The Ball

Edward felt something hard poke his thigh beneath the tablecloth and froze. The hard object was already resting against his thigh.

Keeping a straight face, he reached down with his left hand and felt the familiar shape. It was the hilt of the Sword of Victory and Oath.

Judging by its position, the sword was resting on the princess's thigh, forming a bridge between their legs.

Edward wondered why she hadn't been carrying it earlier. Had she hidden it under her skirt? He'd heard of girls pulling pistols from their skirts, and even seen them hide grenades, but never a greatsword! Then he remembered that she had a Spatial Ring.

The princess waggled the sword and shot him a fierce glare. He understood at once: it was the same method they'd used to communicate telepathically while watching the Inside World. He placed his hand on the hilt and sent his Mental Power into it. Their communication began.

"Don't just sit there like an idiot! I'm asking you something!" Princess Andrea said bluntly.

"What were you asking?"

"I asked how your dance practice was going."

"Why didn't you ask whether I knew how to dance, Your Highness?"

"Then, President, do you know how to dance?"

"No!"

"I knew it. You're an idiot! A fool! A complete fool!"

The communication ended. The sword vanished, and Edward got a vicious kick in the shin.

Andrea looked perfectly composed, but was actually grinding her teeth.

Edward looked perfectly composed, but was actually enduring the pain. He knew he was in the wrong. If he hadn't caused a fuss by giving her the ring that day, the princess would surely have hinted that there was a ball coming up. So he silently endured the pain in his shin. A Great Knight's kick was no joke. If he hadn't been in such incredible shape, his shin would probably have been broken.

Young Master George had stopped eating and drinking, looking about eight-tenths full. He cast a sidelong glance at his sister and Edward, then came up with an idea.

He wiped his hands, draped an arm familiarly around Edward's neck, and asked:

"Mr. Smith, you don't know much about me, do you?"

"I've only heard a little about you, Young Master." Edward searched his memories, recalling only that the princess seemed to have a younger brother. He knew nothing about the details.

"Exactly. I've spent the last two years fighting magical beasts on the border! I only get to come home once a year, for the New Year."

Edward was startled. The White Hawk Family really wasn't ordinary. They were willing to send their youngest child to risk his life fighting magical beasts on the border. He offered a sincere compliment.

"My respect, Young Master. I'd never have guessed that someone so young was already defending the country on the frontier. You're truly an outstanding man."

"Forget the flattery. Let's speak plainly. You want to be my brother-in-law, right?"

"Uh..." Edward was speechless.

Little George acted like a street thug, one arm around Edward's shoulder and the other pointing at his nose as he demanded:

"Give me a straight answer. Do you or don't you?"

"I do!" Edward blurted out instinctively. His experience from his Previous Life had taught him never to back down when someone pointed a finger in his face.

Of course, they were speaking so quietly that only the two of them could hear.

Princess Andrea might have heard them, given her sharp ears, but it seemed she hadn't.

"Now that's more like it! Anyone here around your age—ask them if they don't want to be my brother-in-law." George smiled with satisfaction, then continued: "But you can't just decide to become my brother-in-law. You'll have to take care of me, your future brother-in-law, won't you? You've got to show me a little something."

"What do you have in mind, Young Master?" Edward found this brother-in-law amusing.

"I hear you're good at making weapons, right? You made my sister's sword. Ever since she got it, I haven't been able to beat her. You'll have to make me something just as good." George finally revealed his real motive.

"What kind of weapon do you want?"

"I'm best with a War Hammer, but I can use a Meteor Hammer, too. Make it heavy enough for me. I'm not used to light weapons."

Edward nearly spat blood. A sword would have been manageable; he'd still have to judge whether George was worthy, since a divine weapon shouldn't be passed around lightly. But a War Hammer that heavy? Was the kid trying to kill him?

Some might ask: when he sold the princess her sword, hadn't he skipped checking her character? Edward's answer was that Zhang Wuji always had women remove their clothes when he treated their injuries with his energy, but never made men take theirs off. Same principle. Those who understood, understood. No further explanation needed.

Edward gently removed George's arm from his shoulder and adopted the solemn air of a worldly sage.

"Divine weapons cannot be given lightly. Only those destined to wield them may obtain them. Don't get your hopes up, Young Master."

The princess, who had been eavesdropping nearby, couldn't help laughing...

The banquet ended before eight that evening so the ball could begin as soon as possible. As the guests filed out, the festivities moved to the largest drawing room in the Duke's Mansion.

The orchestra was ready on one side of the hall, and the musicians were still tuning their instruments. The nobles had begun arriving on the dance floor with their partners.

Strictly speaking, the first dance Butler Hunter had mentioned was the first free dance. Before that came a ceremonial group dance.

Edward had neither a partner nor any dancing skills, so he stood to the side with the bishop from the Holy Light Church and Elwin, drinking tea.

Just then, the music began to play softly. The Grand Duke of White Eagle and Princess Andrea stood at the front as the lead dancers. Everyone else took their places in turn, and the dance began.

The guests glided around the floor with their partners, their lines crossing and weaving like butterflies flitting among flowers. It was a beautiful sight. Edward couldn't help marveling. In his Previous Life, he'd only seen scenes like this in movies. Experiencing it firsthand, he couldn't help admiring the nobles' poise. They clearly hadn't rehearsed, yet moved without the slightest confusion. No wonder they said it took three generations to produce a noble. They'd spent all that effort on something so useless.

Before long, the group dance ended. Everyone, including the dancers, applauded together. That was one of the New Year's traditions, too.

The musicians began preparing the next piece, and the young men started getting restless. One by one, they approached Princess Andrea. From a distance, Edward saw that the first was Young Master Francois of Southern Highland Castle. Head held high, he smoothed his glossy hair and strode forward like a peacock showing off its beautiful feathers.

"Sir, do you think Her Highness will accept?"

"Definitely not. Didn't you say he was an idiot? The princess doesn't like idiots," Edward replied.

"True. He proposed to the princess when we visited Highland Castle. You'd think someone who isn't even a Caster would know better than to propose to a Knight Princess."

"Ordinary people have the right to pursue beauty and happiness, too. I think it's perfectly normal." Edward thought that, in another novel, Young Master Francois would have made a fine underdog hero.

"You didn't know? Highland Castle allows polygamy. That guy has already married more than a dozen women!" Elwin said.

"What a great deal... I mean, the guy's really dreaming. It's an insult to the princess. She's showing remarkable restraint by not killing him on the spot," Edward said. So that was why a young master from another country had been invited to the White Hawk banquet but hadn't been given a seat closer to the front. He'd apparently invited himself.

Sure enough, the peacock-like Young Master Francois left, crestfallen.

The second was Reinhardt, the princess's Guard Captain and a Great Knight. Of all the princess's admirers present, he had the best chance. Many had once speculated that the Grand Duke would take him as a son-in-law. But the princess smiled apologetically and shook her head.

As she turned down one promising young man after another, the princess smugly glanced over at Edward and shot him a challenging look.

Edward shrugged and gave her an apologetic smile. At that moment, the bishop approached him and asked with a smile:

"Why don't you ask Her Highness for a dance, Mr. Smith?"

Edward said he regretted that he didn't know how to dance.

"What's so hard about dancing? It's just one, two, three; one, two, three; maybe a turn or two."

The old man cheerfully pointed out:

"You're already a formal Caster. From what I've observed, with your Mental Power and physical coordination, you should have learned the moment you saw the first dance—if you wanted to."

"Oh!" Edward slapped his forehead. "How did I not think of that?"

"You just don't understand yourself after your advancement yet. There are many things you're no longer asking whether you can do, but whether you want to do them."

The old man fed Edward a dose of inspirational wisdom, sounding just like some motivational speakers from his Previous Life.

"Now pay attention. The first dance is about to begin. Try to ask the princess for the second dance." The old man patted Edward, who was staring at the dance floor, then walked away.

On the dance floor, the Grand Duke of White Eagle was dancing with his daughter again. The princess's admirers were all disappointed, yet relieved. It meant she didn't have someone she already loved.

As they danced, the Grand Duke teased Andrea:

"Didn't you personally deliver the invitation? That boy even gave you a precious Spatial Ring. Why didn't he have the courage to ask you for the first dance?"

"Don't remind me. I forgot that he didn't know how to dance," Andrea said helplessly.

"Heh. Looks like that boy isn't as impressive as you claimed."

"Do fathers just not want their daughters to have boyfriends?" the princess asked sulkily.

"After all, who wants to see the pig they've raised so carefully come and eat their cabbage?"

"I'm no cabbage. That guy really is a pig!"