It Doesn’t Matter If You’re Broken - Chapter 7

The Count opened his mouth without missing the golden opportunity that came to him.

 

“Your Grace, unfortunately, Elise has not been able to dance yet.”

 

It was such a blatant way of speaking that the aristocrats who listened to the conversation with their ears pricked up were surprised.

 

This was no different from openly begging for a dance.

 

Considering his daughter’s reputation, that was something he couldn’t bear to say.

 

They heard that she was brought in as an adopted daughter from a distant place.

 

Sure enough, the nobles whispered as they watched the young woman being used by the Count’s greed. A look of contempt and sympathy pierced Elise like an ice spear.

 

“Poorly.”

 

Everyone nodded and clicked their tongues at someone’s whispered words.

 

It was none other than the Duke of Cardale Vassenberg.

 

He was too big a deal to be the debutant dance partner of the only adopted Lady.

 

Even more so, wasn’t he a man who hated contact with others to the extent that he was selective?

 

Soon, it was good to see her crying at the cold rejection. And for a while, the socialites will be gossiping about her story.

 

The nobles waited silently, watching the Duke’s reaction.

 

Some feel a low level of relief that they are not the target of ridicule, some seek an opportunity to take the side of a woman, and some just show an interest in the event.

 

Elise was also unaware of the situation she was in.

 

Thrown onto the stage she didn’t want to be, she tried to adjust her expression as if nothing was wrong. But her frightened heart was beating terribly.

 

Elise gathered her courage and examined Cardale’s face.

 

It was a short time, but the face with a light smile had turned expressionless. The way he looked at her was indifferent.

 

It was only for a moment, but the face with a faint smile had turned expressionless. The way he looked at her was so dry. Obvious indifference – was what the people around thought.

 

‘What do I do?’

 

Judging from the occasional remark, the Duke had not yet danced with anyone at this banquet.

 

So there was no way he would do the first dance with her insignificant self. Elise couldn’t understand why Count Schuvan had made such a rude request.

 

‘He was only asked to dance with someone like me… I’m sure he’ll get angry.’

 

Rejection was natural, and after that was the problem. Elise lowered her head, prepared for the accusations to fall upon her.

 

Fearing that her dress would wrinkle, she couldn’t even hold the hem of her skirt, so instead, she held her hands tightly together.

 

Even so, she couldn’t hide the slight trembling of her hands.

 

She finally couldn’t stand it and closed her eyes tightly. It was like she was awaiting her sentencing.

 

“Lady Elise.”

 

Her tense body shrank at the sound of her name being called.

 

“Open your eyes.”

 

It was a natural voice, unique to those who were familiar with the top. Elise opened her eyes after much hesitation. The Duke’s face was right in front of her nose.

 

“Will you give me the honour of your first dance?”

 

Elise’s lips parted at his unexpected reply.

 

She looked down at the man’s outstretched hand. It was like a lie. It was such an unrealistic scene.

 

But by itself, her arm moved.

 

“…Ah!”

 

Elise belatedly flinched at the body temperature of his fingertips. However, the Duke’s hand remained intact. His gaze piercingly stared at her.

 

‘The Duke asked me to dance.’

 

Elise managed to hold on to her spirit, repeating only one of the facts. She then traced her memory of when she was learning to dance. The answer to accepting the dance her partner asked for…

 

“I will be happy to do so.”

 

Again she carefully raised her hand. The man’s large hand squeezed hers. Elise was a little surprised by his unexpectedly high body temperature.

 

‘Even with such a cold face… Your hands are warm.’

 

She thought as she glanced at the man’s face, still unable to read his thoughts.

 

Meanwhile, as the two started walking hand in hand, the nobles couldn’t hide their shocked faces.

 

That the Duke of Cardale asked a woman who had just turned her face into society to dance? It was even the first dance.

 

It was a scene that was hard to believe even after seeing it in person.

 

“Oh, my God. Can you tell me my eyes are still fine?”

 

“This is what I wanted to ask you. Fortunately, my wife and my eyes seem to be fine.”

 

The banquet hall was shaken by an unexpected incident. The hall was in an uproar with conversation pouring in here and there.

 

“I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve seen the Duke dance.”

 

“The last outing banquet was the last, maybe? At that time, His Highness and the Princess…”

 

Cardale left behind the curious glances and led Elise to the centre floor of the banquet hall.

 

Elise was too nervous to notice her surroundings at all, but before she knew it, the centre of the hall was empty except for the two of them.

 

The two faced each other. Cardale shrewdly picked up the weak sound of the woman taking a deep breath with her head slightly bowed.

 

He wrapped his hands around Elise’s waist. His brows furrowed slightly as he felt a thin waist that didn’t even look like a handful.

 

He thought she was better than before, but she was still skinny. She was so weak that it was irritating.

 

The small body was pulled lightly by Cardale’s slight pull.

 

As their bodies touched, Elise flinched and unconsciously tried to step back from him. That small movement caused a subtle annoyance.

 

Cardale wrapped his arms around her waist tighter and said, “Stay still.”

 

The man’s tone, which is still familiar to the battlefield, was imbued with a commanding tone.

 

And the tone was very similar to that of Count Schuvan or Vanessa when they were disciplining Elise.

 

Elise’s body, which had otherwise been stiff from tension, became stiffer.

 

Cardale belatedly recognized that his first words were not very good.

 

But it is what it is. It was the woman’s side who begged for the dance. Although he responded with an impulsive interest, he did not have the consideration to even look into her mood.

 

He was just annoyed at the woman who was so intimidated that she couldn’t make eye contact with him.

 

“Don’t be nervous.”

 

Her small, rounded shoulders lifted and the woman raised her head. She looked up at him with soft, clear blue eyes and pursed her lips.

 

“I’m afraid I might make a mistake.”

 

Cardale let out a short laugh.

 

“You worry about everything. Nothing will happen if you make a few mistakes.”

 

“But if I step on you…”

 

“I don’t think it’ll tickle even if you step on me as hard as you can.”

 

Embarrassed, the tips of Elise’s ears turned red.

 

Cardale leaned over and brought his face closer. His face was reflected in the blue eyes that seemed to fill up quickly if his lips touched hers. He liked the eyes that contained only him.

 

“Are you ready?”

 

Elise, who had licked her lips, finally nodded her head.

 

“…Please take good care of me.”

 

Cardale began to move, slowly leading her.

 

“Focus only on me. I’ll take care of the rest.”

 

Even if he didn’t bother to say it, Elise would have had no choice but to do so.

 

All of her attention was focused on the man in front of her.

 

She could feel the touch of their clasped hands, the movement of his arms around her waist, his firm body that brushed lightly with each move, and the heavy body scent that moistened her nasal passages with every movement.

 

She couldn’t do anything other than entrust her body to him because it was so overwhelming just to accept the shared sensation.

 

After a few phrases of the soft melody flowed, the man’s lips opened.

 

“You’ve exaggerated.”

 

What? Elise was taken aback by his incomprehensible words.

 

Instead of explaining, Cardale tugged at her waist to the tune of the music.

 

“We are in perfect harmony.”

 

The bodies of the two people, who were slightly separated, were tightly pressed together. Elise could even feel the movement of the densely packed muscles. Her face instantly heated up.

 

Cardale’s lips loosened. It was funny how she reacted to the touch. The fact that she was so weak that she was defenceless, and the foolish naivety that revealed her thoughts were laughable.

 

Little by little, mistakes came from Elise, who lost her composure. Several times her foot got twisted in the hem of her dress.

 

But Cardale concealed her mistakes, leading her with his graceful movements without the slightest distraction of hers.

 

As the song entered the climax section, the tempo increased by one beat. The heat gradually began to mix with the dance.

 

Elise frantically stepped, turned, let go of his hand, and grabbed him repeatedly as Cardale led her.

 

How much time has passed?

 

The dance was finally over.

 

The two stood facing each other and said greetings. Elise managed to capture her expression, but the tips of her fingers holding the hem of her dress were trembling faintly.

 

The sound of applause that started somewhere soon spread throughout the banquet hall.

 

Elise came out of the floor as if she were running away, leaving behind the exclamation and admiration. She couldn’t even look at the Duke’s face.

 

Even when she practised, it wasn’t a dance that was so intense, but it was strangely short of breath.

 

‘It’s all right. It ended well.’

 

Elise pressed down on her pounding heart and teased her to stop her feet. For some reason, she wanted to hide somewhere out of sight.

 

Blue eyes shimmering with agitation moved in search of the Count. If the Count was not in the hall, she thought, she should at least ask Vanessa for permission to rest.

 

It was at this time that Elise trotted her way, turning her gaze to and fro as she lost her way.

 

Something caught on her ankle suddenly.

 

“Ah…!”

 

Before she knew it, her body tilted out of balance.

***