Extra - 10
Meanwhile, the song ended, and the Queen's solo performance with her partner came to an end. The nobles applauded, and soon it became noisy as they stood up one by one. Zachary approached Bianca.
"Let's go."
Bianca smiled slightly at his straightforward words. She reached out and took Zachary's hand. The difference in size between their hands was of one or more knuckles.
Zachary's hand held Bianca's, and Bianca's hand was completely covered, leaving only the tips of her fingers visible.
The courante of Sevran was a dance that everyone performed together. Other nobles also went out in groups of two or three to the center of the grand banquet hall.
Among them were Gaspard and Yvonne. Yvonne's cheeks were slightly flushed when their eyes met, showing how much she had anticipated this moment, even though she pretended not to.
Those without a partner wandered around looking for one. If there was someone they liked, they would dance in front of that person and court them.
Since the courante is a dance that can be performed regardless of gender, there were some who approached the dance floor with their friends.
The performance continued, and the two moved their feet in line with the relaxed rhythm while holding hands tightly.
The surrounding area was noisy. It was an atmosphere that couldn't be easily felt in the secluded Arno estate, and various memories of Lahoz came to Bianca's mind. Bianca whispered to Zachary from a distance where their forearms were close enough to brush against each other.
"I remember that time. When it was the tournament... I still vividly remember what you told me back then."
"What did I say?"
"Now call me darling. Soon it will become a relationship worthy of that title..."
Bianca smiled faintly. Even then, it was so tumultuous. Meanwhile, Zachary's whispers clearly remained in Bianca's ears and shook her all day.
"Do you know that I didn't really believe it back then?"
"Did you think it was a joke?"
"You weren't the type to joke back then."
"You say that as if I don't do it now."
"Not now, of course. You always tease me."
Bianca lightly tapped Zachary on the side. She only poked him with her finger, but Zachary reacted exaggeratedly as if he had been stabbed with a knife. It was a frivolous attitude that would scare those who knew Zachary. Fortunately, everyone was dancing, so no one saw the solemn war hero acting cute in front of his wife.
"You're doing it again."
"What?"
"You're deliberately making a fuss. Even if you were stabbed with a razor, you would be calmer than this."
"Rather, being stabbed by a finger hurts more than being stabbed by a knife."
"Did this hurt? This? Seriously?"
Bianca continued poking Zachary on the side, but Zachary only smiled silently. Rather, Bianca's finger began to hurt, and she had no choice but to give up. She had momentarily forgotten how tough his muscles were.
The pace quickened. Guided by Zachary's hand, Bianca also took a step forward with light steps. Their bodies spun and moved from one spot to another.
Joyful applause resounded from all around. Bianca and Zachary looked into each other's eyes and fell into their own world.
Bianca, who had been breathless during the fast-paced steps, didn't speak until the slow rhythm of the song returned.
"You're good at everything you do with your body. It didn't even seem like you had practiced dancing."
"You too. It's surprising how well you dance."
"...Did you think I wouldn't be able to do it?"
"It's not that, but I didn't think you would enjoy it so much, so I was surprised."
"At least one song is enough."
Zachary narrowed his eyes. It was a look that couldn't believe that one song would be enough. Indeed, unlike his struggle to catch his breath, Zachary didn't seem at all winded.
From his perspective, it wouldn't be strange for Bianca to collapse immediately.
Bianca caught her breath and brought back the original topic of the conversation that had been diverted for a while. More precisely, it was to avoid the current situation where she felt cornered.
"Anyway, back then... I thought I was excited. Or did I hear wrong?"
"I was nervous too. If I could, I would have liked to erase those words."
Bianca's eyes widened as she heard Zachary's words for the first time. How calm and natural Zachary seemed back then!
She thought that only she had been flustered.
How much she tried to hide her agitation from him, she stretched her neck and raised her eyes, trying to hide the cold sweat that was seeping down her back.
Zachary laughed bitterly.
Although he was glad that Bianca didn't know his true intentions, he still regretted not being more patient back then.
He knew that God's will was the existence of Alex, and that if he made a single misstep in the past, all this happiness could disappear like a bubble... Nevertheless, Zachary still reflected on the events of that day and regretted it.
"At that time, I was very impatient. I couldn't bear it because the heart that was attracted to you, the reason why I had to keep my distance and caution against other men that instinctively overflowed, got mixed up. In the end, I had no choice but to break my promise not to touch you until you turned eighteen. No, even that was an excuse..."
Zachary's frank confession permeated the soft music. His voice was so low and calm that one had to concentrate to hear it properly.
His words were too serious, so Bianca stared at Zachary for a moment. His mention of the incident was only to share memories, but it didn't mean much. She didn't even think that Zachary would reprimand himself.
Zachary had been repeating that he couldn't sleep with Bianca until she turned eighteen. However, he never thought it would be such a firm resolution that he would still regret it to this day. At that time, she was so remorseful and resentful of herself that she only shed tears. But now that she thinks about it, it was incredible that she broke that resolution.
As Zachary regretted his actions with a serious expression on his face, Bianca let out a sigh of relief internally, glad that Zachary's faith had been broken. Bianca spoke calmly and tranquilly, trying not to appear too pleased.
"Still, I'm glad you gathered the courage.
A lot has changed since then... I hope you don't blame yourself too much. It's enough for me to regret it. I did so many things I regretted until things turned out well, and I don't want you to regret anything either."
The song accelerated again. Bianca moved away from Zachary and approached him like a deer. Zachary couldn't take his eyes off Bianca as she passed by him and smiled. Bianca asked resentfully.
"So, how did you feel after that day? Were you relieved that I finally became your woman? Your expressions are always the same, so sometimes I'm not sure what you're thinking."
"After that day? I became more anxious. You're so beautiful in my eyes, but I don't want you to look beautiful in the eyes of others."
Zachary's gaze, which had been fixed on Bianca, looked around. The eyes of the men around him, who were unprepared for Zachary's sudden action, were exposed.
The men who had been looking at Bianca for a moment lowered their heads bewilderedly when their eyes met Zachary's.
The funny thing was that there were more than just one or two of them.
Zachary shrugged.
"It's still the same. I want to hold you right now and go home. Do you know how many men around you are looking at you right now?"
Bianca looked around belatedly, but the men had already averted their eyes. Bianca looked at Zachary incredulously. Zachary extended his hand and gently caressed Bianca's cheek. His thumb softly brushed the underside of Bianca's eyelid. Zachary whispered softly, like the growl of a beast.
"I think I'm going crazy with jealousy."
The man who once hesitated to mention being familiar with something like jealousy was now burning with it. Zachary's black eyes, so dark that the pupil and iris were indistinguishable, looked exceptionally deep.
Normally, he didn't easily show his emotions, but there were moments when his eyes reflected his feelings from time to time. In those moments, the emotions flowing from him were strong enough to tightly envelop Bianca. Like now.
Bianca's heart skipped a beat. Her mouth went dry, and her legs began to tremble. When faced with this gaze on his face, her body would always be defenseless.
In an instant, the music and the noise of the crowd faded away. It was just the two of them in their own world. The two standing there looked at each other for a while as if they were possessed by each other. The people dancing passed them by, spinning and twirling, avoiding them.
It was Zachary who broke the silence first. Zachary soon managed to regain control of his emotions, curved his eyes, and smiled.
"Still, I can definitely handle it better than before. Don't I seem quite alright?"
At the same time, Zachary's smiling expression was quite skillful. The tension from before had dissipated.
Bianca chuckled softly. It was very beautiful, as if a flower bud was blooming. Zachary changed his words as if he were moving the palm of his hand.
"But still, this time we must return to the territory as soon as possible."
"Her Majesty will be displeased."
"I can't help it. After all, everything is because Her Majesty held a banquet or something."
Zachary attributed all the excuses and reasons to Odelli. In many ways, he was far from a loyal subject. He murmured several times as if he would do it without fail, as if he was determined to do so.
Bianca patted Zachary's cheek. Due to the difference in height, it was a face she could have reached by extending a hand after a long time, but thanks to Zachary leaning down, Bianca could touch his face more easily. Bianca spoke as if to console Zachary.
"I'll have to think a bit more about going to the territory, but first, how about we...escape now? They've seen my face, and I've danced. It was actually a bit difficult."
"I can't refuse such an offer."
Zachary smiled widely. The song ended just in time. The people flowed from the center of the banquet hall to the edge like the receding tide, and Bianca and Zachary did the same.
They moved discreetly to avoid the gaze of others, but their purpose was not successful because the eyes and attention of everyone in the ballroom were focused on the couple first and foremost.
The sight of Bianca and Zachary, sharing a push between husband and wife as they clung to each other, stood out. Everyone looked at the happy couple in astonishment.
As most aristocratic family unions were due to marriage arrangements, it was common for couples to have a strained relationship. Marriage was a duty for everyone, and love was sought in a lover.
The sweet relationship between Zachary and Bianca was quite impressive to the nobles of Sevran. Perhaps that's why, for a while, the number of courtly romances and lovers decreased in Lahoz.
Instead, couples began to grow closer, and having a good marriage was even considered a virtue.
The parties involved, Bianca and Zachary, were immersed in each other and didn't notice the change in Sevran's social world.
However, even if they found out, it was clear that they wouldn't consider it too important because all they cared about was each other.
Bianca and Zachary escaped from the ballroom and whispered their love to each other as they strolled through the garden.
It was a sweet walk with the scent of blooming roses.
[End]
Tags:
TWB (Novel)