Chapter 995

Yuder crossed the wide-open doors, led by the elegant hand guiding him forward.

The powerful notes of the Lança swelled through the grand hall. Unlike the imperial palace ball, where Kishiar had had the right to choose the opening piece, this event followed a different order—of course it did. It was a completely different dance from Avitan, which could be performed by partners of the same gender. Still, Yuder did not hesitate or falter. He simply placed his hand into Kishiar’s and turned his body in the opposite direction, matching the lead.

Their stance was a little unorthodox for a traditional Lança, but it was obvious to all that Kishiar was taking the lead steps typically assigned to the “female” side. A wave of audible gasps swept through the room.

“Heavens...!”

But Kishiar, as always, was unfazed. From the first step, his confidence was evident. For someone so tall, his movements were astonishingly graceful. Not a trace of awkwardness showed. If one looked only at Kishiar, it was easy to believe that the dance had been choreographed specifically for him.

‘Thanks to that, no one can even tell I’ve forgotten more than half of this dance. I guess I should be grateful.’

Yuder remembered the man’s whispered promise before they’d arrived—“Whatever the music is, just leave it to me.” He still clearly remembered Avitan, which they had practiced in the capital, but Lança was different. He hadn’t had the time to refresh his memory, and he only knew the male steps to begin with, which had made him hesitate. It had been a needless worry.

When dancing with someone who had reached a master’s level, even clumsy steps were carried to appear effortless. It was like magic.

‘Well... it’s not exactly magic, but something close to it.’

Others might not have noticed, but Yuder could sharply perceive the faint, invisible energy surrounding their bodies. Naturally, it came from Kishiar. He was using not only his physical grace and skill, but also his Awakener ability—subtly assisting Yuder whenever a step was offbeat or a movement a fraction too slow.

That invisible force nudged Yuder forward when he lagged a beat behind and distributed his weight subtly by guiding his limbs when needed. If he weren’t seeing it with his own eyes, Yuder wouldn’t have believed anyone could use their powers so delicately—just to dance.

Thanks to that, Yuder didn’t have to think about anything. He could simply focus on the hand guiding him and the smiling face before him.

“The charm—and the weakness—of Lança is that, apart from the hands, there's very little body contact. It keeps distance between the partners, so some say it’s elegant, while others claim it’s basically a solo dance combined into group form.”

The man leaned in just slightly to whisper as they turned.

“But there’s a unique pleasure in this too. The moment when you and your partner move in perfect harmony. The changing warmth in each hand as we switch grips. Or... moments like this, where we exchange words in secret.”

“...I see.”

“It also gives me the luxury of observing you from afar. Like how perfect your outfit is tonight. Or how beautifully your ankle shows, thanks to those short boots you chose.”

With every word, Yuder felt Kishiar’s crimson gaze trace exactly what he mentioned—from the draped folds of his ceremonial robe, around the dark cloth that wrapped his arms, down the flow of fabric behind him... and finally, resting just above his boot, where a sliver of ankle was exposed.

It sent a sharp, tingling sensation through that spot on his skin.

Admiring and indulgent like a connoisseur of beauty—but under it all, a sensual, secretive heat that only Yuder could recognize. Not being pressed close seemed to make it more intense somehow.

Yuder furrowed his brow slightly, trying to swallow the sudden flutter of tension. Kishiar, seeing this, stifled a laugh. As their clasped hands switched positions and they spun in a full circle, he leaned down again to whisper.

“Looking around just now, I think everyone’s dying to know what we’re talking about. Did you notice?”

“Not really... I don’t care.”

Yuder hadn’t even needed to look. He could feel the attention. He had expected it from the moment they stepped into this space—none of it surprised him.

“I can see quite a few guests wondering whether they should try asking the hero of the South, Baron Yuder Aile, for the next dance.”

“I care even less about that.”

Yuder raised his eyes to Kishiar with a perfectly neutral expression and spoke.

“Whatever others say, right now is what matters. So if you have time to make jokes and look around, perhaps you should focus more until the end of the dance. I get that you’re a better dancer than me, but you look far too relaxed—it’s getting irritating.”

Kishiar’s crimson eyes widened briefly—then sparkled with glee as he burst into soft, delighted laughter.

“...Oh my. To think I made my precious partner feel that way—what a failure I am. Very well. From this moment on, I swear to focus entirely on you and look nowhere else.”

The deep green sash wrapped around Kishiar’s arm fluttered like a ribbon in his laughter. Under the crystal chandeliers, he shone like a jewel sculpted by hand.

Yuder, feeling slightly satisfied, allowed himself to observe him more freely as they continued dancing. He wasn’t someone who particularly enjoyed dancing—but strangely, if he could stay like this, watching Kishiar dance up close, he didn’t mind at all. If he could keep seeing that focused expression meant only for him... then spending a little more time like this seemed worth it.

As the grand swell of the music began to narrow and descend toward its end, the last movement began—hands lifted and spinning gracefully together. As they slowed to a stop, Kishiar gently bent the wrist of their clasped hands, sliding his fingers between Yuder’s in a natural interlock.

A low whisper brushed Yuder’s ear.

“I truly enjoyed this. It almost feels like I lived all those days just for this moment.”

“Thanks to you... I managed to get through it without any major mistakes.”

“So that means my partner enjoyed it too, without worry, yes?”

Kishiar tilted his head and grinned playfully. Then, lowering his voice even more, he leaned in close to whisper again.

“So... can I ask who your next dance will be with?”

“......”

"Utterly shameless."

“...Pardon?”

“Not you.”

Near ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) the edge of the hall, away from the dancers, stood Inon.

He had been quietly picking through the long banquet table of snacks and finger foods when he suddenly cursed under his breath. Lusan, startled, relaxed slightly upon realizing the words hadn’t been directed at him. But his curiosity was piqued.

“...Were you watching someone just now? Ah... you were watching the dancers.”

“......”

As the piece ended and the dancers dispersed, Inon muttered again under his breath, still staring at two exceptionally tall men in the crowd.

“This is insane. Absolutely insane.”

Obviously, those two men were none other than the Commander and Deputy Commander of the Cavalry.

“Ahaha... Is this because of Yuder?”

“......”

“Well... I suppose it makes sense. You’ve known him from before, so it’s understandable if you’re worried. I had my doubts at first, too.”

Lusan had heard that Kishiar had begun using balls and dances from the capital to normalize the existence of Awakeners with Second Natures. When he first saw Kishiar and Yuder dance at the imperial ball, even knowing that, he couldn’t shake a strange uneasiness.

But today felt different.

“...Still, it really does feel like they’re focusing on each other this time. Rather than strange, it kind of looks... natural. Don’t you think?”

“...Who asked you?”

Inon grumbled.