44. The Moment a Star Fell on the Earl's Estate (5)
"There's a fountain in front. Shall we sit here?"
"Sure."
There was no particular place to sit, so I had him sit on the edge of the fountain. When I sat down next to him, water splashed onto my back.
It's quite cold. I huddled and turned to look at him. We were both in our pajamas, so there was no warmth to be expected. I wondered if I should give him the shawl I was wearing. But when I offered it to him, he shook his head and refused.
"It's fine."
"But you're not dressed warmly. It's cold, so put it on."
"I don't need it, so you wear it."
"…You're so frail."
His expression turned sour as I grumbled worriedly. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, but his gesture of throwing the shawl into my arms was still irritable.
"Have you calmed down?"
"Yeah."
"What kind of nightmare did you have today?"
"I dreamed about the day I lost my sight."
It was such a clear nightmare. I couldn't ask any more and closed my mouth. As the conversation died down, only the sound of the fountain filled the darkness. I swung my legs aimlessly, and he stared into space.
"I couldn't fall asleep because the events at the party kept coming to mind."
"Why?"
"Because it was so much fun. The excitement from that time still lingers."
Even now, when I close my eyes, I can see the hall and hear the classical music. Actually, even with my eyes open, I can still see and hear them. I smiled softly.
"I had never worn such a dress before. No, I had never seen such a beautiful dress. Violet offered to give it to me as a gift, but I refused. It didn't seem to suit me, and it was too expensive, making me feel uncomfortable."
"Violet has countless dresses. No one would say anything if you received one."
"But it would be a waste for me to wear it."
It was definitely a beautiful dress. Any woman would want to wear it at least once. But it seemed to lose its beauty when I wore it. If Violet had worn it, the dress would have shone even more.
"I'm satisfied just having tried it on."
"You don't have much desire for clothes, do you?"
"I do, but it's better if someone who suits them wears them."
Besides, I had nowhere to wear such a dress, and no one to show it to. So it would be more valuable if Violet wore it. I was really satisfied just by trying it on.
"Dancing was also very difficult. You have to step like this and like this."
I mimicked the movements Lucas had taught me during the day. I also took the posture, saying that my hands had to be like this. Violet danced well, and so did Lucas and Ethan. Even Vincent, who couldn't see, danced smoothly, but it was just too difficult for me.
"Ugh, I don't think I'll ever be able to dance."
I tried to recall the dance from the party, but my feet immediately tangled. I shook my head. I could dance if it was just for fun, but with Violet, it was formal and enjoyable.
"But Lord Lucas dances very well!"
I remembered how smoothly his feet moved, unlike my clumsy steps. He led me without hesitation. Following his dance, I almost felt like I was a good dancer too. Of course, it was just an illusion. Thinking about how many times I had stepped on his feet, my excitement faded.
But I had tried my best. As I muttered to myself, Vincent stood up and suddenly extended his hand. My wide eyes met his outstretched fingers.
"What is it?"
"Take my hand."
"What?"
"Let's dance."
"Me, me, me?"
I stammered involuntarily. Vincent nodded.
"Why?"
"Because I want to."
"Why do you want to?"
"Do you not want to?"
Not that I didn't want to… but… I hesitated, looking at his hand. I had never learned to dance and had no opportunity to do so. I had stepped on Lucas's feet countless times during the dance. They would probably be swollen by morning. Lucas tried not to show it, but I could see him suffering more and more as time passed.
I hesitated and couldn't easily take his hand. Vincent, who had been waiting for me, placed one hand behind him and slightly bowed.
"Would you like to dance with me?"
"…"
His unwavering emerald eyes gazed at me intently. I fidgeted with my fingers.
"What if I step on your feet, my lord?"
"I'll forgive you once."
"What if I step on them twice?"
"I'll think about it. What to do."
"Let's not dance for the sake of peace. My life is precious too."
"I'm joking. You can step on them."
He extended his hand further, beckoning me to take it.
"I don't have any occasion to dance, so I'll just keep it as a good memory."
"How bad can you be? Are you that lacking in confidence?"
"Yes, I really can't dance."
I finally answered honestly. But he didn't back down.
"Just follow my movements."
"I really, really can't dance."
"I understand. I'll dance slowly so you can follow. You just need to watch around. I can't see, so you need to help me."
He beckoned again, showing no sign of giving up. He urged me with his eyes. I swallowed hard and looked at him. My contemplation was brief but felt long. The excitement I felt in the afternoon enveloped me again.
I clutched my heart and took his hand, leading him to the opposite side of the fountain.
As we stood facing each other, my mouth went dry with tension. He placed one hand on my back and lifted the other to hold my hand. The distance between us closed. I placed my hand on his shoulder, slightly pulling back as our bodies touched. Having danced once before, it wasn't difficult to take the posture.
He took a step to the side. My feet clumsily followed. That was the start. Our bodies moved in sync, spinning around. When he moved to the opposite side, I followed. Despite my clumsiness, I managed to keep up with his rhythm. He really led me slowly, as he had promised.
Lucas had given me directions whenever I was confused. But Vincent didn't tell me what to do, like this or that. Instead, he calmly guided me, allowing me to follow on my own. I was a beat late, but it wasn't difficult to follow him.
My footwork had become a bit smoother from the afternoon's practice, but I still couldn't say I danced well. Moreover, I wasn't wearing a beautiful dress or elegant shoes. I was only in a white negligee and a shawl to keep warm, and my cheap shoes matched my appearance. He was also in his pajamas with a robe.
If someone saw us, they might mistake us for ghosts and scream. I chuckled at the thought, and Vincent raised an eyebrow, as if asking why I was laughing.
"If someone saw you and me, they would scream."
"They would think we're ghosts."
"Yes, hehe."
He smiled, perhaps thinking the same thing.
As my body spun, the negligee fluttered, brushing against my skin. My gaze turned to the sky where stars were falling.
The world sparkled. The stars falling over the estate turned into chandeliers, and the sound of the fountain became classical music. This place was a hall, and we were dancing. It was no different from the hall in the afternoon.
The sensation of this moment made me feel elated again.
Stars were falling from the sky. It felt like they were enveloping him and me. The touch of the fabric brushing against my skin, the warmth of his hand, the cool breeze through my hair, and the man standing in front of me all seemed different from usual.
The surroundings sparkled.
It was enjoyable.
It was incredibly enjoyable.
"You're doing well."
"You're a good teacher."
"It's because you're a good student."
I shrugged. But people tend to make mistakes when they let their guard down. My foot firmly stepped on his.
"I'm sorry."
He immediately frowned. I subtly moved my foot away. But his mouth didn't forget to complain.
"Your feet are too slow."
"Either praise me or criticize me, but stick to one."
"I was trying to praise you, but you let your guard down."
"I might make a mistake. You're really mean."
He shrugged as I grumbled. All the while, we continued to spin around.
"I'm not mean, just honest."
"Being too honest isn't charming."
"My charm comes from my honesty."
"What a scary thing to say. By the way, Violet was surprised to see you grumble for the first time. How much did you pretend to be nice for everyone to not know about your bad temper?"
"You're arrogant."
"Arrogance is my charm."
"Sure. So you dare to chatter in front of me."
"Only because of your great consideration, I dare to do so."
I retorted without hesitation. We were both laughing as we did. Light laughter echoed around us. If someone heard, they might be shocked and run away. After all, under the moonlight, a man and a woman were spinning around, giggling.
A stronger wind blew. I tilted my head back, feeling refreshed. It felt good. I closed my eyes, savoring the sensation.
Suddenly, my body tilted.
"Huh?"
"Whoa?"
His body fell backward, and I followed. The moment one of us lost balance, we both tumbled into the fountain in an instant.
Water rushed into my nostrils. I flailed my arms and legs, finally managing to touch the bottom. I exhaled the breath I had been holding and started coughing. After coughing repeatedly and shedding tears and snot, I finally regained my senses.
Looking around, I was stunned. We had really fallen into the fountain. How could I have been so distracted by dancing that I didn't even notice we were heading into the fountain? Vincent also looked bewildered.
"You."
"I'm sorry. Ah-choo!"
"…"
I sneezed and huddled. My clothes were heavy with water. The breeze that had felt refreshing was now cold. I sneezed repeatedly.
But some of the sneezes weren't mine. Vincent was also sneezing and huddled like me. Soon, I sneezed again.
We sneezed in unison and looked at each other. We both looked like drenched rats.
Suddenly, laughter burst out.
I was the first to laugh, and soon he joined in. I couldn't hold back my laughter.