It almost felt as though his present-self had returned to that distant world...
The world where his previous life had once stood inside an office, awkwardly learning each step from Claudia.
Without realizing it...
Ezra’s consciousness quietly immersed itself within the memories unfolding before him.
His body remained seated in the living room.
Yet his mind had already stepped into another place entirely.
One step...
Then another.
He slowly pictured every movement described inside the Book of Memories.
The proper distance between each stride.
The correct angle of his shoulders.
The position of his feet before shifting his weight.
How a gentleman should hold his partner without making her feel restrained.
How every movement should naturally guide the next.
How the rhythm of the music determined every step rather than the dancer forcing the dance forward.
The philosophy written inside the Book wasn’t simply teaching him how to dance.
It was teaching him how to communicate without words.
How confidence travelled through posture.
How intention travelled through movement.
Every line became clearer the longer he studied it.
His breathing gradually slowed.
The surrounding world quietly faded from his awareness.
The room...
The furniture...
Even Lucy standing nearby...
Everything slowly disappeared from his attention.
Only the dance remained.
Ezra’s concentration reached a state where even the smallest details no longer escaped him.
Then...
A familiar voice quietly echoed through the silence.
"Ezra..."
It was soft.
Gentle.
Yet filled with disappointment that words alone couldn’t fully express.
The peaceful image before him suddenly changed.
The memory shifted.
He saw Claudia standing there once again.
Not smiling.
Not teasing him as she usually did.
Instead...
She looked at him with quiet disappointment.
It was the moment his previous-self had turned away from the invitation she had been looking forward to.
The ballroom.
The lights.
The music.
Everything blurred together as the memory replayed itself.
He remembered walking away.
Remembered, choosing not to attend.
Remembered leaving her standing there after she had gone through so much effort to teach him.
The disappointment in her eyes remained exactly the same as he remembered.
Immediately...
Ezra’s eyes regained their focus.
The memory disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
His vision returned to the living room.
The warm lights hanging from the ceiling softly illuminated the room once again.
The polished tiled floor reflected the light beneath his feet.
Lucy still stood where she had been all along.
Patiently and Quietly.
She had been waiting for him to respond, believing he had simply been thinking.
There wasn’t the slightest sign on Ezra’s face that anything had happened.
His expression remained as calm and unreadable as ever.
Lucy naturally failed to notice the storm of memories that had just swept through his mind.
Even though those memories carried deep regret...
Ezra’s face showed nothing.
This wasn’t the first time such memories had surfaced.
Nor would it be the last.
Ever since receiving the Book of Memories...
Fragments from his previous life occasionally resurfaced without warning.
Sometimes...
They came as vivid nightmares that woke him from his sleep.
Other times...
They arrived quietly like forgotten memories reminding him of promises that had never been fulfilled.
Ezra had already grown accustomed to them.
Although his heart still felt the lingering weight, they carried...
But he never allowed those emotions to appear on his face.
He slowly stood up.
His movements were calm and unhurried.
Stretching one arm slightly before relaxing it again, he looked toward Lucy.
"Let’s dance, Lucy."
His voice remained as plain as always.
Lucy blinked.
"...Eh?"
She looked at him with visible surprise.
She hadn’t expected him to skip straight to practicing.
"Shouldn’t I first teach you the basics?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"You’ll need to understand the posture, the frame, and the rhythm before we actually begin dancing."
Ezra calmly rolled one shoulder before stretching both arms one after the other.
His joints gave several soft cracks.
"I already learned the basics."
He answered without changing his expression.
"As a young noble... I already received introductory dance lessons. I simply never continued practicing."
He rotated his wrist before stretching one leg behind him.
"I just reviewed my old lessons now. So, I’m okay."
His answer sounded so ordinary that Lucy almost believed it immediately.
After all...
There was nothing strange about noble children receiving ballroom etiquette lessons.
Many simply forgot what they learned if they rarely attended formal gatherings.
Ezra slowly exhaled before relaxing his body.
Then...
He positioned his feet.
Straightened his back.
Relaxed his shoulders.
Raised his chin naturally.
Finally...
He assumed the gentleman’s opening stance.
Lucy quietly stared.
A look of surprise gradually appeared on her face.
It should have already been a long time since he learned dancing, but he can still keep a passable stance.
She carefully observed his posture from head to toe.
Although it wasn’t perfect...
It was far better than she had expected.
Considering how long it had supposedly been since he learned ballroom dancing...
Maintaining even a passable stance was already impressive.
A small smile naturally formed on her lips.
She stepped toward him with graceful, measured movements before stopping at the proper distance.
Then...
She lowered herself into a proper maiden’s bow.
Every movement appeared smooth and elegant.
Ezra responded immediately.
He returned the greeting with the proper gentleman’s bow.
Neither too deep.
Nor too shallow.
Lucy couldn’t help smiling a little wider.
"Master..."
She gently placed one hand into his.
Her fingers rested lightly against his palm.
At the same time...
Ezra carefully positioned his other hand around her waist, leaving exactly the amount of space expected in a formal ballroom dance.
Their distance naturally became much closer.
Lucy immediately entered the role of instructor.
"Your stance still needs a little work."
She lowered her eyes toward his feet.
"The weight on your right foot is slightly uneven."
The moment she finished speaking...
Ezra adjusted his footing.
His movements were immediate with no hesitation.
"No..."
Lucy leaned forward slightly to observe more carefully.
"A little more."
Ezra shifted again.
This time...
He quietly recalled the illustration inside the Book of Memories.
Every explanation regarding posture resurfaced in his mind.
The position of the heels.
The angle of the knees.
The balance between both legs.
He compared every detail before making another small adjustment.
After a few seconds...
He looked at Lucy.
"I think I’ve got it now."
Lucy carefully checked his posture one final time.
A satisfied smile appeared.
"Yes."
She nodded gently.
"That’s much better."
Then her eyes moved upward.
"But..."
She looked toward the hand resting around her waist.
"Your grip should be slightly firmer. If it’s too loose...Your partner won’t clearly feel your lead."
Ezra immediately understood.
Without saying another word...
He adjusted his hand.
His grip became firmer.
Not forceful.
Just enough to create the proper connection between partners.
The instant he did...
Lucy suddenly froze.
Her body stiffened ever so slightly.
From this distance...
She could clearly see her master’s face.
Closer than she had in a very long time.
His hand rested naturally around her waist.
Unlike every previous occasion when he had calmly avoided her hugs...
This time...
He had willingly placed his hand there himself.
Her heartbeat suddenly skipped.
Then began beating faster.
Heat quietly spread across her cheeks.
She slowly lifted her head.
Her brown eyes met Ezra’s calm black eyes.
Neither of them spoke.
Only their steady breathing filled the silence between them.
The faint scent of the soap both of them regularly used after bathing blended together in the quiet room.
Lucy remained staring.
His eyes...
They are still as calm and unreadable as always.
So dull on the surface too...
Yet...
Looking at them from this close...
Her thoughts gradually slowed.
Without realizing it...
The words slipped from her lips.
"...They’re really beautiful."
Ezra looked at her quietly.
His expression didn’t change.
"Focus, Lucy."
His calm voice instantly snapped her back to reality.
Lucy blinked.
The realization of what she had just said struck her almost instantly.
"...!"
Her eyes widened.
Without thinking, she quickly let go of Ezra and hurriedly stepped backward. In her panic, she lost her balance and dropped onto one knee against the polished tiled floor of the living room.
Both of her hands immediately flew to her burning face.
"I-I’m so sorry, Master!"
Her voice came out flustered as she hid behind her palms, too embarrassed to look at him.
The room suddenly became quiet.
Only the faint hum of the steam engine core-powered lights and the ticking clock hanging on the wall could be heard.
Ezra simply looked at her.
His expression remained as calm as ever.
He stayed silent for several seconds, allowing Lucy enough time to recover from her embarrassment.
Then he calmly spoke.
"The clock is ticking."
His voice remained flat.
As though what had just happened wasn’t even worth dwelling on.
Lucy lowered her hands and looked at him with puffed cheeks.
Of course...
That’s the first thing he’s going to say.
She complained inwardly.
Not even caring about a maiden’s heart...
And I’m sure he said it on purpose.
She was convinced Ezra had deliberately ignored her embarrassing moment.
Unfortunately for her...
Ezra truly hadn’t thought that deeply about it.
He simply wanted to continue practicing before it became too late.
Lucy slowly stood back up and dusted off the front of her nightwear.
After taking a small breath to calm herself, she walked back toward Ezra.
The two naturally resumed their positions.
"You take the lead for a while."
Ezra adjusted his posture as he spoke.
"After we’ve settled into the rhythm... I’ll gradually take over."
Lucy nodded without objection.
"Okay, Master."
She straightened her posture once more.
Taking another slow breath...
She looked directly at Ezra.
"Alright... Let’s begin."
The moment the words left her lips...
She took the first step.
Without hesitation...
Ezra followed.
"One... Two... Three..."
"One... Two... Three..."
Lucy softly counted the rhythm.
Her voice echoed gently throughout the quiet living room, replacing the music they didn’t yet have.
The repeated count became their orchestra.
Every number established the pace.
Every step followed the next.
At first...
Ezra focused entirely on following her movements.
Forward.
Side.
Together.
Backward.
Turn.
His eyes observed every shift of Lucy’s weight.
Every movement of her shoulders.
Every subtle change in direction.
Although he occasionally placed his foot half a beat late...
Or shifted his balance slightly too far...
Lucy calmly corrected him whenever it happened.
"No... A little slower."
"Relax your shoulders."
"Don’t watch your feet."
"Feel the movement."
Each correction was simple and precise.
Ezra adjusted immediately.
Without argument.
Without wasting a single motion.
Gradually...
His body began responding more naturally.
The explanations stored inside the Book of Memories no longer felt like written instructions.
They became movements.
Instinct.
Understanding slowly replaced conscious thought.
Just like the guide explained...
Remain calm.
Don’t rush.
Every movement begins with balance.
Every step follows the rhythm.
Not my rhythm...
The dance’s rhythm.
His thoughts quietly organized themselves.
No unnecessary movement.
No wasted energy.
Follow the count.
Follow her.
Move together.
Turn together.
Become one with the flow.
As those principles settled into his mind...
His body naturally became lighter.
His stiff movements gradually disappeared.
The hesitation in his steps lessened.
Each turn became smoother than the last.
Lucy noticed it almost immediately.
The number of corrections she needed to make steadily decreased.
Before long...
She no longer needed to remind him where to place his feet.
Nearly an hour passed.
The room slowly grew warmer from their constant movement.
Small beads of sweat formed along Lucy’s forehead as loose strands of hair escaped around her face.
Ezra’s breathing remained steady.
His concentration never wavered.
Finally...
He gently tightened his frame.
"I’ll lead now."
Lucy blinked.
"...Already?"
Before she could think further...
She naturally surrendered the lead.
To her surprise...
Ezra guided her forward with remarkable confidence.
His movements weren’t flashy.
They weren’t overly dramatic.
Instead...
Everything flowed naturally.
Each shift of his weight clearly communicated where she should move next.
Each turn came at exactly the right moment.
It almost didn’t feel like following someone who had struggled with his stance less than an hour earlier.
Lucy looked at him in disbelief.
This is...
Master...?
It was the same Ezra she had corrected only moments ago.
The same person whose posture she had carefully adjusted.
Yet now...
His frame remained steady.
His lead was gentle.
His timing rarely drifted from the rhythm they had established together.
He never pulled.
He never forced.
He simply guided.
And somehow...
Her body responded naturally to every movement.
It felt effortless.
A small smile quietly appeared on Lucy’s face.
Not because the dance had become easier.
But because she could clearly see how quickly Ezra was learning.
A little later...
Ezra walked toward the Zphone Television Version placed along one side of the living room.
The glass rectangular device softly illuminated as he activated it.
A translucent holographic screen unfolded above its surface.
Moments later...
A gentle ballroom orchestra filled the room.
Violins.
Cellos.
A quiet piano.
The melody spread through the residence, replacing Lucy’s counting with graceful music.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Both of them naturally returned to the center of the room.
Before beginning again...
Lucy lowered herself into a proper maiden’s bow.
Ezra answered with a gentleman’s bow of equal refinement.
Only after exchanging the formal greeting did they step closer.
Their joined hands met first.
Then Ezra’s free hand rested gently against Lucy’s waist.
Lucy felt her heart skip for just a moment.
Although she had already grown somewhat accustomed to the position during practice...
Being this close still made her slightly nervous.
Even so...
She quietly composed herself.
She couldn’t allow her emotions to interrupt the dance.
Deep inside...
Another feeling quietly surfaced.
For years...
She had read many novels about noble ladies...
And even many Non-Noble young women...
Laughing happily while dancing with the boys they admired.
Some danced beside the people they loved.
Others simply enjoyed the evening with friends.
Everyone seemed to have someone.
Lucy had never experienced anything like that.
The dancing styles she had learned in the House of Melody...
Had never been beautiful.
She hadn’t learned it for herself.
She learned it to entertain older men.
To satisfy their twisted desires.
Every graceful step she mastered...
Every elegant turn...
Had been for someone else’s amusement.
There had never been joy behind those dances.
Only obligation.
Only survival.
But this...
This felt completely different.
It felt like one of those romances she had secretly imagined while reading the novels.
A quiet ballroom.
Soft music.
A gentleman leading with respect.
No hidden intentions.
No greedy eyes.
No fear.
Only trust.
And the person standing before her...
Was the person she now respected more than anyone else.
The person she had slowly given her heart to without even realizing when it had happened.
Lucy didn’t want to ruin this moment.
Not even a little.
She wanted to quietly treasure every step.
Every turn.
Every second they spent dancing together.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
One song became another.
Then another.
Before either of them realized it...
Several hours had already passed.
Only after Ezra finally became satisfied with his progress did the practice come to an end.
"Ah..."
Lucy let out a long breath.
She bent forward slightly with both hands resting on her knees.
Tiny beads of sweat rolled down her forehead before disappearing into the collar of her nightwear.
Still catching her breath...
She glanced toward the clock hanging on the wall.
Her eyes widened.
"...We practiced for that long?"
Her voice carried genuine surprise.
"It... it’s already well past midnight."
She looked utterly defeated.
"My beauty sleep... is ruined."
She gave Ezra a pitiful look before letting out an exaggerated whine.
Ezra looked toward the living room.
The furniture still needed to be returned to its original places.
"Stop whining like a baby."
His voice remained calm.
"Let’s rearrange the living room first."
Lucy immediately puffed out her cheeks again.
"No... Can’t we rearrange it tomorrow morning?"
Lucy looked at Ezra with pleading eyes.
"You know I have to be at the Welcome Party venue by six in the morning."
Her voice softened as she tried to negotiate.
"I’ll have to wake up much earlier than everyone else."
She clasped both hands together in front of her chest, silently hoping he would change his mind.
Ezra narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at her.
He remained silent for a few moments.
His gaze shifted from Lucy to the furniture scattered around the living room before returning to her again.
Finally...
"Okay."
His answer was simple and direct.
Nothing more.
Lucy blinked.
"...Really?"
For a brief moment, she wondered if she had heard him correctly.
Then...
Her brown eyes immediately lit up.
A bright smile blossomed across her face.
"Thank you, Master!"
Joy naturally filled her voice.
Her body leaned forward instinctively as though she were about to throw her arms around him.
However...
She suddenly stopped herself.
Her raised arms froze halfway.
"..."
After remembering her master’s no hug rule...
Lucy quickly pulled herself back.
She awkwardly cleared her throat before lowering both hands behind her back.
"I... I’ll make sure everything is taken care of before I leave tomorrow morning."
She lowered herself into a proper bow.
Her expression had already returned to that of a respectful maid, though the faint blush lingering on her cheeks refused to disappear.
Without delaying any longer...
Lucy gathered both Ezra’s formal attire and her own attendant uniform.
Holding the neatly packed garment bags against her chest...
She quietly left the living room.
The hallway was calm.
Only the soft lights mounted along the walls illuminated her path.
She walked toward the laundry and ironing room designated for the residence.
After carefully hanging both sets of clothing where they would remain wrinkle-free for tomorrow’s event...
She finally returned to her own room.
Once inside...
Lucy quietly closed the door behind her.
She let out a small breath.
The silence of her room immediately wrapped around her.
Not wanting to sleep while still covered in sweat from several hours of practice...
She freshened herself up once again.
Warm water washed away the exhaustion from her body.
After drying herself...
She changed into a clean set of another nightwear before slowly sitting on the edge of her bed.
Only then...
When everything became quiet...
Did her mind finally have the chance to replay everything that had happened earlier.
Her cheeks slowly grew warmer.
"..."
"Master held me by the waist..."
She whispered softly to herself.
Without realizing it...
She lifted one hand and lightly touched the same place where Ezra’s hand had rested during the dance.
The memory replayed itself over and over inside her mind.
The warmth of his hand.
His calm expression.
The steady rhythm of their footsteps.
The quiet orchestra, filling the room.
Even the way he had guided her without making her feel uncomfortable.
Every small detail remained surprisingly clear.
Lucy quickly shook her head several times.
"No...Lucy...You shouldn’t be thinking like this."
She tried scolding herself.
Unfortunately...
The more she tried pushing those thoughts away...
The clearer they became.
Unable to endure her own embarrassment any longer...
She suddenly threw herself onto the bed.
Her face buried itself inside the soft pillow.
"Mmmgh..."
A muffled scream escaped into the pillow.
It wasn’t loud enough for anyone outside the room to hear.
She simply wanted somewhere to hide her embarrassment.
After lying there for a while...
Lucy slowly rolled onto her back.
She quietly stared at the ceiling above her.
The room became completely silent once again.
Several long moments passed before she finally spoke.
"...Lucky."
The word escaped her lips almost absentmindedly.
A faint smile appeared.
Then...
Her smile slowly faded.
"...Lady Vera."
She murmured softly.
There wasn’t any resentment in her voice.
Only quiet envy.
She closed her eyes.
Not long afterward...
Sleep gradually carried her away.
At the same time...
Ezra remained alone inside the living room.
The room that had served as their practice hall only moments ago had finally returned to its original appearance.
Every chair.
Every table.
Every piece of furniture.
Had been returned to its proper place.
Ezra quietly stood in the center of the room.
His eyes slowly swept across the surroundings one final time, making sure nothing had been misplaced.
Everything appeared exactly as it should.
Yet...
He made no attempt to return to his room.
He simply remained standing there.
Silently.
His gaze drifted toward the empty space where he and Lucy had practiced earlier.
He already knew why he couldn’t bring himself to sleep immediately.
Ballroom dancing...
Had become another trigger.
Another key that quietly unlocked memories from his previous life.
Ever since he began practicing with Lucy...
His thoughts had repeatedly wandered back to that distant world.
Back...
To the life his past-self once lived.
Back...
To Claudia.
"...Ah."
A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
The sound echoed softly through the now empty living room.
I should buy those sleeping pills.
He made the decision silently.
Although his face remained as calm as ever...
The memories never truly left him untouched.
They weren’t merely memories.
They were regrets.
Old promises.
Dreams that had never been fulfilled.
No matter how much time passed...
Those invisible chains still wrapped themselves around his heart.
He could suppress them.
Ignore them.
Push them aside.
But he could never completely escape them.
"...Too many troublesome things."
Ezra quietly muttered to himself.
With one final glance around the living room...
He switched off the lights before calmly making his way toward his room.
There...
He freshened himself up for the night.
Then, carrying both the weight of the present and the regrets of a life that no longer existed...
He quietly went to sleep.
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