“You’re here already! Was the journey pleasant?” one noblewoman asked, her tone dripping with cheerfulness.

Lady Rearwin responded with equal warmth, “Of course. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you all, and I’m so happy to be here.”

“We’ve missed you dearly with how busy you’ve been lately! But who is this…?”

The noblewomen, who had been stealing glances at me, now openly examined me. Their gazes were filled with curiosity and mild wariness, but there was also a hint of amazement.

Unable to take their eyes off me, one of the noblewomen spoke again.

“She looks just like a doll. Is she a relative of yours?”

Lady Rearwin chuckled softly before replying, “Oh no. Did I mention it before? I’ve finally found a child to sponsor. She’s like a daughter to me.”

“Oh my! So this is her?”

Understanding dawned on their faces, and their eyes widened with astonishment. It seemed they were well aware that Lady Rearwin had been searching for a ward for some time.

“Congratulations, my lady. Where did you find such an enchanting child? Her golden hair is just like a doll’s!”

“She’s absolutely adorable. I can’t believe such a beautiful child was here in our empire!”

“Thank you, everyone,” Lady Rearwin replied, raising a hand to her mouth to cover a smile. Still, she couldn’t hide the joy lighting up her entire face.

“I brought her here to introduce her to you all for the first time. Crescent, these ladies are my dear friends from the northern nobility. Go ahead and greet them.”

At her encouragement, I stepped forward, my voice naturally polite and composed.

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Crescent, and I’m honored to be under Lady Rearwin’s sponsorship.”

“Oh my, she speaks so eloquently!”

“What a lovely child. She’s truly worthy of your care, my lady!”

The noblewomen showered me with praise, their enthusiasm filling the air. Lady Rearwin’s smile grew even more radiant as she basked in their reactions.

“Thank you, everyone. Now, shall we move to our seats?” she suggested.

“Yes, the tea should be ready soon,” one of the noblewomen replied with a smile.

With that, the ladies led the way further into the garden, chatting amiably amongst themselves. The children followed behind them.

But where was Meteor?

As I walked with the group, I glanced back out of curiosity. There he was, surrounded by a cluster of girls, all practically emitting heart-shaped beams from their eyes.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, young master! Aren’t you usually busy training?”

“If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve worn a prettier dress….”

“Did you come just to see us? Is that it?”

Wow.

As expected of the handsome grandson of the Pluto Ducal House, Meteor was undeniably popular.

Not only did he have the looks and background, but his innate divine power was extraordinary, making him a well-known figure throughout the empire.

I wasn’t surprised, but seeing it in person still left an impression.

Meteor, clearly accustomed to such situations, replied with a blank expression, “Of course not. My mother insisted, so I had no choice but to come.”

“Wow, so the lady herself brought you along? Could it be that she’s planning to choose a fiancée for you?”

“Thankfully, that’s absolutely not the case.”

“…Still, it’s so wonderful to see you again, young master!”

Despite Meteor’s indifferent responses, the girls giggled, their cheeks flushing as they continued to chatter. Their bright enthusiasm felt like a completely different world compared to mine. I turned my gaze forward again.

“But young master, is that girl the orphan who came to live with the Pluto Ducal House?”

Hmm?

“What?”

“I heard about it from my mother. Everyone in the north knows about her!”

“That’s right. She’s supposedly a very lucky orphan. Was her name Crinex or something? Hey, you’re really fortunate to live at the young master’s estate.”

…What nonsense are they spouting?

The girls began gossiping about me without a hint of subtlety, their faces soon shifting to expressions of concern.

“Everyone’s worried that she might bring trouble to the Pluto Ducal House. Orphans aren’t exactly known for their education, and they’re probably very greedy when it comes to food.”

“My mother says it’s best to stay away from orphans!”

…

Wow.

Really?

For the record, I’m well-educated and eat just as much as anyone else, thank you very much.

If Lady Rearwin weren’t present, I would’ve happily smacked those girls upside the head.

But since that wasn’t an option, I decided I’d have to settle for something else.

Just as I slowed my steps to prepare, Meteor suddenly came to a stop ahead of me.

“Did you not hear what my mother said earlier? Crescent is like a daughter to her.”

His tone was low, his voice carrying a weight that instantly drew the girls’ attention. Their faces shifted to uneasy expressions as they took in the sharpness of his words.

Meteor’s usually clear, serene blue eyes had darkened, his gaze heavy.

“That means she’s like a sister to me. She’s not someone you have the right to insult.”

“What? Oh, no, we didn’t mean it that way….”

The girls’ eyes glistened with unshed tears, completely thrown off by Meteor’s cold demeanor.

“We were just worried about how it might inconvenience you, young master….”

“I don’t think the Pluto Ducal House is the kind of place to be inconvenienced by such things.”

“Oh, we won’t say anything more! Please don’t hate us.”

“Sniff.”

The girls were on the verge of tears now, looking utterly wronged.

Hah. They were so quick to ridicule me moments ago, but now they played innocent?

Just you wait….

As Meteor sighed and walked past me, I quickly followed. He must have sensed my presence because he spoke without looking back.

“Don’t misunderstand what I said just now. I don’t actually think of you as my sister.”

“Ah, of course. I didn’t take it seriously either.”

Why would I misunderstand? It was clear to anyone that he wasn’t standing up for me but for the Pluto Ducal House’s reputation.

I kept walking without missing a beat, and Meteor glanced at me briefly before looking away.

The weather was so beautiful that the girls’ sneers quickly faded from my mind.

***

In the midday garden, under the shade of a tree, the sound of a cello filled the air.

The music was being played by Rossi, the young daughter of the Count Heylroth, who owned this estate.

She also happened to be the girl who had mistakenly called me “Crinex.”

The noblewomen all wore expressions of profound emotion, their hands clasped as they listened intently to Rossi’s performance. The music flowed steadily until—

Screech!

What the—!

The jarring sound of a string snapping echoed through the garden, startling the birds perched in the nearby trees into flight.

The children grimaced and covered their ears.

Meanwhile, Rossi continued playing as if nothing had happened, her expression entirely unaffected.

Wait… That was definitely a mistake, right?

I glanced at the noblewomen. Not a single one showed any sign of discomfort. Their faces remained serenely impressed, as if they hadn’t noticed a thing.

…Wow. The poise of these ladies is truly admirable.

Was this what social etiquette was all about?

They seemed to have mastered the art of pretending not to notice mistakes.

Just as I was about to refocus on the performance—

Screech!

The cello let out another grating sound, and I winced, my shoulders hunching instinctively. The children’s faces twisted as if they’d bitten into something sour.

Yet, the noblewomen remained unbothered, their expressions composed. Even Meteor maintained his calm demeanor like an adult.

Only the other children struggled to hide their discomfort.

…Come on, Crescent. You can endure this.

For the honor of the Pluto Ducal House!

The performance continued, each note more unstable than the last. By the end, there had been at least three more screeches.

Finally, when the torturous music came to an end, the audience erupted into applause.

Clap clap clap!

The ovation was as enthusiastic as if they had just heard a flawless performance from a world-class orchestra.