Chapter 19 – New Year’s Ball

Since that event, both Ian and Benjamin had become busy. Without any system in place to control the wizards in the empire, they decided to seek assistance from the Kingdom of Laran to establish one. Benjamin began preparing to leave as the empire’s envoy. Meanwhile, I was busy preparing Ophelia’s debut and had come to see Benjamin off today.

“Will you be alright without me?”

Benjamin asked pitifully, with a look that said he didn’t want to leave. He seemed to hope I would stop him, but I just smiled and patted his shoulder.

“I’ve managed well without you before, so what are you talking about? This is a task that only you can do. Have a safe trip, Benjamin.”

Since this was an important occasion to send off the emperor’s envoy, the emperor, cabinet ministers, and even staff from the prime minister’s office were all present, so I gave Benjamin a stern look and whispered.

“Leave while I’m being nice. Quickly.”

Benjamin looked upset, not understanding my urgency.

“What if something happens while I’m gone?”

“Everything will be fine, just go already.”

“But still…”

The emperor, Cade, approached the hesitating Benjamin and spoke.

“If you don’t think you can persuade them alone, should I assign you more attendants?”

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Why? I’m worried about sending Earl Hershey alone.”

I smiled with satisfaction. Since one cannot send an unranked person as the emperor’s envoy, Cade had swiftly forced my uncle to relinquish his title. Thinking of my uncle grinding his teeth in frustration made me feel good.

“It’s fastest if I go alone.”

Benjamin sighed, hugged his mother one last time, and then sent everyone back. We stood around the empty space of the palace and watched as Benjamin stood in the middle of the magic circle. As he muttered something in ancient language, the magic circle glowed blue and both the circle and Benjamin vanished together.

And then it was the day of the New Year’s ball. I prepared diligently from the morning so as not to tarnish the reputation of the Keppel family. I bathed with honey, milk, and oatmeal, got a massage, got a facial, shaved, did my hair, put on makeup, and wore my dress… By the time I was done with all the preparations, I felt exhausted even before the party began.

“My lady, you should apologize to the debutantes.”

Jane joked. The dress fitted perfectly as it did when it was first tailored ten days ago. I had worried that I might have lost weight, but it seemed unnecessary. Whenever I tried to eat something sweet due to stress, Jane would nag, which annoyed me at the time, but now I was glad I hadn’t eaten it.

The ivory silk dress embroidered with gold thread was luxurious and elegant. As Ophelia had said, the light brown hair and olive-colored eyes complemented it well.

Despite the low back, deep neckline, and tight silhouette that revealed my figure, the dress was more alluring than vulgar. I felt like an actress attending an awards ceremony. Ophelia seemed to have a talent for this…

“I’m worried I might stand out too much.”

“So what? Don’t worry. Everyone must have gone to great lengths to show off their new dresses too.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. Your dress might even be the plainest.”

It was a dress bestowed by the royal family. Although there were no jewel decorations, just silk embroidery, it could indeed be considered plain. I wore the shawl that Jane handed me, put on lace gloves, and headed to the palace to fetch Ophelia. Ian had a lot of work today, so he was supposed to finish preparing at the prime minister’s office and come.

Ophelia looked absolutely lovely. She was sure to be the most beautiful lady at the ball. When we arrived at the Emperor’s Hall, where the New Year’s ball was held, Ian was waiting at the entrance. I approached him with a smile.

“Aren’t we late?”

“The dress… It’s quite different from usual.”

I noticed the disapproval in his eyes and felt a bit disappointed. Everyone else had said it looked beautiful. Proud of her work, Ophelia protested at Ian’s reaction.

“Ian, what’s with that expression? You chose it!”

Ian’s face showed confusion. He must have been thinking, “Me? When?” Ophelia narrowed her eyes and said,

“You helped me pick it out when you came last time. You said it was pretty then… Did you just choose it carelessly?”

Ian couldn’t deny it. Ophelia turned away with a sulky expression. I chuckled awkwardly and folded a gold handkerchief, tucking it into the chest pocket of Ian’s black formal suit. Since we didn’t coordinate our outfits, this seemed like the least I could do.

“What’s this?”

“A handkerchief. Just wear it to make it look like we coordinated.”

Thankfully, Ian didn’t refuse. I managed to calm Ophelia and entered the hall. Was it because of Ophelia? Or was it because I entered with Ian? There were no murmurs about me today.

Even the ladies who usually pretended to look down on me approached with friendly attitudes, wanting to make a good impression on Ophelia. I introduced them to her in order of their rank and influence. Ophelia treated them all kindly, and the atmosphere was pleasantly harmonious for once.

After nearly all the important introductions were made, the Emperor and Empress entered through the royal doors. I sighed with relief, feeling that my duties were finally over. At the end of the Emperor’s brief New Year’s address, he announced the Empress’s pregnancy. All the nobles applauded, and some even cheered. At least on the surface, all the nobles here seemed to genuinely share in the joy of the royal family’s good news.

“When the royal heir is born, no one will be able to ignore the Empress any longer, right?”

Ophelia whispered in my ear.

“I hope the baby is a boy.”

Arthur, the prince whom Celia had borne outside the palace, resembled Cade very much but still faced controversy over his legitimacy. While no one openly denied that he was the Emperor’s child, he was nevertheless an illegitimate child.

Only children born to the Empress could be recognized as legitimate heirs. Some nobles even argued that a child born to an unmarried woman couldn’t have succession rights.

“This time, there must be a prince whom no one can dispute.”

“Your Highness, there are many ears listening.”

I stopped Ophelia, who was fretting like an old woman. Hearing a debutante talk about having sons felt strange. It reminded me of my own naive youth. On my debut day, I had sneaked away while my parents were distracted and followed Ian Keppel around.

“Sorry. I just felt uneasy.”

I took Ophelia’s hand and led her to the edge of the hall. The first dance began. As the Emperor and Empress started the first dance, marking the beginning of the ball, Ophelia fiddled with the dance card tied to her wrist. A debutante’s dance card had a list of dance numbers with spaces to write the names of dance partners, and Ophelia’s card was completely filled.

Of course, Ophelia’s dance card was filled within thirty minutes of entering the hall. Even with the rule that one could only dance once with the same partner. I turned at the familiar presence nearby and saw Ophelia’s first dance partner, the young Marquis Avery.

Considering the young Marquis’s sister, it seemed foolish to choose him as Ophelia’s first dance partner, but I couldn’t let personal feelings interfere with my responsibilities. Smiling, I stepped aside and let the young Marquis approach Ophelia. Seeing the boy bow politely made me feel better. Ophelia also seemed excited to dance with the handsome boy.

The two held hands, exchanging shy conversation as they waited. When the second dance began, they moved to the center of the hall. At the New Year’s ball, debutantes were to start dancing right after the Emperor. As I watched the adorable debutantes dancing, I heard a sharp voice behind me.

“What’s your scheme?”

It was Lady Avery.

“Lady Avery, what do you mean?”

“I always thought your intentions were obvious, but this time I can’t figure it out.”

I was surprised that Lady Avery was openly hostile despite Ian’s presence. Doesn’t she have feelings for Ian? Seeing Ian glare at Lady Avery with displeasure made me flinch. Lady Avery seemed intimidated by his look and whispered to me before fleeing.

“Let’s talk later.”

What’s with her…?

I swallowed a sigh. Smiling as if nothing had happened, I waited for Ophelia’s dance to end. It was now time for the third dance. I took Ian’s hand and led him to the center of the hall. Feeling everyone’s eyes on us, I forced a smile.

Dancing with the most handsome man at the ball of a debutante’s dreams should have been a joy, but I only felt pressure. What if I made a mistake and became a laughingstock? It felt like everyone was hoping for me to slip up. Ian, whether he knew my burden or not, spoke to me.

“What’s that lady’s issue with you?”

“I don’t know.”

“People say such things casually, but seeing her now, I can see why she’s still not married.”

Lady Avery, at twenty-two years old, was considered an old maid in this society, where it was customary to marry within three years of debuting. My own marriage had occurred at twenty-two. Feeling a sudden rush of empathy, I defended her.

“Lady Avery doesn’t need to marry. The Marquis is still in good health, she has an older brother, and her nephew was just born. Besides, there aren’t many suitable matches for her status.”

Most high-ranking noblemen fitting for Lady Avery were already married, and there were no eligible bachelors whose families matched the Avery Marquisate’s prestige. If I were Lady Avery, I would also prefer to remain unmarried and live under my family’s protection rather than marry into a lower-status family and endure a difficult life.

“Are you mad at me?”

“No?”

“Then why… is it because we didn’t get to prepare together?”

“No.”

I swallowed a sigh. My voice must have come out sharper than I intended. Ian had never had to face these kinds of concerns, so he wouldn’t understand what I was saying. I forced a smile out of habit and tried to speak gently.

“I know you’re busy. I’m not angry… just a bit tired.”

“…”

“So, after this ball, I’m thinking of taking some time to rest.”

“Rest?”

“Yes, until the social season ends.”

More like an escape, really. Ian didn’t respond to my declaration of retreat. I glanced at his face, only to find it set in a grim expression, which made me quickly avert my eyes.

“Invite me to the next party.”

Was that a request not to run away? I was on the verge of tears. As the dance ended and before the next piece began, Cade approached me.

“May I have this dance?”

“It would be an honor, Your Majesty.”