Since this was her first time attending a banquet like this, Kagura was a little nervous before going in. But once inside, she found that not many people were paying attention to her, so she found a corner of the hall and sat down.
She had the strange feeling that she was like Cinderella in those fairy tales, slipping into the ball by magic. Among all the famous names and social elites here tonight, one perfectly ordinary maid had somehow mixed herself in. Of course she was nervous. Luckily, hardly anyone noticed her, which let her hide away in the corner and quietly sip her juice without a word.
Though tonight was supposed to be a victory banquet, Kagura felt it was more like a social ball. Quite a few guests were already moving around on the dance floor. She glanced over a couple of times and found that she did not know any of them, which did not surprise her. After all, in neither this life nor her previous one had she ever had much to do with the upper crust.
Come to think of it, the person talking with ojou-sama is...
Kagura looked over toward Rudolf and saw Rudolf, dressed in a suit, talking with Director Akikawa and an Umamusume with a white streak at the front of her hair. She remembered seeing that Umamusume before while inspecting the course at Tokyo Racecourse. Back then, a whole crowd of people had been surrounding her, and Kagura had already guessed that her status was anything but ordinary. Seeing how easily and naturally she was speaking with Director Akikawa and Rudolf now only confirmed it.
——Hey, hey, kid, they've got pancakes over there! Go grab some!
Eclipse-san, everyone else came here to socialize. I'm the only one actually here to eat...
Seeing the words pop up on her phone screen, then looking at the several plates in front of her that she had already emptied, and then at everyone else's tables, where the plates were either spotless or only had a few scraps left, Kagura could not help feeling a few black lines slide down her forehead.
——So what! I went to more of these balls than I can count back in the day, and I was always busy doing boring social stuff. What's wrong with wanting to enjoy the food now?
Well...
Since she was not doing anything anyway, Kagura got up and fetched the pastries Eclipse wanted, then came back and sat there again, watching Rudolf chat with people.
...
"Princess Fine Motion, would you do me the honor of a dance?"
"Gladly~ Then, Director, Rudolf, if you'll excuse me for a bit~"
The two of them nodded and watched Fine Motion walk onto the dance floor with another Umamusume. Director Akikawa then nudged Rudolf and asked with a smile,
"Question! Rudolf, I've seen you turn down several invitations already. Aren't you planning to go down for a dance? Even Her Highness the Princess is already on the floor."
"No... I'm waiting for someone."
Rudolf shook her head and swept her gaze around the room. Since the banquet began, several people had already come to invite her, and she had refused every one. She had stayed standing up on the platform the whole time, waiting for the person she wanted to appear.
And at last, her waiting and searching were rewarded. In a corner of the banquet hall, she finally found the person she had been looking for all this time.
"Curiosity! Judging by that expression, Rudolf, have you finally found the partner you had your eye on?"
After seeing Rudolf scan the room and finally move, Director Akikawa more or less guessed that she had found the person she was looking for. She followed Rudolf's line of sight and saw a black-haired Umamusume girl sitting in a corner of the hall, quiet and elegant, looking very much like the ojou-sama of some prominent family.
Shocking! So this is the type Rudolf likes?
"Yes, Director. Excuse me for a moment. If Princess Fine Motion comes back and wants to continue our earlier topic, I'll have to trouble you to receive her first."
Rudolf nodded, waved lightly, stepped down from the platform, and walked straight toward the corner of the hall.
The black-haired Umamusume girl was sitting at a table in the corner, knife and fork in hand, eating at an unhurried pace. She seemed so focused on her food that Rudolf had already come quite close before she noticed her approaching. She quickly put down her utensils and looked up at Rudolf.
Meeting the girl's blank stare, Rudolf smiled and extended a hand.
"Beautiful lady, are you waiting for someone?"
As if she still had not quite processed what was happening, the girl widened her eyes, then obediently shook her head. Rudolf kept that same smile on her face, bent down with graceful ease, drew a red rose from her pocket, tucked it lightly at the girl's chest, and extended her hand once more.
"In that case... would you dance with me?"
"Wow... the Emperor... so cool...!"
"Which family is that ojou-sama from...? I'm so jealous..."
Rudolf could hear the envious, astonished voices rising from the girls behind her after that little performance.
"Eh? You're inviting me to dance? But... ojou-sama, I don't know how to ballroom dance at all..."
Even someone as slow on the uptake as Kagura could not help blushing a little after that. If nothing else, Rudolf really did look extremely handsome in menswear. The Umamusume of the Symboli Family all seemed to have that same gallant air about them.
"It's fine. I'll teach you. Just follow my lead."
"Mm... o-okay. But... if I do badly, you're not allowed to laugh at me, my lady!"
After hesitating for a bit, the girl finally reached out and took Rudolf's hand. Rudolf smiled, clasped it, and with just the right amount of force pulled her gently to her feet. The sudden movement caught the girl off guard, and she almost lost her balance and fell, but a strong hand immediately steadied her at the back.
"...Ojou-sama! Don't scare me like that!"
Aware that plenty of people were still watching them, Kagura complained in a low voice, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Hehe. I told you, just leave it to me, Kagura."
One hand around Kagura's waist and the other holding her hand, Rudolf stepped into the dance and gently guided her toward the floor.
"I noticed you never went down to dance, and you turned everyone else away. So why did you come ask me?"
Carefully following Rudolf's steps, Kagura slipped her free arm around Rudolf's waist as well, to keep herself steady in case her footwork went wrong and she tripped.
"This is my victory banquet, and yet the person who contributed most to my success is sitting in the shadows beyond the lights. Does that seem right to you?"
"I..."
Kagura had only just started to say something when Rudolf suddenly raised one hand and spun her through the step. Going mostly by feel, Kagura turned a few steps away, but because she was still unfamiliar with the dance, she nearly lost her footing again as soon as she came out of the turn. Rudolf, still holding her hand, suddenly tightened her grip and pulled her back into her arms, catching her across the back with the other hand.
The motion made Kagura tilt back slightly. Rudolf braced her with the arm at her back and lifted her upright again, and the distance between them vanished in an instant. Their faces were suddenly close enough to touch.
"Ah...! Too close..."
A few small sounds rose from outside the dance floor, then were quickly swallowed by the music.
"Here, hold on to me. The next steps will be a little quicker, but don't worry. I'll keep you steady."
"Okay..."
Having finally found a bit of the rhythm, Kagura was at last able to keep up with Rudolf's movements. Rudolf quickened her steps, and Kagura followed. Beneath the lights of the dance floor, the two of them moved together, sometimes graceful, sometimes swift.
Seeing that Kagura had finally gotten the hang of it, Rudolf let go of the hand at her waist and turned lightly. Kagura followed the step, turning and retreating. Their hands remained joined. By now Kagura could already tell which dance Rudolf was leading, so she spread her free arm with the movement like a swan unfurling its wings. The instant Rudolf saw that she had settled into the dance, she smoothly shifted, lifted the hand she was holding, bent down, and placed a light kiss on the back of it.
"Ah!?"
Not only the people outside the dance floor, but Kagura herself let out a small cry of surprise. Rudolf's move had genuinely caught her off guard. She knew that ballroom dancing did indeed include gestures like kissing the hand, but this had still come a little too suddenly.
Wait... so I'm dancing the lady's part, and ojou-sama's dancing the gentleman's?
Before Kagura could think it through, Rudolf tugged her hand again and closed the distance all at once, drawing her directly into her arms before swiftly switching hands to steady her by the shoulder.
"You're really getting into it now, Kagura."
"I didn't realize you were this practiced, ojou-sama... Did you dance often before?"
"No. Not often. There was never really anyone to dance with me. After all this time, Kagura, you're still the first."
"Is that so...? Wah!?"
Rudolf spun the step again and opened the distance, but before Kagura could fully catch up, Rudolf caught her at the waist and drew her close once more. This time she stepped in with her as well. Kagura leaned back against Rudolf's arm, her whole body tilting backward, while Rudolf came right up in front of her. Kagura could even feel the warmth of her breath brushing against her face. At that moment, the two of them looked exactly as though Kagura had almost fallen and Rudolf had caught her.
"Ah..."
...
"Speed, who's that dancing with Rudolf? The way Rudolf's moving with her is awfully intimate... is she someone Rudolf knows well?"
Director Akikawa had remained standing on the platform the whole time, so she had naturally seen the dance Rudolf had just shared on the floor. Tonight had been an eye-opener for her too. She had no idea Rudolf had a skill she could use that smoothly.
"Akikawa, you even dropped your verbal tic. What, is that question making you that curious?"
Seeing the gossip-loving look on Director Akikawa's face, Speed chuckled and flicked her on the forehead.
"Of course I'm curious! The way they were pressed together... that was way too close, wasn't it? Is she some ojou-sama from a family that's especially close with Rudolf? And why are you looking so satisfied?"
"Hehe... You've been busy lately and haven't gone to the Cafeteria, have you? That child is Kagura."
Director Akikawa froze for a few seconds like she was lagging out.
Then at last, she blurted out in utter disbelief—
"Eh? Eh—!?"
---
T/N: hmmmmmmm nah ill just keep princess fine motion-hime is a bit awkward ojou-sama is young lady btw
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter is 5 bonus chapters...? (for all tls ongoing)
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_