'Okay, how hard could it be?'
Not to brag, but I was a weapon master back in the day, there was no weapon I couldn't handle.
'Surely, dancing with a woman is the same, right?'
[...This is definitely unexpected.]
Orran's amused voice hummed inside my head.
[Follow my voice and move as I tell you.]
'Brat?... Okay.'
I wanted to retort, but right now I needed his help, so I held back.
"Relax... you don't need to be so stiff," Grace suddenly said.
"Ah!... I'm sorry. I'm actually not very good at social gatherings. This... is just not my thing."
"HAHA! You sure? You look like a total lady killer to me," Grace said as she placed a hand on my shoulder.
"I will take it as compliment," I replied softly as I placed a hand on her waist. I at least knew the basics.
_♪ ti-la-ti, ti-la-ti-laaa... ♪
As the violin sang again, we joined hands and started dancing.
[Left foot forward. Right foot back. Don't crush her toes.]
I obeyed, moving stiffly, like a puppet with tangled strings.
My boot brushed her dress. She winced slightly, but the smile never left her lips.
[Good, now pivot. Turn. No, not like that—!]
My heel caught the hem of her gown.
For a heartbeat, time froze, the dancers paused, and every gaze felt fixed on us.
Then, miraculously, she steadied me with a quiet laugh.
"You're not half bad," she teased.
"HAHA!.." I just laughed it off.
'I think I'm going to have an anxiety attack inside a dream.'
This was so unlike me.
'Can't we just drag her to the corner and slap her awake?'
[A demon through and through. Spin her left. Gracefully. She is not a weapon; don't swing too hard or you might end up throwing her out the window.]
'...'
_♪ ti-la-ti, laaa-ti-la... ♪
The melody rose, and somehow, my movements began to flow.
Grace, who at some point figured out that I couldn't dance, started to guide my steps.
Her hand fit against mine perfectly, her gaze soft, distant, like she was somewhere else entirely.
'Won't the Dream Eater notice if we wake her?'
[It won't, as long as everybody follows the pattern.]
"Miss Grace, may I ask you something?" I asked as we moved back and forth.
Slowly, I started to get the hang of it.
"Just ask..." Grace replied as her eyes started to lose focus.
I frowned.
'What is going on?'
[It's the melody. Take her as far as possible.]
Only then did I notice that, at some point, we had moved closer to the violinist.
_♪ TI-LA-TII-LAAA!! ♪
The melody rose again, as my eyes met the Violinist's, his smile as creepy as before.
I turned my head away. 'Why is he always looking at me?'
[It is an illusion. No matter where you look, it will be the same.]
'Oh!..'
"You dance really well. May I ask where you learned such a dance?" I asked Grace as I slowly moved away from the violinist.
"I was taught by the head maid. She was really a kind person," Grace replied as her eyes slowly regained focus.
"Head maid?... Are you part of the Arkwright family?" I asked, trying to sound as natural as possible.
"Me? No way, I was just an orphan raised by them. Right now, I'm just a knight serving... the Young Miss," Grace's brows knitted slightly at the last part.
[This is it.]
"Young Miss?" I asked.
"Yeah! She's really a nice kid. She had been suffering from a rare disease since her childhood, which is why she never got much chance to go out," Grace's expression turned sorrowful.
"She always hated that, but we were doing it for her sake," she continued.
Then she smiled and said,
"But it's alright now. She has recovered from the disease, and today is her first debate."
"That's wonderful," I said.
"By the way, when was the last time you went out with her?"
"The last time..." Grace's steps slowed down. "The last time was..."
But I forcefully dragged her along so as not to make the Dream Eater suspicious.
"Grace..." I called to her sternly. "You have been protecting her your whole life, haven't you?"
"...Yes, I... it's my duty." Grace clenched her head as we moved away from the stage.
We stood in the corner as I held her arms.
"I... we... we... were inside a gate?" Grace continued to mutter.
"Grace...Your Young Miss is in danger, and she needs your help."
[Alright. Tell her to wake up.]
"Grace..." I held her arm tightly as I leaned closer,
::WAKE UP::
Orran's voice resonated with mine.
And that was the final straw.
Grace's eyes widened, her lips parting in a soundless gasp.
Her pupils flickered as she quickly looked around.
[She is awake.]
"What!?—Where!?" Panic surged through her as she almost broke into a frenzy.
But I held her tightly.
"Relax... don't make any sudden moves... it's watching."
Confusion flickered through her eyes, but she obeyed.
"Smile... and try to act natural," I said as I put on a smile like I was talking to an old friend.
"What is going on?" she asked, eyes narrowing at me with suspicion.
"What is the last thing you remember?" I asked as I moved to join the dance again.
Grace was still confused but moved anyway.
"...We were suddenly attacked by the insect-like monsters. Y-Young Miss! Where is Young Miss?"
"Alright, listen to me. We are actually inside a dream..." I slowly explained everything to her as her eyes widened with every passing second.
_♪ ti—la—TI—LA—TII—LAAA!! ♪
Just as I was explaining everything to her, the violin shrieked.
All the lights were suddenly turned off, except for the stairs at the far end.
An old butler walked out from the darkness into the light.
"Everyone, thank you very much for coming to the debate of our Young Miss."
He bowed slightly and continued,
"Now, the moment everyone has been waiting for is here."
He raised his hand toward the darkness as a shadow descended from the left.
"Please, welcome the star of the show."
Slowly, the shadow stepped into the light.
"Melissa Arkwright."