Damsel In A Red Dress (Tsukasa X Reader)

Chapter 6

"One two three, one two the...One two three." Kou counted the steps we took as we practiced dancing for the ball soon to come. I was working on my bad habit of looking at our feet while we waltzed. It was hard to keep eye contact with someone like him though. He was just so handsome that I had to glance away at least once or twice. It seemed he didn't know it though.

I could imagine being together with him in the future if it came to. If we would end up falling in love with each other, I feel like we could live a peaceful and happy life away from the palace and the imperial family. I had let my mind drift away a bit too much and I shook my head to rid the thoughts from my mind. Why think these things if we were only friends?

The music came to a soft stop as the sound ended. The room filled with a silence much like a void as we just stared at each other. His face then immediately lit up with a goofy smile as he let my waist and hand go, throwing his arms up into the air with a victory. "You did it, (Y/n)! You didn't look away this time!"

I bent over to catch my breath and relief filled my features. I wasn't nervous about my etiquette at the ball. No. It was the handsome men I was doomed to dance with while I would be present.

Princess Yashiro had guessed it earlier that I was a sucker for men with handsome faces. But I refused to even think about talking to them again if their personality was rubbish. There's no point to a good looking man if all they do is act like children.

Kou took a long sip from his cup of water and then placed it back on the table in the room. "You need to work on the steps for the thirty-fourth measure of the song. Luckily for you, this is your last song to learn before the ball. It's for after the king comes back from vacation next week.

"Yes yes I kno-" The quiet squeak of the door interrupted our classy conversation and the both of us looked over.

"Y-Young prince?" Kou was absolutely appalled that Prince Tsukasa was even in front of him. "Is there something you need?" He took his place by situating himself on the floor with one knee.

I myself was surprised at the princes presence. I bowed out of respect but kept quiet. After I asked a favor from him at the library, I found him frequently in there after that. Every time, he managed to convince me to sit by him to read while he struggled to understand the documents in front of him.

Prince Tsukasa wore his usual blank expression. But I couldn't help but feel like he was annoyed. "I was looking for a place to nap without Natsuhiko finding me but it seems this area is occupied." He sighed in frustration.

Natsuhiko was the younger prince's butler. Unfortunately for him, Tsukasa was quite the prince to keep up with. He seemed to want to do everything else other than work.

Tsukasa was about to close the door. All of a sudden I panicked. He wanted this room out of all of them in the palace? Why leave? Why not kick us out? "My prince! Would you mind helping me one more time?"

I felt like Kou's soul left his body as I asked the prince my question. Was it bad of me to ask? He complied last time. And what's the worst he could do? Tell me no?"

The prince's eyes grew as sharp as a knife as he looked at me. He had the same expression from the last time as he smiled smugly. Was I that amusing to him? "What is it you want?"

"I've been dancing with your brother's knight for at least three hours today in preparation for the ball. Would it be okay if I could put this practice into test with you?" I smiled victoriously. I had managed to get him to at least ask what I wanted again.

The room fell silent and the Prince stood there dumbfounded. I had left him utterly speechless. He stood there with his hand on the knob and he coughed a bit to try and give himself time to gather words. "Why?"

"You wanted to hide in this room correct? If you go out again there's a guarantee that your butler will find you. Staying in here will at least grant you half an hour of peace. Of course you could stay here and watch while I continue to practice dancing with Kou and do nothing at all. Dancing with you would only be a personal benefit. Plus, don't you think it would be fun?" My hands found their home on my hips as I gave the prince a closed eye smile.

"You have quite an intriguing way of words my lady. Tell me, is it from all of those books you read in the library?" I was taken aback when he asked me a question not really related to what was happening. He had begun to move to where I was while taking off his jacket and moving the cuffs of his shirt up a little. Yes, he most certainly had the princely look and concept down.

"Absolutely. It still amazes me how many books there are here from the past era." I began to dust the skirt of my dress off in nervousness.

The prince gave out a low chuckle causing my cheeks to deepen in color. "Yes well, we have a vast selection that the family has collected over the years."

We had gotten comfortable in the dancing position and the music began to play. We both moved along to the music but we seemed to be so engrossed in the conversation we were having that it felt like we weren't dancing at all. "How come you don't like reading? You mentioned before that you hated it."

Prince Tsukasa's smile dropped into a face of annoyance. "I'll have to read documents for the rest of my life once I accept the position as duke after my brother gets married. If I already hate work, why would I enjoy something that relates to it?"

"I guess that makes sense. We are polar opposites! I enjoy reading because there was nothing else to do when I was little. I guess it just stuck." I had almost stopped dancing to put my hand over my mouth in surprise. It slipped right out. I didn't mean to talk about my childhood.

"That's a thing I wanted to ask. How come your father never provided you education while you were under his care?" His eyes that were once occupied with the door looked into mine. He had looked at the door in nervousness at the appearance of his butler.

"It's because he's a greedy, no good, son of a bi-" I began. But once again I was interrupted rudely but with the slam of the door.

"Prince Tsukasa!" The shaggy brown haired man entered the room with aggressive force and an angered face. The both of us jumped in surprise and pulled away quickly like we were caught doing something bad. I giggled to myself when Natsuhiko had scolded the prince for abandoning his work.

"To answer your question my prince, he spared no expense on me." I kept my statement short as he was being dragged out of the room by his butler. "Thank you for sparing your time with me to dance." I bowed him goodbye as the door closed behind him.
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Totally forgot to update today XD
Original release date: February 12 2021