Biola had gotten way too good at playing the role of an adopted daughter. Chapter 97: She was headed towards the Hailris Marquisate.

The Hailris Marquisate is located near the center of the Central Continent, by one of the five major rivers, Grandia, making it a hub of transportation for goods and people since ancient times.

Zeno said, “I will escort you by carriage, my lady.”

Ersa continued to explain, “The path to Hailris Marquisate is well-maintained with large moving gates where you can travel comfortably without leaving the carriage outside of necessary tasks. However, it will take about three days to reach the first moving gate.”

Biola, Tundra, and Hela boarded the same carriage.

Seivan Marcos, who was supposed to accompany them, would meet them at the Hailris Marquisate instead.

Inside the carriage heading to the Marquisate, Tundra spoke up.

“My lord, may I ask you something?”

He had been holding back his curiosity until now, but he couldn’t keep it in any longer.

“Sure.”

“Who will be escorting us into the banquet hall?”

There was a glimmer of hope in Tundra’s eyes.

“Zeno will handle it.”

“I see.”

Disappointment filled Tundra’s eyes, but he tried not to show it.

A pet dog might demand a walk, but he couldn’t just step forward and say he would escort her.

That would be crossing the line.

Tundra thought to himself.

Though he was left with a deep sense of loss, Biola’s thoughts were racing.

‘I don’t know.’

Unexpectedly, Jeremy and Selina appeared in her mind.

Jeremy was a figure who would send shivers down anyone’s spine in the social circle, while Selina was a character who wouldn’t be seen at this Forget-Me-Not Ball.

‘It must be because of me, right?’

I wish either Jeremy showed up or just Selina, but both showing up together was quite the dilemma.

‘Lady Selina is widely renowned for recruiting exceptional talents who are loyal and excellent for the Empire. They scout with an irresistible justification.’

She spares no expense in investing in talents, fostering them to become exquisite individuals.

After all, it’s people who make the Empire great, and she provides them with full support.

‘It would be troublesome if she looked at me in that way…’

Biola couldn’t afford to attract Selina’s attention.

The moment she got caught in Selina’s net, life would turn tedious.

She had not a hint of patriotism towards the Empire.

‘For my own advancement and happiness…!’

The moment she gets selected by Selina, she would have to pour her body, soul, and bones into serving the Empire.

That kind of future was absolutely unacceptable.

‘I need to be cautious at this Forget-Me-Not Ball, but of all people, it’s Jeremy.

The reason Jeremy appears in the social circle is painfully obvious.

He must be looking to strengthen his connection with me.

‘He probably thinks of it as just a way to befriend me.’

But the social circle isn’t that simple.

Outwardly, they laugh and enjoy, but deep inside, they are calculating endlessly, forming networks.

Those who form bonds here become companions in the Empire’s political arena later on.

The social circle is essentially a preliminary skirmish for creating future allies.

The saying, “Those who dominate the society eventually dominate the world,” exists for a reason.

‘The Palail family from Storm Fortress and the Bellatu from Winter Castle are originally distant from the social circle.’

Then why are the two appearing at the same time?

Showing off their friendship?

‘Rumors will spread that the Storm Fortress and Winter Castle secretly met and that the Storm Blade and Duke of Thousand Kills conducted underground dealings.’

Regardless of Jeremy’s intentions, everyone will think that way.

Originally, those two factions, uninterested in social engagement and politics, joining forces, would become quite a headache for the central nobles in power.

Plus, the Golden Road will be completed in a few years.’

A massive trade route connecting the northern, central, and southern parts of the continent will be established under Selina’s command.

The central nobles have intentionally excluded Bellatu from politics, isolating them out of fear of their immense power.

In this situation, showing interactions between the Storm Fortress and Winter Castle would…

Bring far more harm than good.

In an already deadly social and political scene, they will face all sorts of checks.

But he probably won’t care about any of that, right?

My thoughts became tangled in many directions.

I needed to display something as the White Bellatu, but this time seems to have drifted away.

‘And I even received a ring…’

I decided to think of this as a setback for further progress.

However, Hela thought differently as she watched Biola lost in thought.

‘This is a good opportunity to catch the attention of Lady Selina. That’s why she’s so serious.’

They both saw the situation the same way, but their mindsets were different.

‘I’m already curious how Biola will handle this situation.’

*

A few days later.

Biola and her party arrived safely at the Hailris Marquisate.

Through the temporarily opened enormous moving gates in all four directions, one could sense the prestige and wealth of the Hailris family.

‘They must be using the Magic Tower to operate these temporary moving gates.’

It was a service for guests arriving from various parts of the continent.

‘I don’t know the specifics, but it must cost an astronomical amount.’

To put it in modern terms, it would be like creating a personal airport and dispatching chartered planes for participants of a banquet.

Three hotels were prepared for the attendees of the banquet, and the Bellatu were assigned to one called “Shadow of the Moon.”

The lobby was bustling with young boys and girls who had come from different parts of the continent for the Forget-Me-Not Ball, along with their escorts.

“We will handle the check-in process,” Zeno and Ersa directed towards the desk.

Meanwhile, someone approached them.

“Oh my, who is this? Is it the Lady Hela Bellatu, whom I’m quite close with?”

An elegant young lady wearing an extravagantly flashy red dress and shiny jewelry that looked overly excessive appeared.

She appeared to be around fifteen years old, adorned with about seven rings, each one looking expensive.

Biola couldn’t help but chuckle internally.

‘It’s a skill to mismatch such expensive items in such an unappealing way.’

Hela greeted her with a subtle smile.

“Princess Sena. It’s good to see you. It’s been a while.”

The newcomer was Sena.

The third princess of Mariantu, who had continuously mocked and disregarded Hela until now.

Biola had promised to give her a taste of her well-deserved comeuppance.

It seemed she completed the check-in and was wandering the lobby alone.

“Is it six months since I last saw you? I was a bit sad that you didn’t accept my invitation,” she said.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been quite busy lately and couldn’t come to visit. I hope we can share some warm tea and chat next time.”

“Sounds great. You must keep that promise.”

“Of course. I very much want to admire your highly civilized and mature society with my own eyes.”

“You’re always welcome, Lady Hela.”

“But may I ask, who is this lovely young lady beside you?”

“My younger sister, the 6th Princess Biola.”

“Oh! The infamous 6th Princess! You are the esteemed guest from Louis Varten!”

Biola placed one hand on her chest and lightly bowed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Sena. I am Biola Bellatu.”

“My goodness, I have heard such horrible rumors about you, Lady Biola. It seems they were all false. Those fools were slandering you.”

“What kind of horrible rumors have you heard?”

“They say your blood is made of iron, and that you are exceptionally cruel and barbaric.”

Conveying not-so-kind rumors directly about oneself among nobles is rather impolite.

It seemed they had no regard for etiquette whatsoever.

“That truly is a strange rumor.”

“Indeed! It’s completely absurd to associate it with a delicate and lovely lady like you.”

“Exactly. There’s no way such a delicate and lovely lady could accomplish such grand and noble deeds. It’s like saying a child is capable of subduing mountain bandits or buying land along the Golden Road, or that they could be dispatched to Storm Fortress and Seaal Viscountcy to handle difficult tasks. It’s total nonsense!”

…Huh?

“It’s cute how you can see right through that childish thought.”

Biola let out a light laugh.

Sena was taken aback for a moment, but soon returned to her composed smile, gazing at Biola.

“Lady Hela’s sister has quite the sense of humor.”

She continued speaking without wiping the smile off her face.

“However, I believe a joke can only be called such if the other party enjoys it as well. I think it would be better if Lady Biola uses a more socially appropriate tone while still showing a bit more respect and consideration for others. For the sake of a good relationship between you two.”

“Why did someone who knows that jokes require mutual enjoyment scold my sister?”

Outwardly, the atmosphere between the two seemed very cheerful.

During this time, Ersa and Zeno returned, having completed the check-in.

“Ah, it’s Princess Sena. We extend our greetings. I am Zeno, the butler of Lady Biola.”

“I introduced myself before. I’m Ersa, the butler of Lady Hela.”

Sena ignored their greetings, believing that the difference in status between a lady and a butler was as vast as heaven and earth.

She thought it a great honor for them to take this moment to greet her.

“Lady Hela, you’ve come with your boisterous younger sister, I see. I heard your sister is also the White Bellatu?”

Sena feigned a smile.

The White Bellatu, after all, are merely the outcasts.

One could almost feel her underlying sentiments strongly.

“I hope you all enjoy yourselves even more at the banquet. Until next time. I must leave now as I have an appointment with Prince Jeremy.”

It seemed she wanted to flaunt her superiority, saying, ‘I’m also acquainted with Jeremy!’

After being guided to her room, Hela lay on the bed and asked, “What on earth are you thinking? The one you’re dealing with is the third princess of Mariantu.”

“I said I’d slowly crush her heart. I’m not lying.”

“Really?”

Hela was slightly taken aback.

She thought Biola would eventually build a cordial relationship with Sena.

‘What on earth are you plotting?’

Biola definitely wasn’t acting as she might expect.

Perhaps she was seeing a bigger picture than Hela.

‘I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ll become the star of this Forget-Me-Not Ball.’

I was genuinely excited.

There was a fluttering feeling in my heart.

But in truth, Biola’s true feelings were the complete opposite.

‘Let’s just throw this opportunity away. I needed to push my chances to the next time.’

In front of Selina, she decided to act like an energetic young child.

‘I would rather go for the position of a troublemaker who starts conflicts with the third princess of Mariantu right from my very first banquet.’

Mariantu would soon facing its decline within ten years.

So losing some favor wouldn’t be a problem.

‘The story has diverged greatly from the original. It’s full of variables.’

Because of this, she judged that what she could gain here would be limited.

She aimed to appear somewhat like a deficient little kid.

And consequently, to distance herself from Selina’s watchful eyes.

That was Biola’s best decision this time.

And then, three days later, the Forget-Me-Not Ball began.

Numerous noble youths, gathered from across the Central Continent, flocked to the banquet hall of Hailris Marquisate.

The opening speech for the banquet commenced.

“Thank you for attending this banquet that I am hosting.”

When Selina, the real power behind the Hailris Marquisate, spoke, there was a hush around them.

“Thanks to the esteemed guests attending the Forget-Me-Not Ball, my family will shine even brighter.”

Her speech lasted about five minutes, beginning with that.

“…And I hope you all will have pleasant and joyful times over the next seven days and nights.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The sound of applause erupted.

However, the speech didn’t stop there.

As the applause quieted down, Selina opened her mouth again.

“I would like to propose something to the esteemed guests.”