The girl was not shy; it seemed she experienced such things often. She maintained a natural smile and responded softly, "The honor is mine." Then she rose slowly, her right hand lightly resting on my left, her left hand naturally placed on my right shoulder. The music began. Although the girl looked even younger than me, her dancing skills were much more adept than mine. When my steps were slightly fast or slow in the middle, she would skillfully coordinate with me, making this opening dance exceptionally successful.
However, while dancing, when my gaze swept over the other guests, I noticed many were looking at us with playful eyes. This was a bit confusing.
After the dance finished, I escorted her back to where she started. Then, suddenly, many boys appeared to invite girls to dance. I was quite nervous while dancing because it was a solo dance with many people watching, so I didn't have a chance to ask for the girl's name. Now that the dance was over and so many people were crowding around, I had even less of a chance to go up and strike up a conversation.
Looking around, I saw many girls staring at me with expectant eyes. It was a bit awkward. Although my soul is 26 years old, I am still a virgin. These eager looks gave me a bit of secret joy, but also a bit of embarrassment. Scanning the entire venue, I found my target and quickly jogged over.
The girl I just danced with didn't have much of a reaction upon seeing I had already walked away. She glanced at me with curious eyes and then went to deal with those 'mad bees and butterflies' who wanted to dance with her.
Izoruti felt very lucky to be able to attend such a high-profile ball. Her parents were both knights and weren't considered to have stepped into the noble class. Thus, she had never attended any balls. This was the first time she attended such a grand event, so she was looking forward to it. she even begged her parents to buy her a very beautiful dress. Although she was a sword fanatic, it didn't mean she didn't like beautiful clothes. It could be said that swordsmanship and being a happy girl were her favorite things.
However, arriving at the ball in her beautiful formal wear, she was stunned. Every girl here wore something better-looking than hers. The complexity and colors of the gowns were things she had never seen before. Although she wore a dress that her parents could only afford with a whole month's salary, she still felt like a country bumpkin here, unable to blend into the environment at all.
Furthermore, she realized she hadn't learned how to dance. Why come to a ball if you can't dance? This was an extremely awkward situation. She could only avoid people's gazes, pretending to be invisible so no one would see her. When Dorin was about to perform the opening dance, Izoruti saw his gaze lock onto her, and at that moment, she almost wanted to cry. If she couldn't dance and tripped on the floor, probably all of Yars would know her name by tomorrow. Fortunately, Dorin didn't come over to invite her for the opening dance, which made her feel both relieved and a bit downcast—she didn't know what that feeling was. Regardless, she was in a bad mood. So much so that she didn't even watch Dorin dance with that sweet-looking blonde girl. She walked to the catering area, intending to fill her young, broken heart with delicious food.
The delicacies here were things she had never seen outside. Macarons, madeleines, Black Forest cake, almond turrón, caramel waffles, scones. These were all treats she had wanted to eat for a long time but had never had the chance to.
When the music stopped, a familiar voice came from behind.
"Izoruti, you're actually here. I've been looking for you for a long time."
"Ah, Dorin, what are you doing here? Don't think about inviting me to dance; I don't know how. Please ignore me and just act like I don't exist."
With Dorin's arrival, many young noble girls turned their gazes toward them. This put immense pressure on Izoruti, even greater than when she practiced with the Water God.
"I'm not good at attending balls either. Those women look at me like I'm prey, which makes my hair stand on end; it's very uncomfortable. If you're free, come for a walk outside with me."
"No, I haven't finished my snacks yet. I've wanted to eat these for a long time but never had the chance."
Dorin smiled faintly; it turned out this girl was a little foodie. "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll tell the butler later to pack a large portion for you to take home. You can even share it with your family."
Thinking that she could share the delicacies with her parents later, Izoruti felt happy. She then very willingly accepted Dorin's invitation and walked out of the venue.