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“Your highness!”
“If it’s okay with you, why don’t you play these instruments?”
Amarion asked with a smile.
But the girls’ faces turned pale. They bowed their heads.
“I’m sorry, Madame. My skills are still lacking…”
“It’s not something I can show you in front of so many ladies…”
‘Ah.’
Amarion only realized it after they spoke.
Here, the Countess of Oxburg, the Count of Helvant and other influential ladies of the North had gathered. If they performed here, they would surely receive a lot of criticism, so they were hesitant.
Since they showed interest in musical instruments, they surely had talent. Not knowing their hearts, Amarion raised her eyebrows.
She spoke frankly.
“Well, I’m actually very bad at playing musical instruments.”
“What? Could it be that your highness can’t play these…?”
“Yes. My wish is to practice hard and play at least one song someday.”
The girls looked at her with surprised eyes.
Amarion smiled sweetly.
“I’m the hostess, and I’m terrible at playing musical instruments. How can you discuss your skills in that way?”
“Madame…”
“I just want you to do what you like. A banquet is supposed to be a place where everyone in attendance should enjoy.”
As soon as she was done speaking, she raised her head.
Their surroundings were quiet. All the women in the salon had stopped talking and were looking at her.
‘Was my voice that loud?’
She was worried that she might have put pressure on the young girls for nothing. Just as she was about to appease them, the Countess of Oxburg suddenly stood up.
“That’s very kind, Grand Duchess.”
She smiled gracefully.
“It was your words that made this old woman want to play an instrument after a long time.”
She went to a seat on the stage and sat down. Then, to everyone’s surprise, she picked up a violin.
Count Helvant, standing behind Amarion, pouted her lips.
“Oh, Diana. You are always so noble.”
But there was a clear smile on her charming red lips. She gave a playful wink to the timid girls.
“What are you doing? Countess Oxburg is going to play with us. That means no one can blame you for being out of tune.”
“What?”
“If you know, sit down!”
She commanded as she swung her feather fan.
The young ladies were startled and immediately picked up the instruments they wanted. The empty seats were quickly filled by other ladies, and the performance started immediately.
Of course, it was a squeaky performance that was slightly out of tune. But everyone seemed happy. A young lady made a mistake while playing a basic song and burst into laughter. Older ladies cheered them on with applause. Everyone was laughing and enjoying their time.
There were so many who wanted to play instruments that the Countess of Oxburg soon put down the violin and walked out. She greeted Amarion with sincerity.
“Thanks for your help, Madame.”
“I’m the one who should be thankful.”
Countess Oxburg smiled softly.
“I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve seen such a grand banquet. Helena and I were so narrow-minded that we couldn’t host a proper gathering…”
She frowned at Count Helvant, who was holding a flute and making a strange noise. But there was still a smile on her lips.
“I reflected on the events of the banquet, and all the ladies of the castle and merchants of the square follow you. It’s amazing. Morte is a place where there is a deep divide between nobles and commoners, and it is difficult to share sentiments.”
“…”
“Your highness seems to know how to get people to follow you.”
“I don’t think so. I’m not good enough.”
“You’re a hostess who says that…”
The Countess bowed gracefully towards Amarion.
“I look forward to seeing you lead this land.”
Amarion opened her mouth in surprise.
She had heard it many times, but it felt different to hear it from Countess Diana Oxburg. The time she spent agonizing over harsh Imperial etiquette, salon decorations, and banquets once again felt worthwhile. She felt like she had been accepted as a qualified lady.
She smiled broadly and nodded her head.
“Thank you, Madame.”
The lady smiled at her kindly.
After that, time passed happily.
The gentlemen who returned from a game with leather balls and wooden sticks untied their shirts and became a subject of interest for many noble ladies.
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When the older ladies told her that Victor was the most handsome man in Morte, she was so embarrassed that she couldn’t raise her head.
And all of a sudden, the sun was setting.
＊ ＊ ＊
The final ball of the banquet was the most grandiose of all. In the square in front of the castle, the young people danced happily with the band and the food she sent.
The entrance of prominent Northern nobles was equally splendid. Count Helvant appeared in a dress similar to Amarion’s and caught the attention of many people, and the Countess of Oxburg earned admiration by presenting congratulatory silk ribbons to all the young girls on the eve of their debutante.
The knights had also returned from vacation, so the hall was crowded.
Even after Amarion had greeted the knights she had not seen in a long time, she felt sad. It was because Julianna and Catalina were leaving after the banquet.
Still, Julianna would stay for a few more days because of Leonard, but Catalina said she was busy with an important job and would leave tomorrow. It was really sad since they got to know each other better after spending a few weeks together.
Amarion saw Leonard dancing with Julianna in the distance with a red face, and Catarina discussing something serious with Carlz. In the midst of the lively ball, neither of them were dancing.
Soon after the dance, Mary came up to her with a flushed face.
“Madame, don’t you dance?”
“Yes… But I enjoy watching people.”
“Did the Grand Duke stop you from dancing?”
Mary glared at Victor in the distance with questioning eyes. Amarion smiled and shook her head.
“No, I pushed him to talk with others because I wanted to rest.”
Victor let her go after dancing three times. She pushed him towards other people so she could say goodbye to her friends, but he kept saying he would stay by her side all night.
It was something he had to do as the Grand Duke, and it was fun to see Victor being polite.
The knights would be terrified to hear it, but it was cute when he gave her a playful look of resentment.
She sat down with Mary at a table along the edge of the dance floor. Before long, Julianna and Catalina joined them.
“It’s a pity to think that tomorrow we will be parting.”
Catalina sighed at her words.
“Me too, Amarion. I really enjoyed our time together.”
“I know you have to go, but… what are your plans for the future?”
“First of all, I will have to go back to the Capital and take care of tasks that have been pushed back. I have to let the investors know that my injuries are healed, and I have to report to my father… Anyway, as always, I’ll be busy with work.”
Amarion smiled brightly. Catalina was a woman who always did her best.
Catalina turned to Julianna.
“What about you? Are you going back to Fidelburg?”
“No. I’m going to stay a little longer and stop by the Odo mansion. We have to talk about the wedding.”
“What?!”
Amarion and Mary shouted at the same time. Catalina asked, her eyes widening.
“Wedding… Are you getting married?”
“Yes.”
Julianna blushed.
“He proposed to me this afternoon.”
“Congratulations, Julianna!”
“Thank you, everyone.”
She was shy for a moment, then continued calmly.
“But the ceremony will be held next spring. I can only leave Fidelberg once the situation is completely stable.”
“Oh, are you going to stay near Morte castle after you get married?”
“Yes, the Knight’s headquarters is here.”
She nodded.
Neither Leonard nor Julianna were the heirs of their families, so they would not inherit the estates or businesses. If Leonard became a Knight Commander, Julianna would have to work accordingly and supervise his household.
“Don’t you think it’s hard?”
Julianna shook her head as Catalina asked worriedly.
“I have been waiting for this day for a long time. If Lady Catalina’s dream is to be a great merchant, my dream is to be a great hostess. It’s not a big dream…”
She smiled shyly as she spoke.
Amarion shook her head. This incident once again made her realize how difficult a hostess’ job was. While she was naturally expected to do what every woman does, caring for her family and children and managing her family’s wealth had never been easy.
But since she was Julianna, she’d do just fine. She was a good administrator, and she loved Leonard very much.
After chatting for a while, the same question was posed to Mary.
“What about Miss Mary?”
“Me?”
“Yes. You said you originally dreamed of getting married, but now you don’t. You must have something you want to do.”
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At Julianna’s words, Mary blushed and clenched her fists in determination. She spoke firmly as if she had made up her mind.
“I want to write a book on herbal medicine.”
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New Kofi shop updated till chapter 93.