Chapitre 1
« Come on, girls! » The shout reverberated through the whole house. « We are going to be late! »
Madame Hilda Guilheart paced impatiently at the bottom of the stairs, glancing from time to time at the clock hanging on the wall.
The second hand appeared to be moving faster than usual. Whenever it passed to the next second, Hilda’s patience thinned by a large margin.
Just when she entertained the thought of going upstairs and dragging her daughters out of their rooms, the stairs creaked.
« Ah, here you are, finally. » Hilda let out a relieved sigh. She almost raised her hands to thank the skies.
« Sorry, Mother. » Angelica rushed down the stairs, making sure to hold her gown with both hands so she wouldn’t trip on it or wrinkle it. Tonight, she had to be perfect. No one should find a fault in her.
« Let me look at you. » Hilda gently held her eldest daughter’s arms, admiring her with a smile. After a quick check of her daughter’s appearance, hairstyle, and dress, she finally cupped her sweet daughter’s cheeks. « You’re magnificent, Angy, dear. Remember, back straight... »
Angelica straightened her back.
« Chin up. » Hilda raised Angelica’s chin. « And a small, mysterious smile to charm the gentlemen. »
Angelica smiled. A small, restrained, gentle smile, just like her mother had trained her to. That smile really softened her beautiful features. One couldn’t help but look at her.
« Perfect. » That was the word. Her perfect, beautiful eldest daughter. Just like her name, she looked like an angel. The pride of her mother.
The stairs creaked again. A younger girl, sixteen years old, came down. Unlike her restrained, cautious sister, the girl jumped down the stairs.
« Chelsey! » Hilda scolded. « How many times do I have to tell you not to run down the stairs? You might fall. Besides, a lady doesn’t run! »
« But you said to be quick. I don’t want us to be late! » Chelsey argued back.
« Urgh, come here. » Hilda gestured for her to approach. She fixed a few rebellious strands of her hazel hair, smoothing them out and restraining them under her hair slide.
« Now, you’re good. Do you remember the instructions? » Hilda questioned, giving Chelsey a warning look. If Hilda didn’t get the right answer, the etiquette class would be doubled next week.
Chelsey wasn’t intimidated. She had prepared herself. She brought her hands together, raised her chin confidently, and recited, « Stay close to the ladies, just listen, don’t engage in the conversation unless you’re beckoned to, don’t eat too much, take one small bite at a time, and don’t talk to the gentlemen unless they come to you. »
« Good girl. » Hilda gently caressed her youngest daughter’s cheek.
Then she raised her gaze, just in time to see her other daughter going down the stairs.
Mirabella.
Hilda looked at her up and down. She might not be as beautiful as Angelica or as cute and lovely as Chelsey, but she still had her own charm, an easygoing charm Hilda wasn’t content with.
Of the three daughters, Mirabella was the one Hilda had failed to raise to the standard she had for a lady.
It wasn’t that Mirabella was clumsy or thick-headed when it came to memorizing etiquette. She simply chose not to follow it.
An eighteen-year-old rebellious spirit Hilda couldn’t tame, and from her daughter’s opinion, never would.
Thankfully, appearance could be deceiving. As long as Mirabella was dolled up, didn’t speak, and reduced her behavior to the minimum, hopefully no one would discover the hot temper and colorful vocabulary hidden inside that pretty figure.
« Remember, Mira. » Hilda’s tone grew strict. « Speak in short sentences and please don’t argue back. If possible, only smile and nod your head. »
Mira responded with a closed-eye smile and nodded.
Hilda’s gaze lingered on her for a few seconds longer, as if she were trying to read the girl’s mind, but she eventually gave up. She didn’t trust this daughter of hers. She would have to keep an eye on her all evening.
« Let’s go. »
Hilda took the lead and walked out of the house, her daughters in tow. A carriage was waiting for them outside. The coachman, Frank, opened the door and helped each of them in. Once everyone was settled, Frank jumped on his own seat and took the reins.
« Hyaa! »
The two black horses moved forward, dragging the carriage behind them.
« Now listen. Tonight, many prominent figures are attending Marquess Hatawey’s ball. » Hilda, like a commander, began debriefing her soldiers. « This is a good opportunity for us, girls. If one of you manages to catch the eye of a noble or a wealthy gentleman, Mother would be most proud of you. I’m particularly counting on you, Angelica. You turned twenty this year. It’s the most suitable time to find a capable husband and settle down. You have to be at your best tonight. »
« Rest assured, Mother. » Angelica nodded confidently. « I will not disappoint you. »
The statement brought a smile to Hilda’s face.
« I know, dearie. There is only one source of disappointment in my life. » Hilda shot Mirabella a glare, obviously referring to her.
Feeling the intense stare on her, Mirabella turned her attention away from the scenery outside the carriage window and gave her mother a wide smile.
Hilda reverted her gaze and focused on her two promising girls. « I heard that Duke Lionhard was invited to... »
Angelica’s eyes widened upon hearing the news.
The duke was pretty famous in the social circle. Not only did he have a title and vast wealth under his name, but he was also an approachable, charitable soul. He was the most sought-after bachelor.
Angelica had once had the chance to catch a glimpse of him, and all she could think was that the rumors were all wrong. They clearly didn’t do his good looks any justice. The duke brightened up the room, like a star in the dull night, at least in Angelica’s eyes.
The thought of seeing that man again really thrilled her.
« Are you sure about this? Is His Grace really going to be there? » Angelica couldn’t hide the cheer in her voice.
« It’s lady Hatawey’s seamstress who told me. They overheard her speak about it during one of the fittings. »
It really took everything in Angelica not to jump in her seat and start clapping happily. She had to retain her image of a dignified daughter. She had to calm down and rein in her joy.
Mirabella glanced at her eldest sister and suppressed a sigh.
This love story wouldn’t end well for Angelica.
Many ladies were after the duke, all eyeing the sweet title of duchess. These girls also came from good backgrounds. Some held titles of their own, so why would the duke choose Angelica, the daughter of Marquess Hatawey’s accountant, over them?
Their family was respectable. They had been doing well financially for several years now, but their father was just an accountant while their mother used to be a seamstress. They weren’t nobles or wealthy businesspeople.
Their father simply served a nobleman and had built a good professional relationship with him. That had opened some doors for them into high social circles, but that was all.
Even if they sometimes got invited to balls and parties, they would ultimately still be working-class commoners serving nobles.
Instead of the sad, hopeful spectacle inside the carriage, Mirabella found the streets of Millbourg far more entertaining. At least they were real, unlike the delusional thoughts running through her mother and sisters’ minds.
The horses came to a halt in front of a sumptuous residence in Millbourg’s most beautiful district.
There were many other carriages, most more lavish and newer than the Guilhearts'. Guests alighted wearing their finest attire. They walked up the marble stairs leading to the wide-open doors.
Servants stood at the entrance, relieving the guests of their coats.
Mirabella followed her mother and sisters into a grand hall. A large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, gleaming like diamonds. The hall was filled to the brim. Soft music played in the background, mixing with the conversations and laughter of the guests.
« Lady Hatawey. »
Hilda gave an elegant curtsy to their host. All three of her daughters mimicked her.
« Thank you for inviting us to this sumptuous ball. » Hilda offered her praise.
Lady Hatawey was a middle-aged woman with sharp features and beautifully angled eyes.
« Thank you for coming, Mrs.Guilheart. I hope you’ll enjoy the evening along with your daughters. They all look beautiful tonight. »
« Thank you, lady Hatawey. »The three girls spoke simultaneously.
« Such charming daughters. You should be proud of them, Mrs.Guilheart. » lady Hatawey praised them sincerely.
« I sure am. »
Lady Hatawey craned her neck slightly to look around. « Did you not bring your son tonight? »
« My son went with his father to Dakashtar to aid him with work. The boy should get ready to follow in his father’s footsteps. »
« Ah, yes, my husband did mention that. In his letter, he said his work there is reaching its end. Did you hear the same thing from your husband? »
Hilda nodded. « Indeed. He said they should return in two weeks. Such a pity for them to have missed such a grand ball. You always had a great talent for organizing parties, lady Hatawey. »
Lady Hatawey brought her fan to her mouth to hide her smile. « You praise me too much, Mrs.Guilheart. »
She glanced at Hilda's daughters.
« It’s not appropriate to keep you all for myself this evening. Let me introduce you to some friends. »
Lady Hatawey happily led Hilda and her daughters around the ball, introducing them to different personalities, most of whom came from backgrounds above the Guilhearts’.
Amid this long journey of introductions and small, superficial talks, Mirabella slipped away quietly.
She just couldn’t take it anymore.
She moved through the crowd and retreated to a corner where the buffet table was.
The only good thing, in Mirabella’s opinion, about these kinds of events was the food.
Eye-catching, delicious food.
And the Hatawey chef happened to be quite talented.
Mirabella took a plate and began to fill it with all sorts of snacks, making it her mission tonight to have a taste of every dish.
She then leaned against a pillar in a spot where hardly anyone could see her unless they approached the buffet, which most wouldn’t, as they were all busy talking while abiding by the rule of, ‘Not eating too much. A small bite at a time.’
The waiters and waitresses were also roaming around with trays of food, so hardly any of the guests ever approached the buffet table.
This brought some quiet to Mirabella.
A quiet away from social interactions.
She didn’t particularly like balls or parties. For her, they were like hunting grounds.
Everywhere, people were hunting for something.
Either a spouse, an ally, gossip, or a fault in someone.
Mirabella wasn’t looking for any of those.
If it weren’t for her mother’s dim wish to marry her off to someone, she wouldn’t get dragged into these parties. Mirabella really didn’t wish to get married.
Since she was a child, her mother had taught her that a woman’s goal in life was to marry well and bear children. She had drilled this goal into them for years, and Mirabella believed her, for the first few years at least.
But as she grew up and watched her brother, she began to question her mother’s words.
She saw how her brother was treated differently from them, how he got to go to school to learn science and other disciplines, while they remained home learning etiquette, music, and embroidery.
Mirabella came to realize that the world was wider than the small bubble she was confined in.
So why restrict her goal to only getting married?
Why not aim for something else?
Why couldn’t she be something more than just a wife?
Since she asked herself those questions, Mirabella abandoned the goal her mother had set for her.
And that’s when they started to drift further apart and often get into arguments.
But nonetheless, it seemed that as long as she remained Hilda Guilheart’s daughter, she would have to be dragged to balls to encounter members of the high circles in the hope that a gentleman would take a liking to her.
Outside these events, her mother no longer cared about what Mirabella did with her time, and that meant fewer restraints and scoldings.
A good counterpart.
An implicit deal Mirabella was content with.
« Huh? » Mirabella made eye contact with a young man.
They both froze for a few seconds.
Mirabella stood there with her mouth open, about to eat a petit-four. The young man had one hand holding a plate and the other about to pick up a snack. He clearly hadn’t expected to see someone secretly eating in this blind spot.
« I’d try the forcemeat balls. The chef here is a genius when it comes to forcemeat balls. »
Mirabella recommended them earnestly.
« Ah, huh, yes, thank you. »
The young man put down his plate and turned around to leave without taking any food.
« Your loss. » Mirabella shrugged and continued to eat.
After her belly was filled up, to the point where her corset had begun to hurt and stifle her even more, Mirabella decided to take a walk to digest.
The garden was her destination.
Beautiful flowers and roses, along with a cold breeze, would distract her from the pain of the damn corset.
Lady Hatawey’s garden was well managed, with a team of ten gardeners working together. The woman changed the flowers in the garden with each season.
Sometimes they were dahlias, other times carnations.
That night, it was tulips.
