A Bear Running Downhill On Two Legs

“I will play the piano. A waltz will be fine, yes?”

Eaton asked while briskly walking toward the grand piano set up in the hall.

The hall had already been lit, and the extra chairs and tables had been cleared away. It even felt like everyone’s voices and footsteps echoed slightly.

“You can play the piano?”

Somehow, that was unexpected.

Cooking, piano… She was a maid who showed her true ability in unexpected places.

“Eaton is good at both cooking and sewing. I am truly proud of her!”

Shitoen puffed out her chest as if it were about herself.

Cute.

What was this, where even such a small gesture was cute? No wonder everyone from her homeland, including Eaton, treasured her.

Before I knew it, I had been staring blankly at Shitoen, but no, no. I shook my head and returned to my senses.

“Uh. So, it was a waltz… right?”

“The crown prince and his wife will dance the waltz for the first dance. I was told that Prince Saryu and I would dance the Viennese waltz.”

Shitoen answered with a smile.

Behind me, Raul made a triumphant pose and said, “Safe.”

“The number of steps will be reduced, and there are no up-and-down movements. In the worst case, just keep spinning around!”

“O-Oh.”

Huh. Was that how it went? I could no longer ask that.

Raul gripped my right arm tightly and rattled it off in a low voice, so I nodded, and Roze and Mone noticed.

“Hey. Can you really dance, Prince?”

“This looks rather suspicious.”

The sisters muttered to each other. I was already unable to stop sweating cold sweat.

“Miss Eaton, music, please. Come on, Prince, try dancing a little with Lady Shitoen.”

Roze ordered with her arms crossed and an arrogant attitude.

I wanted to retort, asking if she was some kind of stage director, but Shitoen stepped forward with tiny little steps and bowed her head.

…No, really.

How should I put it? Her movements were completely different from ours.

Her stride, the way she swung her hands, the way her body moved…

Everything was like a small animal.

Or rather, it stirred up the desire to protect her…!

This girl stimulated me just by living!

Unless someone put some kind of filter on her, I could not look straight at her because she was always, always, always too cute!

“Your hand!”

Raul slapped me on the back and brought me back to my senses.

No, no.

I tried to offer my right hand to Shitoen… then noticed Raul’s piercing gaze and hurriedly offered my left hand to Shitoen.

Shitoen smiled and took my left hand.

Safe! That was the correct answer!

Then, when I took one step closer to Shitoen…

She also pressed close to me, and…

“W-What is wrong!? Prince Saryu!”

Shitoen called out to me after I covered my face with both hands and collapsed, but…

That was right.

I rarely danced, so I had forgotten.

I would be facing Shitoen head-on from almost zero distance…

She smelled incredibly good… This was bad. I was going to get a nosebleed.

“I am all right. Please excuse me.”

I pretended to be calm and once again placed my hand over hers and faced her.

I decided to keep my awareness as far away as possible and barely breathe at all. I would be fine even if I held my breath for a few minutes.

Then, when I placed my right hand around Shitoen’s back, Shitoen also placed her hand around my back.

Good. Preparations were complete.

“Then.”

Eaton began playing the song, but…

…Um…

Well.

Exactly…

When.

Was I supposed to start stepping…?

As I stood frozen in a cold sweat…

“One, two, three. One, two, three. One.”

Finally, Raul began counting at my side.

“Two, three, now.”

He pushed me from behind, and I finally took a large step.

Shitoen let out a small cry.

Come to think of it, I felt like we had done this at the army officer school… These were steps pulled out from memories of the past. Was this right? No, it should be… probably.

“Wait, wait, wait!”

Before I knew it, Roze had clung to my arm, while Mone went behind Shitoen and pulled her away from me.

“Were you trying to crush Lady Shitoen’s foot!?”

Roze yelled at me with tremendous force.

“Are you all right, Princess Shitoen?”

“N-No…! I am all right, you know?”

Mone readjusted her hold on Shitoen into a sideways carry and brought her face close to ask her.

Too close! You are too close, you snow leopard!

“Th-That was… dangerous…! I thought Princess Shitoen’s foot was going to become as flat as parchment…”

Raul was on all fours on the floor, sweating grease.

Huh… Was it that bad?

“How should I put it… It was worse than I imagined, Prince.”

Roze looked at me coldly.

“I thought it would be about as bad as a bear balancing on a ball with two legs, but it was a bear running down a slope on two legs. Not toddling, but pointlessly sprinting.”

At Mone’s icicle-like words, Raul received a shock and groaned, “Hauuuuuuuugh.”

“Hey, hey. Until he learns the basic steps, should I practice with the prince, and should Lady Shitoen practice with my big sister?”

Roze suggested that with a smiling face.

I thought Mone would agree as well, but she had a strangely complicated look on her face. I wondered if she had some objection, but then Roze looked up into my face from below.

“Wouldn’t that be safer?”

She tilted her head to the side and said that again.

How could this be…! To think I was so terrible that Shitoen’s safety could not be secured…

“…What will you do? Shall I take the male part and practice with Princess Shitoen?”

Mone asked me as she set Shitoen down.

I agreed that this might be safest for Shitoen.

“Then let us do that. Today we practice separately, and tomorrow I will practice with Shitoen.”

“I see… That is a little lonely.”

Shitoen said that regretfully.

She was damn cute…!!!!

I would absolutely become able to dance properly and practice with Shitoen!

“I am sorry to trouble you, Miss Mone. Please take care of her.”

Shitoen bowed her head to Mone. Mone smiled bewitchingly and said, “Not at all,” while giving me a glance and making a triumphant face!

That snow leopard! Someday I will properly show her which of us is above the other!

While I was getting worked up, I heard Raul muttering.

What, I thought, and turned my face toward him. He was looking down at Roze with narrowed eyes.

“I will tell you this now. As you can see, the Commander is devoted only to Princess Shitoen. He has absolutely no interest in you.”

“Wha…! Why would I ever be interested in an old man like that!”

“If you think he is an old man, then keep thinking that he is an old man. Do not stir up unnecessary trouble.”

“Do not misunderstand, idiot!”

Roze turned bright red and yelled at Raul. What were those two doing? Was this a sibling quarrel?

“Hey, Roze. Let us practice.”

If I left them alone, they seemed like they would start saying, “Raul-san, you idiot,” and “Roze, you idiot,” so I stepped in.

Roze was still red-faced and huffing in anger, but Raul flatly ignored her and raised three fingers at me.

“Listen carefully. For now, just master the natural turn, the closed change, and the reverse. Those three only. Sorry, but Mone. Can you show the Commander an example?”

Raul called out to Mone.

Mone gave a perfunctory nod, then bowed respectfully to Shitoen and took her hand.

The two of them smoothly stood facing each other and stepped forward in time with the song.

It was strange. Even though Mone was wearing a Tania-style uniform, she looked as if she were dressed as a man.

The two of them stepped out as if gliding, and when they almost reached the corner of the floor, they turned lightly.

Shitoen laughed softly.

I looked at Eaton, who was playing the piano with an amused expression. Eaton, too, unusually had a smiling face as her fingers danced over the keys.

When Shitoen turned lightly, the hem of her dress flipped up, and I saw her slender ankle…

“Look at Mone, not Princess Shitoen!”

Raul slapped me on the back and brought me back to my senses.

“You really do love Lady Shitoen, huh.”

When I turned only my eyes toward Roze’s voice…

She had her lips pursed and looked just like a sulking child.

“I am her husband, so of course I do.”

“…Well. That part is good, though.”

Hm? What did you say? I was about to ask, but Roze suddenly changed her expression and took both my hands.

“Now! Let us practice too!”