No Such Thing as a Chaste Man! Just Give It Ten Tries! - Chapter 13

Duke Remus and the Senate members chatted away with their meaningless pleasantries, but Seo-ah let their words drift in one ear and out the other as she scanned the banquet hall.

She spotted her fellow expedition members positioned in various places. They were her reliable allies.

‘Jenny, Rurina, Miriam Istel… Ah, there’s Nemion too!’

It seemed they had all been waiting for her gaze to meet theirs, as each face responded in recognition when her brown eyes landed on them.

Jenny raised her wine glass with a playful gesture, Rurina gave her a warm smile, Lady Miriam Istel nodded sternly in the direction of Duke Remus, urging Seo-ah to focus, and Nemion, the mage, glared at Ephelinus beside her.

‘If nothing else works, you can use me. After all we’ve been through, what’s the harm?’

Having fought side by side for over three years, he had even jokingly offered himself when he heard that Seo-ah was trying to seduce Ephelinus to thwart the reverse summoning spell.

He’d given her an artifact he found useful for his own romantic escapades, and now it was stashed in her pocket along with Jenny’s latest invention.

Appreciating their support, Seo-ah felt all the more determined to see things through today. She shot Nemion a warning look.

Keep those eyes sweet, alright? Only I get to scold His Holiness, you know?

“Well then, Dame Seo-ah, please enjoy the banquet.”

“I hope we’ll exchange greetings again as the evening goes on.”

Satisfied with how much they’d displayed their supposed goodwill towards her, the middle-aged members of the Senate finally stepped back, bidding her a last farewell.

Some of them sent Ephelinus meaningful glances as they withdrew.

They were probably eager to get some answers from him, given that she had never formally expressed her refusal to return. But they found no clues in his expression.

Now freed from her ‘ladylike’ act, Seo-ah turned to look at Ephelinus and closed the distance between them.

“Your Holiness.”

As Seo-ah called him, his blue eyes softened as he looked down at her.

“Can I have this dance?”

“……”

“Please?”

His lips remained pressed in a firm line, just as they had when Duke Remus was acting overly familiar with him.

To draw even the slightest reaction from him, Seo-ah gently tugged his arm, blinking her upturned eyes. Her long lashes, carefully curled by Lady Istel’s skilled maids, fluttered gracefully.

“This is my first banquet where I’m not the main attraction. I’ve always been curious about what it’s like to dance with others out there!”

Seo-ah tilted her head, gesturing toward the dance floor. The music, which had paused briefly for her entrance, had resumed, and guests were pairing up to dance regardless of race. Given the theme of the evening, the usual strict rules of high-society gatherings seemed relaxed, and couples moved freely onto the floor, enjoying the dance.

“This tune… it’s the one you taught me a while ago, isn’t it? Do you remember? It was not long after I arrived here. I was complaining that the Holy Kingdom was too quiet, so you danced with me to keep me entertained.”

“Ah…”

A faint wave of emotion washed over his face as he recalled the memory. There seemed to be a hint of nostalgia in it, as though he, too, had enjoyed that time.

During the first year Seo-ah spent in the Holy Kingdom, using her adaptation to Genève as an excuse, Ephelinus—her appointed guardian at the time—taught her ballroom dance as one of the ways to entertain her. He chose lively, cheerful tunes to lift her spirits.

Although the atmosphere and genre were different from the music she loved back home and still felt old-fashioned, the upbeat rhythm brought her joy when she added a little dance to it. Whenever the quietness of the palace felt stifling, Seo-ah would seek Ephelinus out and beg him to dance with her, humming the tune.

Just like she was doing now.

“Please?”

When she asked again, Ephelinus pulled his lips slightly inward, which made the corners of his mouth lift in what looked like a faint smile.

It wasn’t the restrained smile he usually wore when he declined her requests—instead, there was a hint of amusement in it.

It really must be a good memory for him too.

He rarely laughed aloud, but whenever she deliberately made a mischievous face or changed the dance steps, he would sometimes let out a pure, melodic laugh.