"Nooo! Aaaaah!"
I screamed as the maids relentlessly dragged me from the bathroom back to my room, over and over again. I had lost count of how many times they pulled me back and forth, each time fussing over the smallest detail. It felt even more exhausting than those overtime deadlines from my past life.
When they finally declared I was ready, I was left standing in front of the mirror, completely transformed. I could hardly believe it. My hair, usually a little frizzy with split ends, was now silky smooth, falling effortlessly like a waterfall as the comb glided through without a snag.
The white dress I wore was deceptively simple, but it highlighted my elegance in a way that still made me look cute. The combination of it all reminded me of the black-eared albino rabbit I had back in my previous life.
I hope my sister feeds her well... A wave of melancholy washed over me as I reminisced about the life and loved ones I'd left behind. Sometimes, the memories hit me unexpectedly, filling me with a bittersweet sadness.
I walked confidently toward the guest room, my heart steady. My parents were already inside, their eyes sparkling with pride as they watched me approach. It almost felt like something out of a comic book. Was it? Eh, maybe.
Across the room, sitting far from the door was my grandfather. He was likely keeping his distance so as not to overwhelm me with his aura again. But things have changed since three months ago. I wasn't the same girl who had been nearly choked by his presence.
With a steady pace, I made my way over to him and greeted him with confidence.
"Hello, Grandfather. How are you today?"
"Ha! Hahaha!" He let out a booming laugh. "I expect nothing less from my own descendant. Here, is a gift for you. Keep it well."
He handed me a candy that smelled absolutely delicious. I quickly covered it with a napkin and gestured for a maid to take it to my room.
"Thank you, Grandfather," I said with a smile.
He turned his head away from me, but I caught a glimpse of a faint blush on his cheeks. I pretended not to notice, holding back a laugh of my own.
We stepped outside, and a carriage awaited us. I wore the red pendant that I had adjusted recently. I had asked someone in the village to create a mechanism to shorten the chain, making it fit my height perfectly.
The ride wasn't long, but the moment we arrived, my nerves started to twinge. My parents and grandfather headed toward another venue, leaving me to follow a maid to the children's section.
The entrance alone was intimidatingly grand, and as I walked deeper into the venue, I could feel the weight of its opulence pressing down on me. This was the home of a duke. I couldn't help but feel small in comparison to the grandeur that surrounded me.
As I walked past a large painting, I stopped for a moment to admire it. The portrait depicted a majestic man with a dignified expression. The inscription beneath read, First Noviria Duke. What really caught my attention, though, were the gems embedded in the frame. They emitted a fragrance, almost like perfume. Were gems in this world supposed to smell this good?
As I continued down the hallway, I noticed that each corner of the room had its own distinct scent. It was subtle but elegant. Was this how wealthy people entertained their guests? It felt like an ingenious way to keep people's attention while walking through such long, elaborate corridors.
I Finally reached a giant door, and the maid opened it easily. When I walked past the door, I tried to push it a little, but it felt very heavy, I thought the maid was secretly a bodyguard, I entered the room, I was taught how to greet people, but they didn't teach me who is to be greeted.
When in the modern world, I can recognize who is the higher up by their menacing aura and their expensive branded clothes, but here, they all are kids, and they wear sparkling clothes without any brand shown, this is literal hell for introverts like me.
Only a few kids noticed me enter the room, I guess I could blend with the wall background and stay there until the party finished, I silently walked to the food section, I saw no candy, only puff cakes, macarons, pudding, and drinks, I take one pudding and eat it near the walls.
As I enjoying my pudding, suddenly a group of girls bumped into me, my pudding fell down, and her drink splashed on me, I immediately activated my magic to catch all the disaster around me, I then collected all the water and the pudding to my plate.
They look astonished by my magic, I probably blend too well into the background so they don't notice me.
"Hey, you. Who are you?"
I turned to see a girl with fiery red hair approaching me at an elegant yet brisk pace. Immediately, I bowed slightly, ready to greet her politely.
"Hello, my name is Ruby Greydoll, ni—"
Before I could finish, I felt something wet and sticky land on my head. My polite demeanor faltered as a surge of rage coursed through me. What the hell is this brat doing? I thought furiously.
I lifted my head slowly, forcing myself to stay composed. "May I know what your name is?" I asked, my voice tense but controlled.
She looked at me with disdain, her expression dripping with arrogance. "Me? I'm Nina Noviria. You don't even know who the hostess of this party is, do you, you lowly commoner?"
As she spoke, a vivid image flashed in my mind—her burning alive, flames consuming her smug expression. Strangely, I felt an eerie calm settle over me, and I noticed my pendant glowing faintly. Oddly, no one else seemed to notice.
"Don't bring your petty magic here!" Nina snapped, clearly misunderstanding the situation.
Petty magic? I thought, stifling a laugh. Do you call four-star magic petty?
I kept my composure, bowing again and excusing myself from the room. As I walked away, a promise formed in my mind—a vow to burn this place to the ground someday.