Following Kishiar's solemn yet playful command, Nathan Zuckerman hoisted the violin he had been holding onto his shoulder. One would not expect someone who usually wielded a sword to look at ease with a musical instrument. Yet, he appeared surprisingly stable and proficient.

Upon seeing this, Yuder looked on pensively, prompting Kishiar to break into a smile.

"Surprised? I asked Nathan to accompany me because it seemed the most convenient."

Yuder responded with a slight nod of his head, saying nothing.

"Don't worry about it. I taught him, so there's no need for a lot of direction. I asked him to accompany me in practice because he plays better than most musicians, even though he doesn’t usually perform."

"You personally taught Sir Zuckerman the violin?"

"Yes."

"You claimed it would help with sword training?"

At this, Nathan Zuckerman, bow in hand, quietly sighed before responding. "As it turns out, he only taught me because he didn't like practicing alone."

"What kind of grumbling is that? Playing the violin helps build arm strength and fine-tunes the pressure you exert with your hands," Kishiar replied, unashamedly.

In truth, Yuder was not particularly surprised that Nathan Zuckerman had come to help with the music. Something similar had happened in his past life when he was learning to dance from Kishiar. However, the atmosphere then had been far less amicable, and he had never learned why Nathan Zuckerman had been taught the violin. He hadn't had the luxury to be amazed that Nathan could play.

'And for some reason, Nathan seems less troubled now than he did then.'

Although Nathan had just found out that the man who would be his Lord’s dance partner was in good health, his expression seemed surprisingly stable. His gaze, though a bit complicated, was just that and nothing more.

'Did he hear something from Kishiar before I arrived?'

"Shall we take our places then? Take off your overcoat and come this way."

Having already shed his overcoat, Kishiar stood in an empty space he had cleared by pushing aside a sofa and table. Yuder removed his overcoat and took a deep breath.

The purpose of today's gathering was not primarily for dance lessons. Kishiar had asked him if he could dance to some extent after mentioning a plan to change his dance partner at the party, to which Yuder had responded that he could do as much as was needed.

'As much as is needed, huh? I wonder what that entails.'

Kishiar hadn’t asked whether Yuder had learned to dance before, from whom, or to what extent. He had simply arranged this session to gauge Yuder’s 'as much as needed' level of dance.

"Traditionally, nobles prefer dancing to 'Rancha,' a four-beat style of music at their parties. It's slow-paced, so many people can dance at once without creating a cacophonous atmosphere."

Facing Yuder, Kishiar assumed a dance posture as if with an unseen partner and demonstrated a few simple steps. Even dancing alone, without music, he looked adept enough that the notion of it being ridiculous never entered one's mind.

"But I’ve chosen a piece in the 'Avitan' style for our first dance. Can you guess why?"

Rancha was a dance form traditionally favored by nobles, while Avitan was a style that originated and developed among commoners.

In a time unimaginable now, but years later seemingly eternal, the popularity of Rancha would wane. The young nobles, weary of the repeated natural disasters, would find greater stimulation and pleasure in the allure of Avitan.

But for now, choosing Avitan even before such a time had come...

"Is it because of the origin of the dance? I assume it's easier for the members to learn than Rancha."

"That's part of it. But the reason I choose Avitan is that it originally includes a dance form performed by two men."

Kishiar shifted his posture. Unlike during Rancha, his arm that held an invisible partner had risen much higher. At his subtle gesture, Nathan Zuckerman lifted his bow onto the violin.

As the music started, Kishiar began to dance. His movements were much faster than before, but there was not a hint of faltering. Yuder, who was quietly observing him, suddenly realized who the invisible partner dancing with him was.

It was himself.

"What do you think?"

The dance ended all too quickly, leaving Kishiar seemingly unfazed as he asked. Yuder responded, slower than usual.

"It's different from the Avitan I knew."

"Well, it's a form danced by two men, so it would be."

Kishiar chuckled.

"The history of Avitan is longer and broader than you think. Hundreds of years ago, the dance that became the prototype of Avitan was performed in the imperial palace. The name isn't explicitly stated in the records, but it's a pretty credible guess that the dance the Emperor performed in the early days of the Orr dynasty was based on this form."

And so, Kishiar had arranged for Avitan to be performed at the imperial palace party based on such historical records.

"Anyway, Avitan is more favored in other countries right now. Even in the northern part of the Empire, unless it's a large-scale party, Avitan is usually the dance of choice. There's no reason for the palace to consider it taboo. Especially when we've been granted the first song choice."

"..."

"So, are you up for it?"

Yuder looked at the hand extended to him with a smile.

In his past life, Kishiar had taught him both Rancha and Avitan, but only the dances for men. He had never mentioned that there was a form danced by two men.

'I wouldn't have bothered to learn it even if I'd known then...'

Dances between people of the same gender typically happened among commoners who had become boisterously drunk. Even then, it was just random, unstructured movements for the most part. It was unimaginable to dance such a dance at an elegant party of nobles.

"Where did you even find out that this exists?"

"When I first learned to dance, my teacher was quite the eccentric."

Kishiar replied in a mischievous tone.

"After mastering all the female dance forms in just one day, I impressed the Emperor... well, he was the first prince back then. He was so pleased that he taught me this form as well. Apparently, it used to be danced among close friends, but it had almost disappeared, preserved only among those learning it."

"..."

"The late Emperor and Empress were quite astounded, of course."

His added comment was astonishing in its own right.

Although he had said he could do as much as necessary, this was unexpected. Yuder let out a small sigh as he grasped Kishiar's hand.

"...I suppose I'll have to learn this anew."

Kishiar responded with a satisfied smile, having gotten the answer he wanted.

"Is that so? What a shame. Then shall we start from the beginning?"

Yuder took Kishiar's hand and placed his other hand between his back and waist, as instructed. Kishiar assumed the same position.

Nathan Zuckerman began to play once more, following Kishiar's eye signal.

"Fundamentally, it's the same as the conventional Avitan. It's just that the sensation of two people's movements interlocking is somewhat different."

Kishiar moved his foot, pulling Yuder's hand. The basic steps were similar to what he had already known. The main difference was that when both moved together, many parts had to mesh equally.

If both had executed the traditional male steps at the same time, their bodies would have continually clashed. However, moving as Kishiar led and taught, those moments were surprisingly smooth. It felt like two blocks, which you wouldn't have expected to fit, meshed incredibly well.

Moving like this, the sensual and stimulating atmosphere that the traditional Avitan held vanished, replaced by new sensations that hadn't been there before.

This was possible because Kishiar was leading Yuder so well.

"See? It's not as difficult as you thought, right?"

After circling the office a few times and Yuder's movements had become somewhat smoother, Kishiar whispered in his ear.

Unconsciously, Yuder looked up at Nathan Zuckerman, who was in the midst of his performance. The dutiful knight was emotionlessly focusing only on the tip of his bow.

"...Yes. It is easier than I thought."

"If you had only learned the male steps before, this will be a unique opportunity. Enjoy it."

Yuder almost stumbled for a moment before asking softly,

"...Couldn't I have also learned the female steps?"