Surprise surprise, it's me again! Yes, I am alive, and yes, there is an update! Enjoy while I slowly die over my Nanowrimo project!
"Regretfully, miss Taniyama has already accepted to give me her first dance."
Mai's eyes shot open, wide with surprise, as she turned toward her saviour. Incredulous, she wondered if she had somehow misheard his statement. She had been so certain he resented her, and yet he was coming to her aid?
But the gentleman quickly dissipated her disbelief as he effectively came to her side, offering an arm Mai accepted mechanically, still in a daze.
Urado's lips contorted into a bitter grimace. Being denied twice with such a blatant lack of respect had left him quite resentful.
"That is regrettable indeed, I was looking forward to having the pleasure of miss Taniyama's company," he said through gritted teeth.
"You see me sorry to disappoint."
The gentleman's guarded expression betrayed nothing of his thoughts, however the flat tone of the answer left little doubt about his lack of regret.
Urado's bloodshot eyes narrowed, his body bristling with barely concealed anger. The offence had been subtle enough to give him no ground to retaliate.
"It is a surprise to hear you will partake in the dancing," he remarked scathingly nonetheless. "As I have heard, it is not a habit of yours."
Mai raised a worried gaze to the gentleman next to her. Urado's remark was pertinent, breaking his usual pattern to dance with her meant exposing himself to the ton's gossip. She bit her lip, guilt colouring her cheeks red.
The gentleman didn't meet her eyes but put a steady hand on her arm.
"I am afraid you have been misinformed. I am simply not inclined to dance with ladies I have not been formally introduced to."
"And I suppose Miss Taniyama does not belong to this category," mocked the widower.
"Indeed, as we are well acquainted with miss Taniyama and miss Hara," interjected Madoka with her most diplomatic smile to defuse the situation. "We had the pleasure of their visits quite often at Netherfield. You cannot blame me for seeking female companionship, all alone among these gentlemen," she added, eyelashes fluttering in a charming and innocent manner.
"Certainly not," bowed Urado, defeated by his hostess's skills.
He shot a hateful glance to the man who had deprived him from a potential dance partner, then opted to focus on a safer prey instead.
"Well then, I do hope to have the pleasure to dance with you later tonight, Miss Taniyama," he said, revealing his rotten teeth in a disgustingly obsequious smile.
Mai shivered and unconsciously moved closer to the tall figure next to her.
"Later, certainly," she politely offered while praying fervently for not having to fulfill such a promise.
"Now, if you may excuse us."
And on these words Mai was gently, but firmly pulled away by her partner, and they went to stand in line for the first set.
The relief of seeing the figure of Urado dissolve into the crowd was soon replaced by uneasiness when Mai noticed the speculative stares of the other guests. Murmured gossip was spreading like fire in the room, and Mai had little doubts about the topic. Of course dancing with him would garner some rumours…
She hesitantly looked at the gentleman in front of her, but found him standing stoically, seemingly unbothered by the unwelcome attention. She let a sigh escape her lips and straightened her posture. She would at least make sure she wouldn't embarrass him with her dancing abilities.
Finally the music started, drowning the whispered comments and offering Mai the opportunity to thank her partner. The first set was a warming up for the dancers, and the relatively slow rhythm allowed her to follow the steps without losing her speaking abilities.
She decided to take the initiative of the conversation, since the gentleman didn't seem inclined to do so.
"Er-, I am most thankful for your help," she began. "Mr Urado was being insistent and…"
"It was the only honourable thing to do. I am very well aware of Urado's reputation," was the curt reply.
"Oh."
The pair danced in silence a moment before Mai attempted to speak again.
"Still," she insisted, "it was extremely nice of you and Mr Yasuhara to come to our aid. I simply hope it did not upset your plans…"
"It did not."
"That is a relief. I would hate to have deprived any lady of your company," she said sincerely.
The gentleman frowned, probably assuming her statement was some veiled sarcasm. Mai hastily clarified her point, not wanting to irritate the umbrageous man any further.
"I mean, I supposed you were to dance with our hostess, since she is kind enough to sacrifice a set for our well-being..."
The mention of Madoka elicited a rare smile on Lin's usually stern face.
"You are indeed correct," he admitted. "Thankfully she knows who to coerce into being my replacement."
"Uh?"
"Look on your left," he whispered, a twinkle of mischievousness in his eyes.
Mai discreetly glanced toward the aforementioned direction only to find Madoka grinning widely while entraining a very sullen Shibuya into the dance. She bit back a giggle at their hostess's obvious pleasure in annoying the gentleman.
"This does not appease my worries at all," she remarked nonetheless. "If anything, I am very sorry Madoka had to resort to his company. His behaviour is blatantly rude to her, he could at least pretend he is enjoying it, if only for her sake," she sighed in exasperation at the forlorn attitude the gentleman was showing.
"I would not be concerned if I were you, she is used to handle him and his temper. As well as his lack of pretending skills.".
"Is that so? On the contrary, I find him quite versed in this domain," Mai retorted sourly.
Lin's gaze suddenly lost his warmth as he peered at her, his features set in an unreadable expression.
"May I ask what leads you to think so?"
His voice had a dangerous edge, and Mai instantly realised she had made a mistake. Since Lin knew Naru since childhood, he had to be aware of the deception of the so called Shibuya. Which meant she was indirectly accusing him of condoning such a lie by implying she knew. When he had just saved her!
Her mind reeling, she blurted the first excuse that came to her mind to salvage the situation.
"What I meant was that… that Naru did pretend when we danced together!" she said, congratulating herself for her quick thinking. "He even smiled."
The gentleman appeared taken aback for a moment.
"He smiled," he echoed, his own lips betraying the smallest hint of amusement.
"He was probably mocking me," Mai felt the need to specify, embarrassed by the scrutinizing look her partner was setting on her.
"If he were, you would not be doubting it."
On this cryptic statement the music ended, giving the dancers a small respite before the second part of the set. By coincidence the couple found itself placed just next to Madoka and Shibuya.
Mai smiled to Madoka and stole a glance toward Naru with trepidation. What sort of reaction should she expect from him. Anger? Contempt? Indifference?
For the briefest moment their eyes met.
Nothing.
Mai blinked, unsettled by the alien sight. In the dark blue eyes there was no trace of emotion, just empty coldness. It was as if they had reverted back to being complete strangers to each others.
And she didn't know if she should be relieved or disappointed.
She didn't get to ponder the paradox for too long, since the shrilly voice of Mrs Hurst reached their ears, interrupting her thoughts.
"- lost no time to find another target. And a richer one, I see."
"And here I was wondering why the schemy little vixen refused her cousin!" lady Hara was heard huffing. "She will regret her greediness, Lin is way richer, but what does she think she has to tempt him? He is clearly out of her reach!"
Mai went beet red in mortification, hoping beyond reason the aforementioned gentleman hadn't catched the unsavory comment. If his frown was any indication, he had heard it quite clearly.
"Takigawa was such a wonderful gentleman. The Matsuzaki daughter saw it right away, she has always been the clever one."
"Really my dear lady Hara, you did what you could with her. But taking an orphan under your roof, it was bound to happen -"
"-, she shows no gratefulness! She should remember she is a mere orphan, and nothing worth a gentleman's interest!"
The answer could not be heard, but it was probably supportive of the lady's opinion.
"Thankfully she was not able to corrupt my Masako with her loose morals. Her behaviour at least is faultless. We expect Yasuhara to propose any moment! I cannot wait to see her so well married, have you noticed how wealthy -"
Mai blanched. Not only had her foster mother managed to insult her, depicting her like some greedy harlot, but she had also unveiled in front of Yasuhara's family and friends her shameless expectations toward the gentleman!
She glanced wearily at the couple next to her. They had diplomatically feigned not to be able to hear lay Hara's babbling so far, but Madoka's ever present smile had faltered for a second. And Naru's displeased scowl had turned darker.
What were they thinking of her? And of Masako?
Was Naru congratulating himself for not marrying her now?
The music resumed, drowning Lady Hara's comments and giving Mai the excuse of the physical exercise for her burning cheeks. She tried to follow the steps, doing her best not to falter under the Lin's intimidating stare.
There was no decent way to attenuate the harm which had been done, but Mai couldn't bear losing the good opinion of the Netherfield masters. Not to mention being mistaken about her supposedly venal intentions could affect their opinion of Masako!
She mustered all her courage to face the gentleman. She would not let Lin stay prejudiced against her, not if she could avoid it.
"What you heard…," she started timidly. "I can assure you that it is not a reflect of the truth at all"
"Did you not reject Takigawa?" asked Lin with a raised eyebrow.
"I did," she admitted, "but…"
The frown intensified and Mai felt a surge of indignation and disappointment wash through her. Was Lin really believing she was a gold digger? Her eyes burnt with unshed, angry tears at the unfairness of the situation.
"That part is true," she repeated more confidently, fueled by her anger. "However my motivations were certainly not dictated by greed. Being an orphan does not augur evil intentions nor the will to marry into money! My character has flaws, this I would readily admit, but these are unrelated to the misfortune of losing my parents. I should not be hated for this fact, if only because I cannot help it!"
Red-faced, bright-eyed and panting slightly because of the dancing, Mai planted a determined gaze in Lin's one, only to have the surprise to find him chuckling.
The low, bubbling sound had an unexpected warmth, contrasting with the icy behaviour the gentleman was usually showing. Taken aback, Mai gaped at him in the most inelegant manner.
"Forgive me," he smiled at Mai's befuddled stare, "I was not mocking you in the least. In fact, someone once told me very similar words. You reminded me of him."
"I hope it was not an unpleasant memory then."
"It was not. He was… someone dear to me," said Lin with more gravity.
The use of the past tense prevented Mai to question the gentleman any further. She was familiar enough with grievance and loss and therefore didn't want to add to his burden. So she simply nodded in understanding.
"And for your benefit, neither do I hate you nor am I prejudiced against orphans. I did not give credence to what I heard."
"I am really sorry, I assumed…"
"It was my mistake. The way I was acting may have confused you. I was displeased by their behaviour, not yours."
"Oh."
Mai blushed, feeling guilty for not having given Lin any credit. The biting words of Shibuya came back to her, and she sincerely wondered if she wasn't too hasty to judge people on mere assumptions. Like Mrs Hurst, or lady Hara.
She wasn't better than them after all.
"I am afraid your act of kindness may have some unwanted repercussions though," she worried. "Our little society likes gossip, you see."
"Let them do as they please. A dance shall not tarnish your reputation, nor mine," Lin reassured.
"I do not want you to be inconvenienced by my fault."
"I acted out of my own volition, you are not to blame in any way."
Mai smiled gratefully and the two of them spend the rest of the set in companionable silence.
When the dance came to an end Lin started to gallantly escort Mai back to where Masako was waiting. But by an unfortunate coincidence the couple got cornered between Mrs Hurst, lady Hara with a group of her acquaintances and Madoka, arms in arms with Shibuya.
Having heard the terrible opinion lady Hara had on her charge, Lin naturally turned to more friendly figures and, to Mai's chagrin, headed toward Madoka and her escort.
She anxiously watched Naru come closer. After what he had heard about her, she feared he wouldn't even bother to show any manners to her. But to her utmost surprise he bowed politely in greeting. Mai answered with a reverence, heart pounding fast.
She had avoided any catastrophy so far.
Her relief was however short-lived, since Mrs Hurst chose this very moment to try to engage with them. The old lady, far too happy with having caught the subjects of the latest gossip, was actively searching to glean some information to fuel the rumours.
"Miss Yasuhara, what a wonderful ball you set up!" she called out.
Madoka, unable to ignore the lady without being blatantly impolite, stopped to answer, to the men evident displeasure. But the lack of amiability Lin and Naru were displaying was apparently not enough to deter Mrs Hurst from gossiping.
"And what a pleasure to see these fine gentlemen finally taking part in the dancing," she added with a conniving smile."Really, miss Taniyama, you have to tell us your secret my dear."
"A secret?" Mai repeated absentmindedly. Before biting her tongue, furious to have been played so easily. The insinuation was obvious, but she had been caught off guard, still preoccupied about Naru's behaviour, and hadn't realize she was falling into a trap.
Mrs Hurst did not waste a second to latch on her prey.
"Oh my dear, you must be aware of the fact that you are the envy of your friends!" she said with faked innocence. "Are you not the only one having had the privilege to dance with Mr Lin and Mr Shibuya here? Some of the ladies have been dying to have this honour, they would probably appreciate some piece of advice."
Mai gritted her teeth. There wasn't any subtlety in the underlying message that she was a skilled gold digger, and she desperately wanted to come up with a witty retort, but nothing came to her mind.
Thankfully Madoka saved the situation. "Actually," she countered with a dazzling and totally insincere smile, "so had I this honour. If you can call this an honour, the ladies seeking Shibuya's company have probably no idea how dull his conversation is when dancing!"
Mai bit back a snort and Shibuya rolled his eyes. Mrs Hurst, on the other hand, looked positively bewildered.
"This is certainly not true, I am sure miss Taniyama would disagree," protested the old lady.
"Naturally, her good manners would dictate she did," acquiesced Shibuya. "But Madoka is perfectly right, I am afraid. Which is why I do not partake in the dancing more. I would not want to inflict such torture to unsuspecting ladies."
Mrs Hurst laughed behind her fan with a knowing air.
'Oh I see. Naturally you would not want to upset ladies."
Mai felt like she had been slapped. The comment was obviously a jab at her status, and what she had heard from Mrs Hurst exchange with Lady Hara left little to no doubt about her opinion on orphans.
Madoka cleared her throat, probably to retort something scathing but Lin put a firm hand on her arm in warning.
Next to them Naru's features hardened, but he kept a remarkable composure.
"You may have misunderstood." he said calmly. "I was implying that I could only dance with ladies whose manners and kindness would allow to bear my own lack of social skills. I know for a fact Miss Taniyama possesses both," he said, sparing a glance at the aforementioned lady.
Mai's heart pounded erratically in her chest. The coldness of his gaze had reverted to the intense look which used to make her swoon.
And he was defending her.
She had thought he would be too bitter after her rejection to even show her basic decency, still he was taking her side. Why was the man so confusing, blowing hot and cold, being infuriating a moment and chivalrous the very next?
She didn't know what to think about Naru, Shibuya, or whatever his name anymore.
"I am certain you could find many other ladies with these qualities," objected Mrs Hurst.
"This may be, but I prefer to surround myself with only a few close people."
"Is that so? I had no idea you were so well acquainted with miss Taniyama. Especially since you have not been in the neighborhood for very long. I am marvelling at how fast youth is inclined to tie bonds these days," she remarked with false ingenuity.
Naru clenched his jaw, his mood obviously darkening. Madoka took this as her cue to intervene.
"No need for long with people as charming as miss Hara and miss Taniyama. I have rarely met ladies with such nice manners and entertaining conversation, do not you agree?"
Mrs Hurst could not say otherwise without seeming impolite, so she consented, albeit reluctantly.
Mai's heart swelled at the kindness Madoka and Naru were showing toward her, although. she felt she didn't deserve it.
"I am afraid you are thinking too highly of me," she declared modestly, eyes downcast. "Your kindness may be clouding your judgement."
"I beg to differ," unexpectedly replied Naru.
Mai raised her head in surprise, and found him looking at her intently.
"I do not think of me as particularly kind, and yet I share this opinion."
Wasn't he supposed to be angry at her? Was he trying to lower her defenses to come back at her and have the last word?
Or was he sincere?
Mai's head was spinning, and she fumbled with her words, unsettled by the piercing gaze.
"I had no idea… I mean… I did not know you found my conversation entertaining."
"My mistake, I thought I told you before. I miss our verbal sparring."
Mrs Hurst had fallen silent, watching the exchange gleefully, memorizing every word to relate the exchange to her friends later. But Mai didn't notice, too busy trying to decipher what emotion exactly was swirling in Naru's dark blue eyes.
Before she could come to a conclusion the gentleman broke the spell, peering behind her shoulder with a slight scowl. From the corner of her eye she caught sight of Urado coming their way.
She bristled, remembering she had promised the old man a dance if she happened to be free of previous engagements. However she didn't have to worry about it for too long, since Naru offered her a chance to escape.
"Dancing with Madoka has awoken my appetite for this sort of distraction," he lied casually. "Miss Taniyama, would you grace me with your company for the next set?"
"Yes!" she answered readily. "I mean, it would be my pleasure."
With that she was whisked toward the center of the room by the very gentleman she had sworn she would never be involved with ever again.
AN: I am so sorry to disappoint! But, like in the manga, Lin is the one coming to Mai's rescue. The amount of reviews hoping Naru was her saviour almost made me reconsider... almost ;) But I love Lin, and Naru will have his romantic moment with our heroin, so I hope you won't be too mad at me for playing this trick. Don't worry, there is more Mairu to come.
On another note, this story has reached 100 favs and 150 follows! Never would I have ever imagined this work could garner so much attention, I am so incredibly thankful for your support and feedback! To celebrate this important milestone I am offering to write a bonus chapter: I was thinking of writing Takigawa's proposal, but I'm open to other suggestions! If there is a specific scene or a prompt (in this AU) you wish to see, please feel free to send me a PM or leave a review with your idea. I'll see what inspires me the most (or what's requested the most!).
Thanks again for your support, which keeps me motivated :)
