"n.o.bles have a handful of difficult ways when socializing with one another," Lovellia says, holding a pointing stick. "Unlike commoners, reputation is equivalent to their lives and future generations. A tarnish in the reputation can mean being stripped from a n.o.ble"s corresponding rank, or in worse case scenarios, death."Faustina nodded, noting everything in her journal.
"The most common way of interacting with others in a n.o.ble"s circle is to attend a ball. A ball can be trivial on the surface but it is one of the most important events one must showcase herself; especially the debutantes, or the coming-of-age of n.o.ble children. That is at the age of eighteen."
"In your case, you haven"t had your own debutante, correct?"
"Y-yes."
"Pardon me," Lovellia says, and then smiled. "I shan"t be too inquisitive. I apologize."
"No, i-it"s okay," Faustina replies.
"Anyway. Children from the n.o.bility can only attend teparty until the age of sixteen, whereas they are given the freedom to go to b.a.l.l.s―such as the ball held on the capital on the first day of the End, or at the ball set by other n.o.bles."
"Then where aren"t they allowed to go?"
"The royal ball." Answers Lovellia. "Until there is no debutante, there is no royal ball. Aside from that, children are also included in tea parties at a young age to expose them in the society... in order to prepare their etiquette and their socialization at the royal ball."
"Wait... what exactly is the royal ball?"
"Hm," Lovellia paused. "It can be various things―but mainly it is for the king to choose a suitable consort for a prince... but we have neither prince nor a queen to bear one, so it is more or less for the king to choose a suitable queen for the throne."
Faustina blinked.
Lovellia smiled, "and the king favors you, no? Ho-ho... sixteen, at that."
"W-what? No!" Faustina inadvertently exclaims, blushing furiously. "I... er, someone like me isn"t like... that... with the king."
"Oh," Lovellia tilted her head, mumbling inaudible words. "So my a.s.sumptions are wrong..."
"So back to the subject." Lovellia continues. "As I mentioned, n.o.bles have a very wide spectrum in terms of the subject of socialization. There are quite a lot of devious ways the n.o.bility can do. AND you must not fall into their deviousness."
**
"Again, I must inquire, if you are indeed the rumored b.a.s.t.a.r.d?"
A sweet smile was plastered over the beautiful face of the girl named Lilliane. Her blond hair was complimenting the totality of her appearance, fully clothed as a n.o.ble surrounded with luxury. Along with her are also n.o.ble ladies sn.i.g.g.e.ring and chuckling softly―their behaviors were so alike, Faustina couldn"t distinguish who is whom.
"Oh, did I surprise you?" The girl asks. "I forgot to introduce myself. I am Lilliane Madora Disfiegro."
"Disfiegro..."
"That"s right," the n.o.ble lady exclaims. "One of the highest n.o.bles in Feuersturm."
"Have you heard of me?" The girl inquired, clearly scanning Faustina.
"I have," Faustina answered, and smiled. "The youngest daughter of the Disfiegro House. Might I ask, what is it that you want from me?"
Lilliane smiled. "Oh, perhaps you are deaf?"
The ladies behind snickered.
"I inquired if you are the Feuerlon b.a.s.t.a.r.d."
"M"lady..." Maddie mumbles, looking back and forth at Faustina and Lilliane.
"...I am afraid you"re mistaken." Says Faustina, after a brief of pause. "I am indeed a Feuerlon, yet I do not think "b.a.s.t.a.r.d" is a suitable word for someone such as I."
Lilliane"s brow twitched, and her smile turned into a smirk.
"Oh, goodness... is she dumb?" Says the n.o.ble lady from the back.
"She"s talking to Miss Lillie, the next queen!"
"Maybe she doesn"t know what a "b.a.s.t.a.r.d" is?"
Covering her lips with her gloved finger, Lilliane chuckled softly. "Oh, dear. It seems like you never attended tea parties due to your "sickness"... but we were not informed that you were also mentally impaired."
Taunting peals of laughter. Sweet smiles. Innocent faces.
Devious n.o.bles.
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Faustina faked a sweet smile. "My health is on the decline for a while, and I have been in constant need of medication, yet my education is still provided by the best teachers Feuersturm had to offer." She says softly. "A b.a.s.t.a.r.d is an illegitimate child; conceived from an outside party. I am Duke Alphonsus Feuerlon and d.u.c.h.ess Adalia Feuerlon"s daughter, therefore I do not call myself as one. PERHAPS, your teacher was so lax, that he or she has forgotten to tell you the differences between offsprings?"
Lilliane blinked, as well as the others; they stood in silence, flabbergasted―clearly thunderstruck with a retort they did not expect. A response that contained wit and taunts.
Faustina did not own everything to Lovellia; she was the apprentice of an unusual witch with many resources―language was one of the things Eula had taught her magnificently. Apart from simple medications and the like Faustina had studied, she also trained in sheer scrutiny under Eula"s watch. And if they were right about her master"s ident.i.ty, she was not just under an insignificant witch"s care.
She was under the teachings of the best scholar of all time.
Eulalia Fortunatorum.
"Wh-why you..." Lilliane grunted, and then grabbed the flute containing champagne. "Know your place, b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"
Faustina closed her eyes as a reflex before she could even react or move. She awaited the splash of the cold champagne into her face. Gasps and murmurs around the Chateau arose and enclosed the entire hall, yet she felt neither the cold splash of alcohol nor the laughter from Lilliane"s party.
Instead, there was just a wave of murmurs and a stuttering Lilliane.
"E-Ezekiel!" Lilliane stuttered. "I-I"m sorry, I didn"t mean to, i-it"s a slip of a hand!"
Faustina slowly opened the lid of her chocolate-brown eyes, and then a tall stature appeared before her; with a turn, a boy"s slightly wet cheek dripping to his clothes surrounded her vision. Their eyes met.
Purple eyes.
Silver hair.
"Are you alright?" The boy asks. He seemed to be around her age.
"You"re..."
"Ezekiel..." Lilliane sniffled. "I"m sorry."
The murmurs grew louder.
"I apologize for Lillie"s behavior." He says and bows his head slightly. "I"ll compensate when we meet again." He then grabbed Lillie"s hand, walking away from the scene, followed by the n.o.ble ladies blushing in shame. All gazes were redirected towards Faustina, milking all the information they could.
"Th-that was amazing. The rumors were real. He"s such a gentleman!"
"Right! I thought they were exaggerating his looks, too. Such a beautiful boy!"
"B-but isn"t he related to the Forsaken?"
"AH, by no means! It"s just a name! They"re nothing alike."
"M"lady, are you alright?" Maddie asks as she seeks for cuts or wounds on Faustina"s skin, almost hysterically.
"Who was that, Maddie?" Faustina asks.
"Oh! That is Ezekiel Johann." Maddie says. "Ezekiel Johann Unsterblich."
And then Faustina remembered―from the textbooks of Magierstadt. Silver hair. Purple eyes. A beautiful radiance.
The "Unsterblich"―founders of the magician academy.
The family Jonathan belonged to.