The mansion was rowdy. Staff members were scuffling around, hurried in preparation for something. People were shouting orders from across the hall, running around everywhere. They also seemed to think that tiptoeing by my door would somehow keep me from noticing. Cute.

“Lady Carine?” Leila paused in brushing my hair. “Are they being too loud? Shall I warn them?”

Realizing I had just put several people’s jobs in jeopardy just by looking at a door, I quickly shook my head. “No, it’s fine. They’re doing their jobs splendidly.”

Leila stared at me through the mirror before giving a small nod. “Very well.” Leila continued combing my hair.

The last thing I wanted in my life as Carine was to be labeled as a tyrant. The way some people in Feyt’s village looked at me like I might explode if they breathed around me wrong. Yeah, no thanks. I decided it was time for me to push out my more considerate and benevolent self! The first step: stop relying on Leila so much.

“Leila, I can—”

Leila’s hands were gently placed on my shoulders and they began doing their magic without letting me finish my sentence. I nearly melted into the chair.

“You’ll be greeting plenty of people today, Lady Carine,” she said, all professional. “Allow me to loosen your arms.”

Ahh~~ That feels good~~ What was I thinking about again~?

I could tell my arms were in better shape already. Leila must have some kind of magical touch as a Talent or something, not like I knew if there were any Talents like that.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as she worked. Despite the internal bliss, the face in front of me merely showed indifference. No smile, no frown, just… nothing. Was my face broken?

It was like my face had a default setting set to “ice queen.” I could probably force a smile if I tried, but even that felt like too much effort right now.

Anyway, as you have probably guessed, I was preparing myself for my birthday party. Through my balcony window, I could see the guests enjoying themselves in the open area by the garden. Their numbers could easily add up to over a hundred…

Actually, there were 152 guests to be exact, the ones in the garden at least, but I believe that was most of them.

How did I know how many there were? I counted them in an instant in my head, involuntarily. Scary.

The party had been hyped up by my parents for a few days now, not long after I returned from the village. Having this many people show up was expected.

Still… was it privileged of me to believe that it was kinda low? I mean, I was the sole heir of a powerful ducal family. Shouldn’t there be, like, 300 people attending? We were in the capital too, so it wasn’t like getting here was a hassle.

Wait, what am I even thinking? 

152 was already a lot. Did I really want to shake hands with double that number all day?

“Lady Carine?” Leila’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, “Is something in your mind?”

“No, Leila,” I responded, staring at her through the reflection. “I’m just nervous about meeting this many people.”

“I see,” Leila continued tending to my tendons. Then, she spoke up, “If I may, I’m sure your guests will be a little too forward. I want you to know that if they ever cross the line, I’ll be standing by your side.”

A bit forward? I frowned slightly. What did she mean by that?

“Understood…” I reluctantly kept what Leila said in my heart as she began the finishing touches on me.

…

The doors loomed in front of me, tall and heavy, like everything else in this mansion. What waited behind them was a ballroom filled to the brim with guests coming to honor me, or at least pretend to. I didn’t know how I should act in this situation, I would actually prefer Fray’s teasing compared to this… Actually, no, she’s worse.

Leila was right behind me, making sure my gown was perfect at every angle. After a while, she gave a nod to the two butlers on either side of the door.

The doors creaked open and bright light poured in from the cracks.

“Presenting, Lady Carine Sareid, heiress of House Sareid!”

In that instant, the entire room, filled with murmurings just moments ago, fell silent. I could practically feel their eyes glued to me. I let out a long internal sigh, hoping I won’t trip or anything.

I took a step forward, trying to look as graceful as possible as I glided down the stairs. All the nobles rose from their seats and bowed in sequence. It was like watching dominoes fall in reverse.

Leila took a roundabout way around the crowd, letting me continue my march to the throne at the far end of the room. Yes, a throne. 

Am I being coronated or something?!

The throne itself was as over-the-top as you’d expect. Ornate dark wood with a matte finish, the family flag as well as Setus Kingdom’s flag were hung proudly behind it. After what felt like an eternity of slow walking, I took my seat, carefully arranging my gown. It was comfortable, I had to give them that, but nothing could compare to my bed.

The low murmur of voices resumed, though much more subdued now. Nobles shifted in their places, waiting for the proper moment to approach.

The first to approach was a middle-aged man, leading his poor, awkward son in tow. 

“Lady Carine,” the man said as he bowed with his son. “On behalf of House Barakeid, it is our deepest honor to congratulate you on your birthday.”

I chose the most suitable response: “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Barakeid.”

“Of course, of course. Allow me to introduce my son!” He immediately jumped to the point. “He had recently reached 16 years of age! I hope he would be great friends with you.”

Immediately telling me to be friends with his son, that was a bit forward, no?

Ah! So this is what Leila meant.

The moment Lord Barakeid finished his not-so-casual introduction of his son, I let out an internal deep sigh.

The next nobleman stepped forward, bowing with exaggerated grace, his son standing beside him, fidgeting like he was about to bolt.

“Lady Carine, it is an honor to be in your presence. I am the head of the House of Rubeid. My son has been studying philosophy and politics for years. Quite a bright young man, if I may say so myself.”

“Pleased to meet you, Lord Rubeid.” I bowed in my throne, uncomfortable as it was.

Then, the next noble stepped forward, a lady this time, also with her son in tow. She began her introduction like others, then she grew a lot more enthusiastic when she nudged her son forward.

“My son here has admired you for years. He is rather well-known in our territory for his poetry, and he has composed several just for you, Lady Carine!”

“Wait, I did?”

The son received a strong glare from his mom. The two left to let another set of people walk up to me.

It was clear, even to me. A small pattern was starting to build.

And so, the introductions continued.

Each noble, each mother or father, with their “oh-so-accomplished” son in tow, trying to sell him like he’s the newest gadget everyone should have. Some were more subtle—mentioning their son’s lineage or future estates. Others, not so much. I even had one noblewoman hinting that her son could “handle all the duties of managing estates” as though I were already signing a marriage certificate.

I mean, come on. Was this my birthday party or an open market?

Every time, I had to smile. Every time, I had to thank them, nod politely, and pretend that I wasn’t aware of the matchmaking marathon happening right before my eyes.

By the end of the first hour, I had met no fewer than thirty eligible young men, each one more “perfect” than the last. And let me tell you, if one more person bragged about their son’s horse-riding abilities, I was going to lose it.

And how many of you have “-eid” in your family names?! Listening to them was starting to get ear-grating.

I let out an exasperated, internal sigh of desperation as the next guest stepped forward. But, my eyes were intrigued immediately. Instead of a parent and son pair, the one who stepped up was a lone young girl, around the same age as me.

She stood before me, her eyes sharp, her brows furrowed. I stared at her back, both of us locked in an awkward silence. Even the crowd was confused.

Then, out of nowhere, she raised her hand straight at her chin. “Ohohohoho~!” she began laughing a peculiar laugh. “Rejoice, for I have finally found you!”

Oh god, those laughs…

I’m in for a treat, aren’t I?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep