In the middle of the open ballroom, Eon and Rein stood before each other, the area around them cleared of people.
People who had witnessed a great spar just a moment ago that was already carved into their minds were now looking at the two young people who were the stars of this party.
One refused the dance from their imperial prince while the other one fought for this one dance.
The spar was magnificent, so enchantingly beautiful that they weren't even able to look away from this young person before them.
They saw him for the first time today, and they already knew he had a bright future ahead of him.
He was special and strong, but more than that, he was graceful.
He was elegant, his every move in that spar, his magic, his arrows, everything about the way he fought was a piece of art itself.
Most of them were nobles and some of the most important virtues of true nobles were their unwavering dignity, their eternal grace, as well as the aesthetic way they handled themselves.
It took one a long time in their life to learn these things and it could actually only be truly learned with time and professional practice.
One of the reasons the representative of Atraxia was so famous was because of the unreal graceful way she handled herself.
It was genuinely unbelievable. It was like she was a far older person who had long mastered what even the old people present in that room were trying to imitate.
She was special in that aspect, and that naturally attracted many souls.
Till now, she was the only young one with this unique charm, but now there was this person, her very first escort, her very first dance partner, with a similar uniqueness to her.
But still, the ones who had a deeper understanding of noble etiquette would catch on to the slight difference between the two of them.
She was like an old painting who had seen the world over a long time, understood it better than any of them, and survived the harsh disasters of time.
He was different from that. He wasn't old or experienced, but instead, he was a masterpiece.
Pottery made with the greatest finesse; molded, shaped, failed but succeeded after countless trials; then cooked in the harshest and hottest fire, a fire unlike any other, and when it was ready, the celestial artist painted it with all their life's experience.
This boy wasn't some genius like her, they could tell, but he was so unbelievably refined… it was preposterous.
It was as if he had learned everything, from the way to stand to the way he should walk. Fighting gracefully was a small thing, it was like he had even learned how to breathe perfectly.
The boy was like a masterpiece created by an artist who had even surpassed the gods.
He was unbelievable, and this uniqueness made him look even more attractive to the amazing young lady before him.
Well, of course, it was the public's opinion. For the two of them, the other one was a totally different being.
She was nowhere near a perfect girl. Definitely not young at the very least.
She was imperfect. And that was her most attractive aspect.
He, in her opinion, was a jerk who was actually just amazing. Far more amazing than people could think.
He was also someone who carried more pain than even her. Someone who had worked harder than any of them to have what he had today. Someone who was so perfect it was just too unattractive.
It was difficult to like him if one knew about him as she did. He was like an artifact in a museum showcase that you would admire from the outside but have no actual attachment to if it belonged to you.
He was an annoying asshole that would endure all the pain by himself because he didn't want to hurt people close to him.
He carried deep darkness inside his always calm heart and was also someone who didn't tell others his close secrets.
All this actually wouldn't be attractive to other ladies, but for her, all of this was even more of the reason to like him.
He was a helpless rock. Dumb, solid, and unmoving. But someone had to keep this unique rock.
He was too good for her, that was what she thought.
She was too good for him, that was what he thought.
They were hopelessly, irretrievably, foolishly, in love with each other.
It wasn't understandable most of the time. But they knew they had to live with what they had.
-Slow music starts.
He bowed, and she also gave him a respectful bow.
He had a low smile on his face, she was also smiling.
The two young people looked good together. So good that now they couldn't even imagine their own selves in their place.
It was strange, but as their dance started, this feeling became solid and unavoidable with each passing moment.
They were just perfect together, and so was their unique dance on that uniquely slow melody.
-Clap.
"It's an original."
Someone said those words in a normal voice, but the reaction among the spectators was strong.
As that person said, the song playing right now was original, and their unique dance was perfectly in sync with this beautiful melody.
The two young people were dancing on a slow tempo and their movements included the use of their hands and feet.
-Clamp.
They used claps and strong ground taps in their dance. It was new to most of the nobles present, but if empress Vera was here, she would recognize these unique movements.
But it still wasn't exactly something she would recognize… this was a version.
The dance was an original creation. Something they created together.
-Music slowly intensifies.
And as the tempo slowly increased and their speed, the unique movements, the use of their clothes, their unique chemistry, and their closeness were open for everyone to see.
They were just friends. Yeah, sure. They would happily believe this obvious lie.
This dance, this magnificent collection of body movements, this absurdly good show of chemistry, and those moments of intimacy… it was incredible.
It was so incredible that the couples watching them couldn't resist the urge to dance like them.
It was irresistible, so… the auction master first asked for a dance from her masked husband and after her, many of them followed behind them.
-The medium tempo continued.
The ballroom filled with couples following the lead of the young couple in the center.
-Clap!
They all were experts, so it didn't take long for them to catch up to their unique rhythm.
-Clamp!
It was difficult at first, but this dance wasn't that difficult. It was easier than the traditional dance that they all knew.
This new dance of theirs was more free than that common rigid dance style.
It was free, the dancers felt free while performing it, the clapping and thumping movements were exciting, and overall, if they had to explain this new dance in one word… fun. That would be the most common answer.
-Clap!
-Tempo slowly rising.
This was fun. It was different from the traditional dance, where they had to follow the same repetitive movements.
pàпdá-ňᴏνêι.сóМ Mistakes were allowed in this dance. The main goal of it was to have some fun with your partner. And for certain…
-Clamp!
This was fun.
There were smiles on their faces.
They made mistakes but still continued with the way others were doing.
Many even let go of the usual movements and created something of their own in that short time.
Their versions were better suited for them and their partners, and the funny thing was that they still harmonized with the main dance.
[ "We are amazing." ]
She was looking into his eyes while smiling, and he was smiling back as he held her one hand, stretched it, and took a turn.
-Clap!
[ "Good work to you too. Now get ready!" ]
The end of the song was coming, and she was already waiting for it.
She just gave him a smile and followed his body as naturally as a leaf floating in the river.
He was the same as he followed her leads and continued the dance while looking around the entire room with his third eye.
Their dance attracted many couples to join them. Even Carla was dancing with Alf. But still, there were many people who enjoyed just watching this ongoing show.
Few of them didn't like this new dance that went against the traditions. But most of the people who weren't part of this dance were single people or the ones who wanted to ask someone but couldn't muster the courage to ask for it.
Their prince Claudius was just watching them, and the other couples dancing with envy oozing out of him.
'I also want that.'
It was written all over his face as he looked at the smiling couples and this dance that brought them even closer.
He was seeing love in true meaning for maybe the first time in his life. And he didn't have it even though he had so many things that others could even think about.
He was looking at Eon and Rein in particular.
They couldn't hide the look in their eyes, even with their great skills. And when he looked at that look, that warm smile she gave him as he held her, touched her, moved with her to create those beautiful movements… something broke inside him.
It was strange, but it wasn't his glass of wine.
He felt something breaking inside him this time.
He felt heaviness, an unexplainable weight that was strangely growing with each passing moment he watched them.
There were many more attractive people in the room, like the auction master and her partner, sir Elkan and his gorgeous partner, lady Hazel and sir Theophilus, and many more.
There were many other places to look at in that room, but his unblinking eyes were fixed on Rein and Eon.
They were smiling; they were holding each other; they were happy; they were together; they looked good; they looked perfect actually… he knew all that, and still, he didn't want to accept it.
He couldn't accept it. He just looked at them, at her, at her glacier-melting warm smile that he had never seen in the past, and the one who gave her that smile was holding her.
He was also as happy as her, maybe more, but he could tell he thought of himself as lucky.
He was strong; he was better than him; he was a good person, and they looked at each other the same way many of the married couples looked at their spouse.
He had never received such a gaze. Not from her, not even from the many ladies that wanted to talk to him.
He knew this was special. Not something many could have in the short lives they had.
They had found it, just like the small number of people in this room.
They were perfect for each other, he could see that. But still…
'It's… painful.'
It was unbearable. He tried to calm himself, think about things rationally, and tell himself he couldn't have what could never belong to him.
He knew all that and still, the weird feeling in his chest wouldn't go away.
He watched them, and his eyes didn't blink till the end, but after the eyes had become red and there was water in those golden eyes, he had reached his limit.
He had seen all he needed so with that heavy chest, broken heart, and empty mind… he stood up and walked out of this ballroom with a complicated, calm, and smiling expression.
Many people saw him leave, his sister and brother included. But the chocolate-eating sister only sighed while his weak-looking brother smiled bitterly at his poor brother.
He was miserable. But regardless of his actions and complicated feelings, the cool dance led by the two continued…
-Clap!
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