LIGHTNOVELONLINE Book 2: Chapter 21 (P2)
The empress chuckled and then stamped her feet, and said: “Don’t be so nervous, son. You’re my son. Nobody will say anything even if my cape does touch the floor. You’re not a professional at it. I just want to have my own child help me with it.”
“Understood.”
Perhaps it implies that a sovereign is indicating their favour for someone by allowing them to hold the hem of their cape or clothing. We are talking about a sovereign after all. Nobody is allowed to make a mistake around a sovereign, even more so when they’re permitted to accompany the sovereign to such events. The empress adjusted the black veil in front of her face and then said: “Let’s go, son. Haha, this is the first time I’m attending a ball with my son. I’m a bit nervous. Son, I suddenly want to dance with you, what do you think?”
I was so frightened I froze up. I then said: “I uhh… I don’t know how to…”
“It’s fine. Would they dare to laugh if you couldn’t dance? Let’s do it!”
The empress is a little over-excited today…
“Let’s go!”
The curtain before us suddenly opened and the bright-blinding light shined onto my face. The smell of perfumes and food came rushing over together. The noisy chattering in the room suddenly came to a stop. As I held the empress’s cape, I did my best to maintain the tranquillity she was showing. I scanned the luxurious dance hall after my eyes adjusted to the strong lights. I saw the men and women on both sides in lavish clothing bow. The empress raised her head and slowly walked forth with the aura of a sovereign as I followed behind. Nier had her head down with her hand on her sword handle as she casually followed. I was the only one behind the empress shuffling his feet like a clown.
“Long live your majesty!”
Eh?! Their greeting phrase is different this time!
After we crossed the excessively long large hall, the empress turned around, almost pulling her cape out of my hands. I quickly ran in a big circle to try and circle around behind her, but the empress pulled me in towards her by my arm. She then pressed my head against her glorious bosom…
My neck! My neck!!
“Ladies and gentlemen, I came here to participate in this ball prepared for my son by Chief Yin. I’m very happy to know you all care about him. I have led conquests for over ten years, yet only have this one child. I hope that you all will treat him as the future emperor, so that he may soon become a qualified emperor. Alright, I’m very happy tonight. Let’s not talk anymore, please rise. I shall start the opening dance!”
The empress vigorously grabbed my hand. Her hands were different to mom’s hands. Mom’s hands are slender, gentle and warm, while the empress’s hands were rough and had calluses. Her hands looked slender and white from a distance, but when you touched them, you could feel the abrasions accumulated from all of her conquests. These must be the hands of the empress who spent years on the battlefield… She really is different to other people…
Her hands were hands that wielded swords.
The music in the hall started playing. I so can’t dance! I only know casual dances, but… It seemed that the empress couldn’t dance either. She just tightly gripped my hand and hugged me with all her might! She’s pursuing her private interests under the guise of work! This has got to be considered pursuing her private interests under the guise of work!!
This isn’t even remotely dancing!! Can’t you people tell?! Why are you people watching me with envy?! Can’t you people tell?! This isn’t even remotely considered dancing!
Despite that, the empress’s happy look came from deep down inside her. I could see her smile through her black veil. Even the hostility in her eyes disappeared. It must be a very happy feeling to be able to dance with your son as his mother…
The empress’s hands were rough…
But, they were warm like mom’s hands nonetheless.
Translator Comments: Some have dropped the series, which is both sad and good. Good in that I won’t need to sift through idiocy (more on that in a tick) and that they’ve found this isn’t for them. Bad in that we just lost reader numbers. Their reason for dropping it per their words was that this volume is bad. The MC gets disrespected and isn’t commandeering humanity after coming to humanity for about a week, and coming face-to-face with people he’s never met before, and a world he’s never lived in before. First point. Do you not find yourself choosing the elves over the humans? If you do, why? If the humans acted the way the humans did, why not just make them elves? Why would you as a reader be encouraged to choose sides if both sides were the same? Now, make one completely detestable, and I presume you’ll choose to side with the other. Do you not think that’s the reason the author tries to depict them the way he does? We call it a writing device; creating contrast. Second point. If you’re looking for a series with an MC who’s going to waltz into a completely different world where everything he ever knew is challenged, and all of a sudden start commanding them and referring to everybody as mongrels as Gilgamesh, I think you should check in with reality. Lastly, Archer who read up to volume 3 states that things pick up a lot more after volume 2 (which is visible to those who bother to actually look before sharing their intellect with the world), so they discredit it before the half-way point of volume 2… What?