After dancing with Alex, dad immediately came to me after his dance with mom and asked me what happened. His gaze pierced through me, and he looked super serious for some reason.
"E-Eh? Uhm, nothing happened... We just danced..."
I-I can't say that I'm planning on using the crown prince for marketing... Not at least until I've got a plan to convince dad that it's a good idea, enough to outweigh the fact that I'm using the heir to the throne for my own business.
But even after that, he kept staring at me for a while, even as we danced.
U-Ughh... W-Why is dad acting like this...?
"...I saw you were quite intimate with Alexus just now. Are you sure nothing happened?"
Eh? Intimate? How?
I looked at him confusedly for a moment, before I suddenly recalled his words and his kiss on my hand.
I immediately blushed and looked away from him in embarrassment.
"I-It's nothing! He was just messing around! Y-You know, there's a lot of girls here, so he must be acting like that to display our closeness so they won't bother him!"
"So something did happen after all."
"Ah..."
W-Why is he becoming even more intense?! S-Seriously! Mom, help me!!! Your husband is going berserk!
U-Uuuuhhh... I can feel the cold air emanating from him.
Dad muttered something under his breath, and we separated after the song ended.
Then, Lu-nii came to me after he had his dance with mom and we danced to the next song.
"Aaaahh~ You're so lucky that you got to dance with Lily after this, Lu-nii~ I want to dance with Lily too!"
"You've already promised to dance with her later, right? And didn't you have a lot of fun dancing with Alex? I saw you being a blushing mess when I was watching from the sidelines."
He smiled teasingly, but I already had two lifetimes worth of getting used to that face so it didn't bother me.
"That's because he was using his cheating face and doing all kinds of embarrassing stuff! I won't lose next time."
"Ahahaha. I see. Well... Just don't say that to Alex, if you can. Otherwise, he won't be able to handle it..."
"Eh? Why?"
"... Just don't say it."
"...Okay?"
...What is he saying? He's being super weird...
After dancing with me, Lu-nii went ahead and asked Lily for a dance. The two and their family had agreed to it beforehand so they were not surprised, but many people who saw this were surprised.
After all, despite their beauty, prestige, and households, the two never accepted any proposals from anyone, even until now. And now... They were about to have their first dance with someone outside of their core family. This alone was enough to shake all the nobles who noticed it.
Well, to me and my friends, who already saw them together often, weren't shocked either. In fact, we've been helping them get together, like how we would invite Lily to come stay over in my house when Lu-nii was home. Or how we let them spend time alone while he plays outside.
Ufufufu~ We had a lot of fun match making them~
Well, I admit I never realized that they're more than friends until a few years ago, even in my previous life. But now, I'm in full support of those two!!!
Lucas-nii and Lily... Ufufufu~ Then that means, I'll truly become Lily/Hana's sister in reality~!!!
Do your best, Lu-nii!!! I won't forgive you if you don't become her husband!!!
"Y-You seemed to be distracted by something, A-Alterisa. Are you watching Lucas and the princess?"
Keith asked as we danced together.
"Ah, pardon me, Keith-sama. I was simply watching over them. After all, this is their first time displaying their relationship in public."
"I see. Indeed, I was quite surprised when I saw them together as well. I never realized..."
"Ufufufu~ Lu-nii is extremely adept in controlling his expressions, after all. It is no wonder. If I were not living with him, I wouldn't be aware of their relationship as well."
"I see..."
I looked at Keith, who was staring at Lu-nii with a slight smile on his face.
He... He really changed a lot, huh? He's a completely different person from the Keith in the otome game!
Like... This is his first dance of the night!
Can you believe it?! In the otome game, Keith would've danced with multiple girls by now! The only time he danced with one girl alone was when the heroine reached the ending of his route!
Moreover, his personality was also very different. At least... in front of me.
I've heard about him being very charming, charismatic, and suave when he interacted with other girls, enough that it propelled him to the third most popular bachelor in the kingdom after Alexus and Lu-nii.
That sounded more like the Keith I knew from the Otome game. But I never really see that side of him...
He's holding her hand very softly, distancing himself appropriately, and he has trouble looking at her right in the eyes. He's the complete opposite of the playboy he was in the game!
Well, I like this more, but it's still very jarring to see even after being his friend for years now.
"Uhm... Alterisa."
"Hm?"
"I've prepared a gift for you. A personal one, separate from my family. I hope you'll like it."
"Really? Of course~ I look forward to finding out what it is~!"
"M-Mm..."
Ah, he's blushing again.
Seriously! He looks like a playboy, but he acts really differently! It's very confusing... I wonder what he looked like to other girls.
When I asked Evelyn, who was supposed to be the villainess of his route, she really didn't give me anything. She just said "He's a respectable heir of the Varion family".
That was it... Noir, Illya, Valerie-chan, Stella, and Mellissa also said the same thing. They really have no interest in him whatsoever...
Well, at least he's not seducing my friends like a sleaze, or I would beat him up under the guise of "training".
Soon, the song ended and the both of us bowed and curtsied to each other.
"T-Thank you for the dance. Once again, congratulations on your fifteenth birthday, Alterisa."
"Yes. Thank you very much for coming as well, Keith-sama."
His gaze lingered for a few moments, his lips curled into a smile, before he nodded and left.
Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw Noir with her brother just outside of the dance circle.
I couldn't hear what they were saying but Noir seemed to be pushing him towards me. And losing to her sister, Luke approached.
Unlike Keith, Luke was exactly the same as he was in the otome game. He's quiet, stoic, and cool as a cucumber.
But from time to time, I could see some emotions surfacing on his face. Perhaps I'm just used to seeing his face that I could see slight changes on it, just like right now. He seemed nervous and there was a tinge of red on his cheeks as he approached me.
"Alterisa... May I have the honor of having this next dance with you...?"
"Of course, Luke-sama. It would be my honor."
I curtsied with my usual dazzling smile and took his hand. And for a brief moment, I noticed a very small, almost imperceptible, smile.
Hehe~ I'm so happy~ If he could smile in front of me, then at the very least, he won't cut me down in the name of love for the heroine right~? Well~ With how things are now, I don't think he'd be able to even if he tried~
The music started and we began to sing in silence.
All of the dances I've had today would always include small talks. But now, he wasn't saying anything, just looking at me with a small smile, and I don't know what sort of thing I should bring up.
I mean... The only time we interacted was during training. Other than that, I'd only be talking with Noir while he's there since he had always been so silent.
Bringing up things about training doesn't seem to fit the atmosphere now... Ah! Then I'll just talk about Noir! He's a super siscon, so I'm sure he'll appreciate me talking about her~!
I then began telling him about all the adorable things she had done when we're reading together. Just Stella, Noir likes to cuddle with me whenever we're reading books together.
One time, she even asked me if she could sit on my lap! And given she's very petite, it was easy for me to put her on my lap, and we read an entire book together in that position!
Ufufufu~ It was so amazing~ Noir would even nuzzle to me sometimes, leaning her head on my chest as I hugged her slim waist.
Needless to say, this was something we wouldn't do normally since it's a breach of etiquette between daughters of nobility. But, Evelyn, Celine, Noir, Illya, Valerie, Stella, Mellissa, and Kiara seemed to not care about this when they're with me. We'd always cuddle, hug each other's arms, or the like. And of course, I welcome them with wide arms.
Alexus couldn't believe it when I told him about it, and we went back and forth about it for a little bit. But I won in the end, and continued to have my skinship with my beloved best friends~
As I was talking about Noir, I could see his smile growing wider and wider as expected.
Fufufu~ You're such a siscon. Well, I know how you feel too~ If someone talks to me about Kiara, I'd definitely be super happy and pile on the cute things she does when she's with me!
"I'm glad you're getting along with her very well. She has also been... talking about you a lot."
"Fufufu~ I hope they're all nice,"
"Of course. She could never run out of nice things to say about you."
Oh Noir, you cutie~ To think you've been talking about me with your brother~ Ufufufu~ I love you too~
"She... truly sees you... as her elder sister."
Whaaaaaat?! AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! NOIR!!!! I LOVE YOOOOOOOUUUU!!!
"Truly? I'm really happy to hear that she sees me that way. I truly care for her as well."
"Do you see her in that way as well?"
That way...? You mean as a little sister?
"Of course. She's truly dear to me."
Stella, Mellissa, and even Valerie, I see all of them as my little sister even though Valerie isn't technically younger than me. My onee-san instincts, which has been further sharpened by Kiara, makes me want to protect them as their elder sister!
"I see..."
I looked at Luke, wondering why he asked something like that, and saw the biggest smile I've probably ever seen him make. He was smiling so widely that his eyes narrowed.
But, that smile disappeared as soon as the song ended, as if it was never there before. The two of us curtsied and bowed to each other, and he returned to where Noir was.
Noir seemed to have noticed my gaze and waved her hands at me, snapping me out of my daze, and I waved back.
That... was surprising. Well, as expected of a siscon, I guess.
After my dance with Luke, Wilhelm approached me.
No longer was he the snotty brat who always challenged me, he's now a handsome man whose appearance and magical skills attracted the attention of many girls, just like how he is in the otome game. But of course, he's still weaker than me.
He's still on that grind and learning with Lawliela-sama though. But, well, he still couldn't match against the Queens of Ice and Fire, Valerie-chan and I!
Wilhelm also rarely interacts with anyone more than necessary in public settings like this, just like how he was in the otome game. The only time I recall him going for a dance was when the heroine reached the end of his route and danced with her at their graduation banquet.
But tonight... he's surprisingly asking me for a dance. Did he... changed?
"...Don't look at me like that. Master told me to at least dance with you once on your special day, so here I am."
...Nevermind. I take that back. If it's an order from Lawliela-sama, then I guess it couldn't be helped.
"Uhm... You look... very beautiful..."
Hm? Is that something Lawliela-sama ordered him to say too? Well, I'll accept the compliment.
"Thank you. You look dashing as well today, Wilhelm-sama."
"T-Thanks. L-Let's get on with it."
"Yes."
As expected of a son of nobility, he was still quite good even though he rarely practices his dance, and we went ahead and danced to the tune of the music.
I kept my smile all the time, while he seemed a bit uncomfortable, looking away and glancing once a while towards me. His cheeks were red, and he looked visibly nervous. He must be really not used to this kind of setting.
The song soon ended and we separated with a boy and curtsy.
"H-Happy birthday, once again... T-Then, I'll go now."
"Yes. Thank you very much."
I waved at him as he walked away.
Ufufufufu~It's finally time... The highlight of my night...
I'll be dancing with my little sister and girl friends!!!!!!!
Then... From the corner of my eyes... I saw his majesty walking towards me with a wide smile on his face.
Ah... I forgot about that...
AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please vote and comment your thoughts~!