"Where are my parents?" asked Barbara, fixing a strand from her unruly, red hair behind her ear.
"They went to welcome the guests, Milady," the maid responded while tying the corset.
Barbara gave a short nod in response to what her maid told her. She felt her heart overwhelmed with utter joy and expectation of what would come next. She worked hard day and night for this day to come.
Her eighteenth birthday party and the day her father would announce her as the heiress and the head of the Reylson family business to make her day double its happiness.
Since her parent had her as the only child, the custom in the Evoria Kingdom stipulated that the heir would be the first son, if the family had no son, they would choose a son from their extended family thus the family business should continue.
But their family was a little different. When her father got ill two years ago, he was bedridden for six months, Barbara managed the work very well since her mother was taking care of her father. Despite being young, she never allowed herself to be weak in front of the others.
She dared to step into a domain where most of its workers were men. The three women that worked like her were old widowed women who inherited their husband's business. All of them encouraged her to continue, and she liked her job too, so when her father got better and requested her to step down, she opposed him.
It was the first time she rebelled against her parent's order. She tried convincing them but they refused especially her mother. Barbara was adamant about helping her father, who declined her aid, but she went on a hunger strike and he finally agreed.
For continuous two years, she was responsible for all the important trading contracts her family dealt with. She could say with utter pride that she took her father's business to a higher level thus her name as a businesswoman was shining in the kingdom.
"I am done, milady."
Barbara snapped out of her joyful thoughts. She stood in front of the mirror looking at her reflection. Her tall frame filled the full-body mirror. The squared-shaped neck showed a little from her white skin, and above it a swan-like neck hugged by a diamond necklace. Her wavy hair was decorated with glittering pearls. Her big green eyes were full of confidence on this day. The red dress flowed from her waist like water falling from the fountain, making it look like she was walking on fire. She chose nearly flat shoes to not appear so long because of Richard.
Another maid got in. "Milady, Lord Richard is waiting for you," she announced.
Barbara's lips curved upward. She took a quick look at herself and left the room followed by her maid.
Upon arriving at the stairs, she saw her fiancé Richard downstairs walking back and forth wearing his black tux. His ink-black hair was combed to the back, showing his handsome face. She descended slowly, getting his attention to her. Seeing his black eyes staring into her with a half-opened mouth, she smiled bashfully. Stopping closer to him, she coughed, and he returned to his senses, rubbing his nose.
"You are gorgeous Barbara. I could not take my eyes off you," he stated, taking her hand and kissing the back of her hand.
Barbara's heart skipped a bit. "It was nice of Sir Richard to say such nice words," she responded like she always did, despite feeling the hotness spreading from her cheeks to her ears.
"It is a little present I bought for you," he said, getting a tall blue box from his pocket. He opened it and a thin silver bracelet got into her view. "If you allow me, I will help you wear it," he asked, and she responded with a curt nod.
Seeing the bracelet in her hand, her heart pounded even more, making the corset tighter. "It is beautiful, thank you."
"Not as beautiful as you," he stated, and she froze. For the first time, Barbara could not reply. She felt no words were worthy of what she was feeling. They stood for a while when she heard Richard coughing.
"Lady Barbara should not be late for her party so let's go," he said, wiping away the awkward hung in the air.
He offered his hand, and she crossed her hand with his and walked to the hall. Noticing that she appeared taller than him, Barbara wished she wore flat shoes instead. As if sensing her gazes upon him, he looked at her questionably. She shook her head and lowered her head.
The door was opened. Barbara went in. 'It's time,' she thought, raising her head high, and stepping slowly inside. Guests from noble families showed in the vast hall, old, young, men and women.
All the eyes were on her, whispering between themselves about her beauty and good luck. Barbara headed to her parent, who stood in the middle talking with Duke Burn, exchanging greetings and wishes with the guests.
"Father, Mother," she said, smiling at them.
"You are late," her mother remarked, and her smile faded. She looked at her mother, who showed her displeasure without hiding.
"It was because of me, Lady Reylson. We were talking thus we forgot about the party," Richard explained, not forgetting to smile at her, and then he chatted with her parent.
"Richard, I heard you got promoted to a hundred knight leader," her father chatted with Richard.
Barbara ignored her mother's stares as she was used to it and continued to greet some guests, keeping her face full of a smile.
Time went by; Barbara was with a group of young women, talking and chatting when her father's voice rose higher to welcome the guests.
"Welcome dear invitees, this day is beautiful because on this day, eighteen years ago, I got the great news about my only daughter being born."
The speech caused Barbara's heart to soften. Her father showed a stoic face most of the time, but she knew his heart was soft on her side.
"My daughter Barbara is the apple of my eye and she will be my daughter till my last day," Bernat said, and Barbara walked to her father. If not for fear of losing her image, she would be tearing her eyes out. "However, I have great news to announce…"
Barbara's happiness reached the sky. Her father was announcing her as the heiress.
"The house of Reylson had found its real heiress, our real daughter, Aurora Reylson," he announced, and the hall became silent.