Cycle of Destiny

Chapter 29 Dance Invitation

After the goddess left, Harry lost his appetite, so he followed the sound of music and dance to the reception room.

Harry, dressed in his silver velvet suit, pushed open the heavy double wooden doors of the drawing room, and was immediately enveloped by the cacophony of noise and warm air.

The room was extremely spacious, with several enormous crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, and the glow of candlelight illuminating the space. The walls were covered with deep red brocade, and large portraits and hunting-themed tapestries hung on the walls.

There were about twenty guests in the reception room.

The men inside wore well-tailored suits with crisp white shirt collars, and many wore sashes of various colors or small star-shaped medals on their chests. The women's long dresses were also very elegant, with hems that trailed on the ground, and the pearls and gems on their necks and wrists shimmered slightly in the candlelight.

On one side of the room, a small orchestra consisting of violins, flutes, and cellos was playing. The melody was light and rhythmic, and about four or five couples danced to the music on the polished wooden floor in the center of the hall. The men's steps were measured, the women's skirts twirled, and the partners chatted quietly with smiles on their faces.

More guests stood in small groups along the walls, by the windows, or around the high tables where drinks were placed. They held slender crystal glasses, the liquid inside reflecting an amber or deep red luster. The conversation was a continuous, low-pitched hum, occasionally interrupted by a restrained chuckle or two.

The conversation seemed to revolve around recent hunting results, progress on castle renovations, and recent scandals in the capital.

The waiters, dressed in uniform dark-colored suits, moved silently through the crowd, carrying silver trays with empty wine glasses or small bone china dishes containing appetizers.

As Harry walked in, several pairs of eyes inadvertently swept over him, their eyes filled with doubt. They didn't seem to have seen this fat man at the dinner party earlier.

Harry saw some familiar faces from the Knights Academy, but they all turned away when they saw him, and Harry had no intention of going up to talk to them.

Harry stood in the doorway, his gaze sweeping across the entire reception room. People on the dance floor were in pairs, and small groups of people chatting with wine glasses had formed their own private circles.

Then he saw her—the woman sitting alone in a chair against the wall.

She was in her thirties, quite pretty, and wearing a deep blue floor-length gown. Harry noticed that she had no silver velvet trim or accessories, a distinctive feature among the guests tonight.

Her hair was neatly styled in a bun, her hands were folded neatly on her knees, and her gaze was directed toward the dance floor, but not truly focused. The chairs around her were all empty.

Harry barely hesitated, walking straight through the small groups of people chatting to the corner where she was. He could feel a few eyes following his movement, some with a hint of curiosity, but they quickly looked away.

He stopped in front of her and bowed slightly. "Good evening."

The woman seemed slightly startled and quickly looked up. Looking at Harry's silver velvet, her eyes appeared somewhat tense in the candlelight, but she quickly composed herself with a polite smile.

"Good evening, sir." Her voice was soft, with an effort to maintain composure.

"My name is Harry," he said simply, without giving his surname. "Beautiful lady, are you alone?"

"I'm Avril," she said, her fingers unconsciously tightening, a clear embarrassment in her voice. "I came with my husband. He... had something to take care of and left first."

Then, the prelude to the next dance began.

"Sitting alone in such a large living room isn't a good idea," he said calmly with a smile. "The music is lovely; I wonder if this beautiful lady would like to dance with me?"

A slight blush rose on Avril's cheeks, her brown eyes brightened, and her heart was filled with gratitude.

Harry extended his hand, palm up, in a natural yet formal gesture. "If you don't mind, Mrs. Avril?"

Avril looked at his hands, then looked up at him.

She didn't answer immediately, but her breathing seemed to ease a little. She gently placed her hand in his palm and stood up. "I'd be happy to, Mr. Harry."

Dancing is a basic course at the Knights Academy. Although Harry doesn't have the talent to become a knight and is overweight, he dances very lightly and with great rhythm.

They stepped onto the dance floor. Harry's guidance was steady and clear, not flashy, enough for Avril to keep up with the rhythm. But Avril's steps were noticeably hesitant.

She followed the basic dance steps meticulously, but her body was somewhat stiff, her arms were slightly tense, and her gaze was lowered, focused on avoiding mistakes. The dark blue skirt moved with a very small arc, showing deliberate control.

After a few bars, Harry slightly adjusted his posture, leading her through a smooth turn, and whispered, "You danced very well."

Avril glanced up at him, then quickly looked down at his shoulder.

"I have a great dance teacher," she said, her voice a little more relaxed than before. "Plus, I love dancing myself." As she finished speaking, her tense shoulders seemed to soften considerably, her steps were no longer so stiff, and her next follow-up step was noticeably smoother than before.

Another piece of music began, slightly faster in tempo. As Harry twirled her, the arc of her skirt spread out more gracefully than before.

As the music progressed, Harry began to talk to her about her dress, praising her for her excellent taste and how well the shawl suited her.

When she heard those words, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up in a smile. Her carefully prepared long dress and shawl had finally been discovered, and Avril was as happy as if she had eaten honey.

Her gaze began to naturally fall straight ahead, landing on Harry's shoulder, with occasional brief eye contact.

As she spun, her skirt billowed out completely, and her previously tense arms softened, revealing that she was beginning to follow rather than being passively guided. When the music reached a lively section, Harry led her through a slightly faster spin, which she completed flawlessly, completely relaxing.

The dance music entered a more melodious section, and the two dancers were already quite in sync.

Harry slowed his pace slightly, his gaze settling calmly on her face, and said, "It would be almost a sin to leave such a beautiful lady like you sitting alone to the side. I bet many men would like to ask you to dance, but they haven't dared to speak up for fear of being rejected. I, on the other hand, was bolder and thus won this opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Avril's cheeks visibly flushed, the color even spreading to her ears.

She knew Harry's compliment wasn't true, but receiving such praise still made her feel sweet inside.

As the song neared its end, it became noticeably more energetic, and at this point, Avril completely let loose, with a significant change in her dance steps.

She no longer simply followed, but began to anticipate the rhythm, and even actively cooperated with Harry's subtle hand gestures during a simple turn.

Her body language was completely relaxed, her back straight yet natural, her breathing in sync with the rhythm of her dance steps, and the deep blue silk shimmered with a soft sheen as she moved smoothly, as if she had merged into the music and the light and shadow of the dance floor.

As the piece ended, Avril was breathing softly, her breathing slightly faster from the exercise, her eyes were much brighter than before, and she had a smile on her face, her whole expression relaxed.

They talked a lot after that, about the weather, the castle decorations, music and dance. They also drank a lot of wine and danced a lot.

Harry then took her to a guest room upstairs. Avril had a great figure and a sweet smile, and with the added effect of alcohol, the two had a very pleasant time together.

But after a tender moment, Harry rudely kicked Avril out of the room.

Heartbroken, Avril left the castle and returned home in the middle of the night, just as her husband finished dealing with the fire and came home as well.

Seeing the sorrowful Avril, the young knight pressed his wife for an explanation for her tears.

In aristocratic society, having an affair was not a big deal, but I never expected to suffer such humiliation.

Avril was completely panicked at this point, and under her husband's persistent questioning, she blurted out the whole story.

The knight's anger was completely ignited. He had married Avril for the dowry that would help him return to aristocratic society. This marriage, with its significant age difference, had been criticized by many, but the two had overcome it together.

But today, she had someone else outside, and what angered him even more was that she was kicked out in the middle of the night.

He understood that keeping his wife at home at this time would only bring him shame and ridicule, so he decisively kicked her out of the house.