The Extra's Rise-Chapter 512: Hwaeryun Banquet (5)

We returned to the banquet hall together, the warm glow of chandeliers washing over us as the sounds of conversation and music filled the air once more. The Martial King’s sword art was safely tucked away in my spatial ring, but I could still feel its weight—not physical, but something deeper. A responsibility. A promise.

Arthur moved with his usual composed grace as we rejoined the crowd, but I noticed the way Princess Rachel’s eyes found his immediately, a soft smile playing at her lips. Princess Seraphina, standing near the orchestra, turned as well, her elegant posture straightening as she caught sight of him.

I knew what would happen next. I’d seen it before at other formal gatherings—the expected protocols, the political necessities wrapped in social grace. Arthur would dance with both of them. It was part of his role, part of the delicate balance he maintained in this world of nobility and power.

And I was genuinely happy for him. Rachel and Seraphina were both remarkable women—intelligent, kind, beautiful in ways that seemed effortless. They understood Arthur’s world in ways I was still learning. They could stand beside him as equals in the complex dance of politics and diplomacy.

So why did something twist uncomfortably in my chest when Rachel approached him with that radiant smile?

"Arthur," she said, extending her hand with practiced elegance. "I believe you owe me a dance from our interrupted conversation."

"Of course, Your Highness." Arthur’s bow was perfect, his smile warm and genuine as he took her hand. "It would be my honor."

I watched them move onto the dance floor, Arthur’s hand settling at Rachel’s waist with comfortable familiarity. They moved together beautifully—her golden hair catching the light as she laughed at something he murmured, his steps confident and sure as he guided her through the waltz.

They looked... right together. Natural. Like pieces of a puzzle that had found their proper places.

I should have felt nothing but happiness watching them. Arthur deserved joy, deserved someone who could match his brilliance and share his burdens. Rachel clearly cared for him deeply—I could see it in the way her eyes never left his face, in the soft contentment of her expression.

But there was something else stirring beneath my genuine gladness for them. Something small and sharp that I immediately crushed down, horrified at myself for even feeling it. What right did I have to feel... whatever this was? Arthur had given me everything—his trust, his training, his master’s legacy. The last thing he needed was his sword harboring inappropriate feelings.

"They look good together," Kali observed quietly beside me, her usual sarcasm replaced by something gentler.

"They do," I agreed, and meant it. The strange tightness in my throat had nothing to do with my words.

When the song ended, Arthur escorted Rachel back toward us with courteous attention. But before he could settle, Seraphina appeared at his elbow, her silver hair swept up in an intricate style that somehow made her look both regal and approachable.

"My turn, I believe," she said with a smile that transformed her usually serious features. "Unless you’re too tired from all that strategic planning?"

Arthur chuckled, offering her his arm. "Never too tired for you, Sera."

The casual nickname sent another unwelcome pang through me. I watched them take the floor for a different dance—something more complex, requiring closer coordination. Seraphina moved with the fluid grace of someone trained from childhood in courtly arts, her steps perfectly matched to Arthur’s.

Where Rachel brought out Arthur’s warmth, Seraphina seemed to sharpen his focus. They spoke in low voices as they danced, her head tilted toward his ear, his expression thoughtful as he listened.

I found myself studying the way Arthur’s hand rested against Seraphina’s back, the comfortable distance between them that spoke of trust and familiarity.

The rational part of my mind catalogued all the reasons they were perfect together. The irrational part whispered traitor thoughts I refused to acknowledge.

"You know," Kali’s voice cut through my brooding, "you’ve been staring at them for five minutes straight. Someone might get the wrong idea."

I jerked my attention back to her, heat flooding my cheeks. "I wasn’t—I was just—"

"Relax. I’m not judging." Kali’s expression was unreadable. "But you know what you should be doing instead of standing here like a statue?"

Before I could ask what she meant, the music shifted to something slower, more intimate. Arthur and Seraphina’s dance came to a natural end, and I watched him bow to her with the same courteous attention he’d shown Rachel.

"Go," Kali said, her voice carrying an odd note of command. "Dance with him."

My stomach dropped. "What? No, I couldn’t—I’m not—"

"You’re what? Not good enough?" Kali’s eyebrow arched dangerously. "Not worthy of a simple dance?"

"It’s not that, it’s just—" I fumbled for words, panic rising in my throat. "He’s with them, and I’m just—"

"His guild member? Someone who just swore to fight for him?" Kali’s voice cut through my protests. "Someone he trusts enough to give his master’s sword art?"

She stepped closer, her dark eyes intense. "You think he’d object to one dance with you?"

I wanted to argue, but the words died in my throat. Because the truth was, I desperately wanted to dance with Arthur. I’d been practicing in secret for months—stolen moments in empty training rooms, moving through steps I’d memorized from watching other couples, imagining what it might feel like to move with him like that.

"I..." I started, then stopped, my resolve crumbling under the weight of my own longing.

"That’s what I thought." Kali’s expression softened slightly. "Go. Before someone else asks him."

My feet moved without conscious decision, carrying me across the polished floor toward where Arthur stood speaking quietly with Jin. My heart hammered against my ribs, each step feeling simultaneously too fast and too slow.

"Arthur?" My voice came out smaller than I’d intended.

He turned, and his smile when he saw me was immediate and genuine. "Reika. Are you enjoying the banquet?"

"I..." I swallowed hard, my carefully rehearsed words scattering like leaves. "Would you... would you like to dance? With me?"

Something shifted in his expression—surprise, perhaps, followed by something warmer. "I’d be honored."

He offered me his hand, and I took it with fingers that trembled only slightly. His palm was warm against mine, steady and sure as he guided me onto the dance floor.

"I should warn you," I said as we took position, "I’m not very good at this."

Arthur’s other hand settled at my waist, proper and respectful, but the contact still sent warmth spreading through me. "I doubt that. You approach everything with such dedication—I’m sure you’ve practiced."

He wasn’t wrong. I’d spent countless hours working through the steps, determined that if this moment ever came, I wouldn’t embarrass myself. But knowing the movements and actually performing them with Arthur were entirely different things.

The music began, and we moved together. My initial stiffness melted away as Arthur’s lead guided me through the familiar patterns. He was patient when I hesitated, encouraging when I found my rhythm.

"See?" he said softly, his voice meant only for me. "You’re doing perfectly."

I looked up into his face, struck by how different this felt from watching him dance with Rachel and Seraphina. There was no political undercurrent here, no strategic planning disguised as social interaction. Just... us. Just this moment.

"You’ve been practicing," he observed, approval warm in his voice. "When?"

"Late evenings. In the training hall." I felt my cheeks warm. "I wanted to be ready. In case."

"In case of what?"

The honest answer lodged in my throat. In case you ever looked at me the way you look at them. In case you ever wanted to dance with me. In case I could be worthy of a moment like this.

"In case it was needed," I said instead. "For formal events. Guild business."

Arthur’s smile suggested he saw through my diplomatic answer, but he didn’t press. Instead, he guided me through a gentle turn, his movements perfectly calculated to make me look graceful.

As we moved together, I found myself drowning in details I’d never noticed before. The way his eyes crinkled slightly when he smiled. The subtle scent of his cologne. The careful strength in his hands as he led me through steps that felt like floating.

This was what I’d been missing, watching him with the princesses. Not the politics or the strategy, but the simple intimacy of shared movement. The way he focused entirely on his partner, making them feel like the only person in the room.

"Thank you," I said suddenly, the words spilling out. "For everything. The sword art, your trust, this dance. All of it."

Arthur’s expression grew serious, though he never missed a step. "Thank you for caring enough to burst into a banquet just to make sure I’m safe."

Something in his tone made my breath catch. There was understanding there, recognition of something I couldn’t even name myself.

"I’ll always worry about you," I admitted, the truth slipping out before I could stop it. "I can’t help it."

"I know." His voice was gentle, accepting. "And I’m grateful for it, even when I wish you wouldn’t risk yourself for my sake."

The song was winding down, our steps slowing to match the music’s natural conclusion. I felt a sharp pang of loss as the moment prepared to end, this perfect bubble of time where nothing existed but Arthur’s hands guiding me, his voice meant only for my ears.

"Reika," he said as we came to a stop, his hands lingering a moment longer than strictly necessary. "Whatever path you choose to walk, I want you to know—I believe in you. Completely."

The words hit me like a physical force, stealing my breath and making my eyes sting with sudden emotion. This was what I’d been chasing without understanding it—not just his approval or his trust, but this absolute faith that felt like being seen, truly seen, for exactly who I was.

"I won’t let you down," I whispered, meaning it with every fiber of my being.

"You never could," he replied simply, and somehow I knew he meant that too.

As he escorted me back to the edge of the dance floor, I caught sight of Kali watching us with an expression I couldn’t quite read. Rachel and Seraphina had moved on to conversation with other guests, their easy confidence a reminder of the worlds they moved in so naturally.

But for these few minutes, I’d had something that was mine alone. A dance, a conversation, a moment of Arthur’s complete attention that hadn’t been about duty or politics or anything beyond the simple fact that I’d asked and he’d said yes.

Even if the memory of dancing in his arms would replay in my mind for weeks to come.