Chapter 74: First Steps (3)

Holding Elaine’s hand, I walked through the crowd and stepped into the center of the ballroom.

Murmurs spread around.

All eyes were on the two of us.

‘Ugh, now that I’m actually out here, I’m getting nervous.’

Was it really necessary to stare this much?

Well, yes, it was.

Elaine, the captain of the escort knights, possessed a beauty that rivaled even Grace’s. Many men here had likely wondered, ‘I’d love to see her all dressed up,’ after only ever seeing her clad in armor at these events. At least 40% of the men in this room must have had that thought at some point.

And now, for the first time, Elaine had appeared in a lavish dress. She looked even more beautiful than they had imagined. Naturally, she was drawing attention—not just from the men but from the women as well.

Adding to the intrigue, she hadn’t come with a lover but with her subordinate.

So, who would be her first dance partner? That was undoubtedly the biggest question in the room.

The men who had no partners must have been waiting for the perfect opportunity. But before they could make their move, some man had already taken Elaine’s hand and stepped onto the dance floor the moment the music started.

They must have been stunned.

Wasn’t he just her subordinate? Not her lover?

Elaine had said it herself.

They had been waiting for their chance, eliminating me from their calculations. And yet, the very man they dismissed had swooped in and stolen her right from under their noses.

But you know what?

I didn’t swoop in—I had claimed her from the very beginning.

So even though I was nervous, I straightened my shoulders and confidently escorted Elaine forward.

Strangely, despite my nerves, I didn’t feel bad at all.

First, seeing the guys who had been irritating me earlier now looking bewildered was incredibly satisfying.

Second, the women in the crowd had started whispering amongst themselves, interpreting my actions as, ‘The subordinate is stepping up to protect his superior from the other men.’

Dressed in the uniform Elaine had so carefully prepared for me, I had to admit—I looked pretty good today.

On top of that, I had the added prestige of being ‘the knight who saved the Snowflake Tower.’ That kind of honor made for the perfect fuel for the imaginations of noblewomen who thrived on romance and drama.

As I grew more and more excited by the situation, Elaine, on the other hand, seemed to be getting increasingly flustered under the weight of the attention. Her face turned red, and she lowered her head slightly.

Even though she had agreed in the heat of the moment, she was now trying to subtly signal me to stop by squeezing my hand.

I ignored it.

Then she tugged at my arm slightly.

I pulled her forward instead.

“L-Luke.”

Eventually, she whispered my name in a voice so small only I could hear.

Only then did I stop.

After all, we had already reached the center.

“Ugh… Did we really have to come all the way here?”

Elaine murmured, her lips trembling slightly in embarrassment.

It occurred to me that this was far more effective at flustering her than casually chatting with other women.

I took both of her hands in mine.

“Th-this is embarrassing, so at least let go of my hands…”

“If I don’t hold your hands, we won’t be able to dance.”

“Haa… Why are you being so aggressive today…?”

Elaine tended to act more endearing when she was flustered.

But today, it was reaching a whole new level.

She looked so incredibly cute that, even though I had been the one to bring her out here, I suddenly found it hard to meet her gaze.

But this reaction from Elaine was exactly what I had intended.

Of course, if it were purely up to my feelings, I would’ve just confessed outright.

However, that would be too sudden, and it wasn’t something Elaine and I had agreed upon. That would just be selfish.

(Granted, this was already a pretty impulsive move, but let’s overlook that.)

So instead, this was the best performance I could put on within my limits.

Now, take a good look.

This is the Elaine you will never get to see.

If she had no feelings for me, would she be holding my hand and blushing like this?

The normally stoic and composed captain of the escort knights?

If she was truly uninterested, why did she come here with me instead of Grace, appearing as a pair rather than in a group?

I was about to reignite the unease they had felt from the very start.

If they had any sense at all, they would understand what they needed to do.

Though, to be honest, thinking about it this way kind of made me feel like the bad guy.

But in the end, I was the one who truly cared for her.

They were the ones trying to take someone else’s woman.

And the only way to counter an attempted theft was with an even stronger display of devotion.

‘Still, this reaction is cuter than I expected… I might be in danger too.’

After setting Elaine’s cheeks on fire, I ended up getting burned by the heat myself.

Of course, we weren’t the only couple in the North.

Fortunately, many other lovers also stepped onto the hall, lost in their own romances, obscuring us from sight.

“Whew…”

Now that we were shielded from the crowd’s stares, Elaine seemed to regain a bit of composure.

The others were too busy looking at their own partners, after all.

As the hall filled with dancing couples, the orchestra shifted to a different tune.

Everyone began moving to the rhythm.

‘Ah, I’m screwed.’

The moment the dance actually started, my mind went completely blank.

Sure, I had boldly invited Elaine to dance and even led her to the center of the hall, but…

I still didn’t know how to dance.

In fact, that was one of the reasons I had brought her all the way to the middle.

If I had fumbled around on the outskirts and gotten caught not knowing how to dance, the others would have taken that as their chance to swoop in.

Now that the other couples surrounded us, they were acting as a shield—not just for Elaine but for me as well.

But if we danced horribly, we’d stand out even more.

I needed to at least fake it to avoid getting exposed.

How… how the hell do you step properly?

I tried glancing at the nobles around me, desperately mimicking their movements.

That’s when—

“Luke.”

Elaine called me softly.

“…You don’t know how to dance, do you?”

Busted.

My face instantly turned bright red.

Meanwhile, Elaine, who had finally recovered from her own embarrassment, stared at me with an amused look and let out a small chuckle.

“Hah… You’re always so bold, yet you have moments like this. If you were going to lead so confidently, shouldn’t you have seen it through to the end?”
“I mean, it’s not like I ever had a chance to learn how to dance.”
“Still, thank you.”

Just as the tempo of the music slowed, Elaine glanced to the side for a moment, then leaned her head against my chest.

“My heart was pounding the whole time. Ever since you spoke to Lady Gravain earlier, I’ve felt so overwhelmed because I like you too much.”
“So that’s why you stayed so quiet?”
“What else could I do? Just looking at your face makes me want to laugh. But this is a formal event.”

So that was it.

She had already reached her limit of embarrassment back then.

As the tempo picked up again, Elaine lifted her head from my chest, smiled brightly at me, and said—

“But still, I should at least give you a reward for making me so happy. Try to keep up.”
“…You know how to dance?”
“No, this is my first time too. I’ve just observed others at parties.”
“?”
“But as long as I’m with someone who understands my heart, I’m sure we can make a beautiful dance together. This isn’t about me leading—it’s about us dancing together.”

Now that she had overcome her shyness, Elaine regained her usual confidence.

And though her embarrassed face was cute, it was this strong and fearless side of her that I had truly fallen for.

“Haha, guess I should focus and do my best then.”
“Of course. I adore you so much that I can’t help but express it, so I might end up working up a bit of a sweat.”

I suddenly felt competitive. If I let my guard down, she might take the lead again.

“You can sweat all you want. I’ll wipe it off for you.”
“!”

I leaned in and whispered softly.

Elaine’s eyes widened in surprise—then she chuckled lightly and tightened her grip on my arm, pulling me along.

She had only learned by watching, but just like during swimming, Elaine had an innate talent for movement.

Her steps weren’t overly flashy or complex. Instead, they were simple yet graceful—strong yet fluid.

I followed her lead, adjusting my movements to match her rhythm.

Before I knew it, we were no longer just putting on a performance.

Completely immersed in the moment, we danced with genuine joy, blooming like a radiant flower in the center of the ballroom, with the other couples surrounding us like petals.

Whether people were watching or not, whether our dance was the most dazzling or not, none of that mattered.

A grand party, a beautiful melody, elegant attire…

And most importantly, two people lost in each other’s gaze, reveling in their shared happiness.

Without a doubt, this had to be the most joyful dance in the world.

As the orchestra’s performance came to an end, so did our dance.

Breathless from our first dance together, we looked into each other’s eyes as we caught our breath.

“You’re… sweating.”
“Yeah… so are you.”

The dance had been more intense than I expected.

With my body heat rising, I had the overwhelming urge to sneak away, toss off these suffocating clothes, and let the heat dissipate.

But—

“What a splendid performance!”
“Lady Elaine, may I have the next dance?”

Ah, these damn horn* dogs.

Can’t they read the room?

In high society, a dance doesn’t just end after one round.

Unmarried men and women often switch partners multiple times, using the opportunity to gauge compatibility with different people.

These guys had lost their chance at the first dance, but they sure as hell weren’t going to let me take the second.

The moment the music stopped and the break began, they swarmed in, eagerly requesting a dance.

But Elaine’s answer was—

“Sorry, but since it’s my first time dancing, I’d like to take a break.”

Her flushed face wasn’t just from the dance but for another reason.
When a woman declines, insisting further would be impolite.
Still, some of them were unwilling to give up and tried to become her partner even if it meant disregarding manners.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.
The sound of applause interrupted them.

“That was a truly splendid dance.”

With a cheerful laugh, the person approaching was none other than Grace.
As the Northern Duke himself praised them, the nobles immediately made way.

“Sir Elaine, I never knew you had such a talent. I believe this is my first time seeing you dance.”
“It’s thanks to my partner, who matched me well.”
“That does seem to be the case. Haha, you make a wonderful pair.”

With Elaine lifting me up and Grace reinforcing it, the expressions of the nobles finally showed signs of defeat and resignation.
I silently struck a victory pose in my mind, sending infinite gratitude to our eternal ally, Grace.

“Well now, seeing my captain dancing with a partner instead of assisting me makes me feel a little sulky. You should accompany me for a moment. I need to greet the heads of the noble families.”
“Understood.”

It seemed Grace had come to rescue Elaine from a difficult situation.
If I followed along as well, it would be too obvious.

“Captain, I’ll check on the other members and their guard duties.”

“Do so.”

Elaine understood my intent and granted permission.

For a brief moment, I caught a glimpse of regret in Elaine’s eyes, as if she wished the lingering heat between us wouldn’t fade.
Hmm… I might really have to wipe her sweat later.

“Whew.”

The dance and the excitement had raised my body temperature quite a bit.
I grabbed a cool drink instead of alcohol and took a seat on the sofa by the wall to rest.

The reason I came to this party was because Grace had asked me to participate.
But when I heard that a party was being held for the Northern aristocracy, I had set a goal.

Deepening my relationship with Elaine was a goal I made later.
The first objective I set was something else.
And that was—

“Hello? We meet again.”

Gotcha.
I had been resting alone nearby, deliberately making myself noticeable, and sure enough, the bait was taken.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again. Your name was… Lord Regret, correct?”
“Haha, I’m honored that you remember.”

Regret, whom I had briefly greeted during the tournament, approached me with familiarity.

“I saw you dancing with the captain earlier. It was a truly splendid performance!”
“Thank you.”
“By the way, where is the captain now?”
“She’s with His Grace, greeting the heads of noble houses.”
“Aha, I see! Actually, I came with my father, but since I don’t know many people here, I’ve been alone. If you don’t mind, would you be willing to chat with me until the captain finishes her duties?”

Earlier, I had declined the invitation of a beautiful young lady.
But my response to this innocent-looking young lord was—

“Of course. There’s a seat open right here.”

I smiled warmly and gestured to the spot next to me.
Because my target had been this guy all along.

Regret Dipsnow.
Second son of the family head, Lionel, and younger brother of Isaac, the commander of Wintercannon’s fortress defense forces.
A second-born of the prestigious Dipsnow family.

If I had to define his image in one phrase, it would be “the perfect gentleman.”
A man who never lost his temper at servants, treated everyone with respect regardless of status, and always carried a gentle smile—a completely harmless person.
In the novel, he was described as someone who never made enemies and got along with everyone.

However, the reason I sought him out was different.
This seemingly pure-hearted, innocent young man…

Was the traitor of the North in Brave Road Episode 4.