Dance Of Night (A Diabolik Lovers Fanfiction)

Chapter 6 Second Dance

The date of the next ball came soon. All month long my parents focused on how we would present ourselves again. My Father thought it good that I learned to play another instrument, given that I already played the piano from years of lessons, and so I began to learn how to play the violin. My Mother had a new dress made for me for the occasion, now white with purple.

"Purple," my Mother told me, "is the colour of royalty, so your Father wants us all to wear purple on our clothes. He wanted you in a full purple gown, but I insisted it would be inappropriate since you are still a young girl, and so your dresses should all be mostly white."

And so, on the night of the ball, I walked into the same hallway as I had before. This time, I took more notice on the presence of the waiter servants, boys around my age dressed elegantly in simple suits, less extravagant than the garments of the Sakamakis I had met but still appropriate for the night. I was still amazed by the grandness of it all, but would not revel in it since my mind was focused on something else. I knew the first thing Father would want was to talk to Karl Heinz, and so I was very much anxious about that. I wished I could avoid meeting with the Vampire King, but after all we had been invited again because he wanted to see me once more. I was on my guard.

I had resolved it had been foolish of me to had been carried away the month before. I had not had any friends in a very long time and it had been really fun to play, but I was not here to play at all. I was still not sure what I was here for at all. I still appreciated Laito and Kanato, but I would not let any of that get to me any more, I had been distracted, I needed to be careful. I was even ashamed of how I had acted, even though I had enjoyed myself. I had decided not to interact with the Sakamakis anymore and try to keep a low profile.

Just then we were once more in the presence of Karl Heinz. When he laid his golden eyes on me these got bright, as a child's eyes upon seeing candy. In an instant he had my hand to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss on the back of it.

"Ayame dear, I have been very patiently waiting to see you again since the time we were forced to part ways. Have you been well this past month?" he asked, charmingly.

"I have been well, thank you for inquiring," I answered politely, but much coldly to my Father's taste, whose face changed into a menacing one. Karl was not paying attention to him, his eyes were only on me, and his smile grew larger by the minute.

"I am very glad that is so, my dear," Karl beamed. It was disturbing, this excitement of his.

"Heinz-sama," my Father began in a serious yet polite manner. "I presume your shipment throughout the month arrived according to contract?"

"Yes, it did," Karl said, now slightly facing my Father's direction but his eyes still on me. "A very intoxicating taste, I must say. It makes it hard to believe that you are selling only to me."

My Father's face suddenly went pale.

"I... I was not aware of those conditions," he mumbled.

On hearing my Father, the Vampire King snapped his head towards him, looking directly into his eyes, all friendliness gone. The rage in his eyes was almost painful to look at by itself.

"Do you mean to say that you have been providing her blood to others during this past month?" Karl hissed.

"I—I—," Father stuttered. He then instantly fell to the ground in front of Karl Heinz, arms arched nesting his head in an apologetic bow. "I am deeply, most sincerely sorry, Karl Heinz- sama. I assure you this will not occur ever again. Please forgive us."

But Karl did not seem to even be listening to Father's pleads. He advanced on Father, and was above him, his eyes piercing through Father's back.

"I do not like to share," Karl stated somberly, and then raised his arm. It seemed as if he were going to kill Father that instant.

Everyone was looking at this scene now, slightly bowing themselves, and I knew the Sakamakis I had met were staring from within the crowd. I was almost frozen with terror, but then Father lifted his face and on seeing Karl's arm raised above him it was clear in his face how he had already given up on life, and was just waited.

Disgusted by this attitude, my body was able to move, my voice able to sound firm.

"Karl Heinz-sama," I spoke calmly. The Vampire King turned his head to me, his eyes, a deep red color holding a rage so scornful and imposing it required all of my strength not to wince and bow down myself. "My Father is deeply apologetic and ashamed of his mistake, as am I. In the future, nothing as such will take place again. As for now," I continued, still calm. "Would you bestow upon me the honor of having a dance?"

There was a second of silence, and I realized the music had stopped playing a long while ago. A single footstep would resound all over the ballroom, but not a single soul moved. I could not even hear my Mother breathing.

"Child," Karl began, lowering his arm. "I have told you already, you may drop the formalities with me."

With this he came to where I was standing, a mere metre away. He then offered his hand to me, now with a light smile, although I could see he was still furious and it was all pretended. I took it immediately, and as soon as I did the music began playing again. Karl had his eyes on me once more and he was somehow calmer. With a gesture from his other hand, most of the other guests started dancing again, and the rest attended to their own affairs.

I did not look back as he took me into the dance floor, but I heard my Mom falling to the ground next to my Father, asking him if he was alright while he scorned at her saying "get off of me woman!!"

Just like the last time, Karl grabbed me by the shoulder and I grabbed him from his elbow, and we danced in silence for quite a while. He seemed to be still in anger, looking at nothing in particular, and I was, although I would never admit it aloud, afraid to speak even a single word.

As we danced, I took it upon myself to look at the other guests. I noticed some would glance over in our direction from time to time. Amongst some people, I happened to notice Laito, looking at me. When our glances met, he quickly averted his eyes, then spun around and disappeared amongst the crowd. On another side of the dance floor I did see the shape of a woman scattering away with fists clenched, a trace of violet hair being the only indication of who she might be.

However, what struck me odd was a very specific stare thrown my way. A boy was standing alone on one side of the ballroom, reclined against a tall pillar, his arms crossed over his chest. He seemed to be my age, with sliverish white hair with light purple tones. His red-pink eyes were intently placed on me, slits through which he seemed to be trying to decipher something. There was another thing there as well, another feeling beyond the calculating eyes. It was... Annoyance? Anger? .... Sadness? I honestly could not read what it was exactly. Our eyes met, and we looked at each other for a while. I had cold eyes on, he had his vexed on me.

"Are you enjoying the dance, Ayame dear?" Karl inquired, taking me away from my thoughts.

"Ah?" I confusedly asked, turning to see Karl, who was still not looking at me. "Oh, yes, very much, Karl-sama."

I then turned my head again in the boy's direction, but he was already gone.