Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no 'Kokoro'-

Chapter 8.6

Well, they had a lot going on along the way, but it did not take them long to arrive at the Francilt mansion.

However, when they passed through the mansion’s gate and opened the front door, their expressions suddenly changed.

"What does this mean......"

"A-, hahaha..."

Irisdina’s mouth hung open in a grimace, while Nozomu smiled dryly.

Beyond Nozomu and Irisdina’s line of sight were the figures of their friends including Mars. And beside them were the figures of Mena and Victor.

"I was going to attend the school’s course at first, but Tima invited me..."

"I-, I was told by Victor-san that the mansion was spacious and that I could use it for practice or whatever I wanted..."

"I heard that it’s not only Nozomu-kun but Mars-kun who has never participated in the opening party before. Then it would be a better experience if we had a lot of people practicing for the dance!"

"My apologies, young lady. Master seemed to have found out from the way young lady behaved that you will practice your dance with Nozomu-sama...’

With Victor’s chest puffed out and his voice raised, Mena bowed her head deeply in the back.

It seemed that the head of the household had called all of their friends to get in the way of Nozomu and Irisdina.

Irisdina inadvertently pressed her temples at her father’s unexpected interference.

"Hee~, so this is Irisdina’s mansion. Isn’t it as luxurious as the party venue at the opening party?"

"I mean, is it really okay for us to come too?"

Moreover, among the members who received the invitation, there were also Lisa and Camilla.

Lisa turned her attention to the luxurious furnishings of the mansion, while Camilla was scratching her cheeks somewhat apologetically.

Behind them, Victor grinned meaningfully at them.

"Are Tom and the others here to practice dancing too?"

"N-, no, I was pulled here by Mimuru when I was in the workshop..."

When Nozomu asked Tom what had happened, it seemed that Mimuru had forcibly taken him out of the workshop at Victor’s invitation.

On the other hand, Shina was alone, away from the bustle, with her hand over her mouth, pondering something.

"What about Shina..."

*Mumble mumble mumble......*

"I-, Is she okay? It seems she’s acting really strange...."

"Somehow, she has been like this since morning. It seems her mind is not here..."

According to Tom, she’s been lost in her own thoughts ever since she arrived at school in the morning and hasn’t responded at all.

Nozomu turned his confused gaze to Shina and called out to her anyway.

"O-, O~i. Are you okay?"

"*Mumble mumble*... Uwa~! W-, why are you here, Nozomu-kun !? Or rather, why am I in Irisdina’s mansion !?"

"Gosh, how long have you been lost in thought?"

The moment Shina saw Nozomu’s face as he peeked in, her cheeks reddened and she began to move restlessly.

Seeing this, Nozomu tilted his head even more.

"Umm. Ai, I’m sorry."

“I guess it was just a bad timing...”

"No, I did something thoughtless..."

Tom and Tima looked apologetically at Irisdina, who was groaning as if holding back a headache.

On the other hand, Victor, the main culprit, and the two troublemakers did not seem to feel any guilt.

"We’ll prepare dinner for you. And I’ve offered to prepare rooms for the ladies, so you don’t have to worry about returning home. As the head of the Francilt Household, let’s treat them well!"

"Iya~, I’m so lucky to be allowed to stay in such a mansion! What matters most is your friends, after all!"

"Hurray for the luxurious dinner! As expected of a magnanimous family head!"

"""Hahahahaha!"""

Irisdina involuntarily clenched her fists as she stared at the three of them who were laughing hysterically.

Right now, she furiously wanted to punch the three in front of her.

At that moment, the front door of the mansion was rudely opened and a middle-aged woman entered.

"Good grief, Victor’s rudeness hasn’t changed, has it?"

A well-dressed lady entered the mansion.

She was dressed in a luxurious, well-tailored dark brown coat and neck warmer and exuded an overflowing sense of elegance.

"Wha~ !?"

The woman glanced and let out a sigh of dismay at Victor, who was laughing

Victor, on the other hand, was very surprised with his eyes wide open at the sight of the noblewoman.

It was a very unusual sight for him, who was usually calm and dignified except when it came to his daughter.

The lady entered the mansion without reserve.

It was Victor’s maid, Mena, who approached her. On behalf of the Master who was rigid with astonishment, Mena asked the lady who suddenly visited what she wanted.

"Madam Mazarinette Parline, what brings you to this mansion?"

Mazarinette Parline.

Like Irisdina and Victor, she is a member of the Forsina aristocracy and a successful businesswoman.

"What? A pretty girl asked me to come over and watch her dance. She said she had someone she wanted to dance with."

Mazarinette smiled at Irisdina as she said so.

"It’s been a long time, Irisdina. You are becoming more beautiful."

"Thank you, Madam Parline. You look as beautiful as ever..."

Picking up the skirt of her uniform, Irisdina also smiled back and bowed reverently.

Her smile was not the same as the kind of smile one would wear in aristocratic society to avoid being taken advantage of, but it was a smile filled with affection. It was clear that Irisdina and the noblewoman were very close, and they had known each other for a long time.

"It’s been a long time, Somiriana. You’ve grown up a lot, haven’t you? I can’t wait to see what the future holds."

"Thank you!"

Somia, like her sister, returned the courtesy gracefully, and Mazarinette patted Somia’s head with a big smile.

Apparently, this noble lady was also acquainted with Somia.

The noblewoman’s gaze then turned to Nozomu, who was standing next to Irisdina.

"So, are you the boy Irisdina was talking about?"

"Yes, he is my friend, Nozomu Bountis."

"N-, nice to meet you. Iris, who is this person..."

"She is a friend of my father’s. She has been a great help to me in the social world since I was a child, and she runs a dance hall and theater in my home country as well. She herself was a famous dancer, and she also educates the dancers of the theater she runs. If you want to learn how to dance, she is without a doubt the best in Arcazam."

Madam Parline is an active businesswoman among the nobility, but she especially excels in the arts and art-related matters.

This is due to the fact that she used to be a dancer, and she also operates and manages several theaters in the country, especially the one in the royal capital of Forsina, which is so popular among the nobles that it is called the "Palace of the Red Rose" because of its size and elegance.

The theater also has an established reputation for its stage productions, which not only accentuates luxury but also highlights the individuality of the dancers, attracting many people.

She is truly a woman who can be called the mother of the arts.

"I received a letter from Irisdina this morning, asking me to teach a friend of hers just the basics of dance. So here I am."

"Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to grant this sudden and impolite request of mine."

"It’s okay. I originally came to Arcazam because I had some business to attend to, and there was nothing for me to do until the opening party. Besides, I wanted to meet the rumored Nozomu Bountis."

"Eh? Me?"

Nozomu looked surprised when Madam Parline told him that she had come to see him.

He probably did not understand why a noblewoman who was friends with the Francilt Household would come to see him, a commoner.

Madam Parline, seeing Nozomu’s expression, deepened her smile.

"Ah~, a non-standard student who crossed blades with that Jihad Raundel. I saw him go on a rampage at the martial arts garden. So I’m curious."

"No, it was more like a one-sided beatdown rather than a crossed blades..."

"The fact that you can match up against a hero with that "jaw drop" in his hands is already out of the norm... I see, you’re quite the "misaligned" boy."

"U-, umm..."

With a sigh escaping from her deepened smile, Madam Parline stared at Nozomu.

Nozomu involuntarily shuddered at the amused and unfathomable gaze, as if she were a child who had found something interesting.

At the same time, Nozomu sensed several strange gazes directed at himself. There were eyes watching him from outside the mansion.

There were probably two of them. They were being vigilant, but not yet hostile.

Nozomu’s line of sight was instantly directed to the outside of the mansion.

Madam Parlan, who had been watching him, nodded her head in satisfaction and waved her hand as if to say that she had enough.

At the same time, the gazes directed at Nozomu disappeared. It seemed that this lady had tested Nozomu for a bit.

Nozomu’s face distorted as he felt slightly uncomfortable.

Perhaps, the owner of the gazes were this lady’s escorts. The fact that Mars and the others did not seem to notice the gaze directed at them from outside the mansion showed that they were quite skilled.

Nozomu was a complete stranger, and it was understandable that she would be wary, but there was no way Nozomu would feel comfortable being stared at with the aim of testing him.

Mazarinette, on the other hand, glanced at Nozomu and turned her attention to Mars and the others without seeming to be particularly concerned.

"Some of them are kind of out of the schedule, but that’s okay. So, as their instructor, I’m going to give them a crash course in etiquette, manners, and the like."

"Eh? Is that really okay?"

"You guys are friends of Irisdina’s, aren’t you? It doesn’t matter if I teach another one or two, I don’t mind."

The dance lesson started in this way, but within ten minutes after the start of the lesson, Madam Parline’s scolding began to fly at them.

"No, no, no, no, no. Your hands are facing the wrong way. When you escort a woman, you must take her hand from the bottom. If you take her hand from the top, it means you’re forcing her to go with you!"

"Y-, yes!"

"You’re too tense, big guy. A good dance is to relax. If you’re so rigid, women won’t be able to dance with peace of mind."

"W, well, that’s true..."

"A-, auu~~"

"The wildcat over there, you pulled the man too much. And also you’re too attached to him. If you’re going to go to a party, at least be a lady. I don’t accept undisciplined pets."

"Eeh!?"

"Hoh~..."

At first, Nozomu and Irisdina, then Mars and Tima, and lastly Mimuru and Tom were supposed to dance, but Nozomu had problems before he even started dancing. The pair of Mars and Tima was too stiff due to the tension and looked like poorly made string puppets.

And Tom was blushing like a tomato as Mimuru stuck to him with her blatant sex appeal. This was another disastrous result of not being able to practice dancing.

In the end, Nozomu and Mars broke up before they had a chance to dance with their first dance partner. The other members were shuffled around and ended up dancing with completely different partners.

"Shina-san, please take care of me!"

"Yes, likewise, Lisa-san."

"Umm, Camilla-san, please take care of me."

"I’m not very good at dancing, but I’ll do my best."

The pair of Lisa and Shina and the pair of Tom and Camilla created a rather calm atmosphere.

Shina and Lisa have been building a friendly relationship, albeit gradually, since the recent incident, with occasional small talk.

Tom and Camilla have not had much contact with each other, but their relationship was not bad to begin with, and as long as they take care of each other, they are fine.

"Why are you separating me and Tom! I won’t agree to this~!"

"Are you dissatisfied with me?"

"Unsatisfactory! Undesirable! Unacceptable!"

"T-, this damn amateur..."

On the other hand, the one who was frustrated was Mimuru, who was separated from her lover.

In her case, the problem was not due to her inexperience, but rather the fact that her feelings for Tom were too strong.

Mimuru had no interest in any other man but Tom, and even if she were to find another man, she would repel them as if they were poles on a magnet.

However, since a party is a social gathering place and literally a place for socializing, so it is possible that she may dance with other men.

Therefore, Madam. Parline had no intention of listening to Mimuru’s complaints.

"What’s the matter? You’ve been complaining since a while ago."

"B-, because ..."

"Is the man you’re in love with a cheap guy whose feelings will change with a few minutes of dancing with the opposite sex? Or are you the one who is a cheap woman?"

"Of course not!"

"Then, keep quiet and work on your lessons. Your appearance will reflect the value of the man you fall in love with. It’s not ladylike to expose your unsightly behavior to any kind of humiliation."

"Gununununu .... A-, alright then! I’ll do it!"

On the contrary, Madam Parline used Tom as a pretext to provoke Mimuru. As a result, Mimuru was inspired to do the lesson for Tom’s sake and began to perform a splendid dance with Feo.

Both Feo and Mimuru had good reflexes by nature, and Feo was quite good at adapting to his partner because of his personality. Once they engaged, they were able to dance very smoothly.

Nozomu and the others let out a breath of admiration for Madam Parline’s skill in taking the reins of the capricious wildcat girl.

"Amazing. She’s got that Mimuru completely in the palm of her hand..."

"Yeah, if it were us, there’s no way we can do such a thing."

"Hey, focus! You’re the ones with the most problems. You don’t have time to look at the others."

"Y-, yes!"

"I know!"

"Then, I’ll be Irisdina and Somia’s partner..."

"Victor, you’re in the way. Get out of here."

"Aren’t you treating me too harshly!"

And when Victor tried to talk to Irisdina and Somia who were available, he was treated as a distraction and sent to the corner of the room.

The reason for that was because he wasn’t invited to this lesson in the first place, and he was the one who caused Madam Parline a lot of trouble, so it was only natural that he would be treated badly.

"Master, I brought the documents that were left in the room. Since this is a good opportunity, let’s finish them here."

As a result, Victor had to continue struggling in the corner of the hall with the documents that Mena had brought from the office.

Victor, who was left out of the group, turned his eyes pleadingly toward Irisdina, but she turned away and completely ignored him.

He was so shocked as if he had been hit on the head with a war hammer, and began to weep tearfully.

"Ane-sama, please dance with me!"

Meanwhile, Irisdina, who had some free time on her hands, was asked by Somia to be her dance practice partner.

Somia, who had quickly extended her hand, looked up at her sister with sparkling eyes.

"I don’t mind. Well, I guess I’ll still play the male role..."

In this case, it would be Irisidna who played the male role.

Since the ratio of men to women was inevitably biased towards women, it would be inevitable that women must pair up with other women when trying to practice dancing.

In fact, the female pair of Lisa and Shina were dancing well, switching roles with each other.

Irisdina herself had played the male role in dance practices many times.

She had also been asked to dance at small parties, not only by the opposite sex but also by the same sex.

On such occasions, she would naturally play the male role and lead her partner. She naturally knew the tricks of playing the male role.

Taking Somia’s hand, Irisdina escorted Somia with very natural movements.

She led her to the open space in the hall with gentle, flowing, natural movements, while keeping pace with Somia’s steps.

Then, gently placing her hand on her partner’s back, she slowly began to dance, swaying her natural body and matching it with her partner’s breath.

The gestures were completely seamless and perfect in every way.

"Ane-sama, you’re so cool!"

"Somia, as a woman, I’m not very happy to be told that I’m cool in a male role..."

However, no matter how perfectly she could play the male role, whether she was satisfied with her own performance was another matter.

Due to her nature, Irisdina looked strangely good even if she played the male role, but for her who was concerned about her masculine tone and atmosphere, her sister’s evaluation made her feel complicated.

She let out a huffing sigh as she moved her body while keeping an eye on Somia’s movements.

At that moment, a gentle chime resounded in Irisdina’s ears.

Irisdina turned her attention to the source of the sound. The bell, a birthday gift from Nozomu to Somia, was shining on her right wrist.

"Somia, you wear that bell all the time, don’t you?

"Ah, yes! Nozomu-san gave it to me, so it would be a waste if I didn’t wear it!"

Somia smiled a big smile like the sun.

It was a simple bell that seemed somewhat inappropriate for a woman of noble birth to wear.

However, the bell was Somia’s first present from the man she loved like an older brother, and it was proof that her future, which should have been stolen from her, was still connected.

Somia’s smile naturally made Irisdina’s cheeks loosen as well.

"I see. As I thought, it suits you so well."

"Is that so!? Thank you, Ane-sama!"

Perhaps because she was happy to be praised, Somia smiled 30% brighter than before.

She looked so happy that everyone who saw it might skip a beat at any moment.

While feeling a little envious of such a sister, Irisdina, while relaxing her cheeks, quietly peeked at Nozomu, who was receiving instruction from Madam Parline.

Nozomu was still learning the etiquette of dancing, struggling with the scolding from the lady.

He had now moved from escorting a lady to ensuring a standing position for the dance, but he was still not very good at it and had not yet reached the point of dancing.

It was a shame that she couldn’t have a dance lesson alone with Nozomu, but Irisdina didn’t mind about it now.

In fact, at this point, 80% of the purpose of her request for dance lessons with Nozomu had already been accomplished.

Her goal was not only to give dance lessons to Nozomu, who had no dance experience.

Another purpose was to bring Nozomu and Madam Parline together.

Madame Parline is a well-known businesswoman, and her influence is second only to that of the Francilt and Fabran Household in Forsina.

Just being "acquainted" with her would be enough of a weapon for the current Nozomu.

(Well, I can only do this much...)

Irisdina, who couldn’t use spirit magic, could hardly help Nozomu when it came to controlling Tiamat’s power.

She thought that she could do something for Nozomu by using her connections to build up his support.

Originally, Nozomu did not have many connections outside the school other than Irisdina and the others. She was hoping to help him in any way she could.

As a result, it could be said to be quite successful.

From Irisdina’s point of view, the first impression that Madam Parline had of Nozomu did not seem so bad.

Lady Parline is by nature quite decisive, and she is a strong woman who is not afraid of the King if necessary.

She has high self-esteem and always keeps things in perspective.

To some people, the way she instructs Nozomu may seem quite coercive.

However, behind her words, Irisdina could sense that she was thinking about Nozomu’s growth.

Above all, Madam Parline, who was teaching Nozomu, seemed to be "having fun" from Irisdina’s point of view.

Naturally, the smile on Irisdina’s cheeks deepened with joy.

(Unfortunately, I won’t be able to practice alone with Nozomu at this rate...)

With gushing joy and a little disappointment in her heart, Irisdina continued to escort her sister.

When she asked Madam Parline for dance lessons, Irisdina knew that she and Nozomu would not have much time to practice alone.

Moreover, the number of participants in the lesson had increased several times due to Victor’s unnecessary actions. In this situation, there was no way she could be alone with Nozomu.

(Oh well, it can’t be helped. I still have plans after this, and instead of dance lessons, let’s just look forward to the actual show, shall we?)

A feeling of disappointment remained in her heart. However, when she thought about dancing with Nozomu in the actual show, the feeling of disappointment was reversed. At once, it turned into a burning sense of anticipation.

"Nozomu, you owe me two dances. Fufu~. I’ll make sure you pay me back in the actual show."

With a smile that coincided with her naturally leaking words, Irisdina was thrilled to dance with her loved ones in the not-too-distant future.