The hall was brightly decorated inside the mansion with white and silver accents, giving it a clean and stylish look. The marble floor was colored with hints of light gray and was extremely shiny so that you could see your reflection in It. In the distance, you could hear gentle tapping against the marble floors.
'CLICK, CLACK' heels patter on the floor with haste, Emris walking down, stroking her chin in a daze.
"Hmm, an invitation to the Black and White Ball at Pearlington Palace? Why does it cause me such discomfort to look at this letter?" She reached her room, her hand twisting the handle until the door clicked open and the white light of the gleaming crystal chandelier flooded the hall with its irradiating twinkle.
These thoughts that racked her brain kept her pacing in the room as she narrowed her eyes at the invitation from the envelope Emris's father had given her. Tapping her fingers against her cheeks, her lips puckering up and her eyes shutting closed for concentration on the nervousness she felt about the invitation.
"The Black and White Ball? Why is it that I feel so uncertain?" She exasperatedly sighed, throwing herself onto the bed of clouds that hugged her body, making her feel warm and snug. "Not only do I have to deal with my confusing unease, I also have to deal with my drained body. Ugh, had I known I would be out all day, I would have asked for a more comfortable outfit."
Disregarding her physical discomfort, she lifted the letter above her laid body, gazing up at it from all different angles, wondering what about it made her feel so uncertain.
Flashing back on the day she'd spent with her father, she first stared blankly at the invitation he presented.
"Would you like to attend?" His arms stretched over the table for her to see the letter in clear daylight; he hesitantly swapped between her eyes and the scenery around them.
Since my investigation requires me to go out and participate in the social circles, I can't continue Emris' streak of staying indoors, so… "Yes, Father, I accept the invitation! It's been a while since I've attended a ball, so I'd be delighted to go to one, especially one held at the Imperial Palace." That's right; since it's at the Palace, more powerful nobles are bound to attend.
The imaginary stars that popped off her glittering smile hit his dumbfounded expression. Emris had never once accepted anything like this in the past, though she always was eager to attend a party at the Imperial Palace. In these five years, she only rolled her eyes at the appearance of any invitation.
Could it be? Has hell frozen over?! My daughter just had a drastic behavior change. Could there be anything more worthy of celebration than this? I should purchase the most expensive jewels and dresses to decorate her with for this event. In fact, I better tell Theodore to order a custom-made dress from a famous boutique in the capital.
Unable to contain his excitement, he swiped Emris' hands off the table, compressing them in his large hands, telling Emris how he would hire tutors to teach her before the Ball began. "I promise you'll be most prepared for the ball, so don't worry, sweetheart, and leave it all to me, alright?"
"Yes, thank you for looking out for me, Father. I'll do my best so as not to bring shame to the family." I was the daughter of a conglomerate family that exaggerated its picture-perfect image, so my elder brother and sister were given the most expensive lessons in ballroom dancing and business management.
They were even enrolled in private school, and so was I, not because they cared about my education, but because it would look bad to others if I weren't treated the same. Through my capabilities, I could self-teach myself the things my brother and sister learned, eventually surpassing their skills.
At first, I believed it would be the way I could earn the love of my parents, but it only led to a brutal beating session from my father and brother for even thinking of being better than them. Looking back on it now, how idiotic it was to think so, but anyway, I'm confident that I can be a perfect lady or at least maintain the facade.
"Trust me, Father. I won't let you down." Enthusiastically, she held up a thumbs up, beaming a smile of false optimism to cheer up her father and get him to trust her. However, much to her surprise, he did the opposite of what she expected, cutting a piece of his sunny-side-up egg and placing it on her plate.
"I don't need any of that from you, Emris. What you do won't bring shame to our name. Even if you were to throw scalding hot tea on someone, it wouldn't matter, so act the way you want and do what you want. I just hope that you're happy and unburdened by anything."
Little butterflies of hope swarmed again in my heart. Words not directed at me still tugged on my heartstrings and lit up some space of the darkness that shrouded my soul. However, It felt like an invisible shield blocked me from taking in such warmth comfortably, so I could only smile as it bounced off the shield and away from me. "I'll take your words to heart, Father, and do the most outrageous things to test how well you keep your word."
The Duke chuckled and found the teasing style of his daughter adorable, his spirits aglow because of the openness she finally showed him instead of the hostility and distant persona from before.
Back to the present, she slapped her hands down on her face and groaned, wondering why she'd been so naive back then, not asking for any information on what she'd agreed to. All I could think about was my stupid past! Haa…I really don't know anything.
"That's enough sulking for one day! Let's get started with that bulletin board from before." Swiftly, Emris pulled out the book from the secret hiding spot, which was the spot between the bed frame and the mattress.
She scanned through the five-page table of contents with her finger sliding down each page. Then, accidentally, she tapped the area that said Black and White Ball, blinding her with a bright florescent green coming from the book.
"What the!? The book glows!? How can Verra keep me so in the dark of such efficient resources?! I might as well not assume I know anything about anything anymore." From the book, a lit-up green image of the Black and White Ball came up like a hologram from a source of magic.
"Woah! Look at that. It even gives me all the info on the Ball that I needed! Talk about convenience." Quietly in her mind, she read the page, walking back and forth so her legs wouldn't become worn out from standing in place for so long.
The Black and White Ball is a grand party held at the Main Palace, Pearlington Palace. It was a glamorous party for all nobles, especially for all the young noblewomen because of the secret meaning of the Black and White Ball, which was…!
Emris paused with eyes wide open, and her jaw dropped. Nearby were the pillows scattered on her bed; she'd picked one up, pressed it against her face, and screamed into it. Lifting her disoriented head, she wanted to fling her book across the room but held in her disbelief, fearing it would damage it.
"Damn it! Why am I so unlucky!? How could the secret meaning of the Ball mean that its sole purpose was to help the Emperor choose his Empress candidates!? This feels like a glorified way of selling off women to men in power! Ugh…I hate my life… I can't believe this is what I said yes to and so passionately, too." Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she tried to find a way to curb her chances of being picked.
"I got it! All I have to do is dress in a plain but pretty outfit that doesn't outshine the rest or bring any ridicule to me. Then, as a drastic measure, I'll insult the Emperor and act like a lady with a short fuse. That way, he won't see any Empress material in me. Yes! I got this! Now, back to work!"
The following day, Ella came to Emris' bedroom and hummed a beautiful tune all the way there. Her mood was brighter and livelier now that Emris had given her the privilege of witnessing her brilliant smile.
After knocking, she entered the room with a cart full of preparations for today's outing. "Good Morning, My Lady. It's time to wake up! Today is the day you have a dress tailored for the Black and White Ball!" Ella jerked open the curtains to let the light hit Emris' face and brighten the dark room.
Her body felt glued to the bed, and her batting eyes were tempted to shut close again. Is it morning already? I feel like I've only slept ten minutes.
"How was your sleep, My Lady? Refreshing, I would hope." Ella served and checked up on her with utmost care to ensure the Emris, who never once smiled or cheered, would not return.
"Yes, it was refreshing; I rested well. Thank you for asking, Ella."
Ella and Emris chatted as Ella brushed down and styled Emris's hair in front of the mirror. Today is the day that I have my dress prepared for the Ball. Since I'm going for a simple yet elegant dress, I might have to purchase one already made rather than have one tailored.
"My Lady, are you excited to meet with your friends again after so long? I'm sure they've missed you." Right, Emris' friends were also invited to tag along with me per my father's request. He didn't want me to get lonely, so he contacted them as quickly as possible.
"Yes, I'm looking forward to our venture into the capital today. I hear the capital has grown much more in the past five years thanks to the developments of the magic tower and the academy's discoveries."
It went on between them, a light banter before she'd have breakfast and greet her friends who would arrive at the manor at noon. Ready to face them, Emris walked down the main stairs of the manor, wondering how the personalities of Emris' friends were. She'd never made friends before, so she felt clueless about conversing with them.
Pulling up her dress a few inches as she walked so as not to trip on it with her heels, Emris steeped lightly until she was bombarded with hugs from the friends she assumed would be cold.
"Emris!" They shouted in unison, calling for her in a friendly tone that made her barriers crumble just a tiny crack, but still, her guard remained up. "Emris, long time no see. We were happy to receive the letters from the Duke that you had recovered and were ready to reenter society."
This is them…the two women I read about in my late-night study session—the two people who were the closest to Emris.
Baroness Orla Auclair and Marchioness Julia Vassellion…