Was she planning to withdraw from the social circle entirely? That was what worried her. Chloe lifted her head and lowered her gaze.
“I’ll wait a little longer, and if he doesn’t come, I’ll go to the party. I can’t just sit here waiting for it to end.”
It’s said that the more eagerly one waits, the slower time seems to crawl. Even though it was still early, a time when many people were merely waiting for the right moment to enter, Chloe anxiously looked toward the door again.
Ah, I looked again. Just as Chloe consciously tried to turn her gaze away— Knock knock. With the sound of knocking, the door opened.
“Countess Sahara Illoud has arrived.”
Chloe shot to her feet, then pretended otherwise and turned slightly away.
Sahara, wearing the beige dress that had suited her so well yesterday, offered a slight curtsy.
“You’re a little late, Countess. Well, I wasn’t waiting or anything.”
Even so, her expression was bright as she scolded her, showing she wasn’t actually angry. Sahara raised her head and, seeming somewhat awkward, brushed the hem of her dress as she spoke.
“Someone told me it’s better to arrive a little late.”
“? That may be true, but…, who told you that?”
The party had already begun and was in full swing—it was, admittedly, a reasonably charming hour to arrive. In truth, Sahara was slightly later than Chloe had anticipated, but looking at the party scene, it seemed like an even more appropriate choice.
Sahara offered only a faint smile in place of an answer.
§ § § § §
When she mentioned she had to attend a party tomorrow, Tricia gave her a crash course in basic etiquette along with several tips.
<Enter 11 minutes after the most prominent lady arrives.>
Eleven minutes was apparently the perfect timing—by then, that lady would have just finished greeting people and a warm, convivial atmosphere would have formed. Enter too late, and you’d be left out of the interesting conversations; enter too early, and you’d easily get lost among the crowd of early arrivals.
Not knowing who the most prominent lady was, Sahara simply checked when Chloe entered and followed accordingly. No need to agonize over timing, which was convenient. The fact that it was exactly 11 minutes, not 10, was remarkably like a noblewoman.
The weekend party was held in the Lily Hall, next to the Hall of Joy where the victory party had taken place. The banquet hall, about half the size of the Hall of Joy, was decorated in white and sky blue. Following Chloe down the glittering hall and staircase, people turned to greet her.
“This is your first time meeting the noblewomen, isn’t it?”
Except for Tricia, whom she’d met yesterday, that was true.
“There are some nasty people. I’ll block them firmly, so stay right by my side.”
“Thank you.”
Sahara answered while swallowing a laugh. Yesterday she was a fragile lady who looked like she’d collapse at a poke, and today she’s promising to protect her. The way she walked with her chin held high and proud was rather reassuring.
As Chloe headed toward the right side of the banquet hall, a servant brought a chair. Once she was seated, young ladies and noblewomen began gathering around.
“Isanna Liste, greetings to Your Highness the Princess.”
“Welcome, Baroness Liste. Come, meet Countess Illoud as well.”
Chloe introduced each lady who came to greet her to Sahara, one by one. Most just nodded coolly and withdrew, while some offered friendly greetings to Sahara.
“Nina, is Count Colodova doing well?”
“Thanks to your concern. His cold has completely cleared up. Though at the victory party recently, he did briefly consider hanging himself, I must say.”
Nina, Countess Colodova, said with a smile. The wife of Count Colodova, the Minister of the Imperial Household, was a lovely lady with an atmosphere completely unlike her stiff and fastidious husband. Her face wasn’t strikingly pretty, but the freckles on her cheeks were charming.
“Ah, that necklace.”
Chloe laughed awkwardly.
“It didn’t mean anything. I never thought such strange rumors would spread. Countess Illoud is someone who performed meritorious deeds for the Empire, so I gave it as a gift from personal gratitude, but it seems everyone made some bland misunderstanding.”
“My, is that so? Well, it is quite a precious item. But as a reward for meritorious service, that’s understandable. Countess Illoud truly did something remarkable.”
At the story of the necklace suddenly transforming into a gift to commend merit, people nodded. Whether they agreed in their hearts or not, on the surface they seemed to let it pass. As if she’d brought it up on purpose, Countess Colodova looked at Sahara and beamed.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Countess. You’ve already met my husband, I hear? He’s a stingy man, but he said he had a good impression of you, so I wanted to meet you. Congratulations on your victory.”
Said good things? That Count Colodova? Sahara was puzzled but didn’t show it.
“Thank you.”
“You’re beautiful today as well. But Countess, your dress is… delicate yet quite unique. Did Her Highness introduce you to a designer?”
The Countess looked at Chloe with sparkling eyes, and Chloe pretended to be pained as she lowered her gaze.
“I’d love to tell Nina, but as I said, I was introduced as well. I’m not sure if I can introduce others. The designer likes the Countess very much, so why don’t you two get close?”
“With such a skilled designer and a good friend. No reason to refuse friendship.”
Countess Colodova moved closer to Sahara’s side, her eyes curving in a smile. The reason was unclear, but she could feel the Countess paying special attention to her.
“Indeed. Your dress is lovely today as well.”
A young lady with dark brown hair approached softly and curtsied to Chloe.
“Miss Tanya. This is Countess Illoud. Countess, this is the daughter of Duke Giskar. She debuted at the summer ball a few months ago. I hope you two who’ve just debuted into society will help each other.”
“Thank you for your words, Your Highness.”
Tanya, who looked young, bowed to Chloe again and stepped back. Her glancing gaze was sharp.
As many ladies and noblewomen as to be wearisome exchanged greetings, then scattered or gathered for superficial conversation. Some were friendly, while the rest looked on probing or with hostility. All wore similar smiling masks, but few bothered to hide their eyes from a newcomer.
<Memorize people’s faces, titles, names, and if possible, the dresses they’re wearing, thoroughly.>
<But don’t show that you’ve memorized them.>
This was easier than timing the 11-minute entrance. If she thought of each person as a Norkan soldier, there was nothing she couldn’t memorize.
“But you’re wearing white today. I thought Countess Illoud preferred dark colors.”
Countess Cheryl, who had greeted her earlier and withdrawn, said with a bright face.
“My, I thought so too. Why was that? Was it because the first dress was such a striking purple?”
Lady Winia, daughter of Count Winia, said, eyes round. Ladies nodding ‘me too’ were visible. What did that mean?
“Well….”
A noblewoman approached slowly, speaking.
“Isn’t it because the Countess’s nickname is Crow?”
An unfamiliar face. Though thin, she had a large-boned frame and a frank, open appearance. Her red hair was elegantly pinned up and adorned with white lilies. She looked at Chloe and smiled.
“You’re late, Viscountess Holt.”
Chloe’s smiling voice held a slight edge.
Viscountess Holt, so that was the woman. The mistress of the household that had leaked information from the Crown Prince’s palace. Was she connected to that affair?
Sahara studied her face to memorize it and gave a slight curtsy.
“Your dress is pretty today, but I think black would have suited you better.”
Viscountess Holt blatantly swept her eyes up and down Sahara’s form, then stepped back with a smirk.
Sahara quietly raised her gaze to observe the ominous air forming around Viscountess Holt. Most of the ladies and noblewomen she’d thought had cold eyes earlier were gathered in that circle.
“Is my nickname Crow?”
When Sahara asked lightly, she felt Countess Colodova’s embarrassed gaze as she slightly gripped her skirt. It seemed to mean don’t get involved. Countess Colodova stepped forward and shielded Sahara.
“I’ve never heard that nickname before. It must be one circulating only among a few people.”
“My, no. It’s already a nickname circulating among the gentlemen as well. You know, crows eat the eyes of corpses, don’t they? —Since the Countess does the same.”
It was Tanya who spoke with an innocent face, the same one who had looked at Sahara with sharp eyes earlier. At her words, the people around laughed and whispered.
Gazes like those directed at a beast. Humiliating smiles.
<And if someone picks a fight with you,>
Tricia’s third piece of advice came to mind, and Sahara smiled awkwardly.
Was this what Tricia meant by someone picking a fight? Their hostility seemed clear enough, but back in the Land of Snow, there were plenty of people who treated Sahara like a crow. Not because of any reason like eating eyes, but simply because of her pitch-black eyes and hair.
<If someone picks a fight with you, stomp them down. So they can never crawl back up.>
Sahara swallowed a short sigh and looked back at Tanya. Tanya’s eyes, which showed her youth, were a lovely brown.
“You’re mistaken. Crows don’t only peck out the eyes of corpses, they eat the eyes of living people too. Actually, they prefer living people’s eyes.”
Tanya’s brown pupils trembled slightly. As if Sahara’s gaze tickled her eyes.
Sahara smacked her lips as if savoring those brown pupils and added.
“I do too.”
Hic, Tanya took a step back and covered her eyes.
“H, How can you make such a joke!”
Someone said with revulsion, but Sahara simply closed her mouth. Instead of thinking her joke went too far or laughing to change the atmosphere, she brushed her hair back.
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