18. A Dance Hall for Two
“Tailor” seemed dissatisfied when I ordered practice clothes for my sister’s dance lessons.
She had never shown dissatisfaction with a clothing order before.
Curious, I asked her why, and she replied, “Even for practice, I believe one should wear a proper dress…”
That was unreasonable.
My sister wasn’t a very good dancer.
…Well, she was decent for a beginner.
However, she had a history of tripping and falling, of all places, in front of His Majesty.
While that dress wasn’t designed for dancing… if she were to suddenly dance in the same dress she would wear for the real event, I could foresee my novice sister making a mistake.
――Even so, she would eventually improve.
Of course, not immediately.
A single lesson, a single day’s practice wouldn’t be enough. If that were the case, ‘noble demeanor’ would be nothing more than a superficial veneer.
Even so, few young ladies practiced as diligently as Leticia.
I danced with Leticia in the dance hall, its floor covered with a carpet that was soft, yet firm enough not to be too yielding.
Not many noble families had a dance hall suitable for hosting a proper ball.
However, our family did.
We were a prominent noble family, after all.
…Though we were also infamous as the “Coldhearted Vanderwaals,” so we weren’t particularly enthusiastic about social gatherings.
While we accepted invitations, we rarely hosted large gatherings ourselves.
I had, of course, invited many distinguished guests for my inauguration as head of the family… but conversely, it hadn’t been used for about four years since then.
I wouldn’t call it a storage room, but since it wasn’t used regularly, it sometimes became a temporary repository for unwanted items.
The dance hall, treated so poorly considering its intended purpose, seemed to have come alive since Leticia’s arrival.
While there were still some extraneous items, they had been pushed to the sides, creating a large open space.
A full-length mirror for checking posture and long benches for resting had been placed around the room, giving it the appearance of a proper practice area.
As expected of Ciel.
Previously, dance lessons were held off-site, but now we could have a tutor come to the mansion, as in the old days.
Leticia would have private lessons with the dance instructor and then practice with me.
After several sessions, I could see her improvement.
Even though it was just for practice, her white dress, with its frills and flounces, was lovely, making her look like a fairy.
――However, that was my subjective opinion.
Objectively, her steps were still clumsy.
And she just stepped on my foot.
“Ouch! …S-sorry, Big Sister!”
“Mind your language.”
I corrected her briefly, with minimal words.
I didn’t mention the misstep.
It was a common occurrence.
“…I apologize for my clumsiness.”
Leticia apologized again, her voice subdued and lacking energy.
I considered saying something befitting a villainous sister, like, “Honestly. You can’t even dance properly. You’re just a commoner at heart, aren’t you?”
“Practice exists to help one become accustomed to unfamiliar things. …There’s no need to be ashamed of what you can’t do now.”
But I stopped myself.
I knew what it was like to put in unrewarded effort.
And I knew the kind of words that could crush efforts that should have been rewarded.
Officially, I was the villainous sister.
A petty villain, spouting sarcastic and spiteful remarks.
But here… I was just an older sister giving her younger sister dance lessons.
That was enough.
…That was… good.
“Big Sister…”
“Language.”
I corrected her sharply.
The slightly informal tone she used when she let her guard down was probably closer to her true self.
While I was happy she felt comfortable enough to show it to me… it also meant I wasn’t ‘needed.’
What she needed was the demeanor to play the role of the [Protagonist] and follow the scenario. Nothing more.
“Y-yes. Elder Sister…”
“Good.”
It was difficult not to show too much affection.
But for some reason, she smiled.
“…Thank you, Elder Sister.”
“Just try not to step on my feet, okay?”
A few seconds after I said that, my sister stepped squarely on my foot.
“I-I’m so sorry, Elder Sister!”
“You mixed up your titles.”
She probably didn’t know.
That I loved her enough to be happy even when she stepped on my feet during dance lessons.
She didn’t need to know.
Leticia was a quick learner.
Even though she occasionally stepped on my feet or stumbled, and I had to catch her… she began to look the part while dancing.
Twirling, twirling.
I continued dancing with Leticia, losing track of time—
――Eventually, Leticia reached her limit.
“Ugh… I feel dizzy…”
Leticia swayed unsteadily.
Her face was pale, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
“You need more training.”
I took her hand and led her to a long bench against the wall.
“How are you not dizzy, Elder Sister…?”
“Practice.”
To be honest, I was also feeling a bit dizzy.
I had gotten carried away, enjoying dancing close with Leticia.
I wanted to curl up and lie still right now.
But I couldn’t show such weakness.
One of the philosophies of sisterhood I had learned since gaining a younger sister was that an older sister had to be stronger than her younger sister.
So that she could be relied upon when her sister was in trouble.
So that she could offer a helping hand when her sister needed it.
And so that she wouldn’t show her sister her uncool side.
I helped Leticia sit on the bench.
…Then she leaned against me as if seeking support.
It would be easy to push her away.
…It should be easy.
But instead, I sat next to her and let her lean on me.
Another philosophy of sisterhood I had learned was that an older sister’s heart wasn’t strong enough to reject her younger sister’s affection.
I was trying my best, but only because I had the backing of the official scenario.
I couldn’t treat my sister roughly when she was looking pale and unwell.
…Especially since it was clearly my fault for making her spin too much.
“Ugh…”
I gently rubbed her back, and her pained expression eased.
“Ah… that feels good…”
Perhaps the intense disorientation and floating sensation, the feeling that the world, not herself, was spinning, was subsiding as time passed.
She should be fine if I left her alone.
But if it made her feel even a little better… I continued to gently rub her back.
Leticia slumped further against me, resting her head on my thigh.
Seeing her curled up like a cat on my lap, I couldn’t help but smile.
I considered saying something sarcastic to regain my composure, but the venom had drained from me.
But without my venom, there was nothing left.
When Leticia’s expression no longer showed any signs of discomfort, I stopped rubbing her back.
“…Elder Sister?”
Leticia opened her eyes and looked up at me.
Of course, her expression was already composed. No vulnerability.
“Your color has returned. That’s enough practice for today. We’ll continue tomorrow.”
I considered being stricter, but I didn’t want to discourage her too much.
These were unfamiliar days for her.
Well, that aside, I would make sure she could dance perfectly.
――For the upcoming [Final Ball].
But that was still far off.
Leticia clutched the fabric of my dress near my thigh.
“…One more time.”
“That’s enough.”
At my words, despair washed over my sister’s lovely face.
But then, as if overriding that despair, a look of determination appeared in her eyes.
“Please… just one more…!”
“No, really, that’s enough…”
“Please, just bend the rules a little, just one more time…!!”
My sister was persistent.
Her earnestness made further refusal seem pointless, and I sighed deeply.
“Just a little longer, then.”
“Yes!”
At least her response was good.
As if claiming a hard-won prize, she rested her head back on my thigh, nuzzling her cheek against it.
As if she had found the perfect spot, she stopped moving and smiled contentedly.
It was an expression completely unbefitting of a noble lady.
…What was so enjoyable about it?
I didn’t understand.
But as an older sister, it was quite pleasant to be treated that way by my younger sister.
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