Book 4: Chapter 4: It Ended Well All Thanks to The Embroiderers. (1/2)
That day, two more observers came to the after-school dance training.
They were Felix Ark Ridill, the student council president, and Cyril Ashley, the vice president.
When these two appeared, Lana's cheeks turned rosy and squealed in high-pitched voices.
While Monica screamed in terror inwardly in pale expression.
As for Neil, he looked at Felix and Cyril awkwardly, while Glenn said loudly, ”Who are these people?” And they were some big figure.
”-W-Why… w-was Y-Your Highness… h-here…”
When Monica said this in a low voice, Felix furrowed his eyebrows and gave her a look of disbelief.
”I'm not so heartless as to have expected you then only to throw you out later, okay?”
”Right, you should be grateful for Your Highness's generosity!”
Cyril then stuck out his chest proudly. Are you okay came here leaving your student council work behind… or so thought secretly Monica when Felix glanced at Cyril.
”By the way, I don't remember having called you here, Cyril.”
”I'm Your Highness's bodyguard! It is only natural that I should accompany you along!”
”I see. So you've been getting your student council work done ahead of schedule even before I told you I was planning to come here. You were planning on coming to watch Monica practice from the beginning. And even if I didn't show up here, you're planning to come here, weren't you?”
For some reason, Cyril embarrassed at Felix's ridiculous remarks which made his gaze wander.
”W-Well… As your right-hand man, I had anticipated some of Your Highness's plan, after all!”
Monica was secretly impressed by the fact that the vice president had to always be ready for the president's whims.
However, to be honest, this situation did not make Monica happy. In fact, it has become a burden on her mind.
As Monica's stomach knotted up in anguish, Lana was shaking her shoulder.
”Hey, look at that! Student council president and vice president are standing side by side, so close together!”
Lana's exuberant was probably the correct reaction of most of the girls… so thought Monica.
”Look at His Highness' scarf embroidery, such delicate and beautiful needlework… It's definitely the work of a master craftsman. The colors of the embroidered thread changes depending on its luster… and also those embroidered vine patterns, they will definitely become a trend. I need to burn it in my memory, and if possible, I would like to draw it down… Ah, look at the lace on the edge of Lord Cyril's gloves! That's not something made without the latest technique… I'd like to see it up more closely…”
”………”
What Lana was staring at was not the faces of Felix and Cyril, but their clothes and accessories.
Perhaps Lana was also a little different from what most schoolgirls think.
While Monica was dumbfounded at that thought, Felix was encouraging while saying to her, ”How about showing your dancing first?” with a smile. Monica did as she was told, standing in the middle of the room before holding Glenn's hand.
Lana hurriedly sat down at the piano and began to play. Neil clapped his hands along with the music.
”Alright, I will start with a one-two-three as a signal.”
”Okay!”
”One, two, three.”
Monica and Glenn took their first steps at the same time. It wasn't a bad start. This was because Monica was less nervous around Glenn than she had been yesterday.
However, after a few repetitions of the steps, their rhythm started to go wrong.
”Stop!”
Cyril was the one who raised his voice.
Ah, she sure her dancing had ruined the dance or so thought Monica shrinking into her shoulders.
Lana stopped her music, and Cyril glared at Glenn sharply.
”Glenn Dudley! You are not escorting her properly! You had better learn to control your manners towards girls!”
It was a very unbelievable statement from someone who abuses Monica on a daily basis.
Monica, who had been expecting that she would be the one to be criticized, widened her eyes in disbelief.
On the other hand, Glenn, who had been ruined the dance complained, with his lips pursed in a boo-boo.
”I've been treating her carefully though.”
”In the first place, you haven't even properly asking her for a dance! Watch me over there!”
Cyril pushed Glenn away haughtily before staring down at Monica, who was scared out sniffling.
Looking at the flow, surely Cyril will be Monica's dancing partner, right?
If I accidentally stepped on his foot, he might shove a block of ice to me… or so Monica shuddering at thought of that when Cyril placed his left hand behind his own back, bow gracefully, before reaching out his right hand.
”Will you dance with me, young lady?”
”…huh?”
Monica's thoughts froze at the graceful bow and the dialogue that didn't seem to belong to Cyril.
Standing there in a daze, Cyril reached out and took Monica's hand with as much care as if he were touching a delicate piece of glass.
As soon as Lana started to play her music, Cyril lightly put his hand on Monica's waist. By the movement of his hand, Monica subconsciously understood that the dance was about to begin. Even without a signal ”one-two-three” like she did with Glenn, she knew what to do as it natural. She even knew the timing of the first step.
As if lured by Cyril's hand, Monica stepped forward, one, two, three, one, two, three… Too busy worrying about her steps, Monica's upper body movement inevitably became a mess.
But when Monica's back and arms started to do a wrong move, Cyril's hands supported her to get into the right position.
The same goes for the direction of travel. If it was Glenn, he would say, ”Let's go to the right!” then ”We're about to run into a wall, so go that way!” to indicate the direction of travel vocally. But Cyril didn't guide Monica with his words but with the movement of his hands, his feet, and his gaze.
—And for her, it was surprisingly easy to dance with.
After the music was over, Cyril gave the same beautiful bow as when he started. He then raised his head to look at Glenn and…
”Did you see that, kid? This is what escorting is all about!”
He yelled at him, looking proud of himself.
Far from being when he's dancing, he was the usual Cyril Ashley that Monica knew.
Monica couldn't help but mutter to herself.
”I was relieved to see that Lord Ashley was still the same as usual.”
”What do you mean by that?”
After Cyril glared at Monica, he coughed.
”You could say that ballroom dancing is entirely dependent on how the male doing a lead. If the male leads properly and matches the timing to the music, the dance will look good to some extent.”
At Cyril's explanation, Glenn cheered honestly.
”Oh, that's awesome!”
”When you're going to compliment someone, you should use better vocabulary, and compliment them with a word of decency.”
Cyril seemed less than pleased but still maintained his cynical attitude.
Glenn pondered about ‘use better vocabulary' for a moment, then opened his mouth with a serious face.
”Your movements went like whoosh, swish, and snap, and it was cool!”
”Before you learn etiquette, you should learn the human language.”
Cyril gave Glenn a half-hearted glare, and now he looked at Monica.
”Monica Norton. Your dancing needs a lot of work. First of all, you need to get used to being escorted. Don't freak out every time. Don't hunch over. Don't look down. A few missed steps will go unnoticed as long as you keep your head held high.”
”Y-Yes…”
Cyril's point was something that both the teacher and Neil had said to her.
In any case, her habit of hunching over and looking down, caused Monica to always take a bad posture.
Now that he mentions it, at the rehearsal for the Seven Sages ceremony, Louis pointed out to me that I was hunched over… I remember having a pole tied to my back.
The memory of him saying ”how about I tie a pole to your back next time?” with a smile, still made her shudder even until now.
While she shuddering after recalling that memory, Felix proposed smilingly.
”In that case, Dudley should practice being an escort and Miss Norton should practice getting used to being escorted. Cyril, can you teach him how to be an escort?”