When the night of the ball came, Ariana was ready a few hours before the ball started. Even though Alison's area is right next to the capital, her trip may be delayed due to the festival. Since the ball was not a significant event, this time, Ariana did not come with her grandfather. Duke Andrew also felt that he was too old to enjoy such events. Plus, the man felt it was time for Ariana to start handling the affairs of the Dukedom on her own.In her family's carriage, Ariana went along with Valencia. Valencia's identity, as the daughter of the chief knight, allowed her to attend the party as a guest. Both of them wore beautiful clothes. Of course, because Valencia was Ariana's closest friend, she was no less charming in her outfit.Since the ball at the end of the hunting festival was an event that only happened once every three years, it was always held in the main palace of the king and queen. From a distance, Ariana could already see the splendor of the big party. In the past, she
After Valencia left, her two brothers actually walked over to meet Ariana. They were so handsome that even though Alison's family had a lot of hostility from other families at the moment, their charms still couldn't stop many girls from approaching them openly.“My Lady.”When they arrived before Ariana, the two of them lowered their heads slightly to greet Ariana. Ariana returned the greeting by nodding and smiling. Unlike their father and sister, Ariana knows that these two are a bit more relaxed and enjoy joking around with other people.“Did Lady Aria come alone to this party?” asked Luke the eldest brother. Ariana smiled a little. To these two knights, she couldn't lie too much for Valencia's own good.“Valencia is coming with me. But, she has her own business at this party, so I let her go,” Ariana replied.“Ah … She must have seen us and tried to run away again! This can't be allowed. How could she leave Lady Aria alone? Don't tell me … She met a man behind all of us!?”Cale as
As the music began to change, another couple began to come forward to the center of the hall to dance together. Marquess Curtis turned to look at Ariana, who was sitting leisurely enjoying the view, then stretched out his hand in front of the girl.“May I have the honor of asking you to dance, Ariana?” asked Marquess Curtis politely. Ariana was just about to accept the offer when another hand immediately grabbed her wrist.“My apologies, but Ariana will dance with me.”Out of nowhere, Prince Raoul was suddenly beside Ariana and holding the girl's hand. Marquess Curtis was slightly surprised by Raoul's sudden appearance. Not to mention that when he looked at him, Marquess Curtis could feel the hostility of the prince. However, since he was a gentle person by nature, Marquess Curtis just smiled and let Raoul invite Ariana to dance.“As you wish, Your Highness. Then, I see you later, Ariana.”Ariana nodded. “See you later,” she replied before Ariana was brought along to dance in the middl
After the ball ended, the hunting festival was also officially over. The impromptu shops that were opened to celebrate the festival were dismantled again, while visitors from other kingdoms who had come to shop began to return to their kingdoms one by one.Since the results of this year's hunting festival were excellent, most people would rest for a day or two to restore their strength. But, Ariana didn't have time to rest, as she paid more attention to Prince Raoul in his last days in the capital. The girl came with various useful items for the prince, as well as telling him seriously what he had to remember while in the army. Only on the last day, Ariana came with military clothes and books when she visited Prince Raoul in his secluded castle.“Raoul, since you were immediately appointed as General by His Majesty, you should read plenty of military tactics books to learn how to lead an army. I also heard that the weather there is colder than in the capital and the surrounding area.
[Dear Prince Raoul.It's been three months since you left to guard the Northern Border. Last time, you said that you were still on your way to reach the border. Now, are you there yet? In the capital and surrounding areas, snow has begun to fall, causing temperatures to grow colder. I hope you made it there because the journey must have been tough after the snow started earlier this year.After you left, neither Queen Melisa nor Crown Prince Emilio did anything suspicious. But I hope it's not the calm before the storm. Take care, Raoul. Please don't easily trust strangers there.As always, we are here to pray for your safety.Ariana.]After Ariana finished reading the letter she was about to send, the girl nodded in satisfaction and then sealed the letter with her family seal. Ariana handed the letter to one of the maids so that it could be immediately sent to Prince Raoul, who was on his way to reach the northern border.After she was done with her routine of contacting Raoul once a
After returning from the training school she had built, Ariana didn't go straight home, as she chose to tour around the capital first. Since she was busy with Alison's family matters, Ariana rarely had the chance to come to the capital again. The girl wanted to know how the capital was currently doing, as well as to hear the latest gossip about the palace that could be heard in the capital's taverns.For their convenience, Ariana suggested that they just walk to enjoy the atmosphere in the capital city. Ariana's gaze fell on the notice board in the town square, which was unusually swarmed by many people when she came.“What is going on over there?” asked Ariana curiously. Seeing a noble like Ariana's interest in the bulletin board, people immediately stepped aside to make way for Ariana.Even though Ariana didn't really like being treated special, the girl couldn't ask them to stop, so all she could do was thank them. Ariana read the sentence on the bulletin board with raised eyebrows
As Ariana was about to enter the area within the arena when she was stopped by two burly guards whose bodies were twice the size of Valencia's. Both of them were carrying weapons and had scary faces until Valencia unknowingly grabbed the hilt of her sword in an alert pose.“Tell your boss that Ariana from Alison wants to talk to him.”Unlike Valencia, Ariana was very calm when she faced the two giants. One thing she knew from a place like this, this arena was also used to sell slaves as fighters for noble families. If she carried her surname, it was unlikely that the person in charge would ignore her. Even though her family is currently disliked by most nobles, her status as the only granddaughter of a duke still makes Ariana feared by many. Moreover, the size of the person in charge was only a Baron, so he definitely wouldn't refuse any of Ariana's orders.“Please come in.”Sure enough. When one of the guards returned, he immediately allowed Ariana and Valencia to enter the area. As
While they were out, their group met the skinny girl that Ariana had previously bought. As the girl was forced to stand in front of the exit, her already pale lips turned blue from the cold. Ariana immediately took off her coat in a hurry. With her own hands, Ariana quickly put the poor girl on the coat she had just taken off. Ariana was a little pushy as the girl vehemently refused. If it was for the sake of goodness, Ariana had absolutely no hesitation in acting decisively on the girl.“I'd be mad if you took that coat off. Then Valencia, can we first stop by the boutique to get a new coat? Cornell must be cold too if he's only wearing light clothes in this cold weather.”Valencia nodded in response. “As you wish, My Lady. As for the Young Lady … Please temporarily use my coat. You and the others can enter the horse carriage first, Lady Aria. If I'm not mistaken, I saw a boutique not far from this place. Please wait for me when I buy coats for the others.”“Okay,” said Ariana. Helpe