As soon as I returned to the mansion, I met Ian who had been searching for me in the garden.
“I’ve been looking for you for quite a while. Where have you been?”
“Sorry. I just went out for a bit.”
Ian looked at me suspiciously as I gave a vague answer, then seemed to give up and gestured towards the mansion.
“It’s good you’re back before sunset. Let’s go to the reception room on the third floor.”
“Why the third floor reception room?”
“Right now, your eldest sister and mother are there discussing my title succession ceremony.”
“Ah.”
After hearing his explanation, we headed to the third floor reception room, where I saw my mother and sister in conversation.
“Oh my….”
“So, are you saying that His Majesty has agreed to allow the banquet following Ian’s title succession ceremony to be held at the palace?”
My sister asked my mother before I could address them.
“Yes.”
The expression on my mother’s face as she answered was not very pleased.
Hearing my sister’s question made me scrunch up the bridge of my nose.
The Emperor agreed to lend the palace for the banquet after the succession ceremony? Why?
Questions trailed after one another in my head.
As I stood there filled with distractions, Ian announced our arrival for me.
“We’re here.”
“Oh. Seri and Ian have arrived.”
At that sound, our mother, standing by the door, discovered us and smiled.
Shaking off the thoughts swirling in my head, I smiled back at her.
“We’ve just been for a quick walk in the forest. I heard Ian was talking about the succession ceremony, did I come back too late?”
“No, not at all. You came back just in time.”
My sister shook her head and gestured for me to sit beside her.
After exchanging a glance with Ian, I sat next to my sister, and our mother gave us a brief overview of the situation.
“His Majesty has agreed to allow Ian’s succession ceremony to be hosted at the palace. And not just any hall, but in the main banquet hall.”
I too had learned of this through my sister’s stories.
Seeing me blinking silently, my mother continued.
“Moreover, he said we could host the banquet just the way we want.”
“Ah.”
“But we have already received so much from His Majesty. So, I worry that it would be too rude to ask for help with the banquet as well.”
Upon saying this, the mother let out a short sigh.
I felt I understood why my mother was so troubled, so I reached out and placed my hand on the back of hers, hoping to alleviate some of the weight of her concerns.
“Don’t worry too much, Mother. I think His Majesty’s offer is a good opportunity for our Obelton family.”
“Seri is right. The Obelton family was annihilated 10 years ago. How can the Obelton family, which no longer has the same power or honor as it did 10 years ago, stand on its own?”
My sister chimed in agreement with my statement, and the expression on my mother’s face brightened slightly.
However, it soon darkened again.
“Your words are true, but if we keep receiving His Majesty’s help, we don’t know what problems might arise later.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
The moment my mother voiced her concerns, Ian, who had been silently listening to our conversation till now, slowly spoke.
“If any problems arise from receiving His Majesty’s help, I’ll take responsibility and handle it. So, for now, it’s best to seize the opportunity that His Majesty has offered us.”
“Not to waste time worrying like this,” said Ian, the protagonist of the banquet, and the mother closed her lips as if she had nothing else to say.
Ian, realizing that his mother implicitly agreed with him, drew a slight smile in his eyes.
“I want to make it so that no one can look down on the Obelton family. So please, help me by my side, Mother.”
“…Alright.”
Finally, as if a long period of contemplation had ended, a warm light filled the mother’s green eyes.
Seeing this, a feeling of relief came over me, but at the same time, I felt somewhat uneasy.
What is the Emperor really thinking? Throughout my life, I’ve realized that there is no such thing as kindness without a reason.
That’s why I became increasingly curious about what the Emperor’s true intentions were in helping us to this extent.
However, I did not show my suspicion outwardly.
If I did, it might make my mother anxious again.
“Then, going back to the topic of the banquet, is it possible to hold it as a masquerade ball?”
“A masquerade ball for the banquet?”
The words that came out of Ian’s mouth were unexpected.
The succession ceremony commemoration banquet was the first occasion for the new head of the family, previously a minor noble, to meet with other nobles as the head of the family.
Therefore, this banquet was quite an important occasion for Ian. It would set the first impression of him among the nobles.
But to want to hold such a banquet not just as a ball but as a masquerade.
I couldn’t guess what Ian was thinking, so I slightly furrowed my brow and asked, “Why? There’s no benefit to you by turning the banquet into a masquerade.”
Moreover, if doing so leaves a bad impression on the nobles, it wouldn’t just be without benefit, but it could also lead to losses.
Given Ian’s personality, it’s impossible he hadn’t considered that…
Realizing I was looking at him quizzically, Ian let out a small laugh and then slightly turned to whisper in my ear,
“Well, part of it is to draw attention, but humans are most honest when they are anonymous, aren’t they?”
“Ah.”
That response cleared up all my questions. If we went out into society like this, everyone would surely approach us with smiling faces, all the while searching for gossip to tarnish the once-prestigious name of the Obelton family.
And it seemed like Ian’s decision to make the commemorative banquet a masquerade was meant to sift through such people.
It’s not without risks, but it’s certainly worth trying.
Besides, we need to attract the attention of the public now.
“So, is it feasible?”
Ian, having fully convinced me, asked our mother a question.
With a shrug that suggested she couldn’t be stopped, she nodded her head.
“If that’s what you want, let’s ask His Majesty once.”
Ian, having received our mother’s permission, looked extremely pleased.
As I watched him and turned away, I saw it had already become dark outside the window. The darkness thickly spread across the sky seemed ready to swallow even the light illuminating the living room.
And so, just like always, another day came to an end.
***
The Emperor, who had promised to be of great assistance to us, began fulfilling his promise the very next day.
“These are the temporary servants personally chosen by His Majesty the Emperor.”
He sent twenty temporary servants to be used until our family could establish itself.
“I am Eliana Grande from Eliana’s Dress Shop, here on His Majesty’s orders.”
She prepared the clothes we were to wear for Ian’s title succession ceremony banquet, through Eliana’s Dress Shop, which was known to be as hard to book as picking stars from the sky.
Perhaps thanks to the Emperor’s full support, we were able to prepare for Ian’s title succession ceremony without any issues.
As we hurried through the preparations, the day of Ian’s title succession ceremony suddenly arrived.
“Alright, you’re all set. You can check the mirror now.”
After adjusting my outfit, Eliana brought over a full-length mirror.
I saw her lips draw a beautiful curve, and with a nervous heart, I checked the mirror.
“!”
The reflection I saw was quite, no, very impressive.
The light blue dress that cascaded down my body, drawing waves along my lines, had a design where one shoulder was lightly covered with fluttering fabric.
Perhaps it was because of the flowers and diamond dust decorations, it looked elegant and luxurious.
And the hair, braided into a single twist to complement the dress, along with the makeup that highlighted her facial features without being too much, made her look even more beautiful.
It was when I was staring blankly at the mirror for a long time.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to make a piece that beats this dress for a while.”
Eliana said next to me, with a laugh in her tone.
Hearing her voice snapped me back to reality, and I blushed. It seemed that Eliana had seen right through my thoughts.
Ahem, to cover my awkward embarrassment, I coughed, and Eliana handed me a mask. It was the mask I was going to wear at today’s masquerade.
Before taking the mask from Eliana, I gave it a quick glance.
The mask, lavishly decorated with diamonds and amethyst pieces, was designed to match the dress. On the right side of the mask, there were two blue feathers attached, which were very soft, indicating they were well-maintained.
Carefully putting on the mask, it covered half of my face.
At this rate, no one would recognize me.
It was around that time when I was thinking to myself.
Knock knock.
There was a knocking sound from the door, and then soon after, Ian’s voice was heard.
“Sister, are you all ready?”
As he asked, I slowly took off my mask and replied.
“Yes, I’m all set. I’ll be out soon.”
The title inheritance ceremony was limited to the emperor, the party involved, and the chief minister, so the family members only needed to attend the banquet.
However, Ian and I decided to go early and tour the imperial palace while he underwent the title inheritance ceremony. My sister and mother planned to arrive in time for the masquerade ball.
Holding the mask in my hand, I stepped out of the bedroom and saw Ian standing in the middle of the hallway, fiddling with his sleeves.
Ian, with his hair half-tied, was wearing a jet-black uniform that contrasted with his hair color.
Having always seen him in casual attire, seeing him so dressed up was a refreshing change.
“Ian.”
“Oh, Sister.”
Only after I called him did Ian look away from his sleeves and paused as soon as he saw me.
A slight ripple appeared in Ian’s clear eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
At his puzzled reaction, I tilted my head, and Ian quickly changed his expression.
“It’s nothing. Then.”
With that, Ian extended his hand to me.
He offered his escort with the same posture described in the etiquette book, exuding a nobility that made it hard to believe he was born a commoner.
I internally let go of my accumulated worries and took Ian’s hand with a smile.
As I took his hand, the smile on his lips grew deeper.
“Shall we go now?”
