Raised in Dungeon

Chapter 105

As Felicia tried to approach him unnoticed, Allen, who had always been sharpening his sense of his surroundings, immediately picked up on her presence.

"Oh... it's just you," Allen said in a disappointed tone.

"What did you mean by 'just'?! I walked all the way here to find you, but you responded to me like that?! As if I'm some insignificant person!"

"Looking for me? What for?"

Allen's question made her also wonder to herself.

'It's because you're not inside! Don't you want to dance?!' she thought.

Actually, she felt a sense of embarrassment admitting it, that she yearned for Allen's presence, longing for him to be there after her dance performance. Stand before Rachel, looking at her and join her on the dance floor.

That's why she didn't want Rachel to loosen her dress. She wanted to... try to dance once with Allen.

'But if I tell him about the dance, I will look like I want to dance with him!' Felicia thought.

Then Felicia noticed the right hand that Allen had been looking at. It was bleeding and quite severe. Felicia immediately approached Allen and held his hand,

"What happened? How can you hurt your hand this badly?!" Felicia shouted.

The wound on Allen's palm was not from a knife slash, the wound was not neat but messy as there were rips everywhere.

"Even your nails came off?! What's wrong with you?"

"I'm trying to use my god's blessing. So I need to bleed my hand."

"Can't you just do that at home? We're in the castle!"

After that, Felicia repeatedly cursed at how stupid and uncaring Allen was to himself.

"Stay there," Felicia immediately activated her god's blessing.

Since she didn't have a knife with her, she bit her thumb to draw a blood circle. After she spilled the blood, she sat down and prayed. A variety of beautiful flowers grew around them. Then it shone, beating the two moons' light. When Felicia did that, Allen's gaze seemed transfixed on her. He hadn't even bothered to look at his own hand anymore.

Ever since Felicia came out in her dress, Allen unconsciously looked at her the entire evening. He felt somewhat uneasy about constantly looking at her, as he couldn't sense the people around him every time he did so. It was almost as if Felicia's presence was dulling his senses.

Felicia stood up while looking at Allen's fully healed hand. She didn't realize that they were so close. She always made her blood circle as small as possible. So when she raised her head to look at Allen, Felicia gasped, immediately backing away because Allen's face was so close in front of her.

"I-I'm sorry..." Felicia said it with embarrassment.

"Why?"

Allen's question annoyed Felicia but also tickled her a little. Just before, she saw Allen as if he were a different person, but it turned out that he was still the same Allen she used to know.

"Forget it..."

Felicia looked around; then she started to feel a sense of deja vu,

'Fufu, come to think of it, I met Mr Waldo in the garden, near the fountain, just like now.

At that time, Mr Waldo saw me crying after I foiled my dance. He came out of the bushes and laughed at me. Then just like Allen, he also hurt his hand, and I used my god's blessing after that.

While everyone looked down on me, Mr Waldo thanked me and praised my god's blessing. I will never forget his word. He said that my god's blessing is…-'

"Your god's blessing is amazing,"

Hearing that, Felicia was immediately confused. Did her inner voice come out? Could she have said it out loud?

But no... She looked ahead and was sure that Allen had said that just now. Allen looked at his hand, which was now perfectly healed.

"Wh-what?" Felicia spontaneously said that. It wasn't a question, but rather words that came out in surprise.

"I said... Your god's blessing is amazing. It's more like creating something out of nowhere more than manipulating time. Look..." Allen showed Felicia his fingers.

"My lost nail is growing back."

No... Felicia didn't care about that right now...

She was shocked that Allen had said the same thing that Waldo had said that time...

Because everything looked the same just like back then...

It was as if Felicia went back two years ago when she first met Waldo.

And the feelings she was feeling right now...

When she saw Allen that time...

Probably no different when she saw Waldo.

There was a flutter in her heart that left her breathless. It was a feeling that she knew all too well, for a fire had smouldered within her for quite some time. The thought crossed her mind that seeing Allen was probably no different than how she felt when she saw Waldo.

They both found themselves serene and peaceful. The only sounds that could be heard were the soothing trickle of the fountain and the gentle caress of the nighttime breeze. They stood together, lost in thought, silently contemplating the meaning of this unexpected awkwardness under the starry sky.

Felicia originally wanted to ask about Princess Margaret to him, but somehow she hesitated. She felt that it was not the right moment.

Instead, it was more appropriate for something else.

Felicia boldly extended her hand and said

"Shall we dance?"

'I finally said it!' she thought.

For some reason, she really wanted to do it now. She was tired and wanted to rest. But if she didn't do it now, she felt that she would regret it someday. Right now, she feels very happy. She was overjoyed that everything was going the way she wanted it to. And she wanted to rectify the inconsistency of the plan she had built.

And that was dancing with Allen.

"Huh? Why would I do that?" Allen replied coldly.

'This brat!' she thought, annoyed.

"OH COME ON! JUST TAKE MY HAND!" snapped Felicia.

"Has your brain melted from being inside for so long? What are you dancing for if no one's watching? Didn't you want to show off your dress?"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT ANYMORE!"

"Hah? Seriously? Then why did you ask me to dance?"

Her heart racing, she looked up at him with disbelief and confusion. The air was thick with awkward silence for a few moments as she searched for the right words to say. "I-it's because..." she stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"D-Don't you think your dance training will be useless if you don't dance with me?!" She blurted out, feeling her cheeks go red.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. But it was too late to take them back now. All she could do was wait for his response, her heart still pounding in her chest.

Allen lowered his head and put his hand to his mouth. Thinking that what Felicia said might be true.

Suddenly Princess Margaret came to his mind,

"Ah... there's no need. I already did that earlier with someone else. If I'm not mistaken, she's one of the princes; I forgot her name."

Felicia became even angrier because she suddenly mentioned Margaret.

"Oh my goodness! Do you really need an excuse to dance with me?!"

"Of course I-"

Allen suddenly remembered his promise to Rachel; he should compliment Felicia before this night's end!

'That's right; I haven't kept my promise to that woman...'

"Okay, let's dance," said Allen, extending his hand to Felicia.

At the sight of Allen's outstretched hand, Felicia's nerves kicked in and she gracefully accepted his offer. They locked their fingers together and stretched their arms to the right, while Allen's other hand rested gently on the small of Felicia's back and Felicia's hand grasped Allen's shoulder.

As they glided across the garden's floor, Felicia couldn't help but wonder how someone who could wield a sword with such brutality could hold her so delicately. Then they started dancing. With music that only the two of them could hear. Under the bright moonlight. In the rose garden, looking at each other's faces.

Felicia was tired because she had already danced with three people. And her dance with Francis made her even more tired because she had to adjust to him. But when she danced with Allen now, all her tiredness disappeared.

The wind takes away her sweat, blowing her hair beautifully. And Allen was such a good lead that Felicia didn't have to exert much effort.

_This way...

Everything has gone according to the original plan...

I've surprised my father

Then surprised the entire nobility

And then promoted my dress

And now, I can dance happily__

They had been dancing for about 10 minutes when Felicia finally signaled an end to their impromptu performance. She couldn't help the huge grin spreading across her face—it was all perfect.

"Fufu, perfect Allen, I adore you-" she began to gush before Allen abruptly pulled her hand away.

Felicia's smile faltered, replaced by a look of confusion as he drew closer, his mouth near her ear.

Suddenly, he whispered softly,

"Today... you look so pretty."

The unexpected compliment caught Felicia off guard, causing her to stutter out a shocked,

"H-hweeh?!"

Shock again

Very shock

Super shock

After dancing with Allen, she finally got rid of everything that was bothering her. At that time, she was completely

released, free/relieved/and completely defenseless, then Allen suddenly attacked her with his words in that state.

A mental attack

A critical hit right in her heart.

Despite the chilly night wind, Felicia's skin suddenly became hot after hearing Allen's words. He slowly let go of her hand, causing Felicia to stiffen like a rock.

Too embarrassed to look at him, she couldn't help but steal a glance at Allen's face—and find him covering his mouth with his right hand and avoiding eye contact. It was the same look she had seen before, when he pulled her hand away when Francis took her.

The face of an utterly embarrassed man.

But this time, Felicia could see his face clearer, closer, and redder.

Felicia spontaneously turned around and said

"Th-thank you!" as she walked away, unable to bear the embarrassment and awkwardness of the situation.

[ILLUSTRATION]

She then ran as fast as she could, away from there. Away from the tense situation that could cause her to die of a heart attack.

'What the hell?! What the hell?! What the hell?! What the hell?! What the hell?! What the hell?! What the hell?! WHAT THE HELL?! !!!!"

Felicia then squatted down in the palace corridor, hugging her face with her hair. Her body was getting hotter, and her heart was beating faster.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" she shouted in her heart while thinking of Allen's shy face.