The ball was being held in a lord's manor, graciously rented out to the White Tower for the event. The count was a regional lord, and as such, it made sense that his home was more impressive than those belonging to nobles who only resided in the city for a few years at a time.

The manor of a lord with a permanent residence in the city was truly a sight to behold. While it couldn't quite rival the grandeur of Ravenshield Manor, it far surpassed any other estate she had seen in the city.

The carriage came to a smooth stop before the grand stone steps leading up to the entry hall of the annex. It was here, not the main building, that the ball was to be held. It made sense, after all who would invite strangers into their home at night?

The steps to the party were wide, carved from grey marble, and flanked by ornate lanterns that cast a golden light on the path. These lights were not attached to anything and instead hung in the air much like a brick doesn't.

Earl exited the carriage first, he turned back to Ravina, extending a hand. “My lady,” he called out with a gentle smile.

Ravina could barely suppress a laugh, a small snort escaping her as she tried to maintain her composure. “Playing the elegant gentleman now, are we?” she teased, placing her hand in his. The warmth of his hand contrasted with the coolness of the night air that caressed her skin as she stepped out of the carriage. She took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp, pleasant air tinged with the faint scent of lavender flowers from the manor’s garden.

Earl chuckled softly. “Of course, my lady,” he said, his voice light with amusement. “After all, this is a moment just for us.”

She didn't know if it was because of the atmosphere or his words themselves but Ravina's response caught in her throat. The night air, which had once felt refreshing against her skin, suddenly seemed insufficient to cool the warmth that had crept up her neck and into her cheeks.

But, of course, Earl had to ruin the moment. “You, me, and the other students who passed,” he added, “tonight we'll all drink and be merry—then start again the next year.”

Ravina suddenly felt foolish for allowing her heart to flutter at his words. It was the atmosphere, definitely the atmosphere. After all, it was literally magical with the lights, the carriage, the dresses---because of all that, she mistaken the boy for a gentleman.

They started their way up the stone steps arm in arm, a necessity dictated by her shoes as she had not quite gotten the balance right when in motion. Earl continued, “By the way, let me be the first to congratulate you on passing Theoretical Magimatics.”

Ravina blinked, her steps faltering for a moment. “Of course, you too,” she replied quickly, trying to keep her tone casual. But her eyebrows narrowed in confusion. Theoretical Magimatics? It was the first time she had heard of that—no, wait, she had read about it somewhere, hadn’t she? No…? However, that wasn’t important right now. What was important was that she was certain she had entered a magical academy to study magic, not… theoretical magimatics.

Earl smiled knowingly, catching her puzzled expression as they climbed the steps. “You really didn't read the syllabus, did you?”

“Of course I did,” She hadn’t.

She had skimmed it—a skill she had honed to near perfection while reading through countless law books, determined to become a self-taught law student. While that technique was effective for extracting key information from a dense tome, it didn’t work quite as well for a two-page syllabus that was already condensed with essential details.

“Of course, how silly of me,” Earl agreed, his tone dripping with playful sarcasm. “Just to remind you, however, the first year of school focuses on Magical Theory, while the second year starts on Practical Magic.”

“I knew that,” she lied, her voice steady with false confidence.

Earl smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he glanced at her. “I know. I just thought I should remind you since you seemed surprised when you lost to me after trying to produce practical magic during a magical theory exam.”

“It was theoretical,” she countered quickly, grasping at a small thread of hope to salvage her pride. “The Magic Tower had to rewrite my spell… it was… extra credit.”

Earl had to use his other hand to hide the wide smile on his lips. His shoulders trembling with effort to keep his laughter to himself. They had reached the entrance to the ballroom. As they crossed the threshold, the conversation fell away, swallowed by the hum of activity inside. The room was modestly sized, easily twice the size of their classroom, but grand nonetheless.

The space was packed with people, their voices blending into a lively murmur that filled the air. Refreshments were laid out on tables that lined the long hall, offering an array of delicacies that glistened under the soft glow of chandeliers. While there were plenty of tables arranged for sitting and eating, the majority of the room had been left open, allowing space for dancing. The floor was polished to a mirror-like shine, reflecting the soft light and the swirl of colorful gowns as couples moved to the rhythm of the music.

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At the opposite end of the hall, a large orchestra played on a raised stage beneath a balcony, their instruments weaving together a rich, melodic sound that seemed to fill every corner of the room. The stage was flanked by grand staircases that led up to the balcony, which overlooked the dance floor, offering a perfect view of the lively scene below.

“Where did all these people come from?” Ravina wondered aloud, feeling the weight of many eyes turning toward them as they entered.

Earl chuckled softly, his amusement evident. “You really don’t like reading, do you?”

Ravina smacked his arm lightly with her free hand. “I read plenty,” she retorted.

“Of course you do,” Earl said, nodding toward the crowd. “It’s part of why I needed you to come with me as my date. This ball is open to friends and family.”

As if on cue, a voice called out from across the room. “Earl! About time you arrived, I was worried.” The woman who called to him was older, perhaps in her early thirties, and as she approached, Ravina couldn’t help but notice the striking resemblance between her and Earl. They shared the same face, though the woman’s was lightly painted with makeup, the same chestnut hair, pulled into an updo, and even the same vibrant green eyes that sparkled with mischief.

“Ah, mom—” Earl caught himself and cleared his throat. “Mother. It’s good to see you.”

The woman rolled her eyes with a grin before turning her attention to Ravina. “Seriously,” she said, her tone light and teasing, “do you mind if he’s less formal?”

Ravina blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. “No?” she replied uncertainly, her voice trailing off as she tried to gauge the woman’s intent.

“See!” Earl’s mother exclaimed, her smile widening. “None of this formality nonsense. Now, introduce me to this beautiful girl.”

“Ah, mother, it’s—”

“Tsk,” the woman interrupted, turning to the slide and closing her eyes in sorrow. “Fine, fine. Oh, my son, always trying to grow up far too fast.” She tilted her head up and, opening and glanced at her son with a side eye. “My son the noblest of no-”

“Moth—” Earl started, genuine panic in his voice. Then he sighed, relenting. “Mom, this charming young woman is Emily Grant. The woman I told you about, Emily this is---”

His mother’s eyes widened with delight, and a broad smile spread across her face. “Ah! The Emily Grant!” Before Ravina could react, Earl’s mother took her arm, gently but firmly pulling her away from Earl and into her embrace. “He’s told me all about you.”

“He-he did?” Ravina stammered, her eyes darting to Earl. She found him suddenly very interested in the party, his ears turning slightly red.

“Of course—ah, but where are my manners! I'm Camellia. Come along, we have so much to discuss.” Camellia’s grip on Ravina's arm was firm but not unpleasant, and before she could protest, Ravina found herself being gently but swiftly dragged away.

Ravina could only watch helplessly as Earl, clearly relieved to escape the situation, hastily retreated in the opposite direction. ‘Bastard’ she screamed mentally at him. ‘I'll get you for this!’

Soon enough, Ravina was led to a table filled with people, each one was completely different from the last but at the core of their appearance one could tell they were related. By their bright green eyes if nothing else. She was introduced to what felt like Earl’s entire extended family, and it made her wonder just how expansive the student invitations to this ball really were. But before she could dwell on it, the conversation quickly turned, and suddenly everyone wanted to know the details of her relationship with Earl—how they met, what dates they had gone on, and what she liked most about him.

She couldn’t very well tell them the truth, could she? Sorry, but your son is a loser who had to win a bet just to get me to go on a date with him, and in a moment of defeatist despair, I agreed to be his girlfriend for a year... Yeah, there was no way she could say any of that. It would make her look worse than that virgin loser.

So, Ravina found herself trapped by a barrage of questions, her mind racing to come up with polite and believable answers. But before she was even given time to breathe, Camellia interrupted them with practiced ease. “Oh, let’s not overwhelm the poor girl,” she said with a warm smile, her voice cutting through the chatter. “Why don’t I tell you all a little about my dear Earl instead?”

Ravina breathed a silent sigh of relief, though she quickly realized that her reprieve might be short-lived. Camellia’s attention was now fully on her, and she began to regale the table with stories about Earl’s childhood. It seemed endless, ranging from the first time he used magic to his first steps.

“His father named him Earl—lords bless his soul—because he believed that if you gave a child a respectable name, they would grow into it. After all, who would dare treat an Earl with anything less than the utmost respect?” She continued on what seemed to be a hundredth story.

“Uh… but this kingdom doesn’t have Earls,” Ravina attempted to interject, Nevarus had a few noble titles despite being a rather respectively sized nation. Barons, Counts, Dukes, and a King. while there were feminine mirrors of the titles it was a matriarchy. Despite recent shifts from feudalism to a more centralized monarchy, most of the power still rested in the hands of military leaders, like House Ravenshield. As such, noble titles carried less weight here than they might in a place like Mio Lai, another nation that did have Earls and Marquesses. That nation had once been an absolute monarchy. It still called itself one, even though it had become more of a Crowned Republic after a successful coup—led, of all things, by a shoemaker.

Camellia either didn’t hear or chose to ignore her, lost in the fond memories. “And you should have seen the little tyke once he understood the significance of his name,” she laughed, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. “My little cutie would use his bedsheet as a robe and strut around the house in his underwear—‘I am the noblest of noblemen!’ he’d declare in the most adorable little voice. Oh, he was just six at the time!”

Ravina couldn’t help but smile at the image, “Did he now?” she asked. Camellia’s pride in her son was evident, and though Ravina was being…well, forced to listen to every detail, she realized she was also gaining some valuable insight into the man who had abandoned her. But at least, she thought, she was getting plenty of "dirt" on him for later.