Jeff leaned closer and said, “I’ve been Lord Cedric’s sword instructor for many years now, Anna.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Jeffrey was explaining his relationship with the duke to me, his naive wife from the countryside.
Unfortunately, his gentle expression was a little too exaggerated. Jeff, it’s so obvious that you’re acting right now.
I kept my words to a minimum, making sure to react with surprise as I listened.
It was almost time to meet Lord Cedric. All right, Lord Cedric—let’s see how you plan to keep the promise you made to us.
Light footsteps echoed down the hallway before the door swung open.
“Jeff, how have you been? It’s been over five years since we saw each other in the duchy!”
“Yes, it’s been far too long, Lord Cedric. I’m glad to see you’re looking well.”
A quick inquiry would reveal that you two met with each other at the castle just the other day! What’s with all the extra lines?
Their acting was so clumsy, I had to stop myself from closing my eyes, but I somehow managed to endure.
“Allow me to introduce my wife, Anna.”
“I’m Anna Asher. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well, Anna! This here is my friend, Gunther. He’s a master swordsman and has been sparring with me.”
Lord Cedric gestured to the man standing behind him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord and Lady Asher. I am Gunther Bahr, the second son of Baron Bahr from the kingdom of Randall. I had the good fortune of crossing paths with the duke while I was traveling, and as His Grace mentioned, we’ve been sparring.”
“The pleasure is all mine. I’m Jeffrey Asher.”
“And I am Anna Asher.”
After that, the men began an enthusiastic discussion about swords. I focused on blending into the background, my mind busy the entire time.
The man who’d introduced himself as Gunther Bahr was in his mid- to late thirties, but I was certain I’d seen him somewhere before. It must have been a long time ago.
Where do I remember him from? Or does he just resemble someone I know?
As I tried to recall where I’d encountered the man before, he suddenly spoke to Lord Cedric, interrupting the excited chatter.
“Pardon me, Your Grace, but I do believe Lady Asher might be getting bored.”
“Oh? Forgive me. I got so carried away with our discussion on swords,” Lord Cedric said.
“Not at all. I thought your conversation was fascinating,” I said.
A smile appeared on Prince Conrad’s handsome face as he turned to me. “How about a dance with Gunther, Lady Asher? Cedric’s been entertaining himself dancing with Beatrice, but that’s left Gunther all by his lonesome. That’s not very considerate of my brother, since he’s the one who invited him, don’t you think? And I’ve seen you dance; you’re quite skilled. How about you, Gunther?”
“I’m not bad on the dance floor, Your Highness.”
“It’s settled, then! Lady Asher, please do dance with our guest here from another kingdom.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
I admired Prince Conrad’s thoughtfulness as the eldest sibling, but frankly, I thought it unnecessary on this occasion. Nevertheless, I smiled and agreed to his proposal, making sure to put a hesitant and troubled expression on my face.
“I’m quite embarrassed of my shabby dancing skills, but I do hope I’ll suffice, Lord Bahr.”
“Trust me, I’m not accustomed to such grand occasions myself. Shall we?” he said graciously.
Gunther and I began walking toward the ballroom. As I shot a glance behind me, I could see Jeffrey was clearly worried. He was likely concerned about something entirely different, but to anyone else watching, it would seem like the natural reaction of a husband who was deeply in love with his wife.
As the two of us walked in silence, I studied Gunther’s movements, searching for anything remarkable in his gait. There was nothing.
And his name itself—Gunther Bahr—didn’t ring any bells. If I had indeed met him before, then it must have happened during my days as an operative. But I never forgot the names of my targets, and Gunther Bahr wasn’t one of them.
Perhaps he had changed his name, or maybe he was just someone associated with one of my targets. Still, I rarely forgot those people, either. So who is this man?
“Where are you from, Lady Anna?”
“The duchy of Cadiz. You might’ve heard, but I was a commoner before I got married.”
“Oh? So Lord Asher fell for you, and you married into nobility?”
I didn’t say yes—just lowered my gaze with a shy smile.
We stood in front of the doors to the ballroom. A man wearing a splendid uniform opened the large doors for us, and we were enveloped by a rush of music and lively chatter from the guests.
“Shall we, Lady Asher?” Gunther asked.
“Of course.”
We began to dance.
He hadn’t been lying when he’d said he could hold his own on the dance floor; he was quite good at leading. Meanwhile, I continued playing the role of a naive country girl who was unfamiliar with noble dances.
The song was almost over, yet I still hadn’t gathered any new information. Nonetheless, the fact that Gunther hadn’t discovered I was acting was a small victory in my mind.
“Would you do me the honor of just one more dance, Lady Asher? You’re a wonderful dance partner.”
“Oh? Uh, yes. Of course.”
Gunther took my hand, and we started dancing as the music for the next song began. But as we did so, he suddenly threw in a complex move, flashing me a smile as if to say, “Well? Can you do that?” I could, of course, but I wouldn’t. A commoner who was born and raised in the country wouldn’t typically be capable of pulling off such complicated steps, especially at a ball full of high-ranking nobles.
“I’m afraid such difficult moves are beyond my abilities. I’m sorry,” I said.
“Oh, no need for apologies. You’re an absolute delight to dance with, my lady. You remind me of when my dance instructor would slow down to match my pace when I was a beginner,” he said.
“You flatter me too much, Lord Bahr.”
“Ha-ha!”
The conversation felt very probing. I focused on staying relaxed and taking deep breaths to keep my hands from getting sweaty. Picture a peaceful meadow, Nonna napping, Jeff smiling…
“The princes are probably still chattering away about swords. What do you say, my lady? Shall you and I have a drink while we wait after this dance?” he asked.