A short distance from the ballroom, I could still hear the orchestra, albeit indistinctly. Night had already fallen. Faint starlight twinkled overhead. Despite the warm season, few people were in the garden, perhaps fearful of catching a cold in the night breeze.
I sat on a bench in the garden square since lingering in a place with so few people could be dangerous. From here, I could quickly return to the venue, and I wasn’t out of sight. Though I doubted something would happen at a royal ball, dimly lit places were perfect for clandestine rendezvous. For this reason, women were taught to avoid sparsely populated areas as much as possible.
Perhaps the crowds had stressed me out, but as I gazed quietly at the night sky, my nerves began to settle.
“Lady Edigma,” a voice suddenly called out to me.
Turning in the direction of the speaker, I found an unfamiliar man.
“If you don’t mind, may I join you?” he asked.
When he approached faster than I could give permission, I stood up from the bench. “I was just taking a short break, but I’ll be returning to the ballroom soon. My brother is waiting for me.”
To be honest, Stanley was currently dancing with a young lady I vaguely recognized. I caught a glimpse of them before leaving the ballroom. Nevertheless, I brought up my brother to scare the man away.
“May I please have a moment of your time?” he pressed.
As I’d feared, he refused to back down. Still, I had no intention of acting friendly with a man who refused to introduce himself. I prepared myself to give an even harsher answer.
“What’s going on here?” a familiar voice called out.
Albert stood a short distance away, glaring at the other man. The high commander had a reputation for being able to kill another person just by glowering. Underneath Albert’s withering gaze, the other man stiffened, the blood draining from his face. I couldn’t blame him. When I imagined being on the opposite end of that glare, unbidden sympathy welled up within me.
“I, um, simply approached Lady Edigma because I wanted to talk to her…” the man hedged.
I looked at him, surprised. Continuing the conversation while being subjected to such a blood-curdling glare must have taken a lot of nerve. Albert glared at the man again before returning his gaze to me in a show of concern.
“I see,” Albert said. “Still, I would like to avoid any trouble occurring in these dimly lit areas. If you would, please return to the ballroom.”
“U-Understood…” the man stammered.
Somewhat relieved, he turned my way, perhaps hoping I would return to the hall with him.
“Lady Mary,” Albert suddenly called me.
I looked up at him. Though his gaze remained stern, he wore a gentle expression when looking at me. “If it’s not too much trouble, would you allow me to escort you?” he asked.
“Huh…?” I asked. “Oh, um, okay.”
Albert held out his hand faster than the other man, and without thinking, I took it. Feeling sorry for the man who’d approached me, I tried to bid him farewell. However, Albert pulled me forward with so much momentum that I missed the opportunity. I struggled to keep up with him as he sped across the garden at a brisk pace. Before long, the other man had faded into the distance. Even then, Albert didn’t stop. As we moved through the garden, the music from the ballroom grew increasingly faint.
“Sir Albert?” I asked, worried about his strange behavior.
He came to such a sudden halt that I couldn’t stop. My face bumped into his body. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Albert apologized. “Are you all right?”
When Albert studied me worriedly, he looked like his usual self again. That filled me with relief.
“Yes, I’m all right,” I replied while smiling at him. He still seemed fretful. “Thank you for stepping in back there.” I expressed my gratitude since I hadn’t known how to deal with the rather pushy man from earlier.
With a softened expression, Albert looked every inch the dignified high commander. When he interrupted my earlier conversation, he seemed different, which caused my heart to flutter abnormally. Had this been due to the unusual setting? Or because he’d been gazing at me in the dim lighting?
Albert was dressed in more formal attire than usual, and when he smiled at me, faint crow’s feet formed around the corners of his eyes. He looked incredibly happy.
“I’m glad nothing happened,” Albert said. “But do be careful. Some people can get rowdy during these events. Would you mind staying by your brother’s side for the rest of the night?”
Albert used his long fingers to fix my bangs, which were apparently somewhat disheveled. The places he touched left traces of heat.
“Stanley’s tryst seems to be keeping him occupied,” I said, bowing my head to hide my flushed cheeks. “I’m considering going home by myself once I’ve calmed down.”
“By yourself?” Albert repeated.
“Yes. I was thinking of taking a rental carriage.”
Even before all this, I’d considered leaving for the night. If I stayed any longer, I would have to suffer everyone’s curious glances, or someone might approach me again. I’d already eaten my fill of tasty food. Now was as good a time as any to retire for the evening.
“Well then, I’ll accompany you to the front gate.” Albert placed a hand on my waist to guide me.
Wait a second.
“Sir Albert, aren’t you on duty right now?” I asked.
Letting the kingdom’s valuable high commander escort me would be an honor, but I couldn’t allow it.
“It’s no problem,” Albert replied most problematically as he led me toward the front gate.
A moment later, the song echoing from the ballroom changed. It was a famous dance tune.
“Ah,” Albert said. “Rosemary often practiced dancing to this song.”
“You remembered?”
“Of course.”
The song was a fundamental dance composition intended for beginners to intermediate practitioners. It was often played at debutantes, and Rosemary practiced dancing to it on many occasions. Furthermore, her dance partner had been the knight standing in front of me right now.
Back then, Albert was unrefined and only skilled with a sword. I smiled as I remembered Rosemary forcing him to be her partner. Suddenly, I grew curious about how Albert had matured as a dancer since his youth.
“Would you like to dance with me?” I asked, holding out my hand.
At first, Albert’s eyes widened, but then he smiled. After taking my hand, he placed his other hand on my waist, and we danced. Without hesitation, he led me through the basic steps and unexaggerated turns. Despite our height difference, I felt no sense of discomfort.
“You’re quite talented,” I said. “Based on Rosemary’s memories, you were a lot clumsier back in the day, Sir Albert… Um, Albert.”
When I addressed Albert with a title, he looked at me reproachfully, forcing me to correct myself.
“I’ve practiced since then,” he revealed. “But I’m still clumsy.”