But his cynical gaze was not directed at me…but at Klifford.
W-we can too go through with it!
“Klifford…,” I murmured. “Bear with me, please?” I apologized in a voice only he could hear.
Still holding Blackfeather, I cupped his cheeks in my hands.
Silently chanting I’m an actress on repeat in my mind, I committed to what I had to do.
I closed my eyes, stood on tiptoe—
All I have to do is lean in.
It was a simple act…but I couldn’t do it! I couldn’t be an actress…!
I squinted my eyes open to peek at Klifford.
Then he smiled.
He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close.
“Forgive me,” he whispered, in a voice only I could hear.
Then his other hand found my chin. And something soft pressed to my lips.
“……!” My eyes went wide.
He’s…kissing me?
Klifford’s gaze met mine. Uh, I have to act…right?
I took my hands off his cheeks and wrapped them around his back.
“Mmm…”
The angles of our lips changed.
H-how am I supposed to breathe exactly…?
“Enough,” my father’s voice broke the silence.
Klifford’s face left mine.
But his arms were still tight around my waist.
My heart was about to burst out of my chest.
“Now do you give our relationship your blessing?” Klifford asked my father.
My father looked down at him, as if he were looking for something. And then he finally answered, “I suppose I have to.”
Silence fell over the throne room.
“And to celebrate his blessing, may I request a dance from the two of you?”
The question came from Edgar.
And it was a bombshell of a question.
A…dance?
“Edgar,” my father admonished him. (And for once, I was on my father’s team.)
After all this, I have to dance with Klifford? Do you want me to die?!
“But you and I danced here when it was our time,” Edgar argued.
“That was…when we got engaged.”
“It’s hardly any different.”
Um, no, Edgar, there’s a big difference between meeting the parents and getting engaged!
“Octavia, won’t you make my wish come true? Please?” he asked gently.
And before I could stop myself, I said, “Of course I will.”
A servant approached me. “Your Highness, allow me to take Blackfeather.”
Yeah, it would be dicey to dance while holding onto Blackfeather.
I am an actress… I am an actress… I chanted silently to myself as I unwrapped my arms from around Klifford’s back. I mean, I had to chant the mantra, otherwise I’d move like a robot. Klifford followed my lead and stepped away from me slightly.
I handed Blackfeather to the servant, but the servant did not back away. I suppose it was because Klifford still had a sword at his belt.
“Klifford may keep his sword. I don’t mind.”
With a bow, the servant left with just Blackfeather.
“Are you sure it’s all right?”
“Yes, unless you won’t be able to dance with a sword on your belt?”
“That won’t be a problem.”
I lowered my voice and added, “Just don’t slack off like you did when we practiced.”
Klifford showed a glimmer of surprise. Then, with a little smile, he said, “All right.”
Then my eyes wandered to his lips…and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest again.
Dammit, just when I was finally able to talk to him again, he makes me fall out of character!
Well, can you blame me? Including my past life, that was my first kiss…
Music played from the pianola. It was the same tune that played when Klifford and I practiced dancing: Hofballtanze, by the composer Weisen. From the intro, it sounded like the half-length version of the full ten-minute piece.
Klifford extended his hand, and I placed mine in it.
The guests parted to the sides of the room to give us space to dance.
And once we started dancing, it was simply fun.
We were perfectly in step.
And once again, I realized what an OP character Klifford was. His dance abilities were way above average, and though the sword on his belt moved around while we danced, he was able to mitigate its movements so it didn’t interfere. Even in the difficult sections, he didn’t skip a beat despite being self-taught.
Since I was focused on the dance, that wound up being a good thing, as it prevented my mind from wandering to awkward places.
Th-then again, I could do without our faces being this close!
Maybe I should just talk to him?
I spoke up, “For the record…it was just a kiss. Nothing to fret over. I’m sure you’ve had experience, Klifford…”
I mean, look at him.
“No, I don’t have any experience.”
Huh? That was Klifford’s first kiss, too?
Dammit. I let my emotions mess me up!
I lost my footing, but Klifford yanked me back up. My skirt twirled as he righted me.
“Then…,” I began tentatively, “I suppose it wasn’t just a kiss…”
This is seriously evil! How could I command him to give me his first kiss?!
“Was it…just a kiss…to you, Your Highness?”
Like hell it was! It’s only one of the most important events of a person’s life?!
“No… It was my first time as well.”
It’s just, in my case, I resigned myself to it because I had to reap what I sowed. But it wasn’t the same for Klifford, who had to follow my lead as my fake boyfriend.
“Is that so?”
“I shouldn’t have commanded you to do it.”
“It…hurts to hear you say that.”
His indigo gaze softened…and I had to look away.
We said nothing more after that.
And we danced through the five-minute Hofballtanze.
As if we were true lovers.