All the guests walked to the banquet hall, where the celebration would be taking place.
The hall was decorated with expensive materials that showcased the Morrison family's wealth. There were flowery designs on the walls with a red and white theme, and on one side of the hall, tables and chairs were neatly arranged. The entire hall was illuminated by golden chandeliers. The guests began to walk in one by one under the guidance of the attendants.
The Morrison couple welcomed their guests at the entrance.
Luanda saw some of her friends and went to greet them. "Welcome... I thought you wouldn't attend because I heard you were sick, but I'm glad to see you could make it, Elizabeth," she said to one of the women.
The woman named Elizabeth quickly put on a smile and said, "Oh, it was nothing serious. You know I can't miss this day because it's an important day for you, Luanda."
"Thank you for coming, Elizabeth... Where is your husband?" Luanda asked as she looked around the hall.
"Oh, he had some important things to attend to, so he couldn't make it... By the way, I heard your husband got a higher position in the neighboring kingdom, is it true?" Elizabeth asked with full interest, a stiff smile on her face.
"Oh, word really does go fast in our kingdom. Yes, it is true. I plan to throw a tea party the day after this banquet," Luanda informed her, lifting her chin in the air as if she was the one who made the achievement, not her husband.
"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you, Luanda," Elizabeth congratulated her happily. However, the smile on her face faltered as Luanda turned to nod at someone who waved at her, but she quickly resumed her smile as if she was genuinely happy for her friend.
Luanda was over forty, but even for her age, she looked younger. She was a lady with pride and liked to show off her husband's achievements. Most ladies had begun to follow her ever since her husband became the most famous merchant in all the lands. The praise among the northern social elite flowed around her smoothly as she walked with her head held high like a queen.
As the time drew near for the celebration, most of the guests who had arrived early were chatting away in the banquet hall. Outside the mansion, a magnificent carriage was parked in a corner.
A young lady in the carriage was peeking through the window to make sure everybody was already inside the hall. She sat elegantly in her carriage, her black ebony hair cascading down her shoulders, her skin unblemished, and her heart-shaped face adorned with full pouty lips. Her dress was exquisitely well-made, a deep red that matched the color of her lipstick. The design and the color were so ingenious, they would capture anyone's eye.
"It's time to make an entrance, Claire," she mumbled to herself with a smirk on her face.
Claire finally got out of her carriage and looked around to make sure nobody was standing outside the hall. She then started to make her way proudly toward the entrance with an elegant posture. She had made sure to arrive later than the others so that she could be the center of attention. Claire had planned this so well, she was certain that all eyes would be on her tonight; the spotlight would be hers and nobody else's.
As expected, when she walked in, all eyes turned her way. Some men gathered in a corner began to whisper, though she couldn't hear what they were saying, she could see their expressions of awe and clear admiration.
Some women started to point at her. "Oh my God! Look at that dress!" exclaimed one of them.
"Where did she get it from?" asked another.
"I've never seen a dress as beautiful as that, and it suits Claire so well, with her beauty."
Praises filled the hall as people whispered. Claire could easily read the familiar expressions on their faces. She walked with her head held high, not sparing anyone a glance, and pretended as if she was unaware that they were talking about her beauty. She made her way to the Morrison couple to congratulate them.
"Happy wedding anniversary, Aunt Luanda," she said as she hugged Luanda. Then she moved from the hug and bowed to John. "Happy wedding anniversary, Uncle John."
"Thank you, Claire," said John with a small smile, then he whispered something to Luanda and walked away.
"You look beautiful as ever, Aunt Luanda," said Claire with a wide smile on her face.
"Thank you for your kind words, dear, and you also look beautiful... But today you're glowing in this red dress, it made me a little jealous," Luanda teased her niece with a soft smile, while Claire blushed shyly. "Oh, Auntie, you spoil me too much with your kind words."
Claire looked so humble on the surface. In the eyes of other maidens, she had a good family background. She was the only daughter of the respectable Tudor household. With her beautiful appearance along with her polite personality, she was the ideal aristocrat, deserving of a rich, respectable man.
Claire's smile widened as she received the praises being thrown at her in the banquet hall. She felt like she had accomplished her mission of having the spotlight on herself because now nobody could match her beauty in the hall. She hadn't seen any maiden who caught the attention of the guests like she did. Claire smirked at her own thoughts.
Suddenly, she realized something when she looked around the hall again. Claire noticed all the guests who had been looking at her a while ago were now staring toward the entrance behind her. She frowned a little and turned to see what they were staring at.
Claire's smile was quick to fall when she saw what had captured their attention. There at the entrance, two beautiful young ladies were walking into the hall.
One had classic red hair that flowed with the gentle breeze. She was dressed in a light purple and white dress, with a warm, beautiful smile gracing her flawless face as she smiled at someone at the entrance. Although she wasn't trying hard to carry herself with grace like most noble ladies, one could still sense a refined aura from her, one that wasn't too loud but was enough to grab anyone's attention.
The other girl wore a black mermaid gown that hugged her figure but wasn't too revealing. She stood confidently, her back straight.
Both ladies attracted the attention of the guests with their beauty, but most of the attention was on the red-haired lady, who walked elegantly with her glowing emerald eyes looking ahead.
The dress the red-haired lady was wearing looked out of style to Claire, but the most annoying thing was that everyone was stunned by her beauty.
Claire clenched her fists. How could everyone look at that eyesore of a dress in awe when she was right here in front of them? It wasn't fair; the dress wasn't even beautiful, but it got all the attention!
Ara glowed under the golden lights of the hall. Why did the Boxton sisters always seem to catch the attention of the crowd at every banquet? This woman always seemed to steal her spotlight.
Arabella Boxton, the eldest daughter of the Boxton household! Claire's gaze shifted to Anne, who was walking beside her sister with a satisfied smile on her face, as if she had won a prize. Claire glared daggers at Anne. She could never forget the Boxton younger daughter. She looked at Anne's dress; it was an expensive black mermaid gown that hugged her tiny waist tightly. The dress had lace around the chest with long sleeves, and her brown hair was styled in a loose bun. She hated the smile on Anne's face. Claire's frown deepened when she saw Anne smirk and send a light wink at her.
Claire quickly came to her senses when she heard Luanda say something. She looked around the hall and saw everyone glancing at the sisters with an awestruck expression. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails piercing deep into her palms, but she couldn't feel the pain. Her eyes blazed with rage as she glared at the sisters.
'I will make sure you regret stealing my spotlight again, Arabella Boxton!'
It had always been this way. Whenever Ara showed up in public, she always outshined her, always stole the spotlight. Claire hadn't expected Ara to attend the banquet since she had missed many social events like these. Had she known that the woman would show up at the banquet, she would have waited a little longer in her carriage.
Claire felt the urge to ruin the dress Ara was wearing. The stupid, old-fashioned dress stung her eyes the more she looked at it. She would make Ara pay for this. She would make sure Ara wouldn't be able to show her face in public again. And that stupid sister of hers—she would make both sisters regret showing up today. Claire smirked at her own thoughts.
'Let's see how you can still show your faces after I'm done with you!' Claire quickly put on a fake smile as she saw them approaching.