The Royal Capital, Montfort Marquis's Manor.
Though it was already late autumn, heat continually supplied by an underground magic array kept the banquet hall in midsummer.
The crystal chandeliers shone mercilessly on every inch of polished marble flooring, and on the noblewomen's sweat-damp necks and glittering jewels.
The ladies' dresses boldly embraced the heat.
Silk and gauze as thin as cicada wings clung to graceful curves, while plunging necklines exposed broad expanses of snowy skin.
The clink of silver goblets mingled with the orchestra's strings, providing the backdrop to this high-society salon.
Lilia followed behind Marchioness Audley, her skirts swaying gently with her steps.
As a competent lady-in-waiting, her task was to handle every minor detail of her mistress's social engagements, whether that meant offering a glass of fruit wine at just the right temperature or changing the subject with a tactful remark when a conversation stalled.
She quietly carried out her duties while pursuing another task in her mind.
Here, in this sea of jewels, perfume, and false smiles, she needed to find information of real value.
"Oh, isn't this Lady Audley's new lady-in-waiting?"
A woman's voice rang out, and several young noblewomen gathered around her.
Their leader was a viscount's daughter named Isabelle, who held a feather fan half over her face.
"I hear you're from Greenvein City? From a branch of a count's family, and your brother was granted land in the Gray Marsh Fief?"
Another young lady chimed in, her dress studded with tiny pearls.
"I heard from my father that developing a frontier fief is terribly hard work. You have to deal with those lowborn people every day. Doesn't the smell of dirt cling to you, no matter how much you wash?"
Their words were cloaked in curiosity, but every syllable reminded Lilia of the