Chapter 56 | How to Not Get Executed as an Otome Game Villainess

—Weekend Holiday. Royal Grammar Academy—

Liliana had been feeling a bit troubled lately.

As everyone knew, the meeting held not long ago had discussed the arrangements for the Summer Ball. However, official regulations and written notices would only be made public once they were posted. Thus, the moment the announcement went up, Liliana immediately ran to read it.

And that was how she got this headache.

On the bulletin board in front of the student council office, a sheet of parchment with a gilded border had been posted, written in beautiful, ornate calligraphy:

“Summer Ball: Starry Night”

“Date: June 15th”

“Location: Academy Grand Ballroom”

“Notes: All student council members are required to participate in the opening dance.”

Although much was left out since it was intended only for student council members, these few words were absolutely terrifying to Liliana!

The opening dance!

All student council members!

These words struck Liliana's mind like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes widened into perfect circles, her lips parted slightly, and she froze on the spot as if under a petrification spell.

She was just a commoner; she had no idea how to dance.

Usually, she exhausted herself just secretly studying etiquette to avoid being looked down upon. Having to dance in front of everyone was an immense challenge.

If her close friend Fiona hadn't checked on her in the dormitory last night and offered to help her practice, she probably would have been completely at a loss.

...

—Last Night. Dormitory—

“Liliana? What's wrong?”

Fiona walked over from the end of the corridor, cradling a stack of textbooks in her arms. Seeing Liliana standing in front of her room looking thoroughly distressed, Fiona tilted her head in confusion.

“...The ball.”

Liliana's voice was listless.

“What about the ball?” Fiona, of course, knew about the arrangements for the Summer Ball. To nobles, such events were perfectly normal; they would celebrate almost anything, even the planet completing another orbit around its star.

“I have to dance,” Liliana groaned, clutching her head in frustration.

“Well, a ball is for dancing, after all.”

“But... I don't know how to dance.”

Fiona blinked, finally realizing what the distress was all about, and burst into a giggle.

“Is that all? I thought it was something major!” She stepped forward and patted Liliana on the shoulder. “If you don't know how, just learn! It's not that hard. Sarah and I can teach you.”

Liliana whipped her head around to look at her, but after a moment of hesitation, she lowered her gaze self-consciously.

“But... I don't even know the most basic steps...”

“You're so smart when it comes to exams. Dancing isn't hard at all.”

“Won't it be too much trouble for you?”

“What trouble? We're close friends, aren't we?”

Honestly, why was Liliana always so afraid of troubling others? Fiona had borrowed her notes to copy plenty of times already; their bond was more than strong enough.

At that thought, Fiona patted her chest with one hand and smiled. “Don't worry, leave it to us! Sarah has been learning court dancing since she was a child. I might not be as professional as her, but teaching you the basics won't be a problem at all.”

And so, the worry of this weekend holiday was born.

Prac. ti. cing. dan. cing.

...

In the southeast corner of the academy stood an inconspicuous, off-white building.

This was the practice hall dedicated to student activities like etiquette and dancing. Inside were several large rooms with wooden floors, full-length mirrors mounted on the walls, and magical ceiling lights that could simulate different lighting conditions for various occasions.

Fiona had reserved a small practice room.

Though it was called small, it was actually the size of a standard classroom. Mirrors on three of the walls reflected the space into infinity, and the wooden floors were polished to a brilliant sheen, letting out a soft creak whenever shoes pressed against the wood.

“This place is nice,” Sarah said, nodding with satisfaction as she pushed the door open and looked around.

Today, she had her long blonde hair pinned up, revealing her fair and slender neck. She wore a pale blue dress with a hemline just above her knees and low-heeled court shoes—clearly prepared specifically for dancing.

Fiona, on the other hand, was dressed in neat casual clothes, her dark brown hair tied into a high ponytail that made her look full of energy.

“By the way, Liliana, what kind of shoes are you wearing?” Fiona asked.

Liliana looked down at her feet—she was wearing a pair of ordinary flat leather shoes with soles that were already worn somewhat thin.

Most of her money went toward her living expenses and food, so she had to skimp on clothing and appearances.

Furthermore, she had even taken a day off from her part-time job at the cafe to practice dancing today, which meant losing more money... She hadn't dared to spend any of the money Miss Loris had given her either, fearing that if Loris wanted it back one day and she couldn't pay, she would have no choice but to offer herself to make up for it. After all, that sum was simply too valuable.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Fiona, who asked again.

“Liliana?—_”

“Ah, uh... are these shoes no good?”

“You can dance in them, but they don't fit securely enough,” Sarah said calmly as she walked over and knelt down to inspect the shoes. “Besides, the soles are too flat. You'll slip easily when spinning.”

“Then what should I do?” Liliana asked nervously.

Sarah thought for a moment, then took off her dance shoes and handed them over. “Why don't you try mine first? I brought an extra pair.”

Liliana accepted the shoes, deeply flattered. She really wanted to decline, but since Sarah insisted that she had come today specifically to help her practice, all her attempts to refuse ended in failure.

Next—

Fiona stood in front of Liliana with her hands on her hips, looking like a strict little instructor.

“First, the most basic posture,” she said. “Keep your back straight, relax your shoulders—don't shrug— and tilt your chin up slightly. But not too high; you're not sniffing the ceiling.”

Liliana tried her best to adjust her posture according to the instructions, but it felt awkward no matter what she did.

“Too stiff,” Sarah commented from the sidelines. Sitting nearby in only her white cotton socks, she shook her head.

“Relax a bit.”

Fiona had no choice but to demonstrate, moving as nimbly as Ip Man practicing Wing Chun. “Separate your feet shoulder-width apart, put your weight on the balls of your feet, and bend your knees slightly—haha, don't lock them! Yes, just like that.”

With burning cheeks, Liliana followed suit, but her reflection in the mirror still looked like a tightly wound string.

“Let's learn the steps first,” Sarah suggested from the side. “The opening dance at a ball is usually a waltz, which has a three-step cycle.”

At this, Fiona nodded and began to demonstrate.

“Watch me first.”

Unlike a commoner like Liliana, even if Fiona's family wasn't exceptionally wealthy, she had still received the upbringing of a noble lady.

Her steps were so light she seemed to be walking on clouds, her skirt swaying gently with her movements as if she were being carried by the music itself.

Sarah kept the beat on the side, softly humming a tune.

Liliana watched in a daze, struck by the sheer beauty of the dance... It was gorgeous.

Would she ever be able to do that?

The dance ended.

“So beautiful...” Liliana murmured, completely captivated.

“Once you learn, you'll look just as beautiful,” Fiona said with a smile, wiping a light bead of sweat from her forehead. She stopped and extended her hand. “Come on! I'll guide you through it once!”

—Who would have thought that the heroine's very first dance would be taken by her good friend Fiona.

Liliana nodded and took a deep breath. Following the noble etiquette she had been taught, she gently placed her hand into Fiona's palm.

Her palm was slightly sweaty and ice-cold.

Ballroom dancing was split into male and female steps.

Liliana danced the female steps.

“Don't be nervous,” Fiona said, squeezing her hand and placing her other hand on Liliana's shoulder blade. “Just follow my rhythm. Count: one, two, three; one, two, three.”

“One, two, three—one, two, three—”

But Liliana kept her head down, staring intently at her own feet, terrified of stepping on Fiona's.

“Don't look at your feet,” Fiona said, caught between amusement and exasperation. “Look at my shoulders, or look at yourself in the mirror.”

“But if I don't look, I'll step on you...”

“You're looking at them right now, and you've already stepped on me,” Fiona said, unable to hold back her laughter.

Liliana looked down—her left foot was indeed stepping squarely on Fiona's right foot.

“Ah!” Liliana instantly flushed red. “I'm so sorry! Does it hurt—_”

She hurriedly pulled her foot back, lost her balance, and fell backward—

“!”

Seeing this, Sarah's brow twitched. She rushed over in a few quick steps and caught Liliana by the waist.

The three of them froze in an incredibly contorted position. Liliana's left hand was still clutching Fiona's hand, and her waist was caught by Sarah. Her upper body was bent backward, almost parallel to the floor, and her light pink hair fell downward, its tips brushing the floor.

“...”

A three-second silence ensued.

Then, all three of them burst into laughter at the same time.

“Hahaha—” Fiona laughed uproariously.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—” Liliana apologized, her face turning even redder in embarrassment.

“It's fine. It's always like this the first time,” Sarah said gently.

Either way, laughter echoed through the practice room.

Unfortunately, just as they were doubling over with laughter, the practice room door was suddenly pushed open.

“—!”

The three of them froze instantly.

Liliana scrambled to steady herself from her near-fall as quickly as possible. Fumbling to tidy her hair and skirt, her face was frozen in an awkward, flustered expression.

But when she saw who had entered, she was completely taken aback.

Four people stood at the doorway.

Walking at the very front was Meretskov, the student council Secretary. He had short, emerald-green hair, and his eyes curved slightly behind his silver-rimmed glasses, a warm smile playing at the corners of his lips.

He had probably heard the girls' cheerful laughter from outside.

“Pardon the intrusion.”

“Secretary Meretskov!” Liliana gasped in panic. She didn't quite know why she was so flustered, but it was likely because her embarrassing side had been witnessed.

He was holding a stack of documents in his hand, looking as though he had come here on official business.

Behind the Secretary stood Isabel von Mecklinger.

Isabel wore a long-sleeved white shirt underneath a light gray knit cardigan, paired with a dark blue maxi skirt. She looked like a delicate white flower that needed careful protection.

Her complexion was as pale as ever, but she seemed to be in good spirits. Her deep blue eyes shimmered slightly when she saw Liliana, and she waved.

Liliana waved back somewhat stiffly.

In addition to the student council executives, there was a group of committee members.

Just as Liliana was wondering what they were doing here, she spotted Miss Loris among the group.

As always, she walked with her eyes straight ahead and an elegant, composed stride, as if this practice room were her private domain and she had merely happened to drop by for an inspection.

Her pale gold drills swayed gently behind her. The dark blue Magic Department uniform she wore always looked like a custom-tailored gown on her, its silver trim at the collar buttoned up impeccably.

Her gaze swept across the room and landed on Liliana, lingering for only a fraction of a second before turning away.

Beside her was Waldenburg, who carried a faint, dead-inside aura.

Leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, his short black hair was somewhat messy, and his dark gray eyes were half-closed, looking just as he usually did.

The newly replaced iron sword at his waist—his previous sword had been shattered by Loris a month ago, so he had gotten a similarly styled replacement—clinked lightly against the doorframe.

Four individuals with four distinct presences were now packed into this small practice room.

The air suddenly grew a bit tense.

“Ah... Senior Meretskov...” Fiona was the first to react, bowing hastily. “Classmate Isabel... Miss Loris... Classmate Waldenburg...”

Sarah bowed as well, her movements elegant and proper.

Liliana was a step behind. After all, she was also a student council member, but she hadn't expected them to be on some sort of private activity without letting her know...

For some reason, she felt a little left out.

“No need to be nervous,” Meretskov's voice was as soothing as water. “We've only come to reserve several spaces for the student council's freshmen to practice social dancing. After all, some of the newcomers have never witnessed such grand ceremonies in the Royal Capital, so they might feel anxious.”

“That's why every year before the Summer Ball, the student council provides convenient spaces for our committee members due to official needs.”

Translated, it meant: they had indeed taken into account people like Liliana who couldn't dance, which was why they were renting out these rooms for practice. It was just that someone as completely clueless as her was a rarity among nobles.

This was probably why they hadn't invited Liliana.

After all, she was the one who needed to practice.

Secretary Meretskov paused after speaking, his gaze circling the room before finally settling on Liliana.

“Are you practicing your dancing?”

Liliana's face flushed crimson in an instant.

“...Yes,” she squeaked in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. “I... I don't know how to dance... so I wanted Fiona and Sarah to teach me...”

“I see,” Meretskov nodded slightly. “You certainly need to prepare ahead of time for the Summer Ball, especially for the opening dance. Everyone will be watching then.”

Liliana blushed even deeper.

Of course she knew everyone would be watching.

Just the thought of potentially making a fool of herself in front of the entire academy's faculty and students, not to mention the nobles, made her wish she could sink into the floor.

“But there's no need to worry too much,” Meretskov's tone remained gentle. “The waltz isn't difficult. Once you master the basic steps and rhythm, the rest is just practice.”

He looked around and noted that they were all girls. This wasn't particularly ideal for a waltz, which required male-female coordination, as a male partner's height would play a significant role during the actual dance.