Larissa's Game of Thrones (Larissa) novel Chapter 101

It didn't take long for Leopold to realize that Larissa could, in fact, ballroom dance. She wasn’t just competent; she was a natural, moving with a relaxed grace that rivaled Honora’s.

No, she was even better—her movements were more exquisite, more ethereal. She looked as if she’d spent her entire life gliding across ballroom floors at high-society galas.

Leopold was stunned. In that moment, Larissa was as elegant as a swan. Was this really the same Larissa he knew?

She was so close to him, closer than she had been in all the days since she’d been brought back to the Judson family. Tonight was the first time he had truly taken a good look at his “biological sister.”

While her skin wasn't as porcelain-fair as Honora's, it had a warm, sun-kissed tone and was just as smooth and flawless. Her eyes were incredibly bright, twinkling like stars in the night sky.

He had to admit, he’d already been a little shaken by her during that minute of darkness when her gown was revealed to be the genuine article. Just a little, he told himself. But now, watching her dance, he felt that same jolt of shock again. What was happening?

The snickering from the onlookers had long since died down, replaced by gasps of admiration. The scene before them was simply too breathtaking. Larissa’s gown was already the most dazzling one at the gala, but paired with her mesmerizing dance moves, she was impossible to look away from.

“Alright, I’ll admit it, I'm impressed.”

“From this moment on, I’ll never underestimate her again.”

“Leopold looks completely floored! He probably never imagined that all those times she stepped on his feet were just an act to mess with him!”

Honora’s hands clenched into fists. How could a country girl like Larissa possibly know how to ballroom dance so well?

Distracted, she stumbled and accidentally stepped on Draven’s foot.

Neville and Sapphira swelled with pride.

“Thank you for the compliment, Zoltan,” Neville said. “Larissa has endured so much hardship out on her own. For her to still be so exceptional… it’s more than her mother and I could have ever hoped for.”

Watching her daughter command the ballroom, Sapphira’s eyes welled up with joyful tears. “Larissa must have worked so hard to shine this brightly. She deserves it.”

Seated on the other side of the room, Vivica felt a sour knot tighten in her stomach. That was her daughter out there, the child she had carried for nine months. Yet everyone was praising Neville and Sapphira, while casting sympathetic glances her way.

“Hmph,” Vivica grumbled, snatching a few pistachios from a bowl and cracking them open with angry little snaps. “What’s the big deal? It’s just ballroom dancing. Honora got bored of that years ago.”

Sapphira’s gaze shifted from the dance floor to Vivica’s resentful face. Her own expression hardened. “Is it really so difficult for you to admit that Larissa is an exceptional young woman?”