Chapter 970 – #209_Dancing With The Black Swan
#964
1.
In a three-quarter time rhythm, a man and woman become one, weaving a beautiful dance.
The waltz, the flower of balls and social gatherings, is broadly divided into two categories.
One is the standard waltz, which requires precise technique within a formal structure.
The other is the Viennese waltz, which is more casual and open, with a freer atmosphere.
To put it more simply, the standard waltz is a dance with strict constraints, like something you’d see in a competition, while the Viennese waltz is the kind of dance you’d see in a romance movie, where the male and female leads dance romantically to a “oom-pah-pah, oom-pah-pah” rhythm.
Both are mainstream in Gehenna, and if ten songs were played, it was common for five to be standard and five to be Viennese style.
“Let’s start with the standard first. It’s much more difficult and has more rules to follow.”
Of the two, the standard waltz was the most concerning for Albireo.
Even Albireo, during her apprentice witch days, had practiced for nearly a year, getting blisters on her feet, before finally receiving a passing grade from her teacher.
Therefore, the goal was to not become a laughingstock.
If they didn’t meet the standard, they might even have to consider removing the ball from the after-party altogether.
“Let’s start with the hold.”
“I look forward to working with you, Albireo.”
With a polite greeting, both Siwoo and Albireo took the basic waltz hold position.
The terminology is difficult, but the movement itself is simple.
Albireo, the follower, takes Siwoo’s left hand with her right, and her left hand is gently placed on his chest.
Siwoo’s remaining hand helps maintain balance by supporting the center of Albireo’s back.
Since the waltz is based on a male-female pairing, it begins with a posture where they seem to embrace each other, and this is the hold.
“Uh…”
It was unavoidable that their hands would touch since they weren’t wearing gloves, but Albireo’s dress had an open back, so his rough hand naturally made contact with her bare skin.
At this point, Albireo felt a squirming sensation.
If you were to ask why it was a squirming sensation, it was because it was a strange feeling that couldn’t be clearly defined.
She just couldn’t get used to it.
If it had been Siwoo from just a short while ago, he would have made a fuss, saying something like, “Is this okay?”
If that had happened, Albireo would have retorted, “This is art. Can’t you tell the difference between art and obscenity?”
But the current Siwoo didn’t have that awkwardness of a novice.
He was boldly engaging in what seemed like daring physical contact.
It was the right thing to do, but…
It was still awkward.
“Is there a problem?”
Albireo shook her head, brushing off the gaze of Siwoo, who looked at her with a questioning look.
She also brushed away the tangled, thread-like thoughts.
“It’s good. It’s quite a practiced posture. But like this, when supporting the back, lift it a little more from below… That’s right.
And you shouldn’t grip my hand too tightly. Hold it gently, like you’re holding an egg, good. Keep your elbows away from your body as much as possible. There, that’s it.”
After instructing on the detailed movements, Albireo took out a handkerchief and told him about the lesson plan for the day.
“Today, we’ll only learn about the hold, contact, eye contact, and forward and back steps.”
The biggest difference between the standard waltz and the Viennese waltz is the physical contact between the man and woman, called ‘contact.’
The Viennese waltz includes movements where the woman spins alone or briefly lets go of hands, but in the standard waltz, the upper bodies of the man and woman must always be in close contact with a constant pressure.
So, which part should be in contact?
Albireo pointed out Siwoo’s posture.
“Right now, the contact point is too low. If you make contact at the navel, the back balance will be lost, the movement will be disrupted, and the leg movements will be restricted. So, here.”
Albireo placed the handkerchief just below her chest, near her sternum.
Although Albireo, like Deneb, was quite busty, this ball gown held her chest tightly, so the two were in close contact without any obstructions.
“We’ll put this handkerchief here and train with the goal of not letting it fall to the floor until the end of the song.”
“It doesn’t seem too difficult. I’ll try.”
“Don’t be cocky. As much as you stick out your chest, lean your head back slightly. Good, well done.”
After correcting Siwoo’s posture, Albireo leaned her back slightly.
The clasped arms should now be considered the leader’s, so she completely relaxed her strength.
She maintained contact, pushed out her hips, and opened her chest to create a soft curve.
It was truly a perfect textbook example of a follower, worthy of being included as an illustration in a textbook.
The moment Siwoo’s firm hand supported her as Albireo leaned back.
“……”
What is this?
Albireo couldn’t help but be surprised inwardly.
Since ‘equal men and women’ generally cannot exist in Gehenna, the waltz is done in a rather interesting way.
Even if a witch has perfect movements and dance lines, she still needs to find a male partner to dance or do anything.
First, powerful families with strong financial backing bring their own dance teachers.
They pair up with dance teachers who exist solely for that witch, like maids or cooks.
However, since the Geminai family didn’t have a separate dance teacher, they partnered with a dancer prepared by the organizers.
The witches of Gehenna often enjoy watching plays, dances, and ballets, so there are quite a few people who work only in the arts.
Most of these dancers are handsome men with good looks, and their bodies are also very good since they have dedicated their entire lives to dancing.
Albireo had danced with many of these dancers, but she had never felt this kind of stability, even at the hold stage.
He was just lightly supporting her back, but it felt like she could completely relax her body and lie down without losing her balance, such was the strong force supporting Albireo.
An image popped into her head.
-Clop clop clop clop
-Neigh!
The vast Mendel Hills at sunset.
A healthy wild horse running unhindered.
A magnificent horse with glossy black fur and a mane more beautiful than silk, prancing across the hills.
And on top of it, Albireo, sitting sidesaddle…
“Albireo?”
“Huh?!”
Albireo’s eyes refocused.
It seemed like she was quite impressed, considering she was lost in such absurd delusions.
“Siwoo, you’re strong.”
“It’s a witch’s privilege, I suppose.”
Indeed, he had trained his exceptionally excellent spirit body every day without laziness.
The solid pectoral muscles, like rocks, that she felt when she placed her hand on them were understandable.
Once again, she felt a strange dissonance.
She had engaged in 19+ activities with her beloved twins since their apprentice witch days.
Not only that, but he had also seduced her younger sister.
Not only that, but he had even done a 4P with Deneb and the twins in one bed.
Not only that, but he would disappear at the drop of a hat, causing her much heartache.
Not only that, but he was the center of all sorts of incidents and accidents.
Originally, Siwoo was just an ugly son-in-law to Albireo.
What kind of man he was was completely irrelevant.
It wasn’t that she hated him, but whether he was handsome or had a good body, she had never paid any particular attention to him.
But now, as they were making eye contact and their bodies were close, she couldn’t help but be aware of him.
Why were there so many rumors of love affairs between dancers and witches?
Was it because of this?
If he had just been pretty-faced when they first met, now his face seemed to have become more masculine, with bolder lines.
His naturally swept-back hair and the eyepatch that slightly covered his eye.
What she felt from the eye she faced at close range was not his usual timidity.
A hot redness that seemed to melt her spine.
Yes.
It was passion.
“Siwoo, when we’re doing the standard, you shouldn’t look at my face, but at my right shoulder. Making eye contact is something you do when you’re in love or feel something special.”
“Ah, I see. It’s more complicated than I thought.”
“Of course. You’ll probably get scolded a lot.”
There was nothing she couldn’t understand.
Wasn’t he in a semi-hypnotic state for mind control right now?
Albireo herself had volunteered to be his dance teacher, knowing that.
Still, it was a bit burdensome, so she corrected his gaze.
“Let’s start with the basics without music. Your left foot goes forward, your right knee brushes your left knee, then your right foot goes next to your left, and then your left foot follows your right.
That’s the basic step. Put your weight on the balls of your feet, not your heels. When your heels touch the ground, it should always be a light touch. One, two, three, one, two, three. Good.”
Albireo proceeded with the lesson to shake off the unsettling feeling.
The two bodies moved back and forth as if they were one.
“Imagine you have a steel rod from your tailbone to the top of your head. I don’t mean to be stiff. Sometimes you have to be soft and flexible, but always with precision. If the follower is a flower, the leader must be a straight stem.”
When Siwoo moved forward, Albireo stepped back in reverse.
Conversely, when Albireo moved forward, Siwoo stepped back.
“It’s three beats, but it’s good to have a slight time distribution. The first beat is slightly longer, the second beat is the longest, and the third beat is the shortest. The weight transfer should be smooth, like sliding on ice. The steps should always consider balance.”
About 15 minutes later.
Albireo wore a satisfied smile.
“Siwoo, you’re amazing?”
“It’s just the most basic part. You’ve given me your precious time, so I should at least meet your expectations.”
While practicing the forward and backward steps, the handkerchief had not fallen to the floor even once.
There was no awkwardness of their feet getting tangled or their balance being disrupted.
That was because Siwoo was a witch, but also a disciple of the martial arts master Tiferet.
His sense of controlling his body had already far surpassed the realm of ordinary people.
It was a waltz where Albireo felt no sense of incongruity, as if they had truly become one.
“Always so arrogant.”
Albireo chuckled and lightly tapped Siwoo’s forehead with her finger.
A son-in-law who was moderately arrogant.
The current Shin Siwoo was just too awkward no matter how she looked at him.
“You’re still far from perfect. Keep your ears and shoulders as far apart as possible. You have to stick your neck out as much as possible to look good. Keep that in mind, shall we try again?”
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind. Before that…”
“Huh?”
Then, Siwoo snatched the handkerchief that had been between them from Albireo’s hand.
-Tap tap
The handkerchief quietly tapped Albireo’s forehead.
A strangely alluring scent wafted from his shirt sleeves.
“You seem to be very hot. It’s starting to feel like summer.”
Only then did Albireo realize that the moisture on her forehead was sweat.
But this was strange.
For Albireo, this lesson was the most basic of basics.
For her spirit body to sweat from this level of exercise.
Albireo hurriedly looked at the mirror on the side.
Albireo Geminai, who was unusually flushed like a peach blossom, was staring at her with wide, surprised eyes.
