Chapter 66: Ripples in the Silence
Once the music passed the intro, Evelia began to move with the rhythm.
Compared to the intense and forceful dancing when she was leading Armand earlier, her current movements looked incredibly soft and graceful, maybe the contrast just made it feel that way.
Every move she made was just right, flowing, smooth, and charming in a way that felt natural. Even the loose strands of hair by her temple added to the beauty of her performance. When her pale fingers tucked that hair behind her ear, her cold, calm expression paired with those seductive moves created a contrast so stunning it was impossible to look away.
It seemed that to prepare for the upcoming ball, Evelia had not worn her usual maid dress. Instead, she wore a black evening gown, one that had been gifted to her by Anna.
Back when Evelia had mentioned she might try inviting Armand to a ball, Anna had stayed up all night to make this elegant yet simple dress. The day Evelia had gone into town to get updates from the old man who sold tomato sauce, she also stopped by Anna’s shop, and Anna just happened to have finished the dress, so she gave it to Evelia on the spot.
Of course, Evelia had tried it on right away. Compared to the more formal ballroom gowns, this one looked much simpler.
The top half was a sleeveless spaghetti-strap design with a V-neckline that highlighted her curves beautifully. It had an open back and exposed her underarms, with a black satin ribbon tied around her neck, embroidered with a rose.
Thanks to the dress’s cut and the slimming effect of the black fabric, Evelia’s waist looked incredibly narrow. Even from a distance, it seemed like two hands could wrap around it easily.
Her chest, meanwhile, looked especially full and well-shaped, further enhanced by a gold pendant at the bottom of the neckline. That pendant swayed gently whenever she moved, drawing even more attention to the shape of her body.
She wore sheer black lace gloves that reached halfway up her arms. They were silky smooth to the touch and had that cool, delicate feeling unique to soft fabric.
The entire dress was made from the same black, semi-transparent material, so the only way to feel Evelia’s body warmth was by holding her hands directly.
The lower half of the gown followed the same design. Long and flowing, with an asymmetrical hem. The left side hung normally, but the right side had a high slit that perfectly showed just a hint of skin between her stockings and underwear.
At the waist on the right side was a tight satin strap, which connected to the top of her stockings, forming a visible black garter. It gently pressed into her thigh, leaving a faint line on her skin.
The semi-transparent black material offered subtle glimpses of her skin beneath, teasingly hidden and revealed all at once. The overall black lace look made Evelia’s body appear both elegant and incredibly alluring.
Black is often seen as a classy color, but paired with the semi-transparent design, it carried a subtle touch of seduction and mystery. That’s why, when Anna gave this dress to Evelia, she had repeatedly warned her.
‘This is only for dancing with your knight in private. Never wear it in public. I’ll make you a new dress for the ball.’
The dress was so revealing, even Evelia’s underwear was visible, some details too sensitive to describe in words.
When Anna said that, Evelia had even stubbornly replied, ‘He’s not my knight.’
Only now did Armand realize why he had instinctively shoved Carle out of the room without a second thought.
Earlier, when Evelia was flinging him around during the dance, Armand hadn’t noticed her outfit at all. He was too focused on keeping up and not letting her down.
But now…
Maybe it was the sunlight streaming through the window. The warm, golden rays fell on Evelia, wrapping her in a soft glow. But at the same time, that backlight made her outfit appear nearly see-through. The curves hidden under the delicate black lace were now clearly outlined before Armand’s eyes.
This… was not something he could let anyone else see.
A lifted leg. A bent waist. A lowered posture. Hands tracing the lines of her thigh and waist. Just one glance, and Armand knew. This kind of dance, absolutely no one else was allowed to watch.
“Eve… this outfit…”
“Shhh.”
Just as Armand was about to speak, Evelia moved to stand in front of him, her body swaying. Her fingers, wrapped in black lace, felt slightly cool to the touch.
But when she pressed one upright finger gently against his lips, the spot where she touched felt like it was burning.
To the soft rhythm of the music, Evelia placed one hand on Armand’s shoulder. Then she slowly traced a circle with her finger. The heels of her shoes tapped lightly across the floor as she circled behind him.
And then, she gently pressed her body against his back.
Maybe because they had danced two songs in a row, Evelia seemed a bit tired and her heart was pounding fast.
When she leaned against his back, Armand could feel her heartbeat, faster than usual. The intimacy of the position made his heart race as well.
Evelia’s forehead rested against his back. Her breath was warm, completely opposite from the cool feel of the lace. She tilted her head up, exhaling that heat onto his neck.
Her hands moved forward, sliding along his sides… until they reached his chest.
And then, those hands began to move…
Slowly, down,
and down,
and down…
“Eve…”
Until her hands reached his stomach, Armand grabbed them.
“Is the dance over?”
Just as Armand held Evelia’s hands and asked that question, the music came to a sudden stop. It wasn’t that the record broke, it was because the dance was simply meant to end at that exact moment. The abrupt ending felt intentional, like how Armand had just stopped Evelia’s hands from moving any further.
“Mhm, it’s over.” Evelia’s tone was as calm as always.
“Is that so…” Armand took a deep breath. It felt like he had just survived a heavenly trial.
“Well—”
“Wait, not yet, don’t come around to this side.”
Just as Evelia was about to step in front of him, Armand quickly stopped her. There was… something he needed to calm down first.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Armand? Is there something in front of you?”
“……”
Armand didn’t answer right away. He let go of Evelia’s hands and stood there quietly. Only after some time did he exhale deeply and say, “It’s fine now.”
“…Alright, Mr. Armand.”
Even though Evelia had no idea what Armand was dealing with, she didn’t push him to explain. She simply walked around in front of him, looking around but not noticing anything strange.
“Mr. Armand, were you satisfied with the dance?”
So satisfied he almost couldn’t take it anymore.
“Ah, yeah… it was pretty good.”
But of course, he couldn’t say that out loud.
“That’s good to hear. Then Mr. Armand, is there anything you think I should improve for next time? If this were for the festival—”
“You can’t dance this at the festival!!”
Armand suddenly shouted, unable to hold it in.
“What’s wrong?”
Evelia still didn’t seem to understand just how much that dance had shaken Armand’s not-so-innocent heart.
“Anyway you’re not allowed to dance that again!”
Just thinking back on the scene and the way it felt, his heart started racing all over again.
“Then…”
“That outfit is also not allowed outside, understand?! Don’t go anywhere yet! I’ll bring you a coat! Just stay here, okay?!”
With the sunlight shining so brightly today, if Evelia walked outside in that dress, people would practically see everything!
“Ah, okay…”
As soon as Evelia calmly replied, Armand threw open the door and rushed out. Watching him leave so quickly, Evelia felt a bit confused inside.
Did… she do something wrong again?
Was her dancing that bad? Did she make him mad?
He had only just forgiven her after the whole Blue Rose incident… and now this…
Click.
Just as Evelia was feeling a little sad and thinking about going back to her corner to eat tomato sauce, Armand suddenly burst the door open again, leaning halfway in with a panicked expression, like he had suddenly turned back halfway down the hall.
“Eve!”
“Ah—yes, I’m here, Mr. Armand.”
“Um, just in case you misunderstood again, I came back to tell you, I’m not mad, and your dancing was amazing! But this time I’ll say it clearly, only let me see it! Got it?!”
With that, Armand shut the door with a thud and rushed off again, just like before.
However, this time, Evelia felt a strange sense of happiness. Though it was just a little, it was like a ripple rising on the usually calm surface of the water.
“I understand, Mr. Armand.”