Chapter 109

After taking a sip of wine from his glass, Theodore extended his hand to Meia.

It was customary for an adult to dance with their partner first before others could join.

“Lady Meia Hatzbellua, may I have this dance?”

“Of course, Your Grace, Grand Duke Florence.”

The two exchanged small smiles as they looked at each other.

Theodore took Meia’s hand and led her to the center of the banquet hall.

The music began to play in earnest.

Throughout the performance, Meia and Theodore’s faces and bodies moved closer and farther apart, maintaining a tantalizingly close distance where they could feel each other’s breaths. Their eyes were solely fixed on one another as they danced.

As the music came to an end, the crowd erupted into applause.

With the dance concluded, the true socializing began.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

Theodore left reluctantly, his expression tinged with regret.

Meia looked around.

She noticed the young ladies approaching her with eyes full of admiration and curiosity.

One young lady, summoning her courage, greeted her first.

“Lady Meia Hatzbellua, how do you do?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Meia’s warm greeting, accompanied by a pretty smile, left the young lady flustered and unsure of how to respond.

“I am Louivy of the Domason family.”

Information about the Domason family immediately surfaced in Meia’s mind. They were a well-known family in agriculture.

And Louivy was the youngest daughter of the Domason family.

Her passion was painting.

And…

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Domason. Isn’t that dress a creation by Madame Mariantou?”

“Oh my! Yes, it is!”

Madame Mariantou was known for placing floral embroidery along the side seams of her dresses. Many admired her work because of this signature detail.

“How could I not recognize that floral embroidery? I adore those flowers as well.”

Louivy nodded fervently, deeply resonating with Meia’s words.

Louivy’s introduction opened the floodgate, and other young ladies began introducing themselves to Meia.

“Lady Hatzbellua, I would also like to greet you. I am Laila of the Violet family.”

The Violet family was renowned for their wine.

“I’m very fond of the wines from the Violet family, so I’m delighted to meet you.”

“You know our family’s wine?”

“Of course, with so many people praising it, how could I not? I’ll be coming of age soon, and the first wine I drink will be from the Violet family.”

Laila looked at Meia with an overwhelmed expression, her gaze fixed in awe.

One by one, the young ladies approached, each eager to exchange even a few words with Meia.

As Meia greeted them, she skillfully led the conversations, complimenting their families, discussing their businesses, or talking about the latest fashion trends.

“Oh my, she even knows what each family does just by hearing their name.”

“How does she identify the designer of a dress just by looking at it?”

“She must have memorized it all.”

“With so many vassal families, could she really have memorized everything?”

“She must have, since she speaks so accurately with each greeting.”

“I admire her just for identifying the dress designers.”

“Her memory is extraordinary.”

“The Sirius Empire’s most beautiful flower of society has arrived.”

As people whispered their admiration for Meia, the servants and maids serving nearby stood a little taller, pride evident in their posture.

And then…

“I am Beth Ailen.”

Meia turned her gaze to a young lady with striking red hair, who introduced herself in a less-than-friendly tone. If Ailen was her surname, she must belong to a Viscount family. And if her name was Beth, she must be the only daughter of the Ailen family.

When introducing oneself, it was customary to state one’s family name and title first.

In other words, the proper introduction would have been, “I am Beth of the Ailen family.”

By introducing herself as “Beth Ailen,” she was essentially saying she didn’t feel the need to show respect. This was a common form of provocation in high society.

However, calling out such a provocation by saying, “Oh my, introducing yourself by your first name seems arrogant,” was not an option.

Acknowledging the provocation and demanding proper etiquette would only reveal one’s irritation to the crowd.

Meia lifted the corners of her lips slightly, offering Beth a gentle smile as if she found the situation amusing.

She then slowly approached Beth.

Despite the situation being one that could annoy her, Meia’s smile seemed to confuse Beth.

Meia gave Beth a slight bow and gracefully turned her back on her.

Beth bit her lip and glared at Meia.

“In the Carpen Empire, is it customary to bow lightly and turn away when someone greets you?”

As the flower of high society, Meia had never experienced such open provocation before.

Her heart raced. She felt a thrill.

‘To think someone would dare to provoke me…’

For Meia, Beth’s social challenge was a first.

Meia turned back to Beth, her expression calm as she studied her opponent.

Beth’s audacious confrontation reminded Meia of Meryl.

Without a word, Meia moved closer to Beth.

Why was she engaging in such a social challenge? Could it be that she had once coveted the position of Grand Duchess?

Was she jealous and want to embarrass me?

If not, then? I don’t know what your purpose is, but I am definitely not the kind of person to cry and run away because of such provocation.

That doesn’t mean I want to show my emotions openly and express my displeasure either.

Meia’s lips briefly curled into a smirk before returning to their usual calm. She recalled a moment that had been slightly disappointing when all the vassal families unanimously supported her becoming the Grand Duchess.

<Theo, if the vassals opposed me becoming the Grand Duchess, would you follow my lead?>

<Of course, Meia. But… the decision was unanimous.>

<What? Even after breaking the engagement?>

<I don’t know. The vassals are happy to welcome the Saintess as the Grand Duchess.>

<They call me a Saintess?>

She could understand being called a hero by the public due to the yacht incident that had received extensive coverage in newspapers and magazines, but being referred to as a Saintess was beyond her comprehension.

<It just means you’re that noble and beautiful, Meia. I’m glad there’s no opposition from the vassals.>

Meia had been ready to thoroughly scrutinize any opposing family. She felt a slight twinge of regret.

Of course, the fact that she was being enthusiastically welcomed as the Grand Duchess made her genuinely happy.

But she hadn’t anticipated facing such provocations in social circles.

Meia fixed her gaze on Beth. Beth stammered as she spoke.

“If you have something to say, please go ahead.”

Meia’s lips slowly curved into a smile.

To anyone watching, it was a bright and radiant smile, but her eyes showed no warmth. A chill ran down Beth’s spine.

It felt like she was about to be swallowed whole by a snake with its mouth wide open. Her hair stood on end.

Meia spoke in a low voice.

“The reason I bowed was to generously overlook your mistake, Lady Ailen.”

Beth swallowed dryly.

Even though Meia clearly knew it was a deliberate provocation, she chose the word “mistake.”

What Beth wanted was for Meia to blush in embarrassment or at least show discomfort. Meia glanced at Beth’s trembling pupils and smiled brightly.

Then, stepping closer to Beth, she spoke slowly.

“I don’t point out mistakes. Highlighting someone’s mistake is like digging your fingers into an open wound…”

As she watched Beth’s face grow darker, Meia added in a gentle tone.

“…and tearing it apart. If the wound keeps getting torn, the excessive bleeding could kill a person, don’t you think?”

Her words sent a shiver down Beth’s spine.

“Pointing out a mistake is exactly like that, Lady Ailen. The more you point it out, the more it shreds the other person’s pride. Just like forcibly tearing open an already existing wound.”

Beth’s face contorted, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.

“I don’t do such cruel things. That’s why I don’t point out mistakes. So, I’ll overlook your mistake this time, Lady Ailen.”

According to Meia, Beth’s provocation was merely considered a “mistake,” and her polite bow was a sign of overlooking it.

“What I did wasn’t a mistake… Uh!”

Beth quickly shut her mouth.

It was a deliberate provocation. If she admitted here that it wasn’t a mistake but intentional, she would only end up hurting herself.

Meia’s gaze naturally moved from top to bottom.

It was obvious that Beth was nervous.

“Why won’t you finish your sentence? Could it be that it wasn’t a mistake?”

Beth’s throat bobbed visibly. This was not the situation she had wanted.

The reason Beth provoked Meia was to show that the Sirius Empire was not an easy place to navigate.

Admitting it was a mistake would be humiliating, but confessing it was intentional would be like digging her own grave.

She didn’t need to think long. Beth bowed to Meia.

“I was nervous and made a mistake. I am Beth of the Ailen family.”

“As I thought, it was a mistake. After all, no one in their right mind, not even a five-year-old child, would make such an etiquette error. Don’t you agree?”

Meia’s message was clear to Beth.

She knew it was a deliberate provocation but was willing to let it go. However, she also subtly implied that what Beth did was something even a five-year-old wouldn’t do.

“…Yes.”

“When you’re not accustomed to such gatherings, such mistakes can happen.”

“…Yes.”

“A single mistake can be endearing, but the second becomes a habit, and the third is intentional.”

Meia stepped even closer to Beth, holding her hand and speaking in a low voice only Beth could hear.

“You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?”

A chill ran down Beth’s spine.

She had thought Meia was just a beautiful lady with a pretty face, but she had been gravely mistaken.

Her beauty was merely a mask to hide her terrifying nature. This was someone she should never cross.

“…Yes, I will be careful.”

Meia positioned herself as a benevolent figure who forgave provocations by calling them mistakes, while Beth became the foolish girl who made an error.

All with just a single word from Meia.

Moreover, Meia had cornered Beth into choosing between admitting it was a “mistake” or a “provocation.”

“It’s alright, Lady Ailen. Even I sometimes make mistakes when I’m nervous.”

If you mess with her, you’ll only end up hurting yourself.

Beth’s throat moved as she swallowed. Bowing her head, she replied.

“Thank you for forgiving my mistake.”