"You are too, silly!" Myu teased.

The door closed in front of her and I was left completely dumbstruck in the hallway. WAIT A MINUTE HELL NO-

It was almost like being kidnapped in a horror movie, or so it felt that way as a handful of servants in the mansion just about dragged me into a bright room and began to undress me without my say.

This is no fair!! I don't wanna get all dressed up!! I take back what I said about going to the ball!!!

There wasn't much I could do about it but by God did I feel angry and nervous and downright ashamed. I'm sure this is normal for royalty and servants, but being in my... natural element... isn't exactly my forte.

I could almost see myself heat up as they removed my undergarments and I was completely naked. After living for so long as someone with a uh, extremity hanging from the nether region, it almost made the ordeal of being so exposed like this feel worse.

And I couldn't cross my legs, either, because two maids were already getting to work scrubbing at my legs and arms, while a third, who had a slightly different uniform, seemed mildly upset at me in particular. I suppose it's fair to expect that even the staff of this mansion would despise me like most everyone else does.

Nevertheless, she did her job, beginning by putting a corset over me after my torso was scrubbed. My shaky and watery eyes widened as it was tightened, and I took note of exactly how they tightened it so I would know how to undo it the split second I'm away from them.

None of us said a word, which was almost the worst part about it, because I know they were thinking things, especially the third maid, about all the marks spanning my whole body. I looked like an abstract painting.

They put on black pantyhose, then tight, white leggings that went higher than my knees. That alone was startling, to say the least, but then they put on this long, cream-colored pouf-gown, in a way plain and simple, yet also extremely elegant. You get it right?

The maids got to work on my hair, adding some extensions, doing my makeup (something I've never had done), and then putting on black heels. I felt like a whole new person, in honestly a good way. I hate how much I was enjoying getting all dressed up like this. I'm not the flashy type at all, but presented the opportunity I guess it feels really good.

Lastly, they showed me what I looked like in the mirror.

I...

I'm speechless.

I didn't know where to put my eyes or how to react or what to say or how to thank these servants, which I didn't even get the opportunity to do because they bowed and left anyways.

My mouth was just left wide open. I looked so... elegant. I was beautiful. Somehow so physically young and small yet looking like a woman. For the first time since entering this body, I didn't just accept the way I looked, I embraced it - in fact adored it. I wanted to reach through the mirror and give myself a hug.

To be honest, I felt like crying.

How am I supposed to react to looking so amazing?

The door opened and I wasn't even startled. In came Lasory, who had a little makeup and a dashing green long-vested tailcoat. His face was bright and lit up as he looked at me, and without hesitation, he ran towards me and picked me up in the air, which was startling, yet pure at the same time.

This heartful doctor spun me around in the air just the same as I'd seen him do with Myu before, his face gleaming and red with joy as he chuckled and shouted out like a father does with his children. He kind of reminded me of my own dad when he was alive.

Not that I see him that way, but it was sweet. I wasn't used to feeling this happy and carefree, but I couldn't complain either.

After Lasory put me down, his face twitched and he reached into his pocket, seeming to remember something in it, and withdrew a pair of thin-framed, round glasses, offering them to me.

I was completely shook. There's just no way all of these things are being done for me.

Reaching out for the gift, I realized I made one grave miscalculation: I'm in heels. I have never been in heels. I do not know how to walk in heels.

My foot twisted and I slipped over myself with an "oop-". To honestly not even my surprise, Lasory caught me, and I simply just laughed.

I laughed! I'm laughing!

And the best part: I can finally fricking see!! AAHHH I could jump out of my skin with joy and honestly do a happy dance and all be damned if anyone saw!

Oh shoot. Dancing. The ball. The KING!!

With a fresh dose of nerves, Lasory led me to Myu, who was in a gown similar to mine, though sparkly and far more elegant, and matched the deep purple of her hair. She was equally ecstatic about her own and my looks, but of course couldn't help but laugh as she sniffed out my fear of the ball.

"You'll do great," she and Lasory cheered in unison. Miss Ayami joined us, too, though wearing her standard servant's uniform. "My family is nice, I promise."

We followed a hall - while I was a stumbling mess who did not know how to be in these shoes - to the ballroom, which was huge and already bustling with fancily-dressed people. At its end was a platform a couple inches above the rest of the ground, where three tables trimmed more delicately than the rest were sat at by four or five people, one of which had horns on his head.

There's a demon in the mansion? I mean I know not to be prejudiced and all but I couldn't help being at least a little apprehensive with him just sitting there looking like he could snap me in half with one of his eyelashes and yet smiling and laughing with the others at the tables.

The instant that the people in the ballroom noticed us, all chatter completely stopped and everyone immediately faced us and bowed.

Wait guys I'm not- I'm not royalty-

Stolen novel; please report.

What- what am I supposed to do with all of them bowing at me? Isn't it like, treason to accept a bow meant for royalty? Or something?

In a fit of panic, I decided to turn around and bow myself, so I turned and bent over, only to then realize that I actually have no idea how to bow, much less in a gown and heels, and wound up toppling over completely and knocking Myu over with me.

I just froze. Yep that's the best option. Don't move and they'll think the fall killed me. In fact, I just won't breathe either. Yeah that sounds right.

Everyone was still totally silent and definitely staring right at me. There were even a few gasps from among the crowd, and I heard someone stand up. A whimper-like noise came from Myu, and I grew a second stomach just to have two stomachs sinking. Did I hurt her??

She raised her hand up, then her noise grew to a long shriek that petrified me and left me completely mortified.

At least until it then became a cackling hyena laugh. She sat up, her face already red and eyes beginning to water as she burst out in a fit of the loudest, most obnoxious laughter I've ever heard.

"HahahahaHAAHAHAAAAAAAA LYD-" she cut herself off with more laughter. "LYDIA!! That's not how you bowww silllyyy~"

She kept laughing and laughing while I still sat there frozen in place, wondering if this was some kind of trick or setup or if at this point I was just straight up dreaming.

But no, even Lasory chuckled a little, and a few stifled laughs circled the room. So maybe I won't die?

I'm a total goof either way.

~

The ball went on as normal after that, and people just chalked it up to a small child being as a small child is and being clumsy. I'm sure it helped that my face had enough makeup on it to completely cover its scars.

That much I can thank the maid who definitely wasn't happy to be dolling me up for.

Myu socialized with a handful of people while I snacked on a plate of rai nuts (they're quickly becoming my favorite snack and quite frankly a guilty pleasure) that I had to have Lasory crack for me because I still don't know how to.

I can't say that even with all the people and (quite lovely) music, I was feeling stressed. I really wasn't. Sitting on the sidelines and eating snacks while spending more time ogling over myself than anything or anyone else in the room was pretty nice.

Lasory and Myu had a small and mildly goofy dance, and so far that was most of the life of the party.

I say party because for the most part, there wasn't a lot of formality to this "ball." It was really just a social event, more or less the same as you would expect of a wedding party or work function or something like that. People talked and reconnected and there were a few dances, but not quite in the formal sense.

The music was laid back, and while extremely authentic - much more so than could ever be heard on Earth, it wasn't anything crazy.

Now I tell you all of this and set this quite lax scene for a very specific reason. Perhaps you're the smart cookie that I am not, and you know damn well that if author-senpai is describing all of this calm scenery, it's probably not going to remain calm scenery.

A young adult, but a very independent and extroverted-looking one nonetheless, stood and gave a speech. She was Laurie, whom I remembered to be Myu's older sister.

It was for Kino, about how his coming-of-age was the turning page for the kingdom of Sakari. She said they would be using this event as an opportunity to fortify their relations with other kingdoms, like Vira, which would gain them economic and intellectual strength.

Obviously, there were a lot more politics and important royal jabble involved, but you know me and how, well, not political or important royal jabble I am. What I do know is the entire room burst forth and cheered when her speech concluded, and this Laurie then followed with a much, much more formal dance with the demon I saw earlier.

As soon as the demon stood, the mood in the whole room changed, and it was announced before the start of this artful waltz that he was her father. That means... he's Myu's father. So then... he's King Lockwood.

Sakari's king is a demon. That was both surprising and not surprising at the same time.

And boy did they know how to dance. It was a slow, thoughtful performance, where they both smiled, yet intense focus and concentration lay within their deep gazes. It was inspiring to me, though at the same time just a little defeating since I could never put on a dance so amazing.

After their dance concluded (and the ensuing applause), the atmosphere became much more formal. Cake was brought out, as was champagne and fuller food that wasn't just snacks, and the music became more thoughtful and romantic.

The king sat down and people would gradually approach him throughout the night, offering gifts, asking for dances (which were politely declined) and talking with him briefly. I got my own share of attention shortly after, though, when a rather short, young man sat next to me. He had fluffy, light pink hair that quite frankly just reminded me of cotton candy.

"Hiding from the crowd, too?" His voice had a rich maturity to it that totally didn't fit his appearance, but it wasn't like a deep croon, more so a confident elegance.

His outfit and appearance, and comment about hiding from the crowd tipped me off immediately as to who he was: the man of the hour. Myu said the other night that her brother, Kino Sakari, was the antisocial type.

Fantastic! I've connected those dots. Now what the hell is he doing next to me???

"Why are you hiding from the crowd of your own party...? Um... sir..." I wasn't sure how to address the literal prince of the kingdom. It's not like we had the same relationship that I have with his younger sister.

"It would be a much better party if it was our party though," he said with a sly smirk as he took my hand and held it, now standing in front of me.

I was about a tenth of a second away from asking what that was supposed to mean before I realized... I'm being hit on. I'm technically a dude and I'm getting hit on by a dude!

So why the fuck does it still have me so completely dazed?!

I could barely form a response, and I was completely steaming like a kettle. I'm a guy I'm a guy I'm a guy I'm a guy I'm a guy I'M A GUY!

Kino could tell he had me on the ropes and in his reins, because he, literally, swept me up, grabbing me by the back of my waist and moving me along to the center of the crowd.

I was totally panicked, but that was nothing next to the ethereal wonder that his illustrious, Myu-colored eyes gave me as he kept his hand at my waist and my hand in his other, smiling warmly as he too seemed a little nervous, but far less so than me.

"I should have asked sooner, but would you grace me with this dance, my lady?"

Okay ladies, you can safely ignore this part. Fellas, is it gay to want to fuck a man? And by that I mean spend my life with him?

Everyone gave us some space while the musicians transitioned to a much more heartfelt piece.

I slowly nodded while trying to conceal my panic, and Kino began to move slowly, sensing that I was newer to dancing.

All I could do was just look into his eyes. I was too shy to look at any other part of him or his face, and I was far too terrified to look anywhere else but him because then I would realize that the entire ball had stopped to look at us go.

I followed along with his movement to the best of my ability, but cursed at myself for having only taken two dancing lessons. Had I known this was happening I would have practiced day in and out. But of course this had to be some sort of omen. Foreshadowing and all.

Keeping time to this music was much different than keeping time to the simple violin and my instructor's clapping, much less when every muscle and joint I have is using an entirely different mind to operate, and it's clearly not mine and clearly not doing its job.

I nearly tripped a few times, and my panic and heart rate only increased when I realized how out of time and out of step I was.

From a few feet behind me, somebody started clapping. It was in a rhythm. Myu! Oh you lifesaver! I'll cringe over how embarrassing that is later! Right now, this was the one thing stopping me from being a total failure, if I haven't done that already.

So, the prince and I had our dance, and Myu's clapping slowly faded as I became lost in this art, subconsciously moving along to the music as even the musicians seemed to join in on this dance, all of us knowing deep within exactly what would come next in each moment.

He spun me and pulled me close and held me at arm's length, but never at a single point during our dance did his eyes leave mine. The fact that I was in heels, my antisocial, limelight-rejecting nature, my inexperience with dancing - none of those things seemed to matter now. I was just moving. Or perhaps, Kino was such a good dancer that he made it impossible for me not to be.

Whatever the case, we had a wonderful dance that ended in MAJOR applause. Even during that, his eyes stayed locked with mine.

Can someone um... can someone please explain what just happened?