Zombie Girls Revival System-Chapter 175: The Dance of Humiliation.

Harry flanked by two friends, his tone mocking.

"Still talking about dirt and trees, are we? Come now, Evelise! You're engaged to the future Mayor! Talk about something important, like the new land allocation or the City treasury!"

Evelise turned, her public smile instantly back in place. "Lord Harry, my parents were simply reminding me of the heritage that guides my scientific work. You see, understanding the natural world is crucial, even for a politician."

"Oh, spare me the lecture," Harry scoffed, draining his glass. "Your job is to cure the sick and look good on my arm, not manage my investments. The Nexus is our property now, a glorified power plant. Your kind just has the funny key to switch it on."

Sid, positioned strategically behind Evelise, felt the urge to intervene again. He subtly took a large, conspicuous step forward, his shadow engulfing Harry slightly.

Evelise's mother rushed forward, her voice tight with terror and panic. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Lord Harry! Please, look at this wonderful centerpiece! And the refreshments! Have you tried the candied fruit? The agreement is official; let's celebrate! Come, Evelise, let's look at the band!"

Her father quickly tried to follow up, taking Harry's arm.

"Yes, Lord Harry! Let's get a refill and discuss the City's investments elsewhere, yes?"

Harry, however, ignored the father's hand and remained fixed on Evelise.

"The Nexus is not a switch, Lord Harry."

Evelise replied, her eyes sparking with cold defiance. She met Harry's gaze, her voice low and challenging.

"It is a living entity, the core of this region. My people are not merely the key; we are the immune system to this land. You call it a power plant; I call it life. And you are soon to marry its immune system. You should choose your words carefully."

Harry, slightly thrown by her unexpected sharpness and Sid's looming presence, merely sneered.

"Fine. Just be pretty and be useful. That's all the city expects. Now, dance with me. It's an engagement party, not a history lesson."

The music swelled, a formal, lilting waltz that demanded elegance. Evelise hesitated, her gaze flickering toward Sid, who stood rigidly nearby, ready to enforce his Master's unspoken wishes.

Sid saw his chance to disrupt the charade again. He took a subtle half step forward, his voice low and carefully modulated to sound respectful yet concerned.

"My Lord Harry, I apologize," Sid said, bowing slightly. "Lady Evelise has endured a most exhausting day, concluding the trial and the negotiations. Perhaps a brief period of repose before the dance—"

Harry snapped his attention to Sid, his pale eyes narrowing with patrician fury. He was accustomed to deference, not suggestion, from the staff.

"You," Harry hissed, his voice rising, though still pitched to avoid truly drawing the Mayor's attention. "You are a mere servant. A peasant. How dare you assume the right to inject your opinion into a conversation between nobility? Do not let your breath contaminate my presence again. Get back to the slum where my father dragged you out!"

Sid clenched his jaw, battling the urge to deliver a cutting retort that would certainly result in the servant's execution. He bowed deeper, silently plotting his next maneuver. Evelise intervened, placing her hand gently on Harry's arm, her composure absolute.

"It is quite alright, Harry. I accept the request," she said smoothly, overriding Sid's attempt. "A dance is precisely what I need to celebrate this success—"

She placed her delicate hand in his, sending a clear message to Sid: The agreement is more important than the insult.

Harry sneered, pulling Evelise closer. "Wise choice, my dear," he drawled, casting a venomous look over Evelise's shoulder at Sid. "Now step aside, old geezer. This is a celebration for those who matter. And you," he paused, tightening his grip on Evelise's hand, "are about to dance with the future of this City."

As the music picked up, they swept onto the floor. To Sid's surprise, Harry was an exceptional dancer. He moved with a refined, practiced grace, executing the complex steps of the waltz with the precise, controlled skill of a true nobleman.

"Damn it," Sid muttered under his breath. "Of course he's good. He was probably trained since he was three by the City's best instructors; he paid for this skill, not earned it. You almost have to compliment the bastard's sheer effort, which only makes me hate him more. Worst of all, he still moves like his knees are both right."

But then, Evelise began to move. She was equally talented, but where Harry was technical, Evelise was fluid. Her white rabbit ears swayed with the rhythm, and her cotton tail seemed to dance independently. Her movements were not merely steps; they were a display of untamed, breathtaking elegance. She challenged the tempo and the routine, her grace forcing Harry to push his own boundaries.

A circle formed around them. The guests gasped in genuine admiration. "Look at her! The control!" a woman whispered. "She dances like a creature of the wind!"

Harry, however, quickly lost his façade of dignity. He was struggling to keep up, his concentration broken by the sheer, vibrant energy radiating from Evelise. As his technical skill faltered, his inner boorishness took over.

During a complex turn, Harry gripped Evelise too tightly at the small of her back. "So, the little rabbit is fast on her feet," he muttered, leaning in close as they spun. "Tell me, Evelise, are you just as agile and quick in bed? You seem to have a lot of energy to burn."

Evelise didn't miss a beat of the waltz. "My agility, Harry," she countered, her voice low and even, "is dedicated to the advancement of my people, not your entertainment. I suggest you focus on the pas de basque before you trip over your own feet."

He persisted, pulling her into an unnecessarily close dip. "Oh, you'll be entertaining me, my beauty. Once we are married, all this defiance will be quite amusing. I look forward to taming that wild streak. Do you have any other hidden talents? Are you good at—"

"I am excellent at strategic planning and resource management, Harry," Evelise cut in, her tone sharp and icy, though still barely audible above the music. "Two skills you will find indispensable when you are Mayor. Focus on learning them, or you will find the City Council laughing at you, not with you."

The dance became a public performance of harmony and a private conversation of harassment and defiance. Evelise withstood his crude remarks, deflecting every attempt at intimidation with cold, intellectual retorts, all while executing the dance flawlessly.

The waltz reached its feverish crescendo. Evelise, executing a final, complex flourish that required Harry to match her speed and control, suddenly extended her step, forcing Harry to overcompensate.

With the final, dramatic crash of the music, Harry, unable to maintain his balance under the pressure of her superior grace, stumbled. He crashed down onto his knees on the marble floor, panting and defeated, looking ridiculous as Evelise stood over him, perfectly poised, her breathing steady. Sid, witnessing the stunning humiliation of the Mayor's son, could not hold back the sound this time.

"Bravo! An exquisite conclusion!"

Sid yelled, his voice carrying clearly across the startled silence of the ballroom. He quickly transformed the outburst into a loud, overenthusiastic applause, stepping forward with the servant's body, cheering wildly as if the fall were the pre planned finale.

Evelise turned her head slightly and met Sid's eyes over the defeated figure of her fiancé. A slow, genuine, triumphant smile touched her lips— a secret moment shared between the protector and the protected.

Harry scrambled to his feet, his face a mask of scarlet fury and utter humiliation. He ignored the extending hands of his friends, his eyes blazing as they locked onto Evelise.

"You bitch! You set that up!" he hissed, his voice trembling with rage. "You think your little tricks end here? I will tame that insolence and you will learn exactly who the master is!"

The celebration finally drew to a close. Sid spent the next hour moving Evelise's formidable collection of research equipment into her chamber. The quantity was overwhelming— trunks, crates, and specialized containers. It truly looked as though she had packed their entire rural home and delivered its soul to this opulent room. As he hauled the penultimate crate, he groaned.

"God, you brought the whole pharmacy with you, didn't you, Evelise? I swear, I think this servant body just developed a hernia. I really hope those vials are worth all this back breaking labor."

After placing the final, heavy chest near the grand veranda, Sid stood back, dusting off the servant's stiff uniform. Evelise walked past him and stepped onto the veranda, gazing out at the deep night. The city lights were brilliant below, but beyond them, the mountains were black, culminating in the unseen but felt presence of the Nexus Tree.

Evelise did not turn around, but her voice broke the silence.

"I am finally here…"