“Three days left until the party, so why don’t we start practicing the dance today, after you finish work?”
Strangely enough, I kept unintentionally mistaking this blue-haired girl in front of me for Tina, showing her the only gentleness I have.
Whether it was her personality, the tone of her voice, or her indulgence towards me, everything felt so familiar—just like before, making Lia unable to pull herself away.
Lia began to wonder if there really was a kind of magic in this world that could bring people back from the dead or even switch bodies.
Otherwise, how could someone appear who was exactly like Tina on the inside?
“Hmm—alright, I’ll come find you after work. I’ll bring Eileen along too.”
“Good, then I won’t keep you.” After Tina agreed, Lia was as joyful as a child who just got a new toy.
She now had to return to the inn to tidy up her room, then prepare tonight’s dance practice routine and teach Tina to quickly become a qualified dancer from scratch.
There wasn’t much time. It was obviously impossible for Tina to be as skilled as me, but as long as she could perform simple steps at the ball without making mistakes, that would be enough.
On her way back to the inn, Lia ran into the Grand Sage who was just about to head downstairs.
Everett first greeted Lia with the proper courtesy between monarch and minister, then noticed the uncontrollable smile on Lia’s face and asked thoughtfully, “Your Majesty seems in a good mood today. Has that young lady reconciled with you?”
“How do you know?”
“That’s easy to guess. Very few things can move you so deeply. That young lady, she still has such a kind heart.”
Everett’s words held a hidden meaning, making Lia wonder, “Did you know her before?”
“Just a brief encounter, nothing more. But I believe she’ll become a good friend to Your Majesty.”
“Oh, right.” Lia suddenly remembered an important question. “Everett, do you know of any magic that can change a person’s appearance?”
“Oh? What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
“Um… I’m just curious.”
Lia could never hide her feelings where romance was concerned. Everett immediately saw through what she wanted to ask.
“Of course there is. There are many magics in this world, existing in forms beyond Your Majesty’s imagination. Even the dead might be revived, let alone something as simple as changing one’s skin.”
He paused before adding, “That said, rather than testing a person who’s deliberately hiding themselves through various magic, it’s better to start with the little details—habits are hard to change.”
Everett felt his hint was clear enough. He neither directly revealed Tina’s secret nor betrayed Lia. Such complications always arise between two estranged parties.
“In any case, discerning the truth requires the heart. When you have doubts, that usually means there’s something wrong.”
“I understand.”
Lia suddenly grasped the truth. He was right—it’s not just an empty shell with the same appearance that determines whether someone is truly themselves, but their soul and memories.
As long as the inner self is exactly the same, no matter how the outside changes or contrasts, it’s still the same person.
She began recalling Tina’s habits and reactions to plan a test for tonight.
***
Evening came, and the café had just seen off its last customer.
Tina stretched and called out to Eileen, who was lying on the table blowing bubbles.
“Hm, hm? Is it over?” Eileen was so deep asleep she seemed oblivious to everything, drooling all over her hands.
Tina held her forehead. “You’re here to accompany me, but don’t slack off just because you’re wearing that outfit. Where have you seen a staff member sleep better than the manager?”
“Hehe, at least the manager hasn’t kicked me out.”
Shy, stuttering, and mumbling in her sleep, Eileen was quite cute. If she weren’t so charming even while asleep, she would’ve been kicked out long ago.
“Come on, time to get down to business.”
As soon as Eileen heard where they were going, she suddenly woke up, switching into battle mode in an instant, confidently saying, “Don’t worry, with me here, I won’t let that woman harm you in the slightest.”
“You don’t have to act like I’m an enemy…”
If possible, Tina hoped the two of them could get along peacefully.
Not long after, in the inn room, Tina and Eileen arrived to meet Lia, who had been waiting for some time.
The queen wore a gorgeous purple gown, her hair tied up, giving her a striking appearance.
She had already cleared space and time for dance practice, enough to dance with Tina without interruption.
“No need to dress like that, right? It’s just practice.” Tina thought it was a bit over the top.
But Lia disagreed.
“Dancing needs to look the part. If you only wear casual clothes, it doesn’t feel right. But I won’t force you—you can wear whatever you’re comfortable in. Just make sure to wear a proper gown on the day of the performance.”
Tina was quite satisfied with that.
“No time to waste, let’s start now.”
“Well then, please follow my instructions.”
Lia stepped in front of Tina, keeping a proper distance, standing side by side.
Her right hand gently rested on Tina’s waist, left hand raised to chest level.
“Umm, what do I do?” Tina, who had lived so long without ever dancing a partner dance, felt a little at a loss.
“Place your hand on my shoulder. When I move forward, you move backward.”
Lia pulled Tina’s left hand over, placing it on her right shoulder, then stepped forward with her left foot, causing Tina’s right foot to step back.
“Once we start, move forward officially.”
Lia stepped forward with her right foot, shifting her weight, while her left hand guided Tina.
But Tina didn’t catch on and got stepped on, unable to hold back a shout, “Ouch, ouch, ouch!”
“Be more careful. I move my left foot first, then the right.” Lia explained the sequence of her movements.
The second time, Tina followed well, keeping pace in time.
“Then you take the initiative to step backward with your right foot, gently push me with your left hand.”
Tina did as told, maintaining distance. Lia’s left foot followed, standing side by side again.
“Very good. Last is the spin.”
Lia exerted force with her right hand, spinning Tina along. Tina followed the momentum but spun too much, getting dizzy and tripping her left foot over the right.
“Eh, eh, eh, eh?”
Dizzy and disoriented, Tina’s head started falling toward the floor.
Fortunately, before hitting the ground, Lia caught her steadily. A strange sense of safety flooded Tina’s heart, completely dispelling her fear of falling.
“Umm, thank you.”
“How is it? Pretty simple, right? Basic forward, backward, and spins. Just keep repeating them.” Lia asked from behind.
“Not bad, but… could you let go of me first?”
Tina noticed Lia’s hands wandering again.
Lia cleared her throat twice, pretending nothing happened. “If you want to learn more after this, I can teach you. Carrying, lifting, anything.”
“Dream on!”
Just with this dance, Lia was already making advances nonstop. If they kept going, who knew where it would lead.
“I’ll just master this one.”
“Alright, then let’s continue.”
Eileen watched the two repeat the steps until their coordination was quite smooth and fell into thought.
What exactly was she here for?
What if she suddenly didn’t want to watch anymore?