Flipping through the opened letters lathered in perfume and lace, one might assume a woman wrote them. “Sigh,” I muttered, “did they make their mothers write these letters? Truly, our kingdom’s men are terrible at courting women.”
Putting the laced invites to the left side, I proceed to look over the messy handwritten invites I had the maids sort for me. The right side is from those who belong to a count’s family or above, while the middle was from those below the rank of counts.
“So many invites… Did we really have this many single men from our kingdom?”
Aveline chuckled while pouring the rose tea, “Well, you are quite a sight to behold, not to mention whoever marries you will become Duke Stormcrest. For those who are of lower rank than you – you are the status climber given from the goddess herself.”
Sighing once more, I throw the right pile to the left pile, “I know, but we all know the leeches that come from lower nobilities. Isn’t Marchioness Diamonde’s previous marriage the perfect example?”
Aveline, a little surprised, replied, “Lia, what are you saying? Marquess Diamonde is still alive?”
As Aveline uttered those words, a reminder of the future went through my thoughts. The unfortunate tale of Marchioness Diamonde unfolded like a tragic script. After the marquess's demise, Louisanne, against her mother’s wishes, married a man of lower rank – the third son of a viscount. Little did she know that this seemingly charming suitor would turn out to be a financial leech.
The third son, driven by familial obligations, sent money back to his parents, unbeknownst to Louisanne. Surprise surprise, half of the Diamonde estate’s funds vanished without a trace, a silent theft conducted by the very hands she trusted. When she attempted to reclaim what was rightfully hers, the money had already been squandered in failed investments.
I couldn't help but recall her lament, “I thought true love could help us overcome our status differences.” It was a bitter lesson, a harsh reality that love alone couldn’t defy the societal boundaries.
Perhaps it was my newfound cynicism, but the experience left me with a firm resolve. If I were to bring someone into our family through marriage, their status should align with ours – maybe even a rank below.
Coughing, I realize that I had let a future event slip into the conversation. “I must have misremembered; forget it.” Changing the topic, I asked, “Who do you think I should go with, Aveline?”
Thinking, she replies, “You could always go with your usual partner, Roland?”
Roland might not be a bad idea; however, I know this year he will refuse. If I remember correctly, he was trying to court one of our neighboring country’s first princess. Apparently, going with me to the ball would ruin his chances so he’d rather go alone. I mean, he did end up getting engaged to her, I suppose I shouldn't ruin his pursuit of true love.
Now that I think about it, who did I end up going with again? Right! It was my distant cousin from the Greenfield dukedom, my maternal side. I believe his name was Alexe Greenfield! It was a rushed choice as I didn’t expect Roland to refuse, but he was very good smelling and a good dancer. I remember since I was so shocked that someone outside of the family could smell so decent. It was a minty scent if I remember correctly.
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“Actually, I have a much better choice.” I flipped through the letters, attempting to find Alexe's name, but it wasn't there in the pile. Panicking, I thought, 'Oh no, did he not send me an invite? I must go see him! If I recall correctly, he came here for the debutante to find a fiancée. This means he must be staying at the Greenfield estate.'
Hurriedly, I got up and walked out of my study. Shocked, Aveline calls out my name and runs after me, “Where are you going, my lady? Why such a hurry?”
I turned to face her, my determination unwavering. "If I am correct, a distant cousin of mine should be looking for a partner to go to the ball with. I will go ask him to go with me."
Without waiting for further protest, I continued down the hallway, Aveline following closely before reaching my bedroom door.
Opening the door to my bedroom, I look back and order Aveline, “Fetch the maids and the carriage ready; I am visiting the Greenfield estate to get my debutante partner!”
As Aveline hurriedly went to carry out my orders, I open the inner left door and enter my dressing room. ‘Now, which dress should I wear?’ Looking at the vast number of white dresses astounds me; why did I like the white-colored clothes again? Firstly, they don’t flatter my hair. Secondly, it looks like the jail uniforms!
Looking around, I find a purple dress that had been previously given to me by a classmate at the academy for helping her out
regarding her relationship with her family.
“This is perfect!”
I swiftly pulled the purple dress from the wardrobe, its vibrant hue standing out amidst the sea of whites.
As the maids arrive, I show them the dress I wanted to wear, and they give me a shocked face. “What’s wrong?”
Replying, the maid May says, “My lady, you would never usually wear such flashy colors…”
I smiled at their surprise, "Well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there?" With a calm smile, I motioned for them to assist me in donning the pruple dress.
The maids, though initially taken aback, quickly regained their composure and set to work. The vibrant fabric flowed elegantly around me as they adjusted the dress to perfection. May, still wearing a subtle expression of disbelief, couldn't help but mumble, "My lady is truly beautiful in this dress!"
Smiling, I moved towards the vanity.
I had Aveline pick out some jewelry suitable for the purple dress. As my previous accessories were all bought according to my usual dress color, it was quite challenging to pick. In the end, we settled on some old jewelry of unknown origin that added a touch of mystery to the ensemble.
It was a purple set of earrings and a necklace – rather simple and not something a noble would typically wear, but one must make do in a crisis.
After adorning the purple set, I took a final look at myself in the mirror. The vibrant dress, contrasting with my white hair, felt like a breath of fresh air. Especially since, in my memories, all I could recall was white dresses. I wonder, why did I never wear other colors?
A sense of anticipation filled the room, and I could see the maids exchanging satisfied glances through the mirror. Aveline, with an approving nod, commented, “My lady, you look dazzling. This change is quite refreshing.” Hearing her comment, I thanked her, and with that, I headed towards the main entrance of the estate as the layers of the dress flowed gracefully with each step.
Finally arriving to the entrance, I stepped outside as the carriage awaited me - along with my mother.
A little surprised, I spoke out, “Mother? Why are you…?”
Glaring daggers at me, my mother replied, “I am going to join you; we haven’t seen your grandparents for a week already! How could you leave without me, huh?”
I don’t recall the last time going there during this time of year nor in my previous life as my maternal side had cut me off after the fall from grace.
I nodded and agreed to go together. Seeing my mother smile as she got on the carriage, I thought to myself, ‘I see where Lizzy’s bratty personality comes from.’
With Aveline's assistance, I entered the carriage, and she promptly instructed the maid to prepare for my return before joining me inside. As we embarked on our journey towards the Greenfield estate, the wheels turned against the cobblestone path. The rhythmic beat of hooves resonated in the air, and the grandeur of the estate gradually disappeared before seeing the bustle of the capital city.
As we headed towards the Greenfield estate, memories of my past came forth. The estrangement from my maternal side after my fall from grace caused a rift between my mother and her brother – the current duke of Greenfield. Ever since the passing of their parents, the visits became less frequent, and communication completely ceased after my mother had sent them a letter in regards to pleading for my release.
Shaking my head, I looked towards my mother, who was filling the room with a certain warmth from her twitching smile that she’s forcibly trying to hide. Right, mother was always quite energetic despite putting on a gentle demeanor. Chuckling, I conversed with my mother and before I knew it, we had arrived.