A massive diamond chandelier cast its dazzling light overhead. The intricate carvings and embossed decorations winding around the silver columns were works of art in themselves. Every time the deep blue curtains fluttered, the smooth, velvety texture rippled like waves. Following the blue drapery up the staircase to the second floor, one would find a massive eagle, painted with lifelike precision, gazing down at the main hall from the ceiling.
The crest of the Atlas Ducal House, the most powerful family in the Freya Empire.
The grandeur and splendor befitting the family’s reputation enveloped the entire ducal residence. Golden tables were piled high with rare fruits and desserts. From the central fountain, small canals extended to miniature lakes where wine glasses floated—a display of extravagance that only money could achieve.
“My goodness, so the rumors were true! Do you think the Duke will propose today?”
“It seems so. I thought it was unlikely, but…”
Two ladies, who had been glancing around incessantly, retrieved crimson glasses from the edge of the lake. No matter how abundant the rare delicacies were, the true appetizers to enhance the taste of alcohol were something else entirely.
“It seems the negotiations between Her Majesty the Empress and Viscountess Cartien have finally concluded. Hosting a banquet at the Ducal residence, perfectly timed for the young lady’s twenty-first birthday, says it all.”
“Neither of them is the type to back down easily.”
“Let’s be honest. With all the effort the Viscountess has poured into the Imperial Palace and the Ducal House, do you think she’d walk away empty-handed? This isn’t her first attempt—it’s the fifth, for heaven’s sake.”
One of the ladies, after taking a deep sip of her drink, whispered meaningfully, and soon after, laughter erupted. They were gossiping about the true power players of high society, and under normal circumstances, they would have been more cautious. But the excitement of the season’s grandest party, combined with the influence of alcohol, had overridden their better judgment. It wasn’t until they locked eyes with someone seated at the central sofa that they simultaneously froze and covered their mouths.
“Ah…!”
“Do you think… she heard us?”
“There’s no way. We’re too far away. And if she had, would she have stayed quiet? Especially her…”
The lady reclining slightly on the velvet sofa made the women hesitate, swallowing nervously.
Phew, thank goodness.
Judging by her still-graceful smile, it seemed she hadn’t overheard their conversation. But they couldn’t fully relax and turn away.
Tatiana Lauren de Cartien.
The reason why these high-ranking noblewomen were so cautious around the daughter of a mere Viscount wasn’t solely because she was expected to become the future Duchess of Atlas.
It was a well-known fact in high society, whether man or woman, young or old, once you locked eyes with her, it was nearly impossible to look away. No matter how much money and effort the Atlas Ducal House had poured into her birthday celebration, one thing was certain.
Even if the world’s most beautiful jewels were gathered and crafted together, they could never surpass Lady Tatiana.
“Tiara. Not without wetting your throat first.”
Annesia adjusted Tatiana’s hair as she sat on the purple velvet sofa. The dazzling platinum blonde was practically a symbol of the five Cartien sisters. The youngest, Tatiana’s hair was especially radiant, making even her sisters, who shared the same hair color, want to touch it repeatedly.
“What’s wrong? Something amusing?”
“…No. Just that they’re rather naive.”
Do they really believe I can’t hear them?
Tatiana, posed like a painting while watching the gossiping ladies, finally spoke. Her violet eyes gleamed softer than the velvet sofa against skin that glowed as brightly as her hair.
Her long, dense eyelashes, intelligent gaze, and smooth jawline would draw gasps of admiration from any observer. With the diamond tiara perched atop her slightly styled platinum blonde hair—a birthday touch—the nickname ‘living doll’ couldn’t have been more fitting.
If the Atlas Ducal House had reached its peak through wealth, she renewed her peak daily through beauty. Tatiana lifted her glass casually while taking in the ladies who blushed at her mere smile.
“If it were young debutantes being so indiscreet, one might understand, but it’s rather amusing to see such seasoned ladies behaving this way.”
“Really, dear. Though this isn’t anything new.”
Annesia, unable to keep her hands off her youngest sister’s hair, chuckled. Her composed expression suggested she too had heard their chatter. Or perhaps, as the eldest Cartien daughter, Annesia had heard such whispers more than any of the five sisters.
“After today, such talk will become mere memories.”
“Elder sister.”
“Let me see your face, our future Duchess.”
Annesia stroked Tatiana’s cheek with her thumb. With a sixteen-year age gap between them, Annesia’s affection and sense of responsibility toward her youngest sister far exceeded that for her other siblings.
Such a darling. How can she be so beautiful?
While all three other sisters were remarkably beautiful in their own right, Tatiana stood in a league of her own, beyond comparison. From modeling for the baby angel statue at the Grand Cathedral’s entrance at age three to her current position as queen of high society, she had always made her eldest sister’s heart swell with pride.
“How delighted Father would have been to see this.”
“Sister.”
“But now’s not the time. Your brother-in-law has prepared the Marque sapphire as your gift.”
Annesia, momentarily lost in thoughts of their father who passed away before Tatiana’s birth, quickly began searching for her husband, Count Oberdeen. Her deep blue eyes scanned the ballroom busily, looking for missing family members on this crucial day.
“Viviana and Katarina said they’d arrive soon with their husbands. Hmm, as for Regina…”
“Why mention someone who won’t even come?”
“…Mother.”
Snap!
Annesia bowed her head to Viscountess Cartien, who approached while closing her fan. Her platinum blonde hair and violet eyes matched Tatiana’s exactly. At a glance—no, even upon close inspection—her smooth, wrinkle-free white skin and beauty made it impossible to imagine her as the mother of five daughters. While strangers might easily mistake her for one of the sisters, it was impossible for anyone in Freya’s social circles not to know who she was.
Larissa Lauren de Cartien.
Born the daughter of a Baronet, she had married into a Viscount’s family on beauty alone, and gained notoriety as the greatest marriage broker of her time, selling off all her daughters at record-breaking prices. She was both a holder of infamous reputation perfect for endless gossip and an object of envy for parents with daughters—exactly the kind of figure who perfectly stimulated the already dual-natured desires of high society.
“Have you checked all the gifts from the Imperial Palace? And where is he? I don’t see the Duke either.”
“Isn’t it obvious? Men always find excuses about business or politics to smoke.”
Leave it to me.
Viscountess Cartien pulled at Annesia’s arm with a knowing smile. Since the death of the previous Duchess, she had essentially planned every detail of today’s celebration at the Atlas Ducal residence as the prospective mother-in-law.
From food and drinks to the gifts from the Imperial Palace—she had verified everything. In this perfect arrangement, only her second daughter Regina disturbed her peace of mind.
“Really, what day does she think this is, not showing up? After all that wandering, does she still have places left to roam?”
“Mother.”
“You must never become like your second sister. Understand?”
My last hope and life’s greatest jewel.
As if she had never frowned, the Viscountess stroked Tatiana’s hand as she sat like a doll, wearing a satisfied smile. While it was natural to feel special affection for her posthumous youngest daughter, Tatiana meant far more to her than that. The Viscountess, who never missed even the slightest change in her youngest daughter’s expression, tilted her head as she followed Tatiana’s gaze.
“Countess Conrad and Countess Milias. Why are you looking at them? Did they say something to you?”
“…Of course not.”
Tatiana, who had been staring at them intently, lifted the corners of her mouth in a gentle smile, dismissing the concern. Her lips curved into a perfect arc as she watched them visibly relax from afar, hands pressed to their chests.
“I just find it amusing.”
“How dull of you. The real entertainment is just beginning.”
The Viscountess’s eyes gleamed sharply as she opened her fan with a smirk. Today’s gathering was her masterpiece, twenty years in the making. Considering the effort invested, from now on things would only become more enjoyable.
“The Empress herself sent an engagement ring. They say the diamond is over a hundred carats.”
“Is that so?”
“Since the previous Duchess passed away long ago, Her Majesty is personally looking after her family’s interests. So, Tatiana, you must—”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to surprise everyone.”
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