Chapter 21 – Dancing
Chapter 3: People Who Wish for Happiness, Part 1
Novel Title: 嫌われ者の俺はやり直しの世界で義弟達にごまをする (As the Hated One, I Flatter My Stepbrothers in a World Where I Get a Second Chance)
Author：赤牙 (Akakiba)
Art：古澤エノ (Furusawa Eno)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: シャルル (Charles -MC), リエン (Lien -ML1) & ジェイド (Jade -ML2)
*Please read at freenovels.net, the original site of translation. TQ*
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“A ball?”
“Yes. Charles and Jade received invitations,” our father said after dinner, handing each of us an invitation. It was for a ball hosted by a duke’s family.
―――The ball where I first met Marianne in my previous life.
“Jade, you’re already sixteen. It’s your first ball, so make sure you do your best,” Father encouraged him.
Jade, however, showed an uncharacteristic grimace.
“…Yes. But I’m not very good at dancing…”
“Jade, you’re terrible at dancing,” Lien teased. “But I’m so jealous—I want to go too!”
“You’ll get your chance when you turn sixteen. Then we’ll go together,” I reassured him.
“Okay!”
“Jade, if you’re struggling with dancing, do you want to practice with me?”
“Charles Nii-san, are you good at dancing?”
“Well, I’m decent.”
In truth, I used to be bad at it. But after marrying Marianne, who loved to dance, I practiced with her often and eventually came to enjoy it.
“Then, Charles Nii-san, please teach me how to dance.”
“I want to practice too!” Lien chimed in.
“Sure, I’ll help you both,” I said, smiling. Their joyful expressions reminded me of Marianne’s laughter when we danced.
“Charles Nii-sama, even if you’re bad at it, who cares! Let’s dance together!”
For me, dancing holds cherished memories of the happy times I spent with her.
We began practicing whenever we had free time. Since Lien wouldn’t be attending a ball for a while, most of the focus was on helping Jade.
“Jade, put your hand on my back,” I instructed.
“Understood.”
Playing the role of the lady, I guided Jade through the steps, but his movements were stiff. His grip on my hand was uncertain, and I could feel his nervousness in the hand on my back.
“Jade, you don’t need to hold on so tightly.”
“S-sorry.”
It was rare to see the usually calm and composed Jade so flustered. Watching him clumsily try to dance was absolutely adorable.
“During the real event, you’ll mostly be dancing with smaller women, so pay attention to your stride when stepping. It’d be embarrassing if you step on their feet,” I said, looking up at Jade with a teasing smile. For some reason, his face turned red.
“Understood. I’ll be careful.”
“Haha, if you’re this nervous during practice, the real thing will be tough. If you end up dancing with someone you want to get close to, make sure to compliment them afterward.”
“Compliment them?”
“Yeah, say something like, ‘You looked beautiful,’ or anything nice. It’s important.”
“…I’ll try my best.”
“Alright! Then it’s Lien’s turn!”
“Yay!”
When I called for Lien, he happily ran over and swapped places with Jade. At thirteen, Lien had grown much stronger and more refined compared to when he was younger. He had already surpassed me in height and was growing into a striking young man, nearly as beautiful as Jade.
When I took Lien’s hand, he placed his arm around my back with an ease that was unlike Jade.
“Lien, are you already good at dancing? It doesn’t seem like you need me to teach you.”
“Yeah, but I just wanted to dance with you.”
“I see. Dancing is fun, after all.”
“Yeah! Come on, let’s dance, Nii-sama!”
Lien led me gracefully, guiding me in time with the music. Even with my limited knowledge of the lady’s role, his skillful leading made it easy to follow.
“Lien, you’re great at leading. That was really easy to dance.”
“Thanks. Dancing with you is so much fun!”
“Yeah, I had fun too.”
As we laughed together, I noticed Jade approaching.
“Nii-san, may I have the next dance?”
“Of course.”
“Jade, Charles Nii-sama looks tired. Should I teach you instead?”
“…I don’t want to dance with Lien.”
“Wow, that’s so mean!”
Watching the two of them bicker like that made me laugh out loud.
The three of us continued practicing until the day of the ball finally arrived.
***
Jade and I dressed in matching tailcoats and boarded the carriage.
“You should aim for a more masculine and mature look today,” Mother had said, styling my hair to keep my bangs up.
I wasn’t fond of this hairstyle, but I had to admit that Jade looked mature and dashing with his hair styled the same way.
“Nii-san, does this look strange?” Jade asked once we were in the carriage and out of Mother’s sight.
“You look great. It makes you look more grown-up than usual.”
Hearing that, Jade smiled with relief.
Today’s ball was a significant social event, a place for young men and women to meet. It might be an important day for Jade’s future.
―――I had met Marianne at a similar ball in my previous life and married her.
As the carriage rocked gently, I reminisced about the past until we arrived at the venue. True to its reputation, the ball hosted by the duke’s family was extravagantly luxurious.
Even though it was my second time experiencing such a scene, I hesitated at the entrance.
“Nii-san, let’s go,” Jade said, unaffected by the grand atmosphere.
“Ah, yeah…”
Guided by Jade, I entered the venue.
The lively dance hall was filled with young men and women chatting happily while sneaking glances at the people they were interested in.
“Hey, Jade!”
A young man called out to Jade from a short distance and approached.
“Everyone from school is over there. Come join us—they’ll be thrilled to see you!”
“Ah, well…”
Jade glanced at me, unsure. I gestured for him to go ahead, and though he looked apologetic, he followed his friend into the crowd.
Nearby, young ladies blushed as they sent warm, admiring looks Jade’s way.
Jade sure is popular…
Left on my own, I sipped on a drink and observed the lively atmosphere. That’s when I noticed a lone woman standing by the wall.
“…!”
Her milk-tea-colored hair was elegantly styled, and she wore a cool blue dress. It was Marianne.
Seeing the woman I had once loved made my heart skip a beat.
In my first life, I had approached her when she stood like that, and it marked the beginning of our story. We married when I was twenty, but as our estate struggled financially, our relationship also deteriorated. We divorced after five years.
Afterward, life had been so hectic that I barely had time to think about her. Still, she had always been important to me.
Unable to stop myself, I approached Marianne.
“Would you honor me with a dance?” I asked.
She raised her head, her expression brightening.
“With pleasure…”
She smiled shyly as I took her hand, and we began to dance.
Ah, how nostalgic.
The orchestra began playing the next piece—a song from our first dance together.
Marianne, who loved this song, broke into a smile.
Seeing the smile of someone I thought I’d never see again warmed my heart.
When the song ended, the two of us naturally smiled at each other.
“Um… may I ask for your name?”
“I’m Charles. Charles Wahlman.”
“I’m Marianne! Um… will we meet again?”
“…Yes. Let’s meet again.”
Saying that, I stepped away from Marianne and left the hall, heading toward a deserted balcony.
Perhaps because of the dancing, the alcohol had gone to my head, and my body felt hot. The cold night breeze was incredibly refreshing.
Sigh… As I thought about Marianne while exhaling, I sensed someone’s presence.
“Nii-san. So you were here…”
“Ah, Jade. Are you taking a break too?”
“Yes. I’m still not used to crowds.”
“Me neither.”
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*Translator’s Note: Charles, Jade is only nervous because it’s you. Duh… -K
*GLOSSARY:
- Nii-san/Nii-sama/Onii-san = (Big/Elder) Brother
☝🏻I’ll be using these throughout my translation. Jade would call Charles ‘Nii-san’ while Lien would call him ‘Nii-sama’.
Next update: 2025.09.14
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Daqui a pouco a cabeça dela vai rolar se depender dos irmãos dele ksks. obrigadaaa pela tradução 🥰