Chapter 658: You are Beautiful

The dance pairs on the dance floor were still waiting for the music to begin.

A few minutes had passed since the Golden Matching Order Band began preparing for the Last Dance Core.

Yet the Grand Royal Hall remained without music, leaving the guests to wonder what was taking so long.

Some of the dancers glanced toward the musicians.

Others exchanged looks with their partners, unsure whether they should continue waiting or expect another delay.

The anticipation was beginning to turn into confusion.

But before anyone could say anything, the first piano keys sounded.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

The notes repeated, steady and simple.

They did not resemble the usual opening of a ballroom piece.

There was no grand introduction meant to command everyone’s attention.

Instead, the repeated notes seemed to be setting up something that had yet to reveal itself.

Several people turned toward the stage.

Then another instrument joined in.

Its sound slipped between the repeated notes, giving the melody a rhythm that was unfamiliar to most of the people in the hall.

Before they could work out what they were hearing, a third instrument entered.

Then a fourth.

Each instrument added something to the music.

The notes began to fit together, building a beat that was difficult to explain but easy to follow.

It was not the sort of arrangement the nobles were accustomed to hearing at a ball.

And somehow, it was already making people move.

A nobleman standing near the dance floor listened with a puzzled expression.

He had expected the usual soft music played at grand events across the kingdom.

Something refined and familiar, the kind of composition that allowed nobles to dance while maintaining the elegance expected of them.

This was different.

He tried to keep his attention on the musicians, but his head began moving from side to side in time with the beat.

The man paused.

His head moved again.

He frowned slightly, as though he had caught himself doing something he had not intended to do.

"Wait, this is actually nice."

The words escaped him before he could think much about them.

Nearby, a young non-noble in his second year at the Royal Academy seemed to reach the same conclusion.

He took his dance partner’s hand and turned her around once.

When he released her, he stepped back and began dancing to the beat instead of following the usual ballroom movements.

His partner watched him for a moment.

Then she joined him.

Their movements caught the attention of the people around them.

One pair began to sway with the rhythm.

Another followed, moving a little more freely than before.

Soon, the change spread across the dance floor.

People who had been standing stiffly began to loosen up.

Some moved their shoulders.

Others tapped their feet or shifted from side to side, trying to match the unfamiliar rhythm.

The music did not demand that they follow a set of graceful steps.

It simply gave them a beat to enjoy.

Then finally...

The Grand Piano entered the combination.

Selena’s fingers moved across the keys.

She had already studied the musical notes Ezra had written, and the arrangement was still fresh in her mind.

She did not need to keep checking the holographic screen to remember how her part should sound.

Her attention remained on the keys as she brought the melody into the growing rhythm.

The other members of the Golden Matching Order Band still had the holographic display of Ezra’s handwritten notes before them.

They glanced between the screen and their instruments, following the arrangement they had been given.

Even so, they played with little difficulty.

Their experience showed in the way they picked up their parts.

Each musician understood the notes in front of them and found a place for their instrument within the unfamiliar composition.

The beat grew fuller.

The different sounds no longer felt like separate pieces being played at the same time.

They came together, each one supporting the others while keeping its own place in the arrangement.

And then Ezra joined in.

The duet had begun.

His fingers moved across the piano keys, matching Selena’s pace.

He did not try to overpower her part.

Instead, he followed the rhythm and blended his notes with hers, allowing the two performances to work together.

Selena continued playing, her attention fixed on the music.

With Ezra’s part added to hers, the Orchestral Funk House piece finally came into its full form.

The beat travelled through the Grand Royal Hall, reaching the dancers and the guests watching from the sides.

The unfamiliar combination had already caught their attention, but now the music gave them a reason to stop thinking about what made it different.

They simply began to enjoy it.

The dance floor grew livelier by the moment.

The usual elegance was no longer the main concern.

Neither were the reserved movements and careful steps expected at a noble ball.

People began dancing with more freedom, letting the rhythm guide them instead of worrying over every movement.

The Grand Royal Hall had taken on a different atmosphere.

It was still the same grand gathering for the Royal Academy First Semester Ending Party, with noble and non-noble families and children attending the Royal Academy sharing the dance floor.

Yet the music had changed the way they moved and interacted.

The beat carried a relaxed, groovy feeling that made the hall seem less formal without taking away from the occasion itself.

And the guests were enjoying it.

At the seating section in the main floor of the Hall...

Sasha Burnwick had been sitting with one leg crossed over the other, quietly drinking fruit wine as she watched the events unfolding in the hall.

The Morning to the Evening had already provided her with plenty of entertainment.

She had witnessed the Second Prince throwing a tantrum at Ezra when he was about to dance with Vera.

The prince’s attempt had ended with him being embarrassed by the very people he had stopped.

Vera, in particular, had made the moment even more amusing.

Sasha had also watched Vera being taken away by her father.

That had been another funny moment, one she did not intend to forget anytime soon.

In fact, she had already collected a stash of pictures she wanted to use to tease Vera the next time they met.

The thought alone brought a small smile to her face.

She had also seen Veda Ashenlocke dancing with some of the Ladies of Ash, Princess Stella Aethelmont, and a few other noble ladies.

That part had caught her attention for a different reason.

Seeing him dance with those ladies had irritated her.

She had not liked the sight, though she chose not to dwell on it.

There was no point in sitting around thinking about something that had already happened.

Now, however, the music had given her a reason to put her thoughts aside.

Sasha placed her drink aside and stood up.

The Lady of Burn stepped onto the dance floor as the funky music continued to fill the hall.

She began to dance, moving with a sense of ease that suited the rhythm.

Her movements were still majestic, but she was no longer confined to the sort of careful steps expected at a formal ball.

She followed the beat, allowing herself more freedom as the music played.

Several young noblemen and non-noblemen noticed her.

Their gazes followed her movements, drawn by the way she carried herself while dancing.

Sasha was not the only one attracting attention, though.

Willow Derlis was also on the dance floor, moving in a gentle, relaxed manner that suited the music.

She seemed comfortable with the rhythm, and her dancing drew its own share of admiration.

Eleanor Tempest was dancing nearby with Lucien Derlis and some of his male friends.

Several ladies from the Tempest and Derlis families, along with women from other houses, were gathered around them.

The music brought them together in the same lively atmosphere.

Across the hall, the eyes of many young nobles and non-nobles followed the dancers.

They watched the Flowers of the Kingdom and other popular young nobles enjoy themselves without the usual restraint.

For once, the dance floor was not only a place for displaying elegance.

It was a place to have fun.

On the dance floor...

Lyra Ashburn continued moving to the music with a bright smile on her face.

"I wish Lady Vera was here."

Her words came out with excitement.

Even while dancing, she glanced around as though she might somehow spot her lady among the people in the hall.

"Is that so?"

Cyrus replied calmly.

He playfully slid a few steps backward, moving in whatever way he thought suited the music.

His steps were not especially complicated, but he seemed content to follow the beat and enjoy himself.

"Or maybe I should just go and meet her. Since Nina and Zack already left to stay with Lady Vera."

Lyra glanced toward the entrance of the hall.

She had been looking forward to dancing, but the thought of Lady Vera being elsewhere had begun to bother her.

Plus, Nina and Zack had already gone to stay with Lady Vera, and Lyra was now wondering whether she should join them.

Cyrus narrowed his scarlet eyes on her.

"You were the one who said you wanted to dance, though."

"I said so because I wanted to dance with my Lady. And now that she’s not here..."

Lyra’s lips formed a small pout.

She continued moving to the music, but her expression made it clear that she was displeased.

She had wanted Vera to experience the new piece alongside her, and knowing that her lady was absent made the moment feel incomplete.

Cyrus looked at her for a moment before giving her a simple smile.

"Then it’s best if you enjoy this moment well enough, so you can show your lady how beautiful you were while enjoying yourself."

Lyra stopped moving for a brief moment.

"Huh?! What are you saying, Wax Light of Burn?"

She pointed at him accusingly, as though he had just said something terrible.

Cyrus looked back at her, confused.

"Ehn? What did I say wrong?"

"You... You said Lyra is beautiful!"

She continued pointing at him as if she had caught a criminal in the middle of a crime.

Cyrus blinked.

"Hasn’t anyone said that to you before?"

"Well, only Lady Vera, Nina, Nathalia, Mother, Lord Astraea, Page, Gareth, Father, and my grandparents."

Lyra listed the names with a simple expression.

She did not seem to notice how long the list was.

To her, those were simply the people who had called her beautiful before.

Cyrus listened until she finished.

"So, basically, you haven’t had anybody outside the Ashenlocke relations or allies call you beautiful?"

"Hmmm..."

Lyra tilted her head slightly.

"Lady Willow also did a few times. Lady Selena and Lady Sasha."

She appeared to be thinking hard about it, as though Cyrus had given her a difficult question that required serious consideration.

Cyrus watched her for a moment.

Then he seemed to understand why she had reacted that way.

"That means I’m the first boy outside to say you are beautiful."

"Stop saying that!"

Lyra’s face grew warm with embarrassment.

Cyrus remained calm.

"That you are beautiful."

His expression barely changed, but a hidden teasing smirk crept onto his face.

Lyra stared at him.

"Arghhhh... I will leave!"

She turned as if she intended to walk away from him and abandon their dance.

Cyrus quickly reached out and held her hand, laughing lightly.

"Okay, okay. I’m sorry."

Lyra narrowed her eyes at him.

She clearly did not trust his apology.

"Let’s go back to dancing,"

Cyrus said calmly.

He resumed moving to the music, giving her a moment to decide whether she would accept his words or continue sulking.

Lyra watched him for a little while.

Around them, the other dancers were still enjoying themselves, moving to the funky beat as the musicians continued playing.

The piece was now entering its final section.

She looked at the other people dancing, then back at Cyrus.

Finally, she joined him again.

Her earlier displeasure had not vanished completely, but she was no longer thinking about leaving.

With the music still playing and the dance floor alive around her, she returned to dancing.

The Last Dance Core continued for more than three hours into the evening.

The Golden Matching Order Band kept the music going as the guests danced and enjoyed themselves.

The unfamiliar piece had brought a different feeling to the Grand Royal Hall, and the dancers continued to follow its rhythm until the final performance came to an end.

At last, the final notes sounded.

The music faded, bringing the Last Dance Core to its conclusion.