“Ah, when did I fall asleep?”
I must have fallen asleep in my dressing room after Adandito and Madame Lulu left. But somehow, I ended up back in my bedroom without even realizing it.
I stretched and got up from the bed. I hadn’t even fully woken up when I heard a knock on the door. I opened it slightly and saw my mother standing there.
“What’s the matter?”
“Siara, take a look at this.”
My mother handed me some documents. It was a registration record for Astita. Under the names of my father, mother, and older brother, the name ‘Siara le Astita’ was written neatly. It seemed like they had brought it before the ink even dried, and I got a bit of ink on my hands. I accepted it, feeling surprised.
“…Has this already happened?”
“Some people involved happened to be at the palace, and His Highness the Crown Prince took special care of it. Thanks to that, it seems like you won’t be late for your debut. It worked out well, didn’t it?”
My mother exclaimed with pure admiration. Seeing her smile spread across her face, I nodded my head.
“It worked out well.”
I thought I would be calm about it, but I felt more overwhelmed than I expected. Without realizing it, I put too much strength in my hands, and the neatly arranged documents got crumpled. I quickly put down the papers and shook my head. It was because I felt like I was about to cry.
‘What a mess in front of my mother.’
I quickly composed myself and smiled together with her. Making up my mind, my mother gently lifted my head with a soft touch. Then she gently wiped under my eyes and said:
“Siara, you’ve been through a lot.”
“…So have you, Mom.”
“I haven’t gone through any hardship at all. With Siara by my side, I don’t even remember what happened.”
She hugged me tightly. I, too, hugged my mother back, without caring about the crumpled papers in my hands.
* * *
Putting the good news aside, I hurried to prepare for the tea party. My mother had other engagements and left after wishing me good luck. When I finished washing up, Madame Lulu and her attendants were already waiting. They had spread out the dress and all the accessories I would wear today on the dressing table, explaining everything to Hierian.
“These opals were brought from Ultra Mountain. It’s famous for producing the best opals!”
“What about this one?”
“Are you talking about the yellow sapphire? It seems like it would go well with Siara’s hair, so we specially prepared the top-quality one.”
“Wow, the dress is filled with gemstones. It must be really heavy, right?”
“It’s a little heavy, yes. But for the sake of beauty, everyone can bear it, right?”
“…Still, Siara’s shoulders will hurt.”
Hierian glanced at me and then cast a spell on the dress. It was a lightweight spell. But Madame, who didn’t know that, screamed in horror and quickly blocked Hierian.
“What are you doing to my artwork?!”
“I just cast a spell to make the dress lighter. Don’t worry, it won’t damage your dress. Who’s going to wear it carelessly?”
“Well, then, thank goodness.”
Madame Lulu let out a deep sigh and sent me a grateful look. Up until now, I had been quietly observing the situation from behind, but I moved forward step by step.
“Hierian, what are you doing here?”
Then Hierian smiled broadly and said,
“Siara! Congratulations on becoming an official member of Astita. I’m so happy for you!”
“You already knew? Thank you.”
“Yeah, I hope Siara is happy with her family.”
Hierian grinned.
I scratched my cheek and avoided Hierian’s gaze. It had been a known fact since I was born that I was Astita. But receiving congratulations now felt somewhat awkward.
However, for others, it was a cause for celebration for a commoner to be accepted into a noble family. It was even rarer to receive such special treatment. Madame Lulu and her attendants sparkled upon hearing Hierian’s words.
“Oh my, Siara. Congratulations! You are now a respectable noble lady!”
I awkwardly smiled and didn’t say much. Perhaps Madame Lulu sensed that I didn’t want to discuss the topic further because she quickly changed the subject.
“Well then, shall we start with a gentle massage? Lie down here.”
“…Getting a massage in the morning?”
“Oh, yes. You need a massage to have your makeup applied well and to rejuvenate your body.”
Then, Hierian, who had been quietly listening, added,
“Our Siara is beautiful even without that.”
“Oh dear, we know that too, but it’s still a basic requirement.”
In Astita, the massages performed by Becky were the entirety of their concept of a massage, so it seemed that Huangdo had a different approach.
Anyway, there was no reason to refuse, so I lay down on the designated bed. Madame Lulu’s attendants approached from both sides and began the massage. It was a delicate touch to remove any tension.
It was a bit painful, but I quickly got used to it after receiving it a few times. Although it still caused occasional grimaces, Hierian tilted his head and asked with curiosity.
“Why do you get it even though it hurts?”
“I don’t know, it relieves tension.”
“Where do you have tension?”
I jokingly replied,
“Only visible to the eyes of a good person.”
Then Hierian pursed his lips and smiled at me.
“Well, how is it? Siara, you look happy right now.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yeah.”
Hierian nodded.
After all the ambiguous rumors that had been circulating lately about various matters, hearing that my name had made it onto the family tree had brought some relief. It was evident on his face.
Just then, with a smile, Hierian spoke up.
“I’m happy if Siara is happy.”
He had a cute side to him, indeed. I reached out and gently ruffled Hierian’s hair.
* * *
Erin’s mansion.
Young nobles who were making their debut in the social circle, just like Erin, were invited to a tea party hosted by the Count and Countess.
Although it was called a debut in social circles, the young nobles who had attended parties with their mothers since they were very young were familiar with each other. They skillfully exchanged greetings and huddled together as if making a promise to each other. It seemed as if they had been waiting for this moment to start their conversations.
“Did you hear the news? They say Siara will also be coming today.”
“How did Erin know to host this tea party? It’s not a place just anyone can come to…”
“I heard it’s because of her connections.”
“Shh, if you talk about it carelessly, the Duke of Izbe will scold you!”
The day before, they had heard two rumors about Siara.
One was a gossip item in the newspaper, and the other was a warning that said, “If you spread that gossip carelessly, you’ll be caught by Duke Izbe.”
Indeed, Duke Izbe had personally visited the mansions of the nobles in the royal capital, warning them not to spread rumors recklessly. It was unclear why the supposedly noble Duke Izbe was doing such a thing, but there must have been a reason. Above all, spreading rumors recklessly would result in antagonizing Duke Izbe.
So, on the eve of the tea party, the young nobles were called by their parents and given strict instructions on self-discipline. Most of them also heard something like this:
“Something seems off about Siara, so it would be better to get closer to her.”
Even if they became useless later, it was better to get closer to her for now. That’s why most of the young nobles came with a firm resolve.
“But why hasn’t she arrived?”
As the young nobles waited expectantly for Siara, they noticed Siara’s presence in the flower-filled garden.
She had half of her golden hair tied up, with a white satin ribbon cascading down from the top. Her dress, which revealed a straight and beautiful neckline, was adorned with elaborate decorations, but it wasn’t excessive and suited Siara well. Moreover, the undoubtedly heavy dress created an air of mystery as it billowed in the wind.
Her long, flowing eyelashes looked innocent, and her green eyes were full of vitality. Her face was petite, but within it, her eyes, nose, and lips seemed to be packed tightly together, resembling a moving doll.
Despite that, her actions were surprisingly lively. After turning her head swiftly, Siara found the tea party venue and exclaimed in delight.
“Here it is!”
Having wandered a bit in the maze-like garden, Siara lifted the hem of her dress and walked into the tea party venue. The young nobles, who had been sitting in line at the long table, completely forgot the conversations they had been having and fell silent.
In place of their stiff expressions, Erin, who had been sitting in Siara’s seat, stood up and greeted her.
“Lady Siara?”
“Yes, that’s me. Thank you for the invitation.”
Siara lightly bowed her head and smiled. She had just heard this morning that she had become a noble, but her etiquette was flawless.
Even Erin, who had played the role of the host of small gatherings from a young age, couldn’t help but gaze at her, raising her skirt a beat too late.
“…It’s an honor to meet you as well.”
“What can I say?”
Siara chuckled, shaking her head. She was undeniably beautiful, and she had a charm that made people feel comfortable as if she were a longtime friend.
Finally regaining their senses, the young nobles surrounded Siara as if to pounce on her.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Harin.”
“I’m Euri. Is this your first time in the capital? What are you doing tomorrow? If it’s okay, would you like to go shopping with me?”
“I know a good restaurant. How about having brunch together?”
“After shopping, let’s have tea at our mansion.”
Siara’s pupils were filled with bewilderment as she faced the chattering young nobles. She looked at them with a bewildered expression before bursting into a broad smile.
It was a smile resembling a sunflower.
