“Hello, Marolda Marquis. I am Arianthe Wyerphon Valtminster, Lady of Valtminster.”
Maiana, who had taken Arianthe’s dress hem and was bowing with a cute attitude, saw Marolda Marquis burst into laughter with a sudden loud sound. The moment Arianthe’s eyes widened, she handed the fan towards the young lady—probably a niece or daughter—who was standing beside her, then looked down at Arianthe.

“Oh my, to think the Duke cherishes his niece so dearly. Such a lovely niece should be kept hidden. Isn’t that right, Laisie?”

Upon this, the young lady who received the fan nodded with a subtle smile.

Marolda Marquis praised Arianthe’s tiara and dress, making the child look even more charming. At the moment when Maiana seemed about to let out a sigh of relief, Marquis cast a more mischievous glance at her.

As Maiana quickly lowered her head in embarrassment, Marquis spoke.

“It’s the first time in my life that the Duke has brought so many companions. Isn’t that so, Lord Cediloy?”

Cediloy responded gently, “You’ll see us more often from now on.”

Marquis made a surprised expression for a moment.

“Oh my, does that mean this lady here is…?”

In an instant, Maiana looked at Cediloy with her heart sinking to her toes. In such a crowded place, she couldn’t make a fuss externally, but…

‘Please don’t say anything. Please, not now!’

Cediloy said, “This is my companion, Mr. Dawson.”

“Ah, I see.”

Marquis’s reaction seemed somewhat ambiguous, but it appeared that he decided to conclude the conversation there. For Maiana, it couldn’t be more fortunate.

Maiana could vaguely understand why Cediloy didn’t introduce himself as the “employer accompanying the lady.” They were unsure how such a role would be perceived in this gathering. In this high-profile event with numerous nobles attending, Cediloy might not want to emphasize that Maiana was just an employee. Considering the future Cediloy had always spoken to her about, it seemed like a wise decision. However…

‘I’m not sure how the term “companion” is interpreted here. Is it just someone who came along? From the reaction of Marolda Marquis, it doesn’t seem to have any special meaning…’

At that moment, Cediloy spoke.

“Maiana, could you take Arianthe for a while? There are people I need to greet.”

“You won’t go with milady?”

“They are not Elblyen people. They are envoys from Osraphen and Zence. They’ve stayed here due to prolonged negotiations and haven’t had a chance to talk with them directly due to the duties in the Dukedom.”

‘I have work to do here too.’ Maiana nodded.

“Understood, please go ahead.”

Cediloy smiled warmly at Arianthe.
“Arianthe, I’ll be back in a moment. Don’t worry, I won’t go far. Just wait with Maiana.”

“Yes, Father. By the way, is it okay to eat the cherry scone over there?”

“Whether you can or not. Go on.”

Excited, Arianthe let go of Maiana’s hand, and as she was about to run, she hesitated at her toes, lifted the hem of her dress slightly, and took occasional steps. Unlike at the Duke’s residence, it seemed like she belatedly realized that she couldn’t just run freely here as her heart desired.

“Don’t pay attention to what others say.”

Cediloy spoke quietly, and Maiana responded with a faint smile.

“It probably doesn’t matter what they say about me. Of course, it might not feel good, but if anyone impolitely approaches the lady, I might be able to endure it.”

“As long as it’s just glaring. As long as they don’t swing a fist.”

Making a joking remark, Cediloy slightly nodded his head next to Maiana’s ear. Heat could be felt from his lips, which brushed against her hair and fell.

“Go on.”

Maiana lightly pressed her flushed cheek with the back of her hand. Just then, she reflexively surveyed her surroundings. Unsurprisingly, a few gathered around them, who had been paying attention, wore expressions of astonishment.

Maiana saw a lady around her age burst out crying loudly and run away. In the midst of her awkward embarrassment, Arianthe, who had gone to get the scone, caught her eye.

“Oops!”

Maiana’s steps, caught by someone’s foot, swayed. She didn’t fall, but a giggling sound was heard nearby. It was an immediate response, as if it had been expected.

Gripping her dress hem, Maiana stood up straight and turned her head towards the person whose foot had tripped her. Behind her, a small woman leading a group of ladies was there.

More than her face, Maiana’s gaze was drawn to the hat she was wearing. Half the height of her body, the long and extravagant feathers soared high. Perhaps because of that hat, the woman seemed even smaller and exuded an odd sense of incongruity.

The woman spoke.

“What’s this ridiculous situation? How dare such a lowly woman blatantly enter the lively ball? What are the guards doing?”

Maiana, who had been looking at the incredibly long feathers, suddenly turned to look at the woman. It was unbelievable.

“…Grete?”