Chapter 97

In the capital of Saeryum, where carriages pass through the main streets, all the intersections are roundabouts. Cain stepped up to the boy he had noticed out of the corner of his eye during the dance, extended his hand, and invited him to dance.

"Senpai Madi, let's dance."

"...You, Ka-"

"I'm Karin."

Cain firmly took his hand and pulled him out onto the square, spinning him around. Unlike when he danced with Julian, he danced in a standard style.

"Are you done with your stall work?"

"Thanks to you, I sold out, so I'm done. Hey, Lady Karin? I don't want to dance for too long."

"Is it disgusting?"

"No, you're too beautiful. My lover is right there. I don't want to make him jealous."

Madi glanced at a part of the audience. Cain confirmed and saw a girl with chestnut bob hair standing there, clutching her hands in front of her chest, looking anxious. She was dressed in what clearly looked like a civilian's formal attire, and she wore a half-apron, like a salon apron, which suggested she had been helping at the stall.

"I see. Then, after this, I'll throw you over there, Senpai. Please invite her to dance. The band told me to get as many people as possible to dance."

"Wait a minute, throw...?"

"Hmmph."

Cain placed his hands on Madi's waist and pushed her forcefully in the direction of the girl.

"Ohhh!"

Madi stumbled forward, moving toward the wall of spectators. Cain glanced at Julian, who hadn't been invited to dance yet. He clicked his tongue and, stepping lightly to the rhythm, moved toward him.

"Beautiful lady, please dance with me. It's a festival, so it's fine to dance with other women, isn't it?"

Cain cut in front of Julian and took Sylphie Rea's hand. After holding the hands of Julian, Madi, and the boy, he was surprised by the smallness of Sylphie Rea's hand and the fineness of her wrist. He gently pulled her out from the wall of spectators, placed his hand on the lower part of her shoulder blades, and turned her forcefully.

"Please forgive Lady Julian. I'm the one who will suffer."

"...Lord Cain?"

"Shh! Call me Karin."

Spinning around, he occasionally raised their joined hands high, making Sylphie Rea spin like a top.

"Um, Lady Karin. That... that appearance is..."

"It's a desperate measure because the prince couldn't invite you. It's quite a bother, so please do something about it."

"That's... hahaha. I'm sorry."

"It's said that the mental age of women is three to ten years younger than that of men. Lady Julian is like a child who tries to get attention by shouting loudly because she can't approach on her own."

Just like Arundelano when he was five. He tries to get attention by saying he's popular with women. He just lacks the courage to invite her. The reason he can get confessions under the legendary tree is because he has built up a good reputation by being kind and attentive to the girls in the school.

"Even so, it's not right to remain a child."

"You're right. Lady Sylphie Rea, writing a reflection is more effective than just saying it. I'll have her write 'I love you' a thousand times."

Sylphie Rea needs to firmly control Julian. Even if marrying a concubine is almost an obligation, if he can be a man who doesn't neglect Sylphie Rea, he might properly reject Dian, who is being forced to marry him. After all, Dian is supposed to become a well-endowed lady in the future. It would be terrible to be chosen by a prince who selects women based on their physical attributes. Even if she does end up marrying, she needs a prince who will make her happy and not neglect her.

"I don't feel like forgiving Lady Julian and dancing with her before she writes the reflection."

"Then, let's be a bit more mischievous."

Cain smiled mischievously and whispered his plan into Sylphie Rea's ear. At first, she was surprised, but then she laughed gracefully.

"Hahaha. Lady Karin, what a great idea! Let's do it. Have a good flower festival!"

"Have a good flower festival!"

After one turn, Cain and Sylphie Rea separated and each invited nearby women to dance. Sylphie Rea invited familiar noble ladies and female students, dancing with them. Since they were dancing with other women, they didn't hold each other properly but simply held hands and spun around. Cain invited a woman who looked like a civilian auntie. Since she couldn't dance, they held their right arms and spun around, changing arms at the end of the song and high-fiving before inviting another auntie.

The ladies Sylphie Rea invited then invited their daughters to dance, and the female students invited other female students. The aunties Cain invited also pulled their children and husbands to dance.

After pulling a few aunties out onto the square, Cain invited a few children to form a train, holding the shoulders of the person in front of them, and walked briskly to the music in front of the spectators. As they passed, he high-fived the people clapping, and by the second lap, people were waiting to high-five the children's train.

As the band's performance reached its peak, the square was filled with people dancing.

Cain chanted a wind magic spell under his breath, and the fabric flower petals that had fallen and accumulated on the ground rose into the air and slowly descended onto the square.

In the midst of the falling artificial flower petals, nobles and commoners, adults and children, men and women, all danced with smiles on their faces, creating a truly fantastical scene. The festival that year became a topic of conversation for a long time, to the point where students who had returned to their territories seriously considered not going home next year.

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