150. A Grand Intersection (6)
Helly was taken aback when she opened the box and saw the shoes, which were brought as a gift.
‘Is this the same design as the shoes I sent to harass Haruni?’
The shoes Carcsein brought had the same design as the ones she had sent to Haruni as a gift.
It was impossible not to be surprised.
This had a certain meaning, especially among the nobles.
Helly glances at Carcsein with suspicion.
If Haruni had mentioned this, it meant Carcsein had come to take revenge.
But…
“What are you doing without trying them on?”
It didn’t seem like he was there to take revenge or scold her, but rather to…
He was smiling.
‘That’s right. It can’t be. What ridiculous worries am I having?’
The aristocracy was indeed like that.
They wouldn’t know the meaning of sending the same design shoes among themselves.
The shoes that didn’t fit were originally meant to harass Haruni.
Considering the woman’s situation, it was unlikely she would refuse, but… there was another variable, and that was on Carcsein’s side.
But right now, he seemed to know nothing.
If she had returned the shoes, saying they didn’t fit, it would be impolite, and she would have to take a step back.
If she interpreted it more harshly, as contempt or mockery, she would have to prepare a countermeasure.
If she had put on the shoes and sent them back, there would be a problem, but Haruni was in a situation where she couldn’t do that, being the illegitimate child of the Marquis of Teresia.
In the end, it seemed like Haruni had no problem, since she didn’t say a word until the shoes were worn and danced in.
Moreover, the follow-up actions were the same.
He didn’t even bring the shoes he had worn once.
It didn’t seem like he had sent them with any meaning.
Helly thought that Carcsein had come to hear her explanation, but the shoes were in perfect condition.
In the end, being a noble didn’t change.
With a noble’s heavy etiquette and education, he was wearing a light smile… it was clear that there was no other intention.
Helly felt relieved and took out the shoes to wear them.
“You look great in them.”
“Thank you.”
I responded with a smile to Carsein’s praise, but my true feelings were not the same.
“…This, the size is a bit off.”
When I put my foot in, the inside was too tight, and the top of my foot was even narrower. It hurt when I tried to put it on all the way.
How could the other person not know the size of the shoe and give it as a gift?… But that also led to the same context.
Because Carsein was not a noble.
He didn’t know the etiquette of the nobles, so he couldn’t say anything.
“I’ll endure it. The benefits I can get from this are greater.”
I had the opportunity to use this foolish person to bring down Harney, and I couldn’t let it slip away because of a trivial dissatisfaction.
Helly carefully put her foot in and pretended to be fine, taking a few steps in the new shoes.
“It fits my feet well, thank you.”
“That’s good. I’m glad.”
The thanks were enough for now.
Let’s get to the main point.
Helly held out her hand and gave an escort signal.
“Shall we go to the ballroom and dance a song right away?”
“Hmm? Are you saying that right away?”
“Yes. The music has ended, and we can dance right away. If not, do you have another appointment?”
“That’s not it, but…”
Carsein looked hesitant.
“We haven’t even matched our breathing once, have we? It would be better to practice a bit.”
That was a reasonable thing to say.
Dance instructors also emphasized the importance of matching breathing with their partners, and other secondary things were pushed to the side.
That’s how important it was to practice with a partner.
And how important it was to match their rhythm so they could dance without interfering with each other.
As a noble, Helly also knew that well.
But.
There was no time for that now.
“Thanks to you, the dancers, of course, and even the ladies known for their dance skills, felt humiliated, didn’t they?”
There was no need to practice.
Anyway, Carsein was someone who could handle his body well when dancing with Harney, and he had the skills, so practice wasn’t necessary.
It was better to settle this stormy situation as soon as possible.
“Everyone is looking forward to your next dance. If you cover up Harney’s last mistake naturally, it doesn’t seem like you need to practice.”
“That’s too much praise. It’s not that at all.”
“It’s not too much praise. You should be proud of having that level of skill. If your partner was a bit more perfect, you could have covered up the awkward movements in between.”
“Um…”
“If you had danced with someone who danced better than Harney, you would have received great applause, like the person who created the dance. I dare to guarantee that you wouldn’t need to practice at all?”
Carsein looked flustered.
“This commoner. Why is he answering so slowly? He should be honored to dance with a real noble, not a bastard!”
If it continued like this, unnecessary practice time would be created.
It couldn’t be helped. Helly added, as if urging Carsein.
“Is it that you doubt my dancing skills?”
“No.”
Then, Karcein waved his hand.
“I’ve heard that Lady Helly’s skills are exceptional. Among the noble ladies, she’s known for her flawless dance moves and has never made a mistake.”
Right! I know that, but what’s with the hesitation?
“But I’m worried that I might make a mistake. What if I trip or something?”
Ha! You think I’ll trip because of you?
What a ridiculous notion!
“There’s no way that’ll happen.”
Being able to naturally recover from a mistake is also a skill.
Moreover, being able to lead your partner’s movements and send signals is also a skill.
In that aspect, I’m confident that I won’t be outdone.
“Hmm… is that so?”
“Don’t worry and just follow me. I’ll teach you well.”
After a moment of hesitation, Karcein made up his mind.
-Tik-tik.
“Alright. Let’s go dance.”
“…”
He didn’t take my hand, but instead opened the door and went out.
‘This idiot is…’
No, he wouldn’t know what an escort is, being a commoner.
I’m annoyed, but I have to bear with it for now.
As long as I can get Harinee, it’s all that matters.
I’ll just use him and then discard him.
-Tik-tik.
Ugh!
‘…Tsk!’
Helly endured the throbbing pain and re-entered alone.
***
When he brought shoes with the exact same design as the ones I had sent to Harinee, the atmosphere became tense.
As a noble, she knew exactly what it meant to bring something like that again. And if she found out that Karcein was Harinee’s fiancé, she would be even more wary.
But, pretending to know nothing, she quickly let her guard down.
If she had even a little suspicion about these shoes, she would soon realize something was off, but since she knew it was me, she quickly became complacent.
It was easy.
There was no need to destroy the ill-fitting shoes on the spot or make any criticisms.
Despite the pain, Helly wore the shoes and walked, pretending to be calm, and told me that the ball wasn’t over yet, so let’s dance outside.
After that… a truly ridiculous scene unfolded.
‘Trying to endure the pain and dance with me, what a sight.’
Moreover, her expression kept changing.
Her eyes were smiling, but it was clear how frustrated she was. So, I decided to prolong the time, wearing the shoes, and she praised me, trying to take me outside to dance.
During the rehearsal, Harnie’s mistakes were pointed out, and her dance skills were criticized, making it impossible to ignore the malicious intentions.
Helly’s goal was clear: to steal Karcein Bagrand from Harnie.
If she wore the shoes Karcein had given her and performed a dance, it would be easy to spread rumors and gain attention.
“Ugh, why do people who torment others with such despicable methods all seem to be the same?”
Thanks to this, a faint memory from the past resurfaced.
It wasn’t my experience, but I remembered it.
Those girls who cruelly ruined others’ belongings and tormented them.
Among them, there was a person who silently endured it all.
The rumors spread that she had stolen another friend’s boyfriend, and she received all sorts of malicious comments.
This situation wasn’t much different from what my only friend had gone through.
The envy and jealousy towards her appearance.
The isolation with no one to help.
The pain of silently enduring it all, without saying a word.
So, I might be doing the same stupid thing right now.
From noble mtl dot com
“The stage is ready. Shall we go up?”
It was time to snap out of my reverie.
The stage was ready, and it was time for me to go up with Helly, who had directly given me the shoes.
I calmly went up on stage, as if I had done it from the beginning.
The music started to play soon.
Helly skillfully gave me a signal and encouraged me to take the next step. Her dance skills were indeed unmatched.
But…
“Oh no.”
“What?!”
I intentionally broke the rhythm.
Helly stumbled on stage, and the nobles’ attention was drawn to her.
They couldn’t believe that Helly, who was dancing, had stumbled. I said in a loud voice, making sure they could all hear, “Isn’t this…? I did well when I danced with Lady Harnie…”
“…”
“I must have been very nervous. I apologize.”
This alone would have greatly wounded her pride.
I had danced well with Harnie, who was difficult to dance with, but now I was making a mess with Helly. It was a situation where my skills were being questioned.
In a situation where I was clearly being compared, the conversation would flow in a direction where I was at fault, and I couldn’t help but be anxious.
But the true value of this action wasn’t just mental stress.
While mental stress would accumulate, what would be even more unbearable was the physical pain.
The pain would multiply as I stumbled around in shoes that didn’t fit, just like Harnie had done.
I had to let these despicable people know straight out.
I gave Helly several times more pain than Harnie had received.
“Ugh…!”
“Ah, I apologize.”
Next time too.
“Uh…!”
“I’m so sorry for this mistake…”
Next time too.
“It’s you…!”
“This is strange. When I was with Haruni, it went well, but…?”
Step by step, I hindered and disturbed her.
In the end, I compared her to Haruni and drove her to the edge of explosion.
Helri, who was sweating profusely, finally opened her mouth.
“Carsein, the last one will be in sync with my movement. Got it?”
Now, her casual tone and words were slipping out.
Unlike Haruni, her expression, tone, and patience were all different.
If she made one more mistake, her gaze would be enough to slap her.
That meant she was pushed to the limit, right?
Helri.
“There’s no one who doesn’t deserve to be blamed.”
“What…?”
“This is your karma. You’re a trashy person.”
I whispered harshly, completely destroying Helri’s breathing at the climax.
“Ahh!”
Helri, who couldn’t bear it anymore, fell down on the stage.
Her two eyes, which had turned savage, stared at me.
But soon, her gaze turned to the audience watching the stage.
“Hmm. It seems Helri’s dance skills have declined.”
“Her nickname ‘Rikira’s Dancer’ is also being questioned.”
“Even Carsein, who has mastered that difficult dance, can’t do this much.”
“At this rate, she can’t even be a dance teacher.”
Her fragile self-esteem must have been shattered at that moment.
“You… do you think…!”
Helri, who had finally caught on, looked at me with a shocked expression.
Yes. I had been aiming for this from the beginning.
I sent her shoes that didn’t fit, making her experience the same thing.
I dragged out the time or pretended to make mistakes, increasing the intensity of her suffering.
And in the end, I thoroughly retaliated with the same scene Haruni had gone through.
– Sending the same gift again means repaying the same debt.
Just like Camilla said.