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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: The First Party (1)
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Recalling the sharply gleaming amethyst-like eyes, Ariana broke free from her past memories.
‘Back then, I couldn't understand what he was saying. But now, I do.’
Just as Andrei had said, there was nothing good at the end of the path Ariana was walking.
‘But there's something the Grand Duke doesn't know.’
A bitter smile touched Ariana's lips.
‘The path I've walked has never had anything good on it, right from the start.’
From the moment she was born, Ariana had been forced to walk a mucky path.
Now that she had returned, the Eastern Territory showed Ariana a clean and beautiful path. The road stretched before her, so dazzling that it was almost intoxicating.
Yet, the grime on Ariana's feet still hadn't washed away, and she doubted she would ever be free of it, not even until the day she died.
‘Grand Duke Hern might seem gentle, but he's actually a sharp person. That's probably why he saw through my intentions back then. I'll need to be careful around him.’
Still, knowing Isaac was coming himself brought relief. She trusted that Isaac could restore Sini's condition, something even Uriel, the physician, couldn't manage.
‘He's a kind person.’
She recalled Isaac's bright smile.
‘And a cheerful one.’
It was a relief to know such a person was by Cyrus's side.
Ariana pulled the cord by her bed, and her attendant maid entered. She requested bathwater and breakfast from the maid.
Lavender petals floated in the warm water filling the tub. Not long after she immersed herself in the fragrant bath, Catherine entered with a silver tray.
A few finger foods were arranged on the tray.
"You'll be wearing a dress today, so I instructed them to prepare a light breakfast."
Catherine said, setting the tray on the table.
"Yes, thank you."
Biscuits topped with finely chopped vegetables and ham mixed with a refreshing sauce, nuts tossed in milk and honey, and a few slices of fresh fruit.
After Catherine left, Ariana picked up a biscuit and brought it to her mouth.
‘To think the day would come when I'd eat while sitting in a fragrant bath.’
It was a luxury she had never enjoyed, even after marrying Ingow Albrecht and becoming Viscountess.
She finished her bath at a leisurely pace, then stepped out and sat on the vanity chair. Attendant maids approached and dried Ariana's wet hair.
Meanwhile, Catherine brought several large jewelry boxes and stacked them on the vanity.
"These are the jewels sent by His Grace the Eastern Duke."
Catherine opened a box. Inside, there was a plethora of surprisingly expensive-looking necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
"These were sent by Duke Langsty White and his wife, and these by Count Pelos White and his wife. And these are from the Former Eastern Duke and his wife, these from Sir Averster, and these from Lady Isabel."
She hadn't expected the entire family to send gifts.
Ariana blinked, examining the glittering jewelry inside the boxes. There were so many different types of gems and various designs of ornaments before her, enough to find something suitable for any dress she might wear.
"I could open a jewelry shop," she mused.
At Ariana's remark, Catherine chuckled softly and then brought out several pairs of shoes.
"These shoes were sent by His Highness the Heir Apparent, and the rest by Lady Isabel."
She hadn't known Jeor would send a gift too. Ariana gazed intently at the shoes Jeor had sent.
They were white shoes that perfectly matched her night-sky-like dress, which transitioned from light to deep purple. Was the relatively low heel a consideration for Ariana, who likely hadn't worn shoes often?
The toe, wrapped in white silk, was studded with amethyst, and as it approached the ankle, the number of amethysts decreased, creating an aesthetic similar to the deepening shade of her dress.
"I'll choose these shoes."
"They are perfect, aren't they? His Highness the Heir Apparent has a subtle sense of style."
After the maids finished drying her hair, the arduous process began. She had her makeup meticulously applied, donned a corset, then a petticoat, and finally the dress over it all.
After the dress was on, her hair was styled, with skilled maids creating various elaborate coiffures.
"This style suits you well too."
"The previous style suited you beautifully as well..."
"Princess, there's truly no style that doesn't suit you."
After much flattery from the maids and Catherine, who were styling her hair, they finally settled on one look with difficulty.
Small sections of hair from behind each ear were braided and secured at the back, and tiny pearl hairpins were meticulously placed along the braids, making it look as if white flowers had bloomed on her sky-blue hair.
By the time she had chosen a necklace, earrings, and bracelet, four hours had flown by.
A maid arrived to announce that the guests were arriving.
After smiling at Catherine, who was repeatedly exclaiming about her beauty, Ariana walked towards the window. The breeze blowing in from the open window was mild, and the sun blazed with a clear light.
The humid Western Territory became suffocatingly difficult to breathe in during summer, but the Eastern Territory's air was dry and crisp, so even in the heat, it wasn't stifling.
The wind carried the scent of the garden's flowers.
‘What a beautiful day.’
Sini always murmured "beautiful day" whenever she saw Ariana.
For Sini, a beautiful day might have been akin to the "permission to live" that Ariana had so desperately longed for.
You're allowed to live, your birth has meaning, I'm glad you were born.
The things Ariana had so desperately wished for.
Carriages that had traversed the vast grounds of Chase Castle stopped before the central garden, and Ariana watched as footmen guided those disembarking.
An endless procession of carriages, beautifully dressed nobles.
Seeing them, Ariana barely managed to push back the surge of past memories.
Catherine extended a card with an ornate design to Ariana.
"Princess, this is a dance card. A footman will bring you yours before you leave, but I brought one early just in case. This side contains today's musical program, and on the back, the names of the gentlemen who have requested a dance will be written."
Catherine, remembering that Ariana hadn't properly attended a single party during her time at the Bronte Ducal Estate, explained the dance card beforehand.
Ariana had received dance cards many times before, but she accepted it as if she knew nothing.
At the entrance to the ballroom, dance cards bearing the names of the ladies and noble ladies attending today were hung. Gentlemen entering would write their names on the card of the lady they wished to dance with.
It wasn't strictly necessary to write one's name on a card to dance, nor was one obliged to dance only with those whose names were on the card. However, it was customary to dance in the order of the names listed on the card.
Ariana's dance card had never once been filled.
As Viscountess Albrecht, a lower-ranking noble from the Western Territory, she had attracted no one's interest. The rare man who did write his name was always someone trying to exploit the Albrecht viscountcy's wealth.
‘Today, there will be many, I'm sure.’
In the Western Territory, Ariana was the most esteemed lady, alongside Caradine, the Former Eastern Duchess. There would undoubtedly be many nobles trying to make an impression on Ariana today.
‘Can I endure it?’
Ariana looked down at her feet.
The shoes Jeor had gifted her were comfortable, lined with soft, plush fabric inside, but even so, they were a burden on her delicate feet, which weren't accustomed to wearing shoes often.
As time passed, all the invited guests had entered. It was now time for Ariana to make her entrance.
A footman arrived to announce that the Eastern Duke was waiting.
Catherine, who was giving Ariana's attire a final check, asked,
"Is there no dance card?"
"Ah, well... Grand Duke White did not prepare a dance card for the Princess. He believed the Princess might find it tiring."
"Oh my, the Grand Duke is truly so considerate."
Catherine, perhaps having worried about Ariana having to dance incessantly, was relieved that there was no dance card. Ariana felt the same way.
Silently thanking Averster, Ariana followed the footman down the corridor.
Eastern Duke Russell was waiting for Ariana in the first-floor lobby. Upon seeing Ariana, Russell's eyes widened in surprise.
As Ariana stopped before Russell, he looked down at his daughter with eyes full of various emotions, his own eyes welling up. Ariana watched with a strange feeling as her father's eyes reddened.
"You're truly... beautiful, Ariana."
"It's thanks to your care, Father."
"So beautiful."
Hearing his choked voice, Ariana felt a sudden urge to cry herself.
Russell briefly turned his head to the side, composing his expression, then smiled at Ariana and offered his arm. Ariana delicately placed her hand on her father's arm.
A strange feeling washed over her.
She had never dreamed of walking into a party arm-in-arm with her father. As something she had never even wished for became reality, her heart fluttered.
The ballroom was a short distance from the main building. As they walked across the garden, there was no conversation between father and daughter. Yet, Ariana felt as if they had exchanged a great many words.
A footman waiting at the hall entrance widened his eyes upon seeing Ariana. His lips parted.
"Princess, you are truly magnificent."
At the footman's words, Russell smiled with satisfaction.
The footman opened the ballroom doors and announced,
"His Grace the Eastern Duke and the Princess are entering!"
The music paused briefly. All eyes in the ballroom converged on the open doors.
The first thing their eyes fell upon was the Eastern Duke, with hair as dark as the night sky. Eastern Duke Russell White, tall and broad-shouldered, appearing almost like a bear.
Then, they saw Ariana.
Ariana, her hand resting on her formidable father's arm, looked incredibly small, almost like a fairy. A sky-blue fairy fluttering through the night sky.
The smile that graced her small face was sweet enough to make one's heart tingle, and her silent steps were light and graceful, like a butterfly.
The orchestra, which had been entranced by Ariana, snapped back to reality and began to play. Sweet music filled the ballroom, as if scattering flowers before Ariana's steps.
Soon, father and daughter arrived before the chairs arranged at the opposite end of the hall.
Russell's heart swelled as he saw the people looking up at him, or rather, at his daughter.
He had always dreamed of such a moment.
From the moment Ariana was born, from when he held her tiny body in his arms, from when her small hand grasped his finger, Russell had wished for this moment every single day without fail.
Now that his wish had come true, Russell felt as though he had gained the world, simply by having Ariana by his side.
A faint smile touched the lips of the Eastern Lord, who rarely smiled.
"Thank you for coming to celebrate my daughter's return."
His chest felt warm.
"Enjoy yourselves."
