How To Save A Time Limited Young Master - Chapter 49

“Oh, yes. Sienna wanted to learn how to dance……”

“Sienna?”

“Did you forget again? It’s the girl that we went around with during last year’s founding festival.”

“Was there such a person?”

He looked like he truly didn’t know about it.

She couldn’t figure out if it’s an act or if he just didn’t remember anything that’s unnecessary.

He asked the sighing Heloise again.

“Let’s say that happened. Why are you teaching her?”

“Uh… That’s…”

In order to avoid game over with a bankruptcy ending?

Because Sienna was too pitiful?

From the looks of Zenon’s expressionless face, he seemed to be telling her to give up unless there was a special reason.

Heloise racked her brains for an excuse.

“Previously, Sienna helped me participate in the magic division of the Harvest Festival’s Martial Arts Competition. That’s why I’ve also decided to help her with the dance competition.”

“Aha….”

The corners of Zenon’s mouth rose ominously.

With a smile, he leaned closer to Heloise, lowered his head and said.

“It’s not because you’re participating?”

“Me? I haven’t even taken intermediate lessons yet, so how can I participate? Also, I haven’t even made a proper debut yet.”

“That Sina or something, isn’t she participating?”

“It’s Sienna. Although it normally isn’t a good idea to participate in the dance competition before the debutante, there’s no helping it since Sienna is participating for the prize money.”

After saying that, Heloise scanned Zenon’s mood.

It seems like he’d lost interest in the topic of the dance competition after hearing confirmation that Heloise wasn’t participating.

As she looked at the sour-faced Zenon, who wasn’t listening to Sienna’s situation, it suddenly occurred to her that aside from her, he didn’t have any other friends.

‘From the way he’s prying, is he feeling lonely?’

As a boy that had lived freely up till a while ago, he was currently burdened with the management of Odelin Mansion as well as the important mission that the king has entrusted him with, and they might have made him feel frustrated and bored with the current situation.

‘That’s probably why he said he’s waiting. Let’s not put too much meaning to it.’

“If you’re really curious, would you like to observe?”

“What?”

“My dance lesson with Sienna.”

“Can I observe it?”

“There’s nothing that you can’t do. In order to match Sienna, I also need to learn the male role…If I’m mistaken, you can point it out.”

“That sounds quite fun.”

Zenon, who’d never seen Heloise dance, made a mischievous smile, like he was guessing that she would dance in a bizarre manner.

“You’re looking down on me. Have you ever danced before? Don’t be too surprised when you see my skills, Young Master.”

“I’m already looking forward to it.”

As they exchanged banter, the missing maid returned and announced that the meal was ready.

“Shall we go?”

At the same time, Zenon naturally held Heloise’s hand.

Despite the sprouting doubts in their hearts, the warmth of their joined hands was very warm.

⋄────∘°❃°∘────⋄

The promised day was upon her. While practising in the dance hall, Heloise suddenly realised that it was a little later than Sienna’s scheduled arrival.

‘Did something happen?’

When she left the dance hall and tried heading to the main gate, she heard the sounds of a fight from the wide opened main gate.

The servants and butler were at a loss trying to dissuade them, but the two, Sienna and Zenon, did not stop arguing.

“Why in the world are you attending a girls’ meeting? At this rate, you’ll be joining tea parties for noblewomen soon enough!”

“I’m here to see Heloise, and not for a gathering of girls.”

“It’s a gathering of girls because only Heloise and I will be present!”

“Then, what’s that?”

Zenon’s gaze turned towards Soma, who was standing behind Sienna.

It seems like the good-for-nothing butler has come to send her off.

“Good morning, Young Lord Lionerik. I’m Soma, Young Lady Sienna’s butler. I was worried that my lady would be impolite in someone else’s house, or that she might have drifted somewhere else along the way, so I’ve come to attend this event.”

“Is that also a girl?”

Soma was obviously a man.

“Soma is my butler! And before fairies have decided upon that separately, they’re genderless!”

The shoulders of the butler, Soma, flinched in surprise.

“M—my lady.”

“Fairy?”

When Zenon asked with a look of suspicion on his face, the huffing and puffing Sienna forgot that she had been keeping it as a secret all along.

“Yes! Soma and I are fairies from the fairy world! It may be hard to believe for you, but it isn’t in my case. In short, I’m telling you that this isn’t an occasion that the Young Lord can participate in!”

“Sienna.”

Unable to watch any further, Heloise intervened, which caused Sienna’s head to whip around sharply.

As soon as she spotted Heloise, she came over tearfully and clung to her.

“Heloise! Didn’t that Young Lord pronounce my name so absurdly? He’d even asked how stupid I was to have to bother you, Heloise!”

“She’d even said fairy and whatnot, but it seems like she isn’t right in the head.”

When Zenon naturally responded, Sienna pulled her pigtails angrily, like she was about to rip them off.

“It’s true! We’re from the fairy world! Heloise, you believe me, don’t you?”

“Alright, alright… Let’s just go in first.”

Heloise pushed Sienna’s back towards the dance hall.

She could feel Zenon following behind slowly.

Heloise, who entered the dance hall first, clapped her hands and said.

“Shall we begin with the basic moves?”

⋄────∘°❃°∘────⋄

The next day.

Heloise taught Sienna with all her heart.

She vowed to only teach the basics before leaving the rest to a professional instructor.

But Sienna was so bad that Heloise didn’t know how she’d managed to finish the intermediate class’s dance previously.

She clearly remembers the postures, but her sense of rhythm was a serious issue.

Heloise watched the dancing Sienna with a stiff expression, before finally letting out a sigh.

Zenon, who had been watching the situation quietly, finally stepped up.

“I, I—I’m sorry. Did I get it wrong again?”

“That’s not true, but I hope that you’ll turn a little faster.”

“Faster? Like this?”

When Heloise asked her to turn and watched her walk with small strides, Zenon lifted his index finger and commanded lightly with a bored expression.

Just then, Sienna’s limbs made an unnatural sound like a puppet, and she began dancing wildly.

Sienna, who spun around, jumped, and stepped on it, screamed, unable to adapt to her body moving beyond her will.

“Uwahhh!”

“Now it’s worth taking a look at.”

With a grin on his face, Zenon moved her a few more times in that state, and immediately raised both hands like he didn’t do anything when Heloise shouted, “Zenon!” in a berating manner.

Once Zenon released her, Sienna collapsed onto the floor in an unseemly manner.

“Sienna, are you okay?”

Heloise rushed over and checked on her condition.

She seemed rather dizzy, but it doesn’t look like she was hurt.

“Yes… but everything in front of me is spinning.”

“It’s because you turned too many times.”

Heloise sighed again and scolded Zenon.

“Zenon, stop playing jokes.”

Zenon, who had raised both of his hands like a person that had surrendered, lowered his shoulders and spoke to Heloise in an indistinct tone.

“Why don’t you give up on the inferior student and have a cup of tea with me?”

“I’m about to get angry, so be quiet.”

“It’s a problem because I don’t think it’ll end.”

“Heloise, my feet are cramping up…”

Heloise was about to help the teary-eyed Sienna that was on the floor, before ultimately making a decision.

“Phew. Sienna also seems quite tired. It’s our first day, so shall we stop here?”

Sienna’s face brightened somewhat. Zenon also seemed to be in favour of it.

“That’s a good decision. Hand her over to the instructor and come with me. Anyways, I won’t be able to come over from tomorrow onwards.”

“Why?”

When Heloise asked, Zenon looked at Sienna sullenly and closed his mouth.

She could only match his mood.

“Well… I’ll be on my way then.”

Zenon finally opened his mouth after Sienna left with a greeting.

“I’ll have to follow the King’s orders.”

“Oh.”

She was able to infer what kind of order he was talking about instantly.

Was it the Book of Origin?

She couldn’t fully understand it because Blake had not explained in detail, but she understood that the book was a powerful magical tool and that Zenon was tasked with finding it.

Although she stopped probing Zenon, who didn’t want to talk about it, her worry for him hadn’t disappeared.

“Though I don’t know what kind of order it is, you must take care of yourself.”

Heloise delivered those words sincerely.

But a baffling question came in return.

“That’s it?”

“If not?”

“Other than that, is there anything else you want to tell me?”

“…Take care of your health?”

“Are you my main physician? Why are you so concerned about my health?”

“But…”

“If you’re really worried about me, who’ll be lonely without you, take pity on my mental health. I’ve been asking you to go out with me for a while now.”

“Oh……”

Heloise belatedly realised that he wasn’t joking, and was speaking sincerely.

“Is there somewhere that you want to go?”

“Actually, there’s a place that I want to show you.”

“A place that you want to show me?”

While Heloise was wondering, Zenon flicked his finger lightly.

At the same time, the dance hall that the two of them were standing in was nowhere to be found, and instead waves splashed while the blue horizon was replaced by the sea.

⋄────∘°❃°∘────⋄