Turning Chapter 999

Chapter 999

The second dance was performed with much more freedom than the first. Yuder moved his body in tune with the melody, paying no heed to anything else. His dancing skills were not exceptionally outstanding, but that hardly mattered since his partner could flawlessly match his every move.

Their legs, which couldn't touch when they were dancing the Rancha, intertwined, and Yuder felt pleasant in the moments when their faces came close enough for their breaths to tickle each other. He tilted his head back without hesitation, entrusting his body to the hands that embraced and supported his back. In the momentary gaze that met as their clothes fluttered, the deep and hot passion pooled in Kishiar's eyes, reminiscent of a spring, evoked a sense of fullness that Yuder rarely felt.

Yuder quietly parted his lips and whispered words that only Kishiar could hear.

"As you may have guessed, you were the one who first taught me this."

"...Yes. I thought so."

From the moment they first practiced the Avitan together, Kishiar had already noticed that Yuder's every subtle movement resembled his own style. It was a fact that even Yuder himself hadn't known until then, but it made sense when he thought about it. After all, it was Kishiar from his previous life who had first taught Yuder how to dance.

"Back then, I learned the gestures and etiquette used when formally asking for a dance, but I never had the chance to use them with anyone."

"..."

For a moment, Kishiar's gaze changed slightly.

Yuder spoke with a faint smile.

"So, this is the first time."

Although he had danced with Gakane before, it was more of a means to have a deep conversation with him in secret, away from others. It was never like this feeling. Naturally, he didn't use the proper etiquette for asking for a dance then.

In his previous life, which was even more barren than now, there was no one to even use dance as a means of conversation, like with Gakane. As a lowly commoner and an omega, treated as neither a proper man nor a woman, and with rumors of being a monster-like Cavalry commander who would cruelly use his power to kill people whenever he got angry, who would want to dance with him? Even if he had asked, no one would have accepted.

Very rarely, when he had to participate in group Rancha dances by the order of Emperor Katchian, he briefly mingled with randomly assigned partners, but that was it. As soon as the sequence was over, he would leave the place immediately, and no one asked Yuder to dance. Yuder ignored them just the same.

'Well, I asked for many solos, though.'

For occasions that required a partner, he had his Deputy Commander Ever accompany him, and they ended without dancing as well. Later, after a few years, when Yuder's position became more solidified, the Emperor didn't say anything even if he didn't bring a partner, which made things more comfortable.

The place Yuder was most familiar with was the corner of the shade below the platform, where he could perfectly protect Emperor Katchian from any assassins that might suddenly barge in. Even when he saw people dancing joyfully, he never once wanted to join in and mingle with them, and until the day he died, he never formally asked anyone to dance.

Until this very moment.

"The reason you were curious about who my second dance partner would be is because you were confident that my first dance would always be with you, right?"

Since Kishiar had declared that Yuder would always be his partner from now on, it was natural for their first dance to be together. But what about the second one?

"Actually, for me, the second and third are the same."

Yuder whispered with the utmost sincerity, putting in as much honesty as he could.

"Unless there's a special reason... No. Honestly, even if there is, I don't think I'll ever extend an invitation like the one just now to anyone else. That's what I think."

For a moment, the hand on his waist suddenly tightened with force. It was enough to startle the muscles involuntarily. However, that force dissipated like a mirage as soon as Yuder could react.

Since a man who was notoriously good at controlling and suppressing himself would never do such a thing on purpose, it was truly a momentary loss of control.

As proof, there was no longer a hint of a smile on Kishiar's face.

"Did you dislike me answering so seriously to what was just a light question?"

"...No. Of course not."

When he tried to get a closer look at that face, the rhythm of the music brought their legs closer, tangling Yuder's ankles and pulling him nearer. A sigh escaped the man’s lips as their shoulders pressed close, almost buried into each other.

"What do I do with you."

In that breath, which he barely managed to utter while suppressing something, surprise, bewilderment, and joy and affection that couldn't be fully hidden were all jumbled together.

"If I were more adept, I would have dismissed your continued inquiries about my second dance partner as half-joking, assuring you not to worry, and would have proudly stated how honored I am to be chosen as your first formal dance partner."

"..."

"I have no confidence in saying it so nonchalantly. It's like my head and body are acting separately. I thought I was second to none when it came to shamelessness, but from today on, I feel like I shouldn't even dare to have such confidence..."

Because it was difficult to hold back the surging emotions.

The face that had moved away again with a sigh-like breath was flushed around the eyes. Although it was a bit inappropriate to think of it in this place, Yuder suddenly recalled his appearance on the bed.

Kishiar closed his eyes tightly and exhaled deeply before opening them again. With that brief moment of breathing, he suppressed the emotions that had surged up and regained his previous composure. However, that was only a superficial change. Deep within the red eyes that met Yuder's, there was a heat that those watching from afar could never notice.

"Can I ask you one thing?"

"Yes."

“Did you find any joy, even momentarily, while dancing with me?”

'I wondered what kind of question he was going to ask.'

Yuder stared at the man who continued to dance, waiting for his answer, and then spoke.

"You're asking a question that doesn't even need an answer."

"..."

"This is the first time I've ever felt joy in dancing."

A smile brighter than any other he had shown today, yet different from before, appeared on Kishiar's face.

The dance between Yuder Aile and Duke Peletta, which seemed to know nothing of intensity, evoked many indescribable emotions even to those who watched. The fact that the number of participants in the Avitan had increased dramatically after their dance was enough to tell.

The new Duchess Herne's succession ceremony ended in a completely different atmosphere from before, but not a bad one.

However, the end of the party was also the beginning of a nightmare for someone.

"Megdolgen Mijelskan. How dare you steal an invitation and enter to do such unspeakably dirty things. Who gave you this fake invitation?"

"I told you I got it from a guy I met at the gambling den! Whoever it is, as long as you bring an invitation, you have the right to enter, don't you?! I even threw away all the things in my pockets, so it's fine!"

After the party, Megdolgen was tied up in the basement below the mansion and immediately interrogated. Although terrified, Megdolgen tried his best to appear confident in front of Gakane Bolunwald, who was watching from afar, determined not to show such an appearance.

"The things that were in your pocket, you say. As if someone had forcibly put them in."

"It seems you're not judging the situation properly. The Herne family kept a record of where they sent all the invitations they made for the succession ceremony. But the invitation you brought was something the Herne family hadn't even made in the first place. However, the paper and handwriting used were exactly the same. How did you obtain such a thing?"

"...What?"

"It means that if you don't properly reveal how you obtained it, your life may also end."

"Wait. What did you say?"

Confused, Megdolgen quickly realized that his life could be in danger anyway.

"I, I'm telling the truth! I really won it at the gambling den! The fifth son of the Baron Birun family that I usually know... No... Was it someone from Eial?... Who, who was it? Anyway, I, I played a game with that guy and won..."

"..."

“Your claim of being too drunk to remember doesn’t hold up. We’ve already confirmed that none of the individuals you mentioned were there that night. It seems like some other force was at play.”

Kanna, who was standing next to Gakane with an expressionless face, said coldly.