners, ended up learning the etiquette of
dancing from scratch from Madam Parline, and the other members were also
shuffled, and in the end, they ended up dancing with completely different
partners.
"So, Shina-san,
it's a pleasure."
"Yes, a pleasure,
Lisa-san."
"Umm,
Camilla-san, it's a pleasure."
"I'm not very
good at dancing, but I'll do my best."
The ones who were
exuding a rather calm atmosphere were the pair of Lisa and Shina, and the pair
of Tom and Camilla.
Since the previous
incident, Shina and Lisa had sometimes had small talk, and little by little,
they were building a friendly relationship.
Tom and Camilla had
not had much contact until now, but they were not on bad terms to begin with,
and as long as they were careful with each other, there would be no problem.
"Why are Tom and
I separate?! I can't accept this~!"
"No, you're not
dissatisfied with me, are you?"
"Dissatisfied!
Disapproved! Uncertified!"
"Y-You naive-..."
On the other hand, the
one who was full of complaints was Mimuru, who had been torn away from her
lover.
In her case, the
problem was not her own experience, but that her feelings for Tom were too
strong.
For Mimuru, who had no
eyes for any man other than Tom, even if she were to be assigned another man,
she would just repel him like the same poles of a magnet.
But since a party was
a social gathering, and literally a place for interaction, it was possible that
she would have to dance with other men.
So Madam Parline had
no intention of listening to Mimuru's complaints.
"What's the
matter? All you've been doing is complaining..."
"B-but..."
"The man you've
fallen for, is he a cheap man who would be swayed by just dancing with another
woman for a few minutes? Or are you a cheap woman?"
"Of course
not!"
"Then shut up and
focus on your lesson. Your appearance will become the value of the man you've
fallen for. No matter what humiliation, it's not ladylike to make a fool of
yourself."
"Gununununu...
F-Fine! I'll do it!"
On the contrary, Madam
Parline used Tom as bait to provoke Mimuru, and as a result, Mimuru was spurred
on for Tom's sake and began to perform a magnificent dance with Feo.
Both Feo and Mimuru
were originally good at sports, and Feo, due to his personality, was quite good
at matching his partner. Once they clicked, they were able to dance very
smoothly.
At the skill of Madam
Parline, who had splendidly taken the reins of that whimsical, reckless wildcat
girl, Nozomu and the others let out a breath of admiration.
"Amazing. She's
completely got that Mimuru wrapped around her finger..."
"Yeah, we
couldn't have done that."
"Hey,
concentrate! You two are the biggest problem children, so you don't have time
to be looking at others."
"Y-Yes!"
"I know!"
"Then, I will be
the partner for Irisdina and Somia..."
"Victor, you are
in the way. Hurry up and get out of here."
"Isn't my
treatment a bit harsh!?"
And Victor, who had
been about to call out to the now-free Irisdina and her sister, was treated as
a nuisance and was driven to a corner of the room.
He was not invited to
this lesson in the first place, and he was the culprit who had increased Madam
Parline's workload, so it was natural that his treatment was harsh.
"My lord, I have
brought the documents that were left in your room. Since we're at it, let's
finish them here."
As a result, Victor
ended up fighting with the documents that Mena had brought from his office in a
corner of the hall.
Victor, who had been
left out, directed a pleading gaze at Irisdina, but the crucial her turned away
with a huff and completely ignored him.
The ignored Victor
received a shock as if he had been hit on the head with a war hammer and began
to shed tears.
"So, Big Sister,
please be my partner!"
On the other hand,
Irisdina, whose hands were free, was asked by Somia to be her dance practice
partner.
Somia, who had
extended her hand, was looking up at her sister with sparkling eyes.
"It's fine by me,
but I guess I'll be playing the male role again after all..."
In this case, the one
who would be playing the male role was, after all, Irisdina.
Since the ratio of men
to women was inevitably biased towards women, if they were to practice dancing,
it would inevitably become necessary for women to pair up.
In fact, the female
pair of Lisa and Shina were smoothly dancing while taking turns in their roles.
Irisdina herself had
played the male role in dance practice before.
Also, even at small
parties, she had been asked to dance not only by the opposite sex but also by
the same sex.
At such times, she
would naturally lead her partner as the male role. She also, of course, knew
the knack of the male role.
And Irisdina, who had
taken Somia's hand, escorted her with a very natural movement.
While matching Somia's
pace, with a gentle, flowing, and natural movement, she guided her to the space
in the hall.
And after gently
placing her hand on her partner's back, she slowly began to dance, swaying in a
natural posture and matching her partner's breath.
Her gestures were all
flawless and perfect.
"You're so cool,
Big Sister!"
"Somia, as a
woman, I'm not very happy to be called cool for playing the male role..."
However, even if she
could perfectly play the partner role, whether she herself was satisfied was
another matter.
From her original
disposition, Irisdina looked strangely good even when she played the male role,
but for her, who was concerned about her masculine tone and atmosphere, her
younger sister's evaluation was a little complicated.
While moving her body,
paying close attention to Somia's movements, she let out a sigh.
At that moment, a
cool, tinkling sound echoed in Irisdina's ear.
Irisdina turned her
eyes to the source of the sound. The bell that Nozomu had given Somia as a
birthday present was shining on her right wrist.
"Somia, you're
always wearing that bell."
"Ah, yes! Since
it's a gift from Nozomu-san, it would be a waste not to wear it!"
Somia had a broad
smile like the sun.
A simple bell that
seemed somewhat out of place for her, who was of a noble birth.
However, for Somia,
that bell was the first present she had received from a man she adored like an
older brother, and it was also a proof that her future, which was supposed to
have been taken away, was certainly connected.
At Somia's smile,
Irisdina's cheeks also naturally relaxed.
"I see. As
expected, it suits you very well."
"You think so!
Thank you very much, Big Sister!"
Perhaps she was happy
to be praised, as Somia had a smile that was 30% wider than before.
She was all smiles.
She looked so cheerful that it seemed she would skip at any moment.
While feeling a little
envious of her younger sister, Irisdina, with her cheeks relaxed, furtively
peeked at Nozomu, who was receiving instruction from Madam Parline.
Nozomu was, as always,
being scolded by the noblewoman and was learning the etiquette of dancing with
great difficulty.
Now he had moved from
escorting a woman to confirming his standing position in dancing, but he was
still clumsy and had not yet reached the point of dancing.
Although it was a pity
that she couldn't have a dance lesson with just Nozomu, Irisdina was thinking
that this was fine for now.
In fact, at this
point, 80% of the purpose for which Irisdina had asked Nozomu for a dance
lesson had already been achieved.
Her purpose was not
just to give a dance lesson to the inexperienced Nozomu.
Her other purpose was
to introduce Nozomu and Madam Parline.
The influence of Madam
Parline, who was renowned as a businesswoman, was second only to the Francilt
and Fabran families in the country of Forsina.
Just being an
"acquaintance" of such a person could be a sufficient weapon for the
current Nozomu.
(Well, this is about
all I can do, though...)
Irisdina, who could
not use spirit magic, could do almost nothing to help Nozomu with the control
of Tiamat's power.
What such a her had
thought of doing for Nozomu was to use the connections she had to build a
support system for him.
Originally, Nozomu had
few connections "outside the academy" other than Irisdina and the
others. It was an action she had taken, thinking if she could help him even a
little.
As a result, it could
be said to have been a moderate success.
From Irisdina's point
of view, the first impression that Madam Parline had of Nozomu did not seem to
be bad.
Madam Parline was
originally a person with a very decisive personality, a strong woman who would
not be intimidated even if her opponent were the king, if necessary.
Proud, and always
following the logic of things.
To some, the way she
was instructing Nozomu might seem quite high-handed.
However, behind those
words, Irisdina could clearly feel the "color of thinking of Nozomu's
growth."
And above all, Madam
Parline, who was instructing Nozomu, looked "happy" even from
Irisdina's point of view.
Naturally, the smile
that had appeared on Irisdina's cheeks deepened with joy.
(The only shame is
that at this rate, it doesn't seem like I'll be able to practice with just
Nozomu...)
While holding a
welling joy and a little disappointment in her heart, Irisdina continued to
escort her younger sister.
At the point when she
had asked Madam Parline for a dance lesson, Irisdina had thought that she would
not have much time to practice with just Nozomu.
And on top of that,
because Victor had done something unnecessary, the number of participants in
the lesson had swelled several times. In this situation, there was no way she
could be alone with Nozomu.
(But oh well, it can't
be helped. I still have plans after this, so instead of a dance lesson, maybe
I'll look forward to the real thing?)
A disappointing
feeling remained in her heart. However, when she thought about dancing with
Nozomu at the real thing, the feeling of disappointment was reversed. At once,
it turned into a heart-burning anticipation.
"Nozomu, this
makes it two favors, you know? Fufu, I'll have you pay me back properly at the
real thing, you know?"
While smiling at her
own words that had naturally escaped, Irisdina's heart danced at the thought of
the dance with her beloved, which she would be dancing in the not-too-distant
future.
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