Iris, Les Herbiers.
A woman wearing a hat and a light green satin dress sat upright in one of the few temples in the city, holding her little handbag and quietly praying with her eyes closed.
She had a rather delicate appearance, the kind that grew more pleasing the longer one looked. Her long, dark brown hair was nearly black and curled in waves, and she wore only light makeup. She had no accessories on her at all, giving her the pleasant impression of being "ordinary beautiful."
Priest Cassius, who was using holy water to wipe the icon as part of its consecration, stared at her from afar and found himself momentarily distracted.
He knew her—or at least knew her name. He had learned it once while handing out gifts during a festival.
Her name was Clara. She was a dance teacher at an arts university in Les Herbiers, and during her regular holidays, she also taught ballet to the daughters of wealthy families. She usually spoke softly, always smiling faintly without a sound, her eyes curving gently. She gave the impression of being a very gentle person who did not like talking much and was not particularly fond of socializing.
She looked just like some noble young lady...
That thought surfaced in Priest Cassius's mind.
It was hardly surprising. After all, in Iris, it was easy for a noble family member to die at random during an uprising. And as the Iris Flower Kingdom developed, families that had flourished for centuries could suddenly fall into ruin one day. Once the women born into such families lost their family's protection, they often found it difficult to secure any respectable work beyond etiquette, dancing, and music.
They might not even be able to find work like that. Compared with men, women