He's here too... Seeing Roselle secretly wave at her, Charlotte was surprised at first, then understood. Viscount Derilose's ball had invited most of the city's unmarried nobles of eligible age, allowing them to become acquainted with the local social circle. Naturally, Baron Gustav's family was among the guests.
Of course, tonight's ball was not being held solely for Charlotte, who had just come of age.
Had it been a dedicated coming-of-age celebration, Baron Sauron should have hosted the guests at his own residence. Unfortunately, the drawing room in their old house could not accommodate many people, and the family's finances could hardly support the expense of a grand ball.
Under those circumstances, attending a ball held by a higher-ranking noble and making her formal debut there was the more respectable choice. Viscount Derilose had a spacious residence, frequently hosted grand balls, and maintained a good relationship with Raoul, making him the ideal choice.
Father really went to great lengths to save money, but I've just received a whole thousand Gold Louis, so I'm hardly entitled to complain... Charlotte grumbled inwardly, then realized she had already been brought before Leon Gustav and his family.
"Good evening, Raoul. Happy birthday, Charlotte." Baron Leon stepped forward to greet them, then turned slightly aside. "My wife Eleanor has just returned from our estate. You probably haven't seen her for some time."
Actually, I haven't met Roselle's mother since I transmigrated into this body... Charlotte returned his greeting and looked at the lady beside him, finding only a vague impression of her in her memories.
Eleanor Gustav looked around forty. She wore a dark green gown, with pearl jewelry around her neck and wrists. Her features were not particularly stunning, but she had taken good care of herself, and a faint smile never left her face.
As far as Charlotte knew, Baron Leon's wife was not of noble birth, but the daughter of a wealthy silk merchant in Sushit. Her marriage to Baron Gustav was a typical union between nobility and wealthy merchants: the former gained urgently needed funds and a steady income from business, while the latter used noble status to enter social circles previously beyond their reach. Their descendants could also leave their commoner origins behind entirely, inheriting both the title and the businesses.
As commerce flourished and wealth was no longer monopolized by the nobility, such marriages had become increasingly common. The reverse, however-a noble lady marrying a commoner man-was viewed as proof of a family's decline, forcing it to marry beneath its station.
This reminded Charlotte of her offhand joke about a "dowry." If she truly overcame her psychological reservations one day and decided to marry someone, her father would never allow her to choose a commoner. Otherwise, even if Charlotte could still inherit the title of Baron Sauron, she would face lasting disdain in noble society.
Of course, I'll never get married. At least, I have no intention of it now... She stressed this inwardly, her gaze sweeping over Roselle's face before she curtsied politely to Eleanor.
"Lady Eleanor, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Happy birthday, Miss Charlotte." The lady looked her over with a smile. "Roselle often mentions you. He says you've been a great help with that newspaper or whatever it is he's planning to publish."
Why does this sound as though his parents have already looked into things...? Charlotte immediately grew wary. She glanced at her father, who was chatting with Baron Leon beside her, and only relaxed when she saw that he showed no reaction.
Before long, several noble girls around her age arrived in succession.
The first to congratulate her was the youngest daughter of the ball's host, Viscount Derilose. She had only recently come of age. The upper portion of her black hair, a color quite common among Intis nobles, had been woven into lovely braids and secured behind her head, while the rest fell to her waist, giving her a graceful, lively air. She wore a lavishly adorned high-waisted gown, with the sash drawn tight beneath her bust, clearly intended to make her figure appear more slender. Yet her eyes kept drifting toward Charlotte's square neckline, and her smile seemed faintly strained.
You're already very pretty. There's no need to compare yourself in that department... Charlotte keenly caught the envy in her eyes and found it rather amusing.
Fortunately, the young lady soon withdrew her gaze and offered a friendly reminder.
"Miss Sauron, quite a few people will want to ask you to dance tonight. If someone you don't like approaches, you can say you're feeling a little tired and can't accept for the moment. They'll understand."
"Thank you. I'll remember that."
Charlotte nodded, warming to the young lady.
Another girl beside her had pale blond hair falling to her shoulders and emerald-green eyes. With delicate features and fair skin, she appeared to have some ancestry from the Loen Kingdom.
"Matilda Abel," Delia reminded her quietly from behind.
So she's Viscount Abel's daughter... Charlotte immediately remembered the identity she had borrowed while apprehending Julian. Feeling like an impostor confronted with the genuine article, she unconsciously made her greeting a little warmer.
"Miss Abel, I've long heard of your beauty. It's an honor to meet you today."
Matilda was clearly surprised by her enthusiasm, but soon gave a more sincere smile.
"I've heard Father mention you too, Miss Sauron. He said you've done several very interesting things lately."
Does he mean venturing into the grove at the hunting grounds, or my frequent visits to Saint Roch Cathedral...? Charlotte did not dare probe further. Instead, she smiled and steered the conversation toward Matilda's gown and the changing fashions in Trier, soon falling into conversation with the girls her age.
Soon, all the guests had arrived. Their host, Viscount Derilose, announced the official start of the evening's ball, while the viscountess invited Charlotte to her side and formally introduced this young noble lady who had just come of age and joined Suhit City's upper social circles.
With dozens of eyes fixed on her at once, even Charlotte, who had taken the Arbiter potion, felt her smile stiffen. She did not dare use Intimidation to make everyone lower their heads as though she were taming hunting dogs. All she could do was follow Delia's training over the past few days, lift her skirts slightly, and curtsy to the guests in the hall as she received their applause.
After the brief introduction, musicians from the Sushit Grand Theater struck up a cheerful dance tune. As hosts, the viscount and his wife were the first to step into the center of the hall, beginning the opening dance under everyone's gaze.
Meanwhile, the young nobles seated around the hall began sizing one another up, looking for partners to invite.
Charlotte noticed several men looking toward her at once, eagerness written on their faces. Roselle seemed to hesitate for a moment before rising as though he had made up his mind, but before he could approach, a young man seated closer had already reached her.
He quietly asked Raoul and Delia for permission. Only after both agreed did he bow slightly to Charlotte and extend his white-gloved right hand.
"Miss Sauron, might I have the honor of inviting you to dance?"
Charlotte did not know him. From Raoul's introduction earlier, she vaguely remembered that he was some baron's second son. But her first dance tonight was part of her coming-of-age debut. So long as his status and conduct were acceptable, refusing without cause would only seem rude. She therefore nodded and lightly rested two fingers in his palm.
"Of course."
As the next piece began, they walked into the center of the hall and danced a lively minuet. The young man clearly understood that he had merely seized a chance to attract attention; his movements were more about showing off than expressing interest in his partner. Drawing on her intensive training over the past few days, the memories in her mind, and the potion's enhancements to her body, Charlotte smoothly kept pace with him.
Once the dance ended, the young man escorted her back to her seat and politely took his leave. Someone else immediately tried to approach, only for Delia to turn him away on the grounds that Charlotte had only just come of age and should not dance without a break.
Charlotte was genuinely pleased with this. In truth, she did not want to dance even once beyond the obligatory dance. Yet when she caught sight of Roselle in a corner, glancing her way from time to time, she smiled inwardly again.
After several rounds of polite conversation, Charlotte excused herself on the pretext of needing some air. She left the brightly lit ballroom with its heavy perfume scents and stepped onto an open balcony adjoining a side room.
The night air carried a slight chill, dispelling the heat brought on by dancing and her tight gown. Leaning against the stone balustrade, she looked toward the main hall and noticed several noble men and women who had danced together earlier leaving through different exits. She could not tell whether they were heading to other balconies to cool off or to the rooms reserved for guests to rest.
Remembering the couple she had stumbled upon in the grove at the hunting grounds, Charlotte suddenly suspected they might not merely be going to rest.
There's quite a long stretch of "free time" in the ball's schedule. I wonder if it's meant for this sort of thing... Ah, we Intisians... As she grumbled inwardly, she suddenly heard footsteps.
"Good evening, Charlotte."
Roselle had come out onto the balcony too. First, he looked around. Finding no one nearby apart from Lady Delia, who stood a short distance from the balcony and kept looking their way, he gave a nervous smile, took a small stack of folded papers from inside his waistcoat, and carefully spread them on the balustrade.
"What's this?"
Charlotte asked instinctively. By the light spilling out of the ballroom, she looked at the unfolded sheets, which were much larger than an ordinary book, and immediately recognized the bold lettering at the top.
"Sushit Weekly."
"Happy birthday," Roselle said brightly, standing beside Charlotte. "This is a gift I prepared for you."
A gift... No wonder he looked a little strange that day when he heard it was my birthday and that I'd be attending a ball... Charlotte felt some surprise, but even more joy-the joy of seeing their collaboration over the past month and more finally bear fruit.
She picked up the newspaper and examined it. She soon noticed that, although the paper was thin and light, the ink printed on both sides had neither bled through nor blurred from folding and rubbing. The small type had crisp edges, and several simple illustrations accompanied it. The Green family's printing house could never have achieved this standard with its original equipment. Clearly, this was the result of modifications made by the newly advanced savant.
Seeing her silently holding the newspaper, Roselle continued explaining beside her.
"This is only a trial print. Once all the content is ready, we can begin printing officially. The Church of the Artisan provided some help, but the most important improvements..."
At this, he puffed out his chest.
"...were all my own designs."
Much as I always want to poke fun at him, we really couldn't have printed a newspaper with improvements to practically every stage of the process so quickly without Roselle... Charlotte muttered inwardly. She was about to reluctantly offer him a few words of praise when a rustling suddenly came from deep in the garden below the balcony.
They exchanged a glance, both struck by an inexplicable sense of familiarity, then looked down into the garden. A young noble lady was gathering her skirts and slipping behind a hedge, with a young man close behind her. He even remembered to glance back to check whether anyone else was nearby.
The leaves stirred a few times, and the two figures quickly disappeared into the darkness.
Charlotte's face warmed slightly. Her gaze returned to the newspaper in her hands, but she secretly pricked up her ears, hoping to hear what else might happen below. Roselle also looked somewhat awkward and cleared his throat.
"This doesn't seem like a very suitable place to keep talking. Let's head back to the ballroom."
As he spoke, he made to turn away, but Charlotte suddenly remembered how someone else had beaten him to asking her to dance. The corners of her mouth rose despite herself.
"Wait." She stopped Roselle and said with feigned nonchalance, "I... can still dance once more tonight."
Roselle froze on the spot.