Despite Klein's internal chaos, he maintained a calm outward appearance. Audrey still had her hands wrapped around his shoulders, so he decided to take control of the situation. He grabbed her right hand with his left hand, and he put his right hand around her thin and delicate waist.
This was a very common dance, but also a very intimate and romantic one.
Klein recalled every dancing lesson he received from Wahana Heisen, Dwayne Dantès's etiquette and dancing instructor. He remembered every lesson he received from her with great precision, thanks to his Seer memory.
He began to move around, Audrey perfectly mirroring his footsteps as the talented noble she was. Klein's body instinctively moved with perfect precision and fluidity, as if he had long ago mastered every move.
Eh? Why is Klein actually… really good at dancing? This doesn't make any sense! He's meant to be a ruthless beyonder, feared among even the most powerful pirates in the Sonia Sea! Audrey thought. Her expectations of seeing The World struggle to keep up with the dance were instantly shattered. But… this is actually not bad…
Audrey leaned in closer, close enough to feel Klein's warmth. She quieted her thoughts, melting into his rhythm until it felt as though they were moving as one.
The incandescent chandeliers hanging above shone brightly above this couple. The crowd around the dance floor remained extremely quiet. It was as though the crowd was peeking into a world they were not meant to be a part of.
Klein and Audrey's dance gathered everyone's attention—even the other couples on the dance floor stopped dancing to appreciate the beautiful sight before them.
Twenty-five minutes left… Klein thought. Time quickly trickled down and served as a reminder that he could not stay with her, even if he wanted to.
He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and engrossed himself with his partner in front of him.
Audrey's bright smile shone so bright that it could've illuminated the entire Astral World. Thank the Lady for my Clown powers…
Klein's perfect outward composure was a fortress that protected him from the outside world. Within its walls, for the space of a single dance, he allowed his world to shrink until it contained nothing but the woman in his arms.
...
Ten minutes left.
Pant Pant.
Klein and Audrey both danced for over fifteen minutes and finally stopped—they were very exhausted. They were both demigods, but this dance took more than just stamina.
Their hands remained in the same positions as they kept on staring into each other's eyes, breathing heavily. The exhaustion came not from the movement, but from the sheer weight of everything that had been said and felt without a single word being spoken on the dance floor.
"Mr. Moretti!"
Their own little bubble was burst wide open by the crowd that swiftly surrounded them, leaving no escape.
"Mr. Moretti!"
"Who proposed first?!"
"When did you meet? When is the wedding happening?"
The crowd erupted and turned into an interrogation session.
"Audrey! How did he propose to you?! Did you meet him in the Royal Museum? When am I getting a nephew?"
Countess Cassandra, Audrey's aunt, did not spare her any questions. She might've also gone a little overboard with the questions.
Klein awkwardly laughed, turned to Audrey, and asked, "How about we first get a drink and grab some food while we're at it?"
"Ah, yes. I'd love that."
With the excuse of needing time to rest after dancing for so long, they left the crowd behind. Even though many still had a lot of questions, nobody dared to stop them once they left, mainly due to the influence of Audrey Hall and her family.
Who knew that a Historical Projection could get this tired… Audrey, you need to learn to manage your smile. It's bad for my heart! Klein silently joked.
"Klein, there's a table for two over there. Can you wait for me there?"
"Sure."
After Klein left her side, she walked over to the long table with the prepared dishes, wine, and desserts.
...
I can feel everyone's gaze drilling a hole through me… Don't you nobles have a party to celebrate?! Stop staring at me! Klein lampooned.
Klein was sitting by himself, facing the long table where Audrey was currently choosing their plates.
Her silhouette was a breathtaking sight against the backdrop of the lavishly decorated hall. The emerald green of her gown clung gracefully to her form, making her live up to her nickname as Backlund's Most Dazzling Gem. As he watched her thoughtfully tilt her head, trying to decide what to pick, he felt his face turn pink.
Damn it... he silently lampooned Blushing like a schoolboy who's never seen a girl before. I command an army of marionettes, defeated demigods, fought and escaped angels, and I'm being defeated by a girl deciding what to eat…
Audrey came back with two plates filled to the brim with delicious food.
Hm? Klein looked at his plate. Isn't this what I like? He raised his head a little and looked at Audrey's plate—her food was different.
"How did you know I like all of this?"
"I paid attention to what Dwayne Dantès likes to eat whenever I attended the same social events as him, or rather, you," she explained, "Hehe, you both have basically the same tastes."
Well, Audrey does think the identity of Dwayne Dantès is shared between The World and other blessed of Mr. Fool... Sorry to break it to you, but it's actually been just me the entire time… Klein apologized in his head. Of course, Audrey did not need to know about the truth of Dwayne Dantès, at least not yet.
"Well, thank you for choosing all this, Audrey."
She did not reply, but instead smiled at him.
It took all of Klein's concentration to keep his facial expression from faltering.
...
Man! I'm stuffed
Klein and Audrey finished their food and decided to remain seated and observe the party from the sidelines. Many nobles would still glance at them from time to time, but it was not as bad as compared to their first interactions.
My spirituality is running out, I won't be able to maintain Klein for much longer… Audrey had a troubled expression on her face.
Klein looked at her and could easily tell why she was troubled. He had been keeping track of time since he arrived at the party, and his spiritual intuition had begun to warn him that his time was running out.
Only 4 minutes remained until his Historical Projection disappeared.
He stood up and invited Audrey out for a walk to get some fresh air. She gracefully accepted his invitation, and they both walked out of the hall into the mansion's lush garden.
Trees covered a large majority of the garden, and bushes that reached three meters high served as walls within the garden to divide it into sections. In the middle of the garden, there was a fountain whose water reflected the crimson moon's light.
There were a few couples outside basking in the radiance of the crimson moon and the romantic vibe that it created. Klein and Audrey were also contaminated by the romance in the air, their cheeks burning up.
"Audrey…" Klein began speaking, his voice low and earnest, "I had a great time, and I don't want this to end." He grabbed both of her hands with his and squeezed lightly.
Klein stop… Don't do this His mind betrayed his actions. Klein, if you go any further, you'll end up hurting yourself and Audrey. You must leave her. Avoid all attachments. You'll end up putting her in danger.
Klein's mind was fractured in two. One side wished for all this to stop. Attaching himself to Audrey would only lead to disaster, to putting her in danger, and if something ever happened to Audrey, Klein would never be able to forgive himself. The other side, however…
"Audrey, I…"
You love her, don't you? You love the way she listens to you ramble on about your day. You love how she talks about her daily life. You love her small mannerisms. You love the way she changes her voice whenever she's talking to you. You love her, Klein… The other side of his mind listened to his heart.
"... I wish to see you again. To see you every day. I wish that I could be by your side, not as an illusory projection, but as the real me. As Klein Moretti."
This was a love confession that came straight from the heart.
Audrey, who had been confessed to countless times by other nobles, was moved by Klein's words.
She squeezed Klein's hands and said, "I... I wish for that too!" Her smile was truly the most genuine and strikingly beautiful thing Klein had ever seen.
On the opposite side of the garden, in front of Klein and Audrey, there stood a young man with a broad forehead and thin face, with black eyes and curly black hair.
He looked at the couple who kept on smiling at each other like idiots.
"Interesting," he said as he took out a monocle and put it on his right eye.
Klein saw this man in the corner of his eye, and his heart froze.
Reality suddenly came to a halt.
Before he could do anything, his vision became blurry and illusory. His environment changed. The crimson moon that hung in the sky was gone, replaced by a sky filled with lightning. The garden was gone, replaced by darkness and the villager homes of the people of Moon City.
Audrey's spirituality ran out.
Klein's time ran out.