Chapter 10

"Shin, I heard you went out with Lady Serea yesterday."

"Yes, it was very meaningful."

That morning, I was summoned to Father's study.

Sitting in front of his large desk, he smiled as if amused. Of course, Father must have heard all the reports, so I had to speak with that in mind.

"You saw 'Hamlet,' I hear."

"Yes."

"Currently, some of the nobles are saying it's 'an insult to the royal family,' 'extremely provocative and disrespectful,' and 'should be banned immediately.'"

"I suppose some people would think that..."

"What did you think of it?"

He smiled mischievously. How I answered would be a lesson in being the next king. We often have such exchanges.

If I give a strange answer, I would be told, "That is not the behavior of a king." It's a serious match with Father. I have to speak as an adult at such times.

"It's very clever and full of irony."

"Clever, you say?"

"I thought it adhered to the teachings of the church. The protagonist can't choose death because suicide is forbidden by God's teachings, and the king who committed murder is made to confess his sins. The theme is that even a king cannot escape his sins before God. All the characters who commit sins die. It's a tragedy for those who get caught up in it."

"Of course, after the previous play that mocked the corruption of the church and nearly got them shut down, it seems Shakespeare is now trying to please the church. He sure knows how to turn on a dime."

"The murderer of the former king gets angry when he sees the murder of a king reenacted in a play within the play. It's because he has something to hide. If His Majesty bans this play, those who see it will think that His Majesty himself has something to hide. It's designed that way."

"Shakespeare, you sly one..."

Father chuckled.

"Was it the church, trying to enhance the glory of God, or the anti-Midland nobles, trying to show the world the king's lack of capacity by banning the play and thus undermine my authority?"

"I wouldn't go that far. It's probably just the playwright's mischief. There's a scene in the play where the protagonist gives orders to the actors for their exaggerated performances, which seems to be the playwright's way of expressing his dissatisfaction with the actors themselves. The playwright has a rather nasty personality."

"Perhaps he's testing the limits of what he can get away with. If the king gets angry, his capacity is questioned. If he ignores it, he risks being seen as weak, and Shakespeare will get even more arrogant. What would you do?"

Hmm.

"To be honest, the play was full of plot holes and boring. The characters are all too stupid and make the worst choices, so the story doesn't make sense. If I were to go to the VIP seats and fall asleep halfway through, and then say it was boring afterward, it would be a sufficient response to the presumptuous playwright who is testing the king's capacity. Sleeping is also a form of opinion, isn't it?"

His Majesty clapped his hands in approval.

"Excellent. Let's do that."

"Thank you."

"I'm pleased with your growth. You may leave."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

When Father asks for my opinion, he has already decided what to do. He asks to see if I can give the right answer.

I feel relieved that I gave the correct answer this time.

Is this also a part of the art of kingship...?

In the afternoon, a new lesson began.

"You two are the prince and the duke's daughter, right? But here, I'm the teacher. Both of you, call me 'teacher'!"

"Yes!!"

Now, the dance lesson in the palace ballroom begins.

The two of us stand in front of the teacher.

"Shin and Serea, you both have at least learned the basics of dance, right? At least enough not to embarrass yourselves."

"I suppose so. We didn't take it very seriously."

"That won't do. As representatives of the country, you must set an example for everyone. Even if you make some mistakes with etiquette and manners, you can make up for it with dance. Social events are like that. Dance is a weapon. Let's make sure you can do it well."

"Yes!"

"Good answer. Being a good dancer will make you very popular. A line of ladies will form in front of Shin, and Serea will receive many marriage proposals. Let's become great dancers!"

"...I don't need that. We're already engaged."

"Oh, right, I forgot. I'm sorry."

The teacher is quite amusing. He knows it, but he says it to make us laugh. We're just kids, so he's trying to make us relax. He's a kind teacher.

"Alright, let's pair up."

I raise my left hand and take her hand...

"No, no, no. Shin, you're showing your character, but you shouldn't go to her. Gentlemen stand still and wait to be approached. Let's try again."

I raise my left hand and take the hand of the approaching Serea, and then...

...then...

Wow. I've never been this close to Serea before. It's my first time.

Well, maybe once at the jewelry store when she hugged me. But that was different, different!

It's completely different from when I practiced with my sisters and younger sisters.

My fiancée is so close, even if it's just half of her body, and my body instinctively pulls away.

She's also blushing and looking embarrassed.

"No, no, no. There's no such thing as dancing so stiffly. What do you think dance is?"

"A lesson..."

"No. That's not dance. Dancing like that will make everyone around you tense up and sweat. Dance is for enjoyment. Enjoy dancing, make everyone around you enjoy it, and most importantly, make your partner enjoy it. Smile, smile!"

Ugh, e, smile, smile.

D-Damn it! I can't help but be aware that I'm so close to my future wife, my bride.

"Let's do a basic step you know. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four!"

Clap, clap, clap, clap. Following the teacher's clapping, we awkwardly and out of sync, but at least we're doing the basic steps.

Slow, slow, quick, quick, to the corner of the hall, check, back, turn.

Oops, we wobble.

"Both of you have bad posture. Straighten your back and pull in your stomach! You're off-balance because your center of gravity isn't aligned. Let's try again!"

It's not cool, but we managed to make it around once.

"Good job. Shin, what's the role of a gentleman in dance?"

"Um, to lead? To support her and keep an eye on the surroundings?"

"No. The role of a gentleman is to be a supporting actor. To make the lady look beautiful and charming. If you try to stand out or take the lead like a king, you won't be popular."

But I don't need to be popular. Is everything based on that?

"Your job is to make her smile, to make her enjoy it, and to create a wonderful time. If you can make her look so beautiful that everyone's eyes are on her, you're a first-class gentleman. Don't forget that!"

That's right. We dance to show that Serea is my irreplaceable partner.

Both Serea and I will dance with many people socially, but Serea should look the happiest and most beautiful when dancing with me. We need to be able to do that.

"Serea, you're trying too hard and getting stiff. Dance isn't about steps. The technique is a minor issue. Let yourself go with the music and enjoy it. If you don't look happy to be dancing with your partner, the man will be embarrassed. Forget that this is a lesson for now. Let's enjoy dancing!"

"Yes."

"Feel Shin's lead and trust it. You don't have to do it perfectly right away. But for now, enjoy the joy of dancing with Shin. You can be shy and embarrassed later. Love blossoms after the dance, that's the rule. Let's try again."

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

Slow, slow, quick, quick.

It's so satisfying when we get it right!

It's fun!

We make it around the hall, and our faces light up with "We did it!"

We practiced dancing intensively for two hours like that.

"Good job, both of you. Are you tired?"

Both of us are drenched in sweat from head to toe, and our shirts are soaked.

We can feel each other's body heat, heartbeats, and even the smell of sweat. Most embarrassing of all, our hands are so sweaty that we can't tell whose sweat is whose. Our hands are completely soaked. This is the most embarrassing part!

We're pulling the towel back and forth, wiping our hands frantically!

"You'll have to do this for the entire dance time at parties. Especially since you'll be the main attractions, you'll have to dance with one gentleman or lady after another without breaking a sweat. You're not allowed to be wallflowers. If you're seen wiping your hands with a handkerchief after dancing, you'll embarrass your dance partner. You need stamina."

"I understand..."

"Always keep your back straight and walk with good posture. Be conscious of making all your movements beautiful and graceful. I also want you to run when you have time. And Shin, you mustn't think about naughty things!"

"Eh, e, e, naughty things? I'm not thinking about such things..."

"Alright, hug Serea."

"H-Hug?"

"Cheek to cheek. Put your hand around her neck and press your bodies together. Go on, do it!"

"Yes!"

I pull Serea, who still smells of sweet sweat, close and embrace her damp body.

Ah, her chest, something hard. Is it the ring I gave her? She's wearing it all the time...

It makes me happy. But because of that, I suddenly start thinking of Serea as my fiancée rather than just my dance partner. I rest my chin on her shoulder, and through her thin outfit, I can feel her warm body, her soft flesh, and her hot breath on my cheek...

Oh no!

I got an erection. I pull away.

"Alright, that's it for today. Don't forget to practice your steps on your own. Serea, you're so lucky to be loved. I'm envious. See you tomorrow."

Thank you, teacher. You saved us from a disaster.

In the waiting room, we splash water from a bucket to wash off the sweat, dry our bodies, and change clothes.

I finished first, so I waited, and Serea came out from the women's waiting room.

"Serious practice really tires you out, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but it was fun."

We lean against the wall, stretch out our legs, and sit down.

"I have a memory of being sickly and unable to exercise for a long time. I would have collapsed after five minutes of this kind of exercise."

"Really?"

"That's why I'm so happy to have a healthy body now, to be able to run, jump, and play. I used to hate dance practice, but it's strange how I feel now."

"Me too. I used to get my feet stepped on or kicked by my sisters and younger sisters during practice, and I would get scolded if I fell. I never enjoyed it. This might be the first time I've found dance fun."

"Hehe."

"Ahahaha!"

We both laugh.

"Still, the teacher was so funny, right?"

"Yeah, I almost laughed several times!"

The teacher is actually a man.

He's tall and handsome, but he moves in a wavy way, uses feminine language, and his movements are a bit strange, making him very odd.

But it was fun!

Next time: "11. Near Miss"