The Road to the Debutante Ball (1)
The debutante ball is held every year in the name of the empress rather than the emperor, at one of the detached palaces within the imperial grounds. The exact timing varies slightly from year to year, but it usually falls between April and June. Far from being a single glittering night, the event unfolds across multiple gatherings spread over roughly two months. During this period, young noblewomen from across the empire who are ready to make their social debut gather in one place, turning the halls into a veritable garden of blossoms.
Participants are generally between fourteen and nineteen years of age, though the timing can shift earlier or later depending on a family’s circumstances and the daughter’s position within it. When a house’s sole heir is a daughter, for instance, her debut tends to come much sooner. The grand ducal house’s only daughter was no exception.
“Ugh, this is so uncomfortable… Today isn’t even the ball yet. Do I really have to dress like this just to travel?”
Ariel frowned at the lavish gown draped over her, clearly displeased. Once they used the dimensional stone, they would arrive two full days before the ball began. So why suffer through such cumbersome finery already? For someone who preferred comfort over beauty, the logic was incomprehensible.
“This time, my lady, you will be representing the grand ducal house. Even if it is inconvenient, you must endure it.”
“I know that. I’m asking why I have to be wrapped up like this already.”
“Because anyone could see you. Besides, you look absolutely stunning.”
It was no empty flattery. At fifteen, Ariel’s beauty had already begun to bloom; now, with a touch of light makeup and the dazzling gown she so rarely wore, she looked as though a flower had sprouted wings. Even Shuri, another woman, felt a pang of envy and found herself wishing—just once—to live a single day with that face.
“Well, of course. More importantly, where’s Ed?”
One compliment and Ariel’s shoulders lifted at once, her mood restored. Only then did she glance around and ask after her childhood friend and attendant. She had gone to such lengths to dress up; the least he could do was come see her. She wasn’t fishing for praise, but as her attendant he ought to be at her side.
“He is likely waiting in the corridor. He said you would never want him to see you while you were being dressed.”
“Is that so? Hmm… That’s surprisingly thoughtful of him.”
She had been on the verge of feeling slighted, yet his consideration softened her. For a childhood friend, he understood her feelings rather well.
‘Should I give him a little surprise?’
Ariel’s long-dormant mischief stirred. Given her dull-witted friend’s personality, he would probably show little reaction no matter how beautifully she had dressed. But what if she showed him something entirely different? What if she presented herself as the refined, dignified daughter of a grand duke?
‘He seems to like women who are elegant like Mother.’
Though he had never said so outright, she had a fair idea from the way he treated her. Ariel quickly recalled her mother’s usual demeanor and committed it to memory. Hiding her true self was one thing; mimicking a graceful, elegant noble daughter was child’s play. After all, she was the prodigy who had inherited the blood of House Robeheim.
“Shuri, no matter what expression I make, don’t say a word. Understood?”
“Pardon?”
Shuri’s reply carried a note of confusion at the sudden instruction. What on earth was her reckless mistress planning now? At the very least she could have warned her so Shuri might brace for the aftermath, yet even that courtesy had been withheld. All she could do was pray nothing went wrong.
“Oh, you’re out? The dress looks nice.”
“……”
The moment Ariel stepped through the door, Edgar tossed out the remark without much thought. She found it irritating that he had singled out the dress rather than her, but she kept her lips firmly pressed together, determined to maintain the image of a refined young lady—for his sake, at least for a little while.
“My lady! It suits you perfectly!”
“If only the lord could see this…”
Unlike Edgar’s indifferent reaction, the servants and attendants erupted in praise. They saw Ariel’s beauty daily, yet rarely witnessed her in such complete, deliberate elegance. She was not yet an adult, but her blooming looks, now enhanced by the gown, were captivating enough to make even other women’s hearts flutter.
“Ah, right. This time, only Shuri and I will be accompanying you as attendants.”
“I see. Well, the two of you are more than reliable. I’ll leave her in your care.”
“Y-yes…”
Ariel answered with a gentle smile so warm it could have belonged to Helene herself. There was nothing wrong with her reply, yet Edgar’s brow furrowed slightly. He gave a small nod, then slipped aside to whisper to Shuri. His judgment, born of long experience, was that his childhood friend must have eaten something strange that morning.
“…Shuri, what’s going on?”
“I-I don’t know either. The young lady didn’t tell me anything…”
“This is insane. What wind blew through her this time?”
Ariel’s whims changed as quickly as boiling porridge, but today the direction felt different, leaving them even more adrift. In the end, the three of them left the main residence under the servants’ farewells, their hearts uneasy. Following Shuri’s guidance, they soon met Helene and the retainers waiting outside.
“I’m sorry, my dear. As your mother, I wished to accompany you to such a joyous occasion, but circumstances would not allow it…”
Helene had wanted to go, yet with her husband, the grand duke, still absent on the northern campaign, someone had to remain and hold the fort. If the journey grew long, she might even need to join him briefly, so staying behind was unavoidable.
With a reluctant heart she hugged her daughter tightly. Only then did Ariel’s unusually calm crimson eyes come into view.
“Ed and Shuri will be with me. Please don’t worry, Mother. I’ll be back safely.”
“…Mother?”
The retainers praised Ariel’s mature demeanor, but Helene’s reaction was different. She was no fool; she could tell at a glance that her daughter’s usual behavior had changed overnight. Most unsettling of all was the shift in how Ariel addressed her—something that had never changed even after coming of age. A single debutante ball could not have caused such a sudden transformation. What was going on?
“……?”
“…….”
Helene turned her gaze to the two standing on either side of her daughter and silently asked what had happened. Both lowered their heads and looked away. Only then did Helene let out a sigh of relief, realizing nothing serious had occurred.
‘She must have had another one of her whims.’
As long as it wasn’t harmful, it was fine. Besides, seeing her usually childish daughter act grown-up, even briefly, had its own charm.
“You take care of yourself as well, Edgar. I’m counting on you to look after the young lady.”
“Yes, Lord Elpelt. Please don’t worry.”
With the grand duke absent, Elpelt, the grand duke’s aide, took it upon himself to see Edgar off. He extended his hand for a shake and wished him luck. Edgar clasped it and answered with a smile.
Ariel boarded the carriage first, followed by the two attendants amid the retainers’ send-off. Somehow, Shuri ended up sitting alone while Ariel and Edgar sat side by side. Normally Ariel would have made a fuss about wanting the whole seat to herself the moment she climbed in, yet today she was strangely quiet. Only then could Edgar be certain: something was definitely wrong with her.
“Hey, Ariel. What’s with you today?”
“Hm? What do you mean? I’m the same as always.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. At least stop with those ridiculous hand gestures.”
It wasn’t as though she were an opera actress, yet every time she spoke her hands fluttered between her mouth and chest. Edgar found it hard to keep a straight face. Shuri felt the same.
At his blunt retort, Ariel realized she could no longer keep up the act.
‘And I did it all for his sake.’
To think he wouldn’t even appreciate her generous heart. What an oblivious man.
“Well, you like this sort of thing, don’t you? I thought I’d try acting for once, since it’s a special occasion.”
“What? What ‘sort of thing’?”
Ariel raised her chin and shrugged as if demanding praise, but Edgar only felt more exasperated. He had no idea what she had done for him, yet here she was preening. If “this sort of thing” referred to the overly elegant gestures and cloying tone she never used, then it was the last thing he wanted.
“I know you like refined, dignified women like Mother. So while I was already dressed up, I showed you that side of me.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve never heard that before in my life.”
He respected Helene as a person, but she was not his type. If anything, he preferred lively, approachable personalities.
“So it’s not true? Then what was the point of all that acting?”
“What do you think it was? It made you look like an idiot for doing something completely unnecessary.”
Shuri, who had been listening to their exchange, finally burst out laughing at Edgar’s last remark. The sound of escaping air reached Ariel’s ears, and her head whipped around sharply.
“You idiot, you’re the one who did something stupid—don’t take it out on poor Shuri.”
“Ah, I know! Geez, how embarrassing…”
In the end, all she had received for her mortifying performance were a single compliment about her dress and a scolding. Was there any more unfair exchange rate than this? Ariel shook her head vigorously, hands covering her face, while Edgar watched with a wry smile.
Still, he appreciated the thought she had put into trying to show him her ideal image of a woman. Honestly, it hadn’t moved him much, but the novelty had been refreshing. At times like this, a little lip service was only proper.
“Hey, but you really did look beautiful today. I never thought I had a type, but if it’s you looking like that, I could call it my ideal.”
“M-me…!?”
The sudden barrage of praise sent Ariel’s hands flailing wildly through the air. Why did this man always strike at the most unexpected moments? This was exactly why she could never let her guard down around him.
Edgar, however, had his own justification.
‘Honestly, it wasn’t a lie.’
Ariel already possessed most of the personality traits he liked in a woman, her looks were outstanding, and there was nothing she couldn’t do. The only problems were her constant bickering, her inability to be honest, and how difficult she was to handle when angry. In a way, she was the woman who matched his ideal the most—though that was only when viewed strictly as a woman, a detail he conveniently left out. Ariel, caught completely off guard, had no choice but to take the full brunt of it.
When Edgar reached out with his callused training hand and gently ruffled her hair, Ariel’s cheeks flushed crimson in an instant, the color quickly spreading to her ears.
Watching from across the carriage, Shuri decided she had no choice but to intervene for the sake of her mistress’s mental health.
“Um… Edgar, perhaps that’s enough?”
“Why? Afraid her hair will get messed up?”
“For now, let’s go with that…”
Having rescued her mistress from imminent explosion, Shuri asked to switch seats with him. At the very least, the two of them could not be left together until the carriage reached its destination through the dimensional stone. The last thing they needed was for Ariel to die of heart failure before even arriving at the ball because of her childhood friend.