Girly Man

"Is there really such a thing?!" Deuce looked to her in bewilderment.

"Is it really so difficult?" Lotus huffed in disdain, "There were two forms of these dances. One is called a civil dance with the shawl displaying the natures of graceful and soft, while the other is a martial dance with the sword displaying vigorous and bold such as on a battlefield. Is it so difficult to adapt one into a form of martial arts after I've used one to beat you today?"

Epel thought for a while before he nodded in hesitation, "This is suppose to teach me not to call ballet girly, isn't it?"

"You only notice that now?" Lotus huffed in disdain, "If you can't even beat a man dancing like a girl, do you really have the face to call the art girly?"

"WHAT?!"

Hearing this, Epel's face turned bright red in embarrassment. On the other hand, Rook and Vil shared a glance in surprise. They didn't think that this was basically what was going on, but they also didn't realize that they had a dance enthusiast amongst them. Watching her put her scarf and mittens back on. It was only then that they realized how slippery the floor was and that she had been walking over it as though it was a dry pavement road!

"It was more than just footsteps and movements." Vil spoke up, "Posture, speed, and balance. You got it all down and displayed a perfect image of a graceful and soft nature from your choreography. You're clearly an expert in dancing and just the kind we need. Why not assist us to manage the dance practice instead?"

"Eh?!" Epel and Deuce looked to him in bewilderment when they heard this.

"I refuse." She responded bluntly and walked away without a care, "Apologies, but I don't have the time to enjoy this anymore."

Seeing her wrapped tightly under her scarf and mittens, Vil raised a brow in confusion and looked to Rook in confusion, "Did he really have to leave so quickly? And wrapped in so many layers..."

Rook heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head in disappointment, "Oui. Unfortunately, he has no choice as well."

Deuce raised a brow in confusion and added, "Now that you mention it, I recall he had a relapse during a visit in Heartslabyul dorm. It was so bad that he could not leave our dorm or attend class and activities for over a week. By the time he returned, the try outs was over."

"A relapse?!" Epel gasped in shock when he heard this and shook his head in pity, "That's a shame..."

"A relapse..." Vil muttered quietly with furrowed brows.

Deuce nodded, "Something about Dorm leader Rosehearts not closing the window when she visited him for some advice..."

"Not closing the window?" Vil raised a brow, "To not close the window in this weather... Rook.."

Rook nodded with a heavy sigh, "Oui. Lotus is truly fragile to the cold and had collapsed on occasions due to weather. Perhaps this is why he no longer dances so often anymore."

"What?!" Deuce cried out in horror, "But just now..."

"So, that's why he suggested this morning instead of last night." Vil responded with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Epel looked to him in confusion.

"When the two of you vanished, he had wanted to spar against you this afternoon. However, you had gone missing with Deuce." Rook responded with a heavy sigh.

"Th-That's..." Epel's eyes widen in horror when he heard of this.

"I've caused a lot of trouble, then..." Deuce muttered upon utter realization and felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

"He must've already expected this." Vil shook his head with a heavy sigh, "He seemed unfazed to hear that you were missing and immediately let your dorm leader know of the situation."

"Dorm Leader Rosehearts knew of it?" Deuce said in bewilderment.

Rook nodded, "Oui. He was the first to tell us where you were and asked the Dorm Leader Rosehearts not to worry or look for you. That the two of you would return by the end of the day. All we needed was to prepare a lecture."

"He really is amazing..." Epel whispered in shock, "And, I had to trouble him for a session because I had said such a thing..."

Deuce shook his head and sighed, "He is. Even before coming to the school, he was entirely homeschooled by himself. We all have our troubles, but he had a difficult upbringing as well."

"He did what?!" Vil looked to Deuce in disbelief.

Deuce nodded, "That is what Cater and Trey said. He homeschooled himself because his family most likely had trouble interacting with other humans. He is the only human adopted into his current family and he ran away from his biological one because it was dangerous."

"That would explain why he knew how to use eastern dances as martial arts..." Rook said with a frown before wearing a bitter smile, "He reminds me of Lilia very much in his moves... He has battle experiences."

"Battle experiences? Him?" Vil raised a brow and sighed in disbelief, "Just what nonsense are you all spouting?"

Rook shook his head with hands up, "I'm afraid not... He was the least fearful of Monsieur Crabapple's magic even when his skills jumped leaps and bounds past his original skills on the grounds. It was enough for him to dare to approach him even more before entrapping him in his dance and striking him down. Had it not been for his graceful movements without intent, I would've already stepped in."

"Now that you mention it..." Deuce frowned, "I wouldn't dare to approach Epel so carelessly when he has a rope around and shoots out small fireballs like a revolver from his pen. But, Lotus didn't even flinch from all that. I didn't think he would be so strong as an opponent despite not having magic."

"To think that was the reason how he could roam so freely in the halls." Vil muttered in upon being convinced a little after having heard this, "I didn't realize we had a professional dancer amongst us back then... However, I should've known from the way he moves..."

"Non..." Rook shook his head in disappointment, "I also had not realized it till he began changing his pace."

Thinking this, he smirked, "Huhu, it would seem there is more to him than that meets the eye as well? How exciting!"

"Again?" Vil shook his head and sighed in dismay, "All right. That's enough. He had already told us not to speak of this matter anymore and would return to help us in three days time. If you truly feel guilty, then I suggest you do as he says and not talk about this incident again. He has contributed much to our efforts. Don't let it go down the drain! Now, go prepare for class!"

"Yes!"

Watching the two hurry back into the dorm. Vil sighed and shook his head in dismay, "That wasn't to help us..."

Rook nodded with a wide smile, "Oui. It would seem that he had also grown an interest towards the progress of Monsieur Crabapple's growth. However, today's performance was truly spectacular! Wouldn't you say so, Roi du Poison?"

Vil looked up to see what his vice-dorm leader had handed only to be surprised by the sight of a blooming flower on the branch of a stick. He took it with a look of confusion, "A flower?"

He looked up in time to find small buds of flowers blooming in the small forest behind the dorm. It wasn't enough for a full flower viewing festival. However, it was the first sign of spring. Seeing this, Vil shook his head and sighed in dismay, "He really isn't mellow at all... A real show-off..."

.....

Since that morning, she had stayed in bed whenever she didn't have any activities after class. Thankfully, she was not in such a worse condition that it would put her at a risk of collapsing from the cold again and spring was also just around the corner.

Yuu sighed after checking on her forehead again with Grim barely sitting still on her lap, "Please don't randomly sneak out at night again. You're not in the best of health during this season too. You could be in danger if you collapse again."

"Yes, sir..." Lotus grumbled as she curled up on her bed and hugging Grim like a plush toy.

"Gah... Let me go!!!" Grim cried out in pain.

Yuu watched her play with Grim's fur and sighed shaking his head, "Just bear with it for a little bit Grim. I'll bring some heat packs for him."

"Fgn... Fgna..." Grim grumbled with a scowl as he cried, "Hurry up..."

"Okay!" Yuu responded and quickly went out of the room.

Seeing this, Lotus frowned in dismay at the sight of Yuu gone from the room and hugged Grim's warm and fluffy body closer.

"Gah-! Come on! Let go!" Grim fought back desperately to squeeze himself out of her grasp.

However, it was useless as she simply fell down onto the bed in a fetal position while hugging the cat in her arms. The bed wasn't as soft as the sofas in the Heartslabyul lounge, but it was strangely better than the hard mattress in the mansion of her ring. Yet, none of them could compete against the scent of the sun and softness from her bed back home. For once in a long time, she had begun to long for her home and her parents. Her father must be busy pre-establishing political matters with the kingdom of "Dark" faes with old general of that kingdom and mister lawyer. Thinking this, she recalled the budding trees and wore a small smile on her face as she responded, "It should be almost time too..."