Last Gun Alchemist

At the section where the Duke of Galehart stood…

“I will take the last Dance Core.”

Duchess Mira Galehart spoke calmly, her gaze resting on her husband.

“Why would I let you take that Core? You take the second, and I will take the last Dance Core.”

The First Duchess of Galehart refused, making her own suggestion about how they should arrange their dances with their husband.

Neither Noblewoman appeared willing to give up her preferred position.

Around them, several Galehart Elders and High-board members found themselves in an awkward situation.

They had gathered for a formal party, not to witness two Duchesses negotiate over which of them would dance with their husband.

Yet here they were, standing close enough to hear every word.

Some of the Elders quietly looked away, pretending to be interested in something else.

Others maintained their usual expressions, though the situation left them with little to say.

After all, neither Duchess was someone they could casually interrupt.

The Duke of Galehart looked from one wife to the other.

Ahhh…

Please don’t fight, my ladies.

His expression remained calm.

If I could split myself, I would.

He paused for a moment as another idea came to mind.

Wait. I could always create an Alchemy wind clone.

The thought seemed promising for all of two seconds.

But no Alchemy or Cognis is allowed to be visibly used in this hall.

There were even Cognis alert systems in place to detect such activity.

Ahhh.

He sighed inwardly.

What a troublesome situation.

Despite the thoughts passing through his mind, the Duke’s face showed none of his distress.

He continued looking at his wives with the same composed expression, as though he were listening to an ordinary discussion about the evening’s arrangements.

His thoughts, however, were anything but calm.

He could handle matters involving the Galehart House without much trouble.

Negotiations, family affairs, and the demands of the people under his authority were all things he had dealt with for years.

But this?

He was being asked to choose between his wives in front of the very people who served his House.

It was not a decision he particularly wanted to make.

Before either Duchess could press the matter further, Elena Galehart joined the conversation.

“Mother, Second Mother.”

Her voice drew their attention.

“Why don’t you both just dance with Father during both Cores? You could simply exchange places after an hour has passed. That way, it would be balanced, since each Dance Core lasts two hours.”

Elena explained her suggestion calmly.

The arrangement was simple enough.

Rather than having one Duchess take the second Core and the other take the last, both could share the opportunity by dividing their time with the Duke.

It also meant neither woman would have to give up dancing with him entirely.

Duchess Mira Galehart considered the suggestion.

“That makes sense, Elena.”

Her expression relaxed, and the tension in her voice disappeared.

The First Duchess of Galehart also seemed satisfied with the arrangement. She looked toward the Duke, who had remained silent throughout the exchange.

“I’m okay with that, too.”

Then she asked, “Who will you take first?”

Her question was directed at her husband, and the curiosity in her expression was difficult to miss.

Duchess Mira turned toward him as well.

Now both women were waiting for his answer.

The Duke of Galehart maintained his calm expression.

He had escaped the first part of the discussion, at least.

His daughter’s suggestion had prevented the disagreement from growing any further, and he was grateful for that.

Still, he now had another question to answer.

Must I really decide this right now?

He kept the thought to himself.

There was no point in making the situation more difficult by allowing his discomfort to show.

He would have to give them an answer eventually.

For now, he remained composed while the conversation continued around him.

At the position where the Royal Family sat…

Queen Althea Aethelmont observed the closing half of the First Core with a playful expression.

Her attention eventually settled on Prince Aldric.

“My child, Aldric, would you like to dance with Mother?”

She asked the question with a smile, clearly hoping for a favourable answer.

Aldric looked at her.

“I already have a dance partner.”

He replied before standing up.

“I will be going to meet her now, Mother.”

His tone was calm.

Having answered his mother’s question, he made no attempt to prolong the conversation.

He simply took his leave, intending to meet the young lady he had already chosen.

Queen Althea watched him go.

Her smile remained, though she soon turned toward Princess Victoria.

“I would have also loved to dance with you, Mother.”

Victoria spoke with an elegant smile.

“But I also have a dance partner for all the Cores.”

She, too, took her leave almost immediately.

The Queen watched her daughter depart, then looked at the three children who remained.

“And now there are three.”

Her gaze moved between Daniel, Stella, and Charles.

She considered them for a moment before pointing toward Stella.

“Hmm… I’m sure Stella already has numerous Young Gentlemen to dance with.”

Stella blushed faintly with a pleased smile on her face.

She was happy that her mother thought well about her standing within the wanting list of the Young Gentlemen of the Kingdom.

Queen Althea’s attention shifted to Daniel.

“Come on, Daniel, baby. Come dance with your mother.”

She pointed at herself with a bright smile.

Prince Daniel’s expression changed immediately.

“Yuck, no way.”

He stood up, looking thoroughly displeased with the suggestion.

“Dancing with my mother? I have a flourish list of girls waiting for me downstairs, and I even plan to dance with some of the Flowers.”

He spoke as though the idea of dancing with his mother was an unreasonable demand.

Queen Althea blinked at him.

“But I’m a former Flower, though.”

She replied in an unserious tone.

Daniel gave her a sarcastic look.

“Sure, you were.”

He left without offering any further explanation.

The Queen watched him go, her smile still on her face, though it was clear that her attempt had failed.

Stella also stood up now that the first Dance Core had ended.

A round of applause filled the Grand Royal Hall.

Guests cheered for Willow Derlis and Ezra Ashenlocke, acknowledging their performance during the first Core.

Queen Althea joined the applause, as did Prince Charles.

The clapping spread through the hall, accompanied by the voices of guests who had enjoyed the dance.

The musicians had finished their part, and the dancers were beginning to leave the stage while preparations were made for the next Core.

Charles rose from his seat.

“I will be going as well, Mother.”

He spoke calmly before taking his leave.

Queen Althea watched another of her children depart.

For a brief moment, she remained seated without saying anything.

Then she turned toward Camila, who was nearby.

“Camila, my children see me as an old hag, don’t they?”

She pouted.

“They used to be so excited to dance with me during Ball events, but now they’re all focused on dancing with other people instead of their mother.”

Her complaint was delivered with the disappointment of someone who had expected a much warmer response from her children.

Camila listened quietly.

As the Head of the Nebula Royal Alchemist Branch, she was accustomed to dealing with serious matters.

Responding to the Queen’s complaint, however, required a different sort of consideration.

“Your Majesty, I can always dance with you if you really want to.”

She offered calmly.

Queen Althea turned her head toward her.

She stared at Camila in silence for a brief moment.

The quiet look made Camila feel awkward.

She had offered a perfectly reasonable suggestion, yet the Queen’s expression gave her the impression that she might have said something she should have considered more carefully.

At last, she replied.

“That’s such a lovely request, but I will pass.”

Camila had little to say after that.

The Queen’s attention returned to the preparations for the next Dance Core.

After twenty minutes of rest, the second Dance Core was about to begin.

This time, it was Diane’s turn to dance with Ezra.

Diane had been looking at him with a curious expression ever since he took her hand from Vera and led her toward the dance floor.

She followed him without resisting, though her face suggested she had not fully understood why she was there in the first place.

Why am I going to the dance floor again?

The question lingered in her mind.

Diane was not particularly interested in dancing.

Given the choice, she would have preferred to find a comfortable place to sleep, and the evening had already provided her with several opportunities to do so.

Yet she had been the one to request Ezra to be her dance partner.

Ezra glanced at her.

“If you prefer to sleep, I can always lead you back.”

His voice was plain.

And he meant it, too.

Ezra would actually have preferred it if Diane chose to return to sleep.

It would make the next part of the morning simpler, and he would not have to worry about whether she was paying attention to the dance.

Diane looked at him for a moment.

Then she raised her right index finger and placed it against her lips.

“Ah… I remember the way you danced with Willow.”

A faint look of realization appeared on her face.

“Willow looked like she really enjoyed herself.”

She spoke lightly.

That seemed to explain her decision.

Diane had happened to catch a glimpse of the first Dance Core and noticed how naturally Willow had followed Ezra’s lead.

She also remembered how natural Ezra danced with Vera and Selena during the welcome ball party of the First Year of the Royal Academy.

She had seen enough to become curious about what it would be like to dance with him herself.

It was not necessarily because she had developed a sudden passion for dancing.

She simply wanted to experience it.

With that thought in mind, Diane allowed Ezra to take her to the dance floor.

The sight drew attention from several guests.

“Wait, isn’t that Lady Diane Bergwyn with Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke?”

A young Nobleman stared at the pair.

Another guest turned to look.

“I understand him dancing with Lady Willow Derlis, to an extent, but isn’t Lady Diane Bergwyn the only Flower remaining who has yet to dance with a Young Gentleman?”

The question quickly drew the attention of those standing nearby.

“You don’t know? Ezra Ashenlocke was the one who took the other two Flowers who had yet to dance with anyone for their first dances.”

“Yeah… He took Lady Vera Ashenlocke and Lady Selena Galehart at the same time.”

“That has to be illegal, right? More illegal than even the scandal, right?”

“No, my heart can’t take this.”

Another young guest looked toward the dance floor with an expression of disbelief.

“Don’t tell me he’s going to dance with Lady Vera Ashenlocke during the last Core.”

“Just end the whole Ball Party. I don’t want to see this anymore.”

Someone else let out a sigh.

“He’s a really good dancer, so I understand.”

The comments continued among the guests, though their reactions differed.

Some were genuinely surprised by the sight of seeing Lady Diane Bergwyn of all Flowers on the dance floor with a Young Noble boy, while others seemed more concerned about how many of the Flowers Ezra had managed to secure as dance partners.

The fact that he was a skilled dancer only made the situation more difficult for them to accept.

For now, however, Diane was the one standing beside him.

Ezra held her right hand slightly raised as the music began.

He adjusted his posture and waited for the rhythm to settle before leading her into position. Diane stood opposite him, her expression still carrying a hint of curiosity.

“Don’t worry, Diane. I will guide you properly.”

Ezra spoke calmly.

Diane’s lips formed a small pout.

“I’m not a novice, though.”

She looked mildly offended by the way he was treating her, as if he believed she needed special care simply because she had not spent much time dancing.

Ezra looked at her.

“I’m saying it so we don’t miss a rhythm once we begin dancing.”

He replied plainly.

He had not intended to make fun of her, nor was he trying to suggest that she lacked ability.

He simply wanted to make sure they could begin without an unnecessary mistake.

That was all.

Ezra was not thinking about impressing the guests, either.

He only wanted to guide Diane properly and avoid causing an accident while they danced.

Diane studied his expression quietly, before she let out a small breath.

“You seem like a perfectionist when it comes to dancing.”

The remark came rather suddenly.

Ezra turned his dull black eyes toward her.

He did not answer at once.

Diane had made an observation, and he could hardly deny it.

Because she was not wrong.

Ever since he had learned how to dance, he had come to understand that the act held a symbolic meaning for his past self.

It was not merely a matter of following music or learning a series of steps.

Dancing carried a significance that Ezra had gradually become aware of through his own experience.

That understanding had stayed with him.

After dancing with Willow, he had noticed something else.

By reflex, he did not want to make a mistake while dancing with anyone.

He had not planned to think so carefully about each movement.

Nor had he decided that every step had to be perfect.

Yet once he began dancing, he found himself paying attention to the rhythm, the position of his partner, and the way he guided them across the floor.

It happened naturally.

He would rather correct a movement before it became a problem than allow an avoidable mistake to occur.

Of course, there was another reason for his behaviour.

Ezra simply disliked making mistakes when he was doing something himself.

It was a habit that extended beyond dancing.

Whenever he took part in a task, he preferred to understand what he was doing and carry it out properly.

If there was a way to avoid an error, he saw little reason not to take it.

Dancing was no exception.

He looked at Diane for another moment.

She seemed to be waiting for him to answer her observation, but Ezra had little to add.

After all, she had already reached the correct conclusion.

The music continued, and Ezra prepared to guide her into the dance.