Chapter 117: Can I Have This Dance?
Before making their public appearance, Igor had attempted to pacify his beloved wife sensing that she was wrought with anxiety and nervousness.
Heaving a sigh replete with anxiety, she readily agreed to Igor’s suggestions. At her consent, he immediately grabbed hold of her hand and did not let go. Unknown to her, his heart gushed with mellow happiness.
What he told her afterward shocked her more than his suggestion. He said that so long as she held his hand tight, the eyes of the nobility will remain fixated on their hands that none would care to look at her.
It seemed to prove successful too. When they sat down on the throne, Igor did not let go of her hand. She had tried to sneakily pull her hand away, but Igor would not budge.
It was a fortunate case that all eyes were glued to their locked hands despite pretending not to. From the moment they made their appearance in public with hands locked together, the nobility immediately lost interest in the queen and vied to know their relationship. It was a rare sight to see a king and queen show signs of true affection in an official setting like this.
Soon, the nobles all lined up prettily and greeted the king and queen personally. The order was from the high-ranking nobles to the lower-ranking nobles.
The husband and wife from the House of Lissel touted a long tradition of greeting the royalty first.
“Congratulations on your marriage, Your Majesty the King, and to you, Your Majesty the Queen.”
He bowed down and kissed the back of Igor’s hand then kissed Rihannan’s as well afterward.
“You two look marvelous together. I hope the heavens’ blessing be with you now and forever.”
As the duke finished his greeting, the duchess started hers. She greeted the royalty the opposite way and walked up to the queen first and the king second. Like her husband, she left them a message of congratulations and stepped away thereafter.
As the noblemen and their noble partners came to greet them one by one, the orderly line grew smaller.
Meanwhile, Rihannan laughed and whispered with a small voice, “Just when will you let go of my hand?”
“We’ll be holding hands again. Why let it go now?”
“…We’ll hold hands again?”
“Well…”
As the greetings from the nobility continued, Igor and Rihannan whispered amongst each other, but soon stopped their bickering and smiled brightly at the nobles walking up to them.
When the final greeting came to an end, Rihannan was able to hear Igor’s reasoning.
“Because you have to dance with me, Rihannan,” Igor said, gesturing his hand to the ballroom dance floor.
He raised a finger, and at that moment, the music changed from a serene melody to one fitting for dancing.
He stood up from his seat and reached out his hand. Rihannan had received kisses on the back of her hand, a symbol of the nobles’ absolute loyalty to her. Now it was Igor who stood in front of her and bowed down deeply similar to the nobility. He pulled her hand and planted a soft, gentle kiss.
“Rihannan, my wife, can I have this dance?” Igor smiled gently, his eyes brimming with affection.
Igor looked at her longingly.
Rihannan looked back.
In her eyes, she saw the man she once knew from the past standing behind the man before her.
…It was the Igor she once knew.
The Igor of the past wore a stoic and angered expression. They had the worst night, their marriage consummation ending bitterly. He could bother to put on a fake smile and merely danced with her sourly for it was a necessary obligation.
To the Rihannan of the past, it was as if she was a cow being dragged to a slaughterhouse.
Though it was custom to dance with their partner twice, Rihannan was unable to withstand the sneering gazes of the nobility and whisperings and thus was unable to continue onto the second dance.
Seeing that she looked like she’d collapse at any moment, Igor let her go and walked away. He did not request a second dance from her.
But that was then…
Rihannan looked into Igor’s eyes, the man belonging to this timeline.
“…I accept.”
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