The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Dance and a Slightly Awkward Conversation

After finishing dinner and tidying up, I head to the great hall.

When expanding the lord’s mansion, I had been advised by Marie and Cedric to include facilities for guests, but the only guests needing hospitality are rarely the likes of Alexis, so the space has only been used a few times for meals.

When the tables and chairs are pushed aside, the room is spacious enough to accommodate everyone staying at the mansion with plenty of room to spare.

“Um, I’ve never danced before.”

“I’ll teach you. Dancing in the great hall isn’t very complicated. You just need to move in the same way as everyone around you. It’s fine if you’re a little off as long as you enjoy yourself.”

I laughed at Anna’s anxious comment, lightly taking her hand, and she immediately seemed flustered. Though she usually works cheerfully around the mansion, holding hands like this seemed to make her feel embarrassed.

“The basic steps are very simple. Just follow my lead.”

While holding Anna’s hand, I opened my right foot and placed my left foot beside it. It was the simplest step, just moving half a step to the side. Anna’s expression was one of surprise.

“Is that it?”

“Yes. See, it’s easy, right? Give it a try.”

With a look of surprise, Anna mimicked Melfina, opening her right foot and placing her left foot next to it.

“Alright, let’s continue. Keep holding hands and match the pace. Ready, go!”

“Whoa, wait a minute!”

Opening her right foot and placing her left foot next to it, Anna struggled to keep up with Melfina as she repeated the movement. After a few steps, Anna’s left foot started moving ahead of her right foot.

“My feet are just moving like I’m walking normally!”

“You’ll get used to it. Let’s try it slower than before.”

Slowing the pace to half, Anna finally seemed to manage her steps more calmly. As Melfina signaled “right, left, right, left” while moving around the dining hall, Anna’s tension eased, and a smile began to appear on her face.

“This is kind of fun!”

“This is the basic dance. By adding other steps, it gradually becomes more complex. If you don’t master the technique, you might step on your partner’s feet or fall behind the music, which can be tricky.”

“But even this is really enjoyable.”

“Yes, but it becomes even more fun when you can do more difficult moves. Next, we’ll make the steps larger and, once you’re comfortable, we’ll increase the speed a bit.”

“Oh, okay!”

Kicking off the floor with a bounce and gradually increasing the speed, their movements began to feel like they were flying through the air. Though Anna, holding Melfina’s hands, naturally kept in sync with the movements, her athleticism was evident as she kept up well despite her anxiety.

“You’re doing great, Anna!”

“Ah, ahaha!”

The dance in the great hall is a type of social dance where, unlike traditional ballroom dancing, there is no close contact; essentially, the only physical contact is the hands that are held. All participants follow the same pre-set steps, moving in a circle.

Melfina, Marie, Cedric, and Serleine are experienced dancers, while Rad, Cliff, Ed, and Anna are newcomers, so the simplest steps are sufficient for everyone.

By the way, Simon had said that dancing wasn’t suitable for old folks and had retired to his room after dinner.

After a round in the gathering room, Anna was breathing heavily but smiling with enjoyment.

“In the great hall dance, it’s fine for women to dance together, but men don’t dance with each other. So, let’s switch partners and dance in turn.”

“Sister! Please dance with me first!”

“Oh, Serleine, I’d be delighted.”

With a slight bend of her knees to lower herself, Serleine straightened her back, placing one hand on her own back and extending the other towards Melfina. Even at his young age, as the Crown Prince, his formal gentlemanly manners were truly fitting.

I placed my hand over Serleine’s and we began the steps. While Melfina had escorted Anna, now I left it to Serleine.

Serleine’s steps were precise, with occasional variations in speed that made it hard to relax. When the pace increased, her movements became more pronounced, allowing Melfina to follow with ease.

“You’re really good, especially considering you didn’t have much practice.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it’s quite enjoyable!”

Cedric, possibly setting an example for the servants, began dancing with Marie, following the same steps. After a brief rest, Anna pulled Ed into the circle to join.

“In court, they dance with dozens or even hundreds of people, making it very lively. Sometimes the best dancing couple even receives a prize.”

“In Luxen, the best couple of the year gets an award from His Majesty. It’s a great honor.”

Even while dancing the same steps, there are always dancers who stand out and catch the eye. With everyone performing the same movements, skill can become even more noticeable.

“Serleine, you’ve really perked up. You’re not even out of breath.”

“Thanks to you, sister. It’s the first time I’ve thought dancing could be so much fun!”

As we added turns, I hurried to keep up. Spinning around was so enjoyable that Melfina found herself laughing out loud.

We finished by separating one hand and extending our arms like bird wings for the final pose, then bowed as we did at the beginning. In the great hall dance, this is done as many times as desired, with partners changing as preferred.

I danced with Marie upon request, and then with Cedric. Both seemed to have had proper lessons and danced very well, moving with a relaxed pace that showed consideration for Melfina, who had been dancing continuously.

“Let’s dance with Rad and Cliff, too.”

“Oh, no, I’m fine.”

“Oh, was it too difficult?”

“No, it looks like a lot of fun, but…”

I tilted my head, puzzled by Rad’s hesitation. I wondered if he was hesitant about holding Melfina’s hand, but Cliff, with a mischievous grin, nudged Rad in the side with his elbow.

“Lady Melfina, in our village, there’s a common folk dance where if you dance the first dance with your desired partner, it’s said that the two of you will get along well. So, Rad here has someone he wants to dance with first, so please excuse him.”

“Hey!”

“Oh, is that so, Rad?”

Though Rad hurriedly tried to cover Cliff’s mouth, Melfina’s question came first.

“You, really…”

“You’ve been hesitating about when to bring it up, haven’t you? It’s the end-of-year celebration, so just go ahead and say it.”

From the way he spoke, it seemed Rad was already well on his way to a relationship with the person he had in mind. It was a lively topic, quite foreign to the usual atmosphere of the lord’s mansion.

“Oh, well, congratulations, Rad! You should have mentioned it earlier. Is she from your hometown?”

“No, she’s a woman I met after coming to the Enkar region. We hit it off after meeting a few times.”

“Well, well, I see.”

I hadn’t suspected at all that Rad and a woman from the Enkar region were in such a situation.

“So, Lady Melfina, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to discuss this matter with you later. Could you spare some time for that?”

“Of course. Shall we talk about it here?”

“No, if possible, I’d prefer to change the location.”

I tilted my head at Rad’s hesitant reply, but I had no reason to refuse.

“Alright, then we’ll discuss it in the office tomorrow.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

Rad, bowing sincerely, was somewhat of a mystery, but I took his hand when Ed asked me to dance.

“Did you know about Rad?”

“Yes, I heard they’re very close. Cliff and I even talked about how they should get married soon, but Rad seemed troubled and said he needed to consult with Lady Melfina.”

“I see. I wonder why?”

Ed tilted his head at the question, but as we matched the occasional irregular steps, Melfina’s focus shifted towards that matter.

＊　＊　＊

After enjoying a feast and getting plenty of exercise, we must have been pleasantly tired. The next day, I gave the servants a day off, so Melfina slept in a bit. By the time she and Marie, Cedric, Serleine, and Simon had a light breakfast and finally woke up, Rad came to visit.

“Please, have a seat. I’ll make some tea.”

“Oh, no, please don’t bother!”

Inviting him into the office, Rad appeared nervous and seemed to be hesitating. The usual guards and secretary nearby also had puzzled expressions due to his strong nervousness.

“Rad, you wanted to talk about your significant other, right? Is there something worrying you?”

“Yes… I became close with her while she was delivering packages to the lord’s mansion. She would bring me refreshments and invite me for tea, and we got along well. Even though I was busy, on my days off, Ed would make meals for us, and we’d go out to Lake Moltre together.”

“Oh, that sounds like a lovely date.”

Since lively topics are rare at the lord’s mansion, Melfina found herself naturally curious. In her past life, she had read many games, novels, and comics, including romance-centered ones. With so few entertainment options in this world, she was always eager to discuss such matters.

“From what you’ve said, it seems like things are going very well. Is there a problem? Perhaps her father is opposed to it?”

“No, she’s an only child, and although I’m not the eldest son, her father agreed on the condition that I would come to live with them.”

“Oh… Could it be that you want to leave the lord’s mansion because you’re going to be a groom?”

Farmers in the Enkar region, being pioneers, often have their own allocated fields. Typically, the eldest son inherits these fields, but since Rad would be marrying into the family, he would presumably take on that role.

“No, that’s not it! I want to continue working here!”

“Really?”

“Yes, I have the father’s approval as well. He’s still active and said it would be fine to hire tenant farmers if necessary, and to make sure I do my job properly. Honestly, if I said I wanted to quit working at the lord’s mansion because of marriage, she might even reconsider the marriage.”

It was both a grateful and somewhat apologetic situation.

“Then, what seems to be the problem?”

“Well, um…”

For some reason, Rad glanced at Cedric.

“I’ve been uncertain about how to approach this, and I’m not implying anything negative, but…”

“Yes?”

“I was wondering how Lady Melfina plans to handle… the right of the first night.”

The term left me dumbfounded. I blinked several times, and then my face flushed with heat.

— No way, does this world have such a custom!?

The “right of the first night” is the tradition where a lord or ruler of a region has the right to spend the first night with a bride of his subjects. It has even been a famous opera subject in my past life.

Though I had acquired much education as a noble, I had never heard of such a practice.

It was likely that instructors and tutors had kept such knowledge away from young noblewomen. For women expected to maintain their purity until marriage, it was common to avoid discussions about sexuality.

“Marie, could it be that the Duke also…”

“That is absolutely not the case!”

Marie said it with surprise but with firm conviction.

“Ah, yes. I only know about the northern lords like Duke and Count Dantes, so I was just…”

Marie, feeling embarrassed by her strong reaction, flushed a deep red and cleared her throat.

“Most likely, the village overseer where Rad and his partner are from is just making up things. The right might indeed exist, but… I’m sorry, I need to check with the legal officer to be sure.”

“If it’s officially recognized as a right in the Oldrand domain, it would be difficult for me to change anything, but if it’s the overseer acting on his own, it needs to be corrected immediately.”

The Enkar region had a history where local overseers collected taxes that were supposed to be reduced for their own benefit. In a world where information and distribution are limited, large territories often suffer from uneven management.

“For couples currently planning their weddings, the actual ceremony would likely take place in the spring, so I want to confirm this as soon as possible. Can we manage to travel to Soarasonne in this season?”

Spring is the traditional wedding season, just as it was for Melfina. It is relatively stable in terms of weather, which is less likely to affect ceremonies, and for commoners, it is preferable to have the wedding before the summer grain harvest to integrate the new family before the busy period.

“If we stop by the villages along the way, it should be manageable. Inns will be full during the winter, but if Lady Melfina writes a letter to the village heads and town halls requesting lodging, we should be able to find accommodations.”

Weddings, especially in the spring, are concentrated events. If incorrect customs are causing problems for couples, they need to be corrected as soon as possible.

“In that case, I will go.”

Rad raised his hand and spoke with a serious expression.

“I am the most accustomed to traveling between here and Soarasonne. Also, since my marriage is the cause of this issue… If, if this right is not actually valid, I want it to be eliminated as soon as possible.”

The management of a territory is a right entrusted solely to its lord. If the right of the first night is a formal right of the lords in this world, then Melfina’s only option would be to ensure it is not practiced in the Enkar region. She would have no authority to intervene in other territories.

However, she strongly wished that such customs did not exist.

While she could not bring the human rights awareness from her previous life into this world, as a woman, she found it hard to accept.

“I will immediately prepare a letter of authorization for my representative and a query letter for the Duke. Though, today is the New Year…”

“No, I will set out as soon as the preparations are complete. Please let me go!”

Melfina ultimately nodded in agreement to Rad’s determination.

Although such matters are rarely heard of around here, winter in the northern regions can be dangerous due to the presence of monsters, and traveling in winter itself is fraught with risks. As Rad was tasked with a mission for Alexis, he would be accompanied by two soldiers from the garrison for protection.

“Come back safely.”

“I will return, and I will formally propose to her.”

Watching Rad leave with a bright smile, Melfina couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

“Seems like we’ve had quite a commotion right at the start of the new year.”

“Just like the Enkar region’s lordly residence, it’s how the year begins.”

Marie commented with a matter-of-fact tone, while Cedric silently nodded in agreement.

Although Melfina felt unsettled, she could only hope for Rad’s safe return.