Chapter 390: You were dancing so badly that I couldn’t bear to watch it anymore.

The celebration officially began, bowls of thick broth passed from hand to hand.

The music was no more than the Velmourns themselves—rough voices raised in old songs that had been sung for generations. Some clapped along, others stomped their boots on the stone in rhythm. The beat was uneven, but strong enough to make the air feel alive.

And then, people began to dance.

It started with the younger soldiers, stamping their feet and spinning each other clumsily. Soon the elders joined in, their steps slower but no less joyful. Even the Matriarch allowed herself to be pulled into the circle, showing a smile Kael and Lavinia rarely saw on her face.

The two in question stood at the edge, side by side. Kael watched the scene quietly, arms folded, the firelight flickering across his face. Lavinia’s eyes followed the dancers; her face, however, did not show any expression.

“Found anything?”

Out of nowhere, Lavinia questioned. Her eyes were still on the dancing soldiers, but her attention was all on Kael.

Kael also understood what she wanted to know.

Most of the Velmourns were currently here celebrating, however, this didn’t mean everyone was here. A few exhausted Velmourns decided to use this celebratory ceremony to get some rest instead; some were also on scouting duties, some were simply doing whatever they wanted.

Yes, this was the safest and most perfect time for the traitor to act.

Honestly, Lavinia was hoping that the traitor would act today but…

“No.”

Kael shook his head.

Luck was not on their side.

The traitor hadn’t moved.

Lavinia didn’t say anything and just stared at the scene in front of her, Kael did the same. The two continued to hold each other’s hands, as if anything else did not matter.

The laughter and singing grew louder. The cold air no longer bit so sharply.

Then suddenly—

“Lord Kael.”

Someone broke through from the dancing crowd and rushed towards Kael, extending her hand and asking for a dance.

It was Alrisa.

“Please.”

The Assigned Liaison requested with a gentle smile on her face.

Her face was flushed from the heat, she even seemed exhausted from dancing so much, yet the smile on her face did not fade away.

“You’ve been standing here long enough. Time to dance.”

“I don’t know how to dance.”

Kael answered politely.

“That’s fine,”

Alrisa grinned.

“Neither do we. We just stomp until it sounds like music.”

Lavinia’s purple eyes glimmered with amusement as she looked at Kael.

“It might be fun,”

She chuckled. It was a reaction Kael found strange.

She seemed… fine with it?

Did something happen?

Soon, however, he realized something.

“You just want to see me embarrass myself.”

He narrowed his eyes.

Lavinia smiled lightly, not saying anything.

Alrisa used this chance to grab Kael’s hand,

“You’re a Velmourn now.

No Velmourn stays still on a night like this.”

She spoke as she pulled Kael away and into the group. Kael glanced at Lavinia, telling her to join him as well. Lavinia, however, just chuckled and shook her head.

She wanted to see Kael dance instead.

Soon, the rest of the soldiers appeared around Kael as well, the poor man had no choice but to give in.

He stepped into the circle, the beat of stomping boots and clapping hands surrounding him. He tried to copy the steps—a stomp here, a turn there—but his timing was off, and his feet didn’t seem to know where to go.

A soldier in front of him laughed and shook his head.

“No, no! You’re stomping too late!”

“I’m stomping when you’re stomping,”

Kael replied, frowning slightly.

“Exactly. You’re supposed to stomp before me. Watch!”

The soldier stomped hard, then motioned for Kael to follow.

Kael tried, but his boot landed half a beat late again.

Another soldier clapped his hands.

“Arms! Use your arms too!”

“What do my arms have to do with stomping?”

Kael asked dryly. The soldiers around him laughed.

“They make you look less like you’re trying to crush a bug!”

One of them teased, grabbing his wrist and pulling it up.

Kael groaned in an exaggerated manner, but he still gave his best to blend in and enjoy with everyone.

This time, he tried to move his arms in time with his steps, but now his stomping got even worse.

“Oh no, now you’re off and crooked!”

Another soldier laughed playfully.

“Crooked?”

Kael looked down at himself.

“How can you dance crooked?”

“You’re doing it right now,”

The first soldier said with a grin, pointing at the way Kael’s shoulders tilted unevenly.

“Hahaha~ To think there is something even the Dragon God is bad at~”

One of the soldiers laughed. The fact that he was able to dance together with his God was something he would cherish for the rest of his life.

The rest of the soldiers were the same; it was quite an overwhelming feeling for them.

“I don’t think I was built for this,”

Kael muttered. His movements became more and more awkward.

Lavinia, who was watching everything from a distance, couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. The little spirits around her were laughing at Kael as well—something Kael could see, but unfortunately, there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

Not that he had to do anything about it; everything happened on its own.

As the laughter around him grew, the atmosphere became more and more lively. Soon, it wasn’t just the soldiers—rest of the people began joining Kael as well.

And… nobody knew if it was intentional or not but…

Most of these people were… women.

A sight that made Lavinia narrow her eyes for a moment.

One of the Velmourn women stepped behind Kael, clapping along to guide his rhythm.

Another moved to his side, grabbing his free hand.

“Here, like this,”

She said, placing his palm against hers and pulling him gently into a turn.

“I don’t spin,”

Kael protested, stumbling half a step before catching himself.

“You do now!”

She shot back with a grin.

A third woman appeared on his other side.

“Hold my hand too,”

She said.

“Both hands? How am I supposed to—”

“Just do it!”

Kael found himself with two women holding each hand, both tugging him in different directions while the others laughed. He tried to follow, but their “teaching” was more like dragging him into faster steps.

“This isn’t dancing,”

He said, his voice low but amused.

“It is tonight!”

One of them said, giving his arm another playful pull.

Around the circle, the Velmourns cheered at the sight—the being they had thought to be invincible, stronger than anyone, a being they hailed as a God—was now shuffling awkwardly, boots pounding out of rhythm while two women tried to spin him in opposite ways.

“…”

At the edge, Lavinia watched in silence. The smile on her lips had long faded away as more and more women pressed in, holding his hands, laughing close to his ear. She could also see more than a few women at the back waiting for their turns, and a cold glint reflected in her eyes as her body moved on its own.

On the other side, Kael was still half-laughing, half-protesting as the women spun him back and forth.

“Left foot first!”

One of them called.

“He just used his right foot!”

Another shouted.

“That’s why I said left!”

“I think you’re all just making this up as you go.”

Kael complained.

“Of course not! We know this!”

One woman lied.

“There is only one rule!

That there is no rule!”

Another laughed.

“So you have no idea what you’re doing either,”

Kael said, his mouth twitching in a smile.

“Of course not, but I look good doing it.”

She answered proudly.

The whole circle erupted in laughter. Kael shook his head but didn’t pull away, letting them drag him through the chaotic steps.

But then suddenly, another woman forcibly grabbed his hands and got close to him—an action that pasted a smile on his face.

“Couldn’t resist?”

He grinned as he stared at the woman who had moved through the crowd without saying a word. Her violet eyes were locked on Kael, and the smile she’d had earlier was gone.

“You were dancing so badly that I couldn’t bear to watch it anymore.

So I came to… help.”

Lavinia spoke as she glared at Kael with a sharp look on her face.

The two women holding his hands before froze mid-step. The rhythm faltered, the laughter dimmed, and a few people shuffled back instinctively.

The name Dragonborn still lingered in their minds, and her sudden presence in the circle made them unsure.

“Oh, we were just—”

One of the women still holding Kael’s hand stammered.

“I saw,”

Lavinia said smoothly, not saying anything else.

“Awww, is that jealousy I sense?”

Kael laughed softly under his breath.

“I don’t get jealous.”

The mage narrowed her eyes.

“Mm-hm,”

Kael replied, entirely unconvinced.

The awkwardness in the circle was heavy now. People weren’t sure if they should keep dancing, step away, or say something.

Then, from the edge, a cheerful voice cut through.

“Well, if you’re going to stand here, Lady Lavinia, you might as well learn properly.”

It was Alrisa—bright-eyed, grinning, completely unbothered.

She stepped forward and boldly took Lavinia’s hands.

“Like this,”

Alrisa said, stomping twice and pulling her into a simple turn.

Lavinia didn’t resist, though her movements were stiff at first.

“I’m not sure this is—”

“Fun? Yes, it is,”

Alrisa interrupted with a laugh.

“Come on, one-two, one-two.”

Kael smirked as he watched.

“You look even more awkward than I do.”

“I do not,”

Lavinia said quickly.

“She does!”

Alrisa agreed cheerfully, grinning at Kael before tugging Lavinia into another step.

The tension in the circle cracked. A few people chuckled. Others began stomping in rhythm again. Soon, two more soldiers who fought together with Kael and Lavinia joined in beside Lavinia, clapping and showing her the pattern. Someone else pulled Kael back into motion, and the awkward moment faded into the noise of boots, laughter, and voices raised in song.

Now, Kael and Lavinia stood side by side, holding each other’s hand, both moving in uneven, clumsy steps. Neither was graceful, but that wasn’t the point. The circle grew tighter, the singing louder, and the laughter warmer.

By the time the song ended, they were both out of breath—not from the steps, but from laughing.

They had truly started to enjoy the night.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep