Letty dolled me up for the party, and I am on my way to the hall with my parents.
The hall was decorated with utmost diligence for this occasion. Several house banners draped from the walls, and tables were filled with delicacies.
Beatrice and her father, Count Vermion, could be seen at the front on a slightly elevated stage, waiting for all the guests to settle in.
Dad introduced me to a lot of different people, and I was a mini center of attraction for many young nobles, and Letty's insurance on dolling me up paid off where I didn't want it to.
Many young people wanted to impress me, much like at the academy. The party had barely started, and I was already annoyed beyond words.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen", Count Vermion began, his voice loud and clear. Everyone in the hall gave him their attention. "I am honored to welcome you all to this grand celebration. For the first announcement, I am pleased to announce the launch of a new venture under the leadership of my daughter Beatrice Rose and Professor Primos, the one and only master of 'the genius of the century', Aria Ernius herself. 'Rose Emporium', a new company catering to the technological and magical needs of the noble class"
Woah! a direct competition, huh? That came out of nowhere. I wonder what 'technological needs' they are referring to.
There was a murmur of surprise and excitement from the crowd as Beatrice stepped forward and Professor Primos joined the stage. Way to go, Professor! (Sarcastic tone) After I declined his 'help', you didn't shy away from immediately seeking a new shelter. And what master? He was just a guide at best!
Well, I can't complain after rejecting him. Yeah, I rejected him when he asked for employment at my company. And it's not because he ratted me out in that letter…ahem…I just didn't want his talent to go to waste by working under me. Yup, that's the reason.
And also, I didn't want to hear any of his 'be productive' and 'don't waste your genius' talks in my own office.
Count Vermion continued,
"I have no doubt that with the creativity and vision of my daughter, coupled with the revolutionary ideas of Professor Primos, 'Rose Emporium' will soon become a household name among the nobility of our kingdom. So please join me in congratulating them on this new and exciting business venture"
Claps echoed through the hall. I can hear people whispering, 'Finally, someone competent enough to stand against House Ernius', 'The professor is the one who taught Lady Aria, but he still wants to work for Count Rose. House Ernius must not be paying their employees enough. They are serving commoners after all', and so on.
Frankly, I don't care about their opinions, but don't make it sound like he didn't want to work for us, it's the other way around!
The cheers and the whispering slowly died down, and the Count spoke,
"And for the big reveal and the moment you have all been waiting for", he took a brief pause and said, "Today, my daughter Beatrice Rose, the heir to the Rose County, and the third Prince of our kingdom, Prince Jumair, have decided to unite in holy matrimony, sealing a bond that will strengthen the ties between our families and the kingdom itself"
This was definitely not a part of the novel. If I were to speculate, I would say the only most eligible candidate for the third prince's partner would have been Carolina, being the duke's daughter. And as Franklin said, if her father had asked her to, she would have agreed to this marriage as well.
Looks like I unintentionally changed her fate. Maybe it's a good thing that now she can choose whom she wants to marry herself, but who am I to decide that?
Well, Carolina, I'm sorry for altering your future as a potential princess.
A wave of applause ran through the crowd as the doors opened with an intentionally loud bang, revealing the King and the royal family themselves.
They nailed the entrance, I'll give them that much. As the royal family inherits the unique spatial magic trait, they must have teleported here to make a show of an entry.
The King and Queen entered the hall first, followed by the crown prince and his bride, then the second prince with his fiancée, and lastly the third prince. Their appearance was the most cliche depiction of a royal family, with golden blonde hair, chiseled features, and regal expressions. The members of the royal family were dressed in fine garments with violet coats, and were embellished with jewels. Well, we are in a novel's world alright.
The applause halted as they made their way from the back to the front of the stage. The King's presence alone exuded an aura of power and authority, commanding the attention of everyone in the room.
Everyone in the hall, including me, bowed their heads to the king.
"Rise… Welcome, esteemed guests. I hope you are all enjoying this fine celebration. It is a pleasure to be here today, witnessing the union of two great families as well as the launch of their new business venture. Let us raise a toast to the happy couple and wish them a lifetime of happiness and prosperity", he said, raising a glass.
As the party continued, they arranged dances, music, and other entertainment. Each family took turns going on stage to offer their congratulations to the newly engaged couple. The rest of the royal family, for safety purposes, sat a bit further away from the other guests and were surrounded by guards.
I could see a lot of people around my age were enjoying some wine. So I tried to sip some, but Mom caught me and denied my request. Hmph, It's not like a small sip would be enough to get me drunk.
I spotted Professor Primos. He was surrounded by a lot of nobles. As Beatrice and her dad were busy near the stage, it left only him to discuss anything related to their announcement about Rose Emporium. Welp, not like I wanted to chat with him.
As I was about to turn and leave,
"There she is! Aria, my favorite student. Won't you greet your teacher?"
Crap, I can't escape now, can I?
I walked closer to the group and said,
"It's good to see you, Professor. How have you been?"
"I've been wonderful. It pained my heart to accept Count Rose's proposal when I could have worked with my dearest disciple. It's a shame"
Wait, don't make it sound like you rejected me! But I can't say that, because that would paint me as an ungrateful student.
"Uhm… Yeah, it is"
"But worry not. If you are ever in need of my guidance, I'd always be there for you"
He then approached me, and whispered,
"Sorry, Aria. But you know why I sided with them, I've got to look out for myself"
Without giving me a chance to speak, he addressed the whole group and said,
"Everyone, please look forward to our never-seen-before products. All the preparations are now complete, and the stores are set to open across the kingdom within a few months. Unfortunately, I have some urgent business to attend to, so I'll take my leave. Please enjoy the party"
Saying so, he left.
So that's what he wanted, huh? He wanted to use my name and aggravate rumors about my company so that it would benefit him. At times like these, I don't know how to respond. Grr… I hate this nobility's social nonsense.
So for the rest of the party, I did what I do best and walked to Mom's side and followed her around for the rest of the party. She skillfully handles any situation that is thrown our way.
***
The party ended at around midnight, and I changed into my pajamas. I heard that Letty enjoyed her night, at least someone had fun… I wanted to sleep with her, but there were too many maids and guards stationed outside, so it'd be best if I didn't disturb her.
I was about to lie down on the bed when I heard the mana-comm ring.
"Hey, Letty"
"Hello Aria. Am I disturbing you?"
"No, in fact, I was missing you, but I thought that you'd be asleep"
"I missed you too…"
I sat on the bed as she talked about her site-seeing and mini-shopping trip. Oddly, she doesn't sound as happy as the guard said. Hehe, she must have been feeling lonely without me.
Then I talked about the party and my struggles.
"I can't believe your teacher did that!", she exclaimed.
"He just planned to use you for your popularity! Is this why you rejected him Aria? I knew you must have had a reason to reject him back then.Even though Teacher didn't, I always believed in you", she said.
"I know, right? It was just like you said" I replied.
Sweat
"After that, I was so overwhelmed by all the whispering that I ended up spending the whole time with my mom and her friends."
"I'm sorry, Aria. Maybe I should have become a noble and gotten engaged to you. That would have saved you a lot of trouble"
"Don't be. You know me, I don't care what they think of me…"
We chatted for a bit and eventually hung up.