Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 1519: Dance

"Actually, there’s no need for makeup. To me, Miss Benanis is most beautiful without it."

Shard stood at the door of the office, thinking about going back early to be with Luviya.

"Shard, if you want to compliment Vanessa, it’s best to say it to her, not to me."

Ciris smiled behind the desk and said:

"Don’t waste time, go wait downstairs."

"What exactly is Miss Benanis going to perform?"

Shard asked curiously, and Ciris acted like she was "scolding" him:

"Knight, don’t you know that a woman with secrets is the most beautiful?"

Shard shivered, a natural reaction. He then remembered, this was spoken outside the Osenfort Estate, by Desire.

"Secrets... I understand."

"But I can secretly tell you, this is a performance Vanessa has never done before."

Ciris winked at her:

"You must appreciate it well."

The Wilder Opera House, a city-level grand opera house, usually has performances lasting until just before midnight. But Miss Benanis had coordinated to free up Hall Three for an entire evening, specially for a performance for Shard.

Hall Three was also one of the larger halls in the Wilder Opera House, and although it didn’t have private boxes, the audience seating was split into two levels, totaling 1059 seats.

As Shard walked down the aisle between empty seats from the back to the front row, the red curtain on the stage was drawn. The opera house’s soundproofing was excellent, and all around was silent. Seated and looking at the empty seats around him, he marveled at this opportunity to enjoy a performance by Miss Vanessa Benanis alone, likely never to be encountered again.

Sitting there alone, time seemed to slow down. But when the time reached nine o’clock, a soft "bang" interrupted Shard’s thoughts promptly. The bright lights above the auditorium of the performance hall went out sequentially from back to front. The darkness lasted only for several seconds, and then the first light appeared behind the red curtain.

"It’s starting!"

Shard sat upright, gripping the armrest. He initially thought tonight would be a solo female vocal performance, but when the sound of small drums came from behind the drawn curtain, he realized he was wrong.

The stage behind the curtain was decorated to resemble a woodland valley in spring. The stage backdrop even featured a blue silk ribbon to represent a river.

And the only performer on stage, the lady who walked out to the rhythm of the drums, wore a tight blue and white small crop top, with a stunning colorful gemstone and seven-colored beads embroidery on her tightly bound chest. Her waist carried a wavy hip belt adorned with gold and silver sequins, beneath which hung a collection of pearl chains, multicolored bead chains, and golden chains cascading down like waves. The belt was attached to a sky blue low-waist skirt, below which her legs were bare except for minimal gold ornaments and her feet were completely naked.

Shard took a deep breath, leaning his upper body slightly back until it fully rested against the chair:

"My little Mia..."

The drumbeat gradually became clearer, and the dancer with long entangled legs like a white snake extended her flexible arms under the stage lights, beginning tonight’s performance.

Her loose, soft long hair swayed as she spun. She wore a droplet-shaped green gemstone on her forehead. Though the thin veil covered her face, her eyes, golden with a hint of green, still managed to cast alluring glances that seemed to lure Shard’s soul.

Two arms intertwined, trembling as they extended forward, ten fingers adorned with six different-colored gemstone rings, with two golden bracelets on the left hand, and three silver ones on the right. The short top completely failed to cover the alabaster, slender neck where three golden necklaces clashed against each other. Amidst the light and pleasant sound of the drumbeat, the waist chain, ankle chain, and bracelet collided in her dance, creating a rhythm that made one’s heartbeat accelerate.

She adorned herself with these jingling ornaments as much as possible, so much so that as she swung her hips and abdomen to the rapidly changing beat, the noises themselves became part of the music.

These symbols of wealth and power not only didn’t appear vulgar; instead, they elevated the atmosphere to another peak.

Her long legs, even without any fabric covering them, were more enticing than Miss Sylvia’s "invention." The nails on her nimble toes were coated in a lacquer the color of pomegranate and ruby, adding an extra layer of charm as she danced.

A step forward, a twist of the waist, a sway of the hips, a gentle pat on the small belly due to the slim waist. A circle of small rubies dotted around the navel, in which a flawless diamond sparkled in the light.

The dance was both sacred and enchanting, mysterious and alluring.

Even the well-traveled Outlander found his mind completely filled by the scene before him in those brief twenty minutes. Every sway and turn of the blonde dancer, her bare feet lightly tapping the ground, kept him from pondering anything unrelated to this moment.

He forgot time, forgot where he was, and for a moment even forgot to breathe.

"She" surprisingly did not disturb Shard while he was lost in thought, and he, as a wholly committed audience, was absorbed in the spectacular dance on stage.

When the drumbeats ceased and the dancer, slightly breathless with her legs crossed, bent backward to bid farewell with a flirtatious glance, Shard finally felt how strained his eyes were.

[Remember to blink next time.]

But Shard was in no mood to argue with "her":

"This is just incredible!"

He blinked and gasped for breath as he stood up to applaud, unable to find any words of praise for the dance he had just witnessed.

He fully understood why Vanessa Benanis was considered the greatest actress of this era. Even though he was the only one to see this performance, he completely grasped the meaning of the name "Vanessa Benanis."

The performance was not over yet. As Shard stood to applaud, the sound of drums and bells resumed. The dancer maintained her crossed legs and backward bend while the metal on her bracelets jingled. She rose with this challenging move, laughing lightly, bending at the waist, stepping back with small steps, and beckoning to the sole audience below the stage.

[Why don’t you hurry up?]

"She" urged with a whispering voice, unusually gentle, making Shard genuinely feel as if a silver-haired girl was leaning over him, whispering softly.

Therefore, Shard clumsily climbed onto the stage from the front. The drumbeats and bell sounds became more pleasant and joyful. The blonde dancer enthusiastically sidled over in small steps, took Shard’s hand, and, accompanied by the rhythm of the music and the tinkling of the metal on her body, led him to dance with her.

Or rather, it was she circling around Shard, continuing that sacred and mesmerizing dance.

As Shard ascended the stage, he finally noticed the traces of Maze Lock. But before he could think through the effects this Maze Lock had exerted, he was once again lost in the music and dance.

Although the stage now had a person like Shard who was not good at dancing, the atmosphere on the stage remained entirely unaffected. Because this stage belonged to Vanessa Benanis, she controlled everything here.

Palms lightly tapping the leather, the metal on the wrists clinking, while the palms emitted a dull yet crisp sound. The figure swirling around Shard was like a Shamaness from ancient myths, praying to the Deity for good weather and tribal prosperity.

It was at this moment that Shard realized the kind of dance being performed in front of him was originally intended to depict the ceaseless cycle of Nature and Human Reproduction through bodily movements; it was meant to celebrate fertility and praise the mystery of Life.

Bare feet touching the ground was to maintain a connection with the earth, and the exposed abdomen symbolized birth and life.

At some point, Shard realized he was being led by the hand by the blonde dancer, spinning under the stage sets’ lighting. She swayed her body, affectionately drawing near Shard’s chest. Her tightly bound upper body leaned into Shard’s, eyes rippling with amusement through a thin veil gazing into Shard’s eyes.

The unusual drumbeats, with a lively rhythm but entirely different from the mainstream music of this era, seemed to be etched directly into Shard’s mind. And those green-tinted golden eyes would surely often appear in his dreams for a period to come.

However, even the greatest performance eventually has an end.

When the drumbeats ceased, Vanessa Benanis, slightly panting, had her right hand held by Shard’s left hand, and her left hand held by Shard’s right hand, her supple arms crossed and leaning into his embrace like soft silk.

Shard gradually emerged from the enchanting dance, then realized he was gasping for breath as well. He even noticed his heart was pounding at an astonishing rate, to the extent he was worried if the dancer in his chest might feel uncomfortable.

"Shard Suren Hamilton..."

Looking up and back, the Witch’s eyes held a soul full of gentle allure, and the fervent emotion in her trembling voice was nearly capable of melting steel.

She gazed intently into his eyes, lashes fluttering in the light as she softly asked:

"Can you remember me forever?"

As Shard came to his senses, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and he slowly lowered his head. The dancer, her skin flushed from the vigorous steps and drenched with sweat, also closed her eyes. As the curtains gently closed from both sides towards the center, he kissed her on stage.