Chapter 132: Peiya Wins Without Trying Today
In the past, Anna didn’t know what it felt like to be abandoned. The reason was simple.
Her whole world used to revolve around her. Even though her parents could see that she was not suitable to take over the family business, they didn’t stop her.
Instead, they chose to let things be. They allowed Anna to act however she wanted in her own small estate.
Also, the kingdom was still in a time of peace. As long as this young lady didn’t cause trouble, living an easy, lazy life was actually a pretty good choice.
However, Anna was not the type who could sit still. It was hard for her to feel satisfied just because she had enough to eat. On the contrary, because she had too much free time, her thoughts became very active.
In her mind, she had already imagined several versions of what happened after Peiya left, but none of them were things she could accept…
Dragging her tired body, Anna returned to the center of the hall. When Lisa saw her come back, she handed her an orange.
“Eat something. What’s the point of looking so worried all the time?”
“I’m not hungry. You eat it.”
Anna had no mood to eat. She glanced at the food on the table and simply chose to give up caring.
“Just eat a little. If you don’t eat anything, you’ll get too hungry.”
Anna looked back at her and sighed. “Fine. Have you seen Peiya?”
“I haven’t looked yet. There are too many people here. I can’t just ask everyone one by one, right?”
“Tch—”
Anna clicked her tongue and decided to search nearby by herself.
……………………………
Holding her dessert, Elise looked around the hall but didn’t see Peiya. She thought for a moment about Peiya’s usual habits.
Then she instinctively went to find a place with a wide view, somewhere that could overlook the whole ballroom.
With Peiya’s personality, that was the most likely place.
As expected, it didn’t take long before she spotted someone standing by the railing, shifting uneasily.
When Elise got closer, she was a little surprised.
Maybe it was because Peiya was wearing new clothes today that caught the eye. From far away, she looked a bit like a scarecrow in a field. But as Elise got closer, her real appearance became clearer.
Her back, shaped by the design of her clothes, left a lot to the imagination. The skirt wasn’t tight, but it slightly lifted around her hips. Under the skirt, her light wooden-colored shoes gently rubbed against the floor, making small movements.
Elise suddenly had the urge to walk up and give her a light slap on the back. But she was a civilized person, so she held herself back. There would be chances in the future.
Carrying the dessert, Elise walked up behind Peiya. She picked up a piece of honey candy and, before Peiya could react, put it into her mouth.
Feeling the sweetness, Peiya turned around and saw Elise standing by the railing.
“You…?”
Peiya had not expected Elise to appear so suddenly. It felt unfair.
“Is it good? I’m not sure what you like, so I just picked some candies that looked nice.”
“It tastes like honey candy, but it doesn’t seem as good as before. Anyway, thank you.”
“What about this one?”
Elise took out a small bag. Inside was a small candy. It didn’t look as nice as the ones on the plate, but when you got close, it smelled very sweet.
“This one is different from the one before?”
Peiya immediately noticed the difference.
“That’s right. I made it myself. But it’s a failed one. If it tastes bad, you can tell me.”
“Okay.” Peiya took the candy and put it into her mouth. It melted right away, and the taste was very sweet. It was hard to believe this was a “failed” product.
“It’s really good. How can this be a failure?”
A soft smile appeared on Elise’s lips. “I’m glad you like it. By the way, I didn’t expect you to come. And your outfit looks quite new.”
“I-Is it? It’s not that new… I’ve worn it for a few days already. But yeah, it’s pretty nice. And… why aren’t you wearing your formal dress? The style of what you’re wearing now looks kind of similar to mine.”
Elise lowered her head and only then noticed that her outfit did look very similar to Peiya’s, almost like matching sets in different sizes.
“So, you’ve been staring at my clothes all this time? I didn’t even notice.”
“No, I wasn’t! I just glanced at it… by accident. And also… it looks pretty good.”
Peiya stepped down from the railing and looked at the ballroom below, then couldn’t help but say,
“It’s boring. They call it a celebration, but it’s really just small groups celebrating among themselves. I kind of regret coming.”
“Then how about going down for a dance? Do you know how to dance?”
“D-Dance?”
“Yeah. Want to try?”
“I… I only know a little. Aren’t you afraid I’ll mess up the rhythm?”
“That’s fine. We’re here to have fun. Let’s go.”
Elise took Peiya’s hand and led her downstairs. In the music, Elise found a corner that didn’t attract much attention, then pulled Peiya along and started moving to the rhythm.
Peiya was slightly amazed at how quickly Elise got into it.
“You don’t need to try too hard. Just relax your body. I’ll guide you. Just follow me.”
Elise’s voice was calm, but her words felt very clear to Peiya. She followed the advice, and as she relaxed, she could clearly feel Elise guiding her step by step with the rhythm.
It was gentle, without any awkward feeling, like water pushing a boat forward, slowly leading her along. The most amazing part was that it didn’t feel strange at all.
So amazing.
Peiya could see a sparkle in Elise’s eyes. Under the ballroom lights, they slowly moved toward the end of the music. When it was over, they were surprised to find that they seemed to be the only two left dancing on the floor.
When others saw a pair dancing so well, they simply stopped to watch. Most people in the hall had already grown tired of dancing anyway, so they took the chance to rest and enjoy the performance.
When Peiya finally stopped, applause broke out around them.
Most of the people clapping were nearby adventurers. They lived in the moment, when they saw a good dance, they immediately showed their appreciation.
Peiya felt confused. She hadn’t really done anything, Elise had been leading the whole time.
So she really just ‘won without trying.’
Elise, on the other hand, smiled kindly at everyone, then left the center of the dance floor.
“Are you thirsty?”
Elise handed Peiya a glass of juice.
“I didn’t even use much energy. Why would I be thirsty?”
“How could you not? You were still part of it. And actually, your rhythm was right. If you had no basic sense at all, even if I guided you, you wouldn’t have learned. Dancing isn’t something you can master in a short time.”
“Hmm… maybe. But you have a lot of sweat on your forehead.”
Peiya took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Elise’s forehead.
At that moment, Anna, who had just come back to her senses from the crowd, saw this scene.
A buried memory slowly resurfaced…
Why did this scene look so familiar?
In Anna’s eyes, a certain figure began to take shape…