Volume 8
Chapter 21
"Hi Nozomu, you finally made it."
Irisdina, dressed in a
pure white dress with silver decorations, greeted Nozomu with a smile.
"Uh, yeah... Did
I keep you waiting...?"
"Yes, you did. I
was just thinking that the party would end without me having a dance
partner."
Although Irisdina said
such words, there were countless men who wanted to ask her, a noble and
glamorous young lady, to dance. Still, the reason Irisdina had said such a
thing as "the party would end without me having a dance partner" was
because she had decided that, just for today, she would only have one dance
partner.
"Uh, no, um.
Iris, you seemed busy with your father making your rounds, so I thought it
would be better to wait until you were settled..."
On the other hand, the
dense Nozomu did not notice such a hidden confession from Irisdina. At Nozomu's
reaction, a small jealousy reared its head within Irisdina.
"It's honestly a
hassle, you know. It would have been settled right away if you had just talked
to me, Nozomu, but you were happily chatting with Shina-kun..."
"Eh...?"
I'll just put him on
the spot for a bit. Prompted by her small jealousy, Irisdina began to talk
about how Nozomu and Shina had been chatting. To be honest, it was a fact that
Irisdina had been sulking when she had seen Nozomu and Shina talking happily.
(I wanted to talk with
you too!)
While remembering the
time when she had felt left out, she deliberately put on a slightly displeased
expression.
"Honestly, it's
not fair. To leave me alone and just the two of you have a fun chat..."
"No, um..."
At Irisdina's
displeased look, Nozomu had a troubled expression. It was true that his chat
with Shina had been fun, but it was also true that he had left Irisdina out.
And besides, although he had been running around in confusion, not used to the
party, he could not deny the feeling that he had been intimidated by Irisdina, who
was behaving as a perfect young lady.
"Iris, I'm sorr..."
"Fufu, I'm sorry.
It was just a little joke."
Irisdina's displeased
expression changed in an instant, and a happy smile appeared. At her triumphant
expression, as if to say, "I got you!", Nozomu finally realized that
he was being teased.
"Iris..."
While looking at
Nozomu, who had dropped his shoulders with a sigh, Irisdina was rejoicing in
her satisfied small jealousy and her sense of accomplishment at having her
beloved's gaze directed at her.
"You also seemed
to be having a hard time, Nozomu. You were surrounded by quite a few people,
weren't you?"
"Yeah, I honestly
had no idea what to do."
"You were just
like a duckling swimming for the first time. When I remember it...
fufufu."
Although she had been
busy with her rounds and had not been able to talk to him, Irisdina had also
seen Nozomu, who had been surrounded by the dignitaries and was at a loss. If
she were to describe his state at that time in one word, she would call it a
comedy starring a terrible actor. Perhaps remembering the state of Nozomu, who
had been confused, surrounded by the dignitaries, Irisdina smiled again.
"Kuh,
pfft..."
The sight of the
flustered Nozomu had probably hit home. Irisdina, while holding her stomach so
as not to laugh out loud, was desperately suppressing her laughter. Her figure
was, from any angle, that of a girl her age. It was very rare for her usual
ladylike appearance to be completely submerged. On the other hand, for Nozomu,
who was continuously being laughed at, it was a little troubling.
"You don't have
to laugh that much."
"It's fine, isn't
it? You've already had your fun with Shina-kun, right? Then let me have this
much fun too."
"Does that mean
by making me your toy?"
"That's
right."
"You say 'that's
right,' but..."
Please give me a
break. While conveying such a silent protest with his gaze, Nozomu looked at
Irisdina, but she, who had returned to a mischievous girl, replied with a cute,
mouthed "No!" Once she had become like this, Nozomu could do nothing.
Along with a sigh that had leaked from his resignation and exasperation, he
once again slumped his shoulders. Irisdina, while holding her hand to her
mouth, was looking at Nozomu with a truly amused look.
"That dress is
different from your previous one."
"Yeah, I had it
coordinated to match my current hair. It's completely different from the
previous home party, but what do you think?"
As if to show Nozomu,
Irisdina opened up her body. A pure white dress woven from smooth silk, and her
fresh, white porcelain skin. Her gentle smile, combined with the silver
decorations, was shining like a moon goddess floating in the night sky.
"It's a common
line, but it suits you very well. It's different from your usual image, Iris,
but it's like..."
"Like?"
"N-No,
um..."
Noticing the line he
had been about to say, Nozomu fell silent.
"What? Why are
you stopping there?"
On the other hand,
perhaps she was curious about the words Nozomu was about to say, as Irisdina
was approaching him without any hesitation. At her well-featured and beautiful
face, and her obsidian eyes, which were a stark contrast to her pure white
hair, Nozomu couldn't help but blush and falter. On the other hand, from
Nozomu's reaction, Irisdina had easily seen through his feelings. While her
heart was dancing at the fact that her beloved was captivated by her
appearance, Irisdina had a mischievous smile on her lips and closed the
distance even further.
"Come on, say it.
What do you think, Nozomu?"
I want you to
look at me more. I want you to feel me more. Although Irisdina was
pressing him further, driven by such a maiden's heart...
"It's like you're
a moon goddess. You're very... beautiful..."
"..."
She had been
intercepted by Nozomu's straightforward counter. At Nozomu's unexpectedly
straightforward and pure words, Irisdina's shame at once jumped up.
"Why are you
looking away?"
With her white
porcelain skin dyed crimson, Irisdina crossed her arms as if to protect her own
body and turned her back to Nozomu. She was clearly embarrassed. Her cheeks, which
were peeking out from her long, white hair that was flowing over her shoulders,
were also as red as they could be.
"Are you
embarrassed, Iris?"
"...I'm
not."
Cute. While
remembering the exchange he had had with Shina a short while ago, Nozomu felt a
slight sadistic urge rear its head in his heart.
"Even though you
were the one who told me to say it, you're getting embarrassed..."
I want to
tease her a little more. Prompted by the sadistic urge that had welled up in
his heart, and also by the fact that he had been teased by Irisdina earlier,
Nozomu had gotten a little carried away.
"I said I'm not
embarrassed!"
"Uwah!"
Irisdina's fierce
counterattack. She quickly grabbed Nozomu's cheek with her right hand and
pinched it, rather seriously.
"Ah, Airy, ih
hurh, ih hurh."
"Gosh...!"
Irisdina was
skillfully extending one of her crossed arms to pinch Nozomu's cheek. The fact
that her elegant gestures remained here and there was as expected of a noble
lady, but this flirtatious drama, where the offense and defense were switching
like a metronome, was, of course, in plain view of the other party
participants...
"Airi, Airi."
"What is
it!"
"We're 'being
seen'."
"...Eh?"
At being told by
Nozomu, Irisdina finally understood just how much she had been standing out.
When she turned her eyes to her surroundings as she was prompted, the
dignitaries who were participating in the party were frozen with expressions as
if they had seen something unbelievable. The noble young ladies, who had been
paying attention to Nozomu, had also dropped the fans they were holding with a
plop, and were gaping with their mouths open.
"~!"
As if driven by her
shame, which had reached its peak, Irisdina twisted Nozomu's cheek, which she
had been pinching, with even more strength. Furthermore, she then swung the
hand she had been pinching with all her might. Along with a sharp smack!,
Nozomu's scream echoed.
"Higyua!"
Nozomu, who was
writhing in the intense pain that ran through his cheek, and Irisdina, who was
looking away with her arms crossed gracefully. Perhaps he had thought that he
had teased her too much. While holding his reddened cheek, Nozomu apologized to
Irisdina.
"Sorry, sorry. It
was my bad."
But the princess in
question was puffing out her cheeks like a child and had a very dissatisfied
face. While harboring a slight regret that he had gone too far, the sight of
the pouting Irisdina reminded Nozomu of her younger sister, Somia.
"But you're
really sisters, huh? You really do look like Somia-chan."
"...Hmph."
"It's true that
you're not just cute, but also beautiful. And that you looked like a
goddess."
"...Is that
really true?"
"I can't lie
about something like this..."
Her dignified
appearance from before was also beautiful, but her childish appearance like
this was also lovely. Nozomu, who thought so from the bottom of his heart,
spoke his honest feelings. That was about all Nozomu could do. Nozomu was
originally a man of few words and was not good at compliments. His
communication skills were not high either.
Be relaxed.
That was the advice he
had received from Madam Parline before, so as not to make the people who were
important to him feel anxious. Nozomu, who had thought about that advice, had
thought that rather than trying to put on a show, it would be better to be
relaxed by speaking his heart straight. But for Irisdina, Nozomu's honest and
sincere words were sweeter than the tens of thousands of compliments she had
received in high society, and they were magic words that made her heart dance.
"...I see.
Fufu."
The inside of her
chest, which had been full of dissatisfaction, was filled with joy in an
instant. Before she knew it, she was no longer concerned with the gazes from
those around her. While being surprised at her own heart, which was changing so
quickly, Irisdina was rejoicing in the joy that surpassed that surprise. At
that moment, a particularly solemn music began. Upon closer inspection, the
numerous men and women who had been gathered at the party venue were taking
each other's hands and were beginning to gather in the center of the great
hall. The dance had begun.
"It's
starting."
"Ah..."
The turned-around
Irisdina had a challenging smile.
"Nozomu. Are you
ready?"
"Umm..."
Ahem, ahem! While
clearing his throat, Nozomu also faced Irisdina. While remembering the practice
he had had at the Francilt mansion a few days ago, he placed one hand on his
chest and gently extended his other hand.
"My lady, may I
have this dance?"
"Yes, with
pleasure..."
While putting a
heart-pounding joy into her mellow, beautiful voice, Irisdina gracefully placed
her own hand on Nozomu's, which was trembling slightly with nervousness. And
the two of them, as if flowing, stepped out onto the dance floor. A pure white
dress danced, and the two began to dance to the magnificent music. Starting
from the feet they had stepped out with, matching their timing naturally, the
bodies of the snuggling Nozomu and Irisdina drew a beautiful curve. While
taking steps as if prompted by their gently placed hands, they performed a
synchronized twist to the music.
"My
goodness..."
"No way..."
Although it was a
basic step, perhaps their appearance was more magnificent than they had
thought, as gasps of admiration were leaking from the dignitaries and young
ladies who were watching the two. Irisdina, as a noble lady, was one thing, but
the fact that Nozomu, a mere commoner, had performed such a magnificent step
seemed to have been unexpected for them. Originally, since Nozomu was
well-versed in martial arts, his back was properly straight, and his posture
was very beautiful. Furthermore, combined with the perfect timing of the two,
their movements were full of a sense of unity. While the outsiders were
watching with wide eyes, the existence of the dignitaries had already
disappeared from the consciousness of Nozomu and Irisdina. What was reflected
in the eyes of the two was only their respective partners. They continued to
take steps, prompted by the heat that was being transmitted from their
overlapped hands, and the feelings that were welling up from their chests. In
time with the umpteenth twist, they switched their body positions and became
back-to-back, and then, with the momentum of turning back, Nozomu raised his
hand, and as if prompted by that hand, Irisdina performed a one-turn spin.
Furthermore, Nozomu and Irisdina released their hands with the momentum of
flowing to the side and performed a spot turn together. A smile escaped from
Nozomu and Irisdina, who had faced each other again and had taken each other's
hands again.
"Come to think of
it, you said you were going to repay your debt, right?"
While dancing,
Irisdina suddenly said such a line to Nozomu. Although Nozomu had a surprised
look on his face for a moment, he immediately answered with a smile.
"...Alright. What
should I do?"
Although Irisdina had
been the one to say that she would have him repay his debt, when she thought
about what she should have him do, the words did not come out properly. What
had crossed her mind for a moment was her schoolmate, who was also charmed by
Nozomu, the figure of Shina, dressed in a sky-blue dress. Irisdina knew the
meaning of the Ritual of the Blood Pact that Shina had performed with Nozomu.
She had also roughly guessed at the effect that that ritual would have on her.
And seeing the figure of Shina, who had clearly been in poor condition in
today's mock battle, that premonition had become almost a certainty. That was
also nothing other than the fact that Shina had decided to devote herself to
Nozomu, even to the point of abandoning her own dream. That devotion of Shina
was casting a shadow on Irisdina's heart.
"...Iris?"
Nozomu called out to
Irisdina, whose expression had been cast with a shadow, with a worried voice.
Her beloved man, staring at her from a close distance. Just that alone made
Irisdina's heart pound, and at the same time, she was assaulted by a squeezing
pain. The desire of "I want to be
closer..." and the guilt of "someone
like me..." were vying with each other, and became a dull ache that
was once again throwing Irisdina's heart into turmoil. Still, she could not let
Nozomu know her true feelings. She didn't want him to know. While holding back
the tears that were about to overflow, and putting on a brave face, Irisdina
casually opened her mouth.
"A bell, I want a
bell. A bell that you made, Nozomu..."
"A bell that I
made?"
"You gave one to
Somia, didn't you? Isn't it strange that I don't get one?"
What Irisdina wanted
was the handmade bell that Nozomu had given her younger sister for her
birthday. A normal bell, which was neither expensive nor had any particularly
magnificent decorations. But Irisdina remembered. That when her younger sister
was looking at the bell she had received from Nozomu, she was remembering the
sender of the bell with a very happy expression. And that she had been unbearably
envious of her younger sister, who had received such a gift.
"I understand.
I'll be sure to make one."
"I'm glad. It's a
promise, you know?"
"Of course."
While returning a
smile to Nozomu, who had agreed to her request, she felt the pain in her chest
dulling. At the same time, Nozomu's presence was becoming very distant.
This is fine.
This alone is enough. I am neither as honest as Somia, nor as pure as Shina-kun.
Still, this much is allowed, isn't it...
While telling herself
that she was not the one who should be by Nozomu's side, Irisdina was freezing
her own heart. Still, since she was used to putting on a brave face, Irisdina
did not let her smile falter. That smile of hers, from any angle, looked as if
she were truly happy about the gift she would be receiving from Nozomu.
"...Iris, why are
you making such a face?"
"...Eh?"
But that mask of hers
was easily shattered by Nozomu's single, heavy word.
"Somehow, you
look like you're about to cry..."
What in the world was
Nozomu talking about? I'm not making a face as if I'm about to cry. Although
she told herself that, in the eyes of the staring Nozomu, she was filled with
an unparalleled gloom.
"..."
"What in the
world...!"
The surprise that her
masked smile had been seen through, and the heat that was boiling from the
happiness that her true self was being seen. On the other hand, the fear of not
wanting her beloved to see through her despicable true feelings was raging in
the depths of Irisdina's chest.
"I'm
fine..."
"You say you're
fine, but you don't look like it..."
The solemn and light
music that had been echoing until just before had, at some point, changed to a
flowing and calm tempo. While swaying her body to the gentle music, Irisdina
quietly moved closer to Nozomu and buried her face in his chest.
"I'm fine, so for
now, just stay like this and dance with me without saying anything...
please."
Tormented by her sense
of defeat and guilt, Irisdina, who was enduring the pain that was running
through her chest, could only sob, as if to hide from her surroundings. On the
other hand, Nozomu, who did not know what was going on, could only accept the
clinging Irisdina. A quiet silence filled the space around the two. Nozomu had
no idea what had happened to Irisdina's heart. Still, he could not just leave
her as she was. He didn't want to make her make such a sad face. With that
thought, Nozomu was about to open his mouth.
"Iris,
I...!?"
At that moment, an
intense chill ran down Nozomu's spine. A presence that surpassed even that of
the white dragon Azel, a presence greater than any he had ever felt. A
presence, accompanied by a coldness as if he had been thrown into an ice field,
was coming very close. Nozomu's gaze was directed at the entrance of the party
venue.
"Nozomu?"
Irisdina, who had
noticed Nozomu's strange behavior, had a suspicious look on her face and
followed his gaze. Before she knew it, the music that had been playing had stopped,
and all the people who had been participating in the party were riveted on that
presence.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I
didn't mean to startle you."
The one who had
appeared was a silver-haired beautiful woman, dressed in a crimson dress. She
had an overflowing regal aura and a beauty as if she were frozen, and her
smooth, flowing silver hair was shining like diamond dust, bathed in the light
of the magic lamps.
"Nice to meet
you, I suppose? I am Vitora Luthalark Dat Wajiart. One of the lords of the
Dizard Empire."
With a beautiful voice
that couldn't help but attract all life, and with crimson eyes reminiscent of
blood, while looking down on all the existences before her, the vampire
princess stated her name.
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