Chapter 46: The Stuarts' Weakness

Chapter 46 - The Stuarts' Weakness

Francesca wasn't punished in the end. Emma held up Francesca thinking to enjoy the party with her, but she left the venue as if escaping.

The Second Prince left the venue briefly and came again with the royal family at the party starting time after all the guests already gathered.

When the Prince went to VIP seats for high-standing nobles, they once again felt that he is such a distant existence that it felt strange he was in front of them just a while ago. William moved his eyes from the VIP seat to Emma next to him.

"Emma nee-sama... you are... eating a little too much."

Not leaving the table lined up with sweets, Emma intended to conquest every kind with sparkling eyes.

"But William, it's so good. Everything is super delicious! Here~"

Emma quickly put the spoon with the cake she's about to eat to William's mouth.

"Well, certainly... it's delicious... but there's public gaze right now! Please make that plate the last!"

Emma is in the attention thanks to the commotion before the party started.

I'm confused about what happened actually and how it turned out to make everyone's favorability shot up, she is my sister, but how scary. Rather than that, isn't all boys in this world too simple?

The King's greetings and the debut of the aristocratic children who are newly enrolled in the academy passed smoothly, and the music started in the venue.

The students, who have decided their partner, naturally move to the center and begin to dance.

Emma unusually listens to William's warning and puts the plate quietly on the table. Then the noble sons around Emma slowly approach her.

"Emma-sama, would you like to rest at the balcony after eating and talk?"

Joshua ignores the noble sons' silent oppression and invites Emma.

Rest after eating... was what he said, but oppositely he's holding a plate full of sweets in his hand and escorts Emma to an unpopular balcony.

"I will go too!"

"Ah, me too!"

The confused William, then George, who's picking up snacks from the table not far from them, also follow along excitedly.

The capital is still chilly, unlike Palace.

Giving the sweets to Emma, Joshua quietly put his jacket on Emma's shoulder.

"Joshua, thank you."

Looking at the plate full of sweets that she likes, Emma thanks Joshua with a radiant smile.

Joshua is drowning in happiness for a short while. But then he feels a little dissatisfied that they are not alone and glares at George and William.

"Thanks for coming at a good timing, Joshua!"

"No, I remember inviting only Emma-sama..."

"I'm sure Father has said that we don't have to dance at a social party for students..."

George feels resentful because it's different from what he has heard.

He recalls the atmosphere of the venue where those who have a partner started dancing right away and those who don't are searching for one.

Including the fact that they had unintentionally stood out, the noble sons around Emma had been looking out for a chance to ask her for a dance, and George and William also received hot gazes from the young ladies.

"As the First and Second Prince are especially good at dancing, the young ladies are thinking to practice their dance to dance with the princes. After hearing that the young ladies are obsessed with dancing, the boys are under pressure in their practice too."

There was an unprecedented dance boom in the royal capital.

"...Your Highness, to be good at dancing with that face... There's a limit to gap moe too!"

(T/N: gap moe is when a character does something completely contradictory to their usual personality or appearance)

William said resentfully.

Slightly long, wavy, and glossy black hair and a well-defined face, he recalled the Prince's appearance, who has a chilly and indifferent impression.

For him who looks manly on the surface to lead a dance splendidly, he will surely be popular with girls.

Compared to him, the three Stuart siblings... no, the whole Count Stuart house, even the relatives, is bad at dancing.

As the ball itself is rare in the borderland Palace and its surroundings, it's not something they bothered about. Even if a ball is held, they turn down its participation by making up excuses somehow, so they have never been found out.

Everyone has received adequate education for a Count House. They also memorize the steps of a variety of dances.

Even so, there's not even one person in the Stuart family that has the skill to dance like normal.

The unfortunate thing is they have an overwhelming bad sense of rhythm.

They can't even clap their hands to the music's beat properly. There's also dance lesson in the academy, but the dance teacher hired by the Stuart house because the test include practical skill has given them the seal of approval that they couldn't get a passing mark.

And, maybe by coincidence, not only the Stuart family but the Tanaka family also has no sense of rhythm.

Minato had kiddingly said that she left her sense of rhythm in her mother's stomach, but Yoriko who heard that put her hand over Minato's shoulder and said while shaking her head,

"That kind of thing... is non-existent from the beginning..."

It didn't trouble her daily life, but karaoke was the thing she avoided most in her past life, and now it's dancing.

Far from her DNA, her soul itself doesn't have a sense of rhythm.

・・・

Emma swallows down the small-sized cut brownies heartily, then her eyes sparkle.

"This one!! It's the most delicious!"

Joshua looks at the plate while appreciating the sight of Emma jumping up and down happily.

"Which one is it?"

Just like what she did when she gave a cake to William earlier, Emma feeds the brownie into Joshua's mouth.

"This one!! It's delicious, right?"

Before Emma was laughing elatedly, Joshua is already gone.

When she looks down, he is kneeling on the floor as if collapsing and is trembling.

"...? Joshua...? Are you cold? ...does the brownie taste bad?"

Emma peeks at Joshua with a squint. 'Cold? Should I return the jacket?' she asks as she becomes worried.

"...No... It's amazingly... delicious..., Emma-sama. The jacket is also alright."

After taking a deep breath, Joshua answers.

"Hm? Which one is delicious?"

Because George peeks at the plate, Emma puts the last piece of brownie on George's mouth.

George, who doesn't eat sweet things usually, also opens his eyes wide.

"Ah... It's really delicious."

In the end, the four of them eat all the mountain-like piled-up sweets on the plate happily.

When they are thinking to go refill the plates, the door facing the venue opens.

"Members of the Stuart house, so you have been here."

As they turn towards the voice, stands a man wearing a different cloth from the royal palace servant uniform.

"It's the invitation from the King. The room is already prepared, so let me lead you there."

The four of them all tilt their heads at the man's words. His Majesty... not His Highness?

Not Rose-sama, the Second Prince, or Princess Jadwiga, but His Majesty... They have no idea what His Majesty the King would call them for.

"...Nee-sama... What did you do this time?"

William reflexively looks at Emma and whispers.