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On the day of the salon party, Lobelia wore a stunning navy blue dress that complemented her silver hair. The dress was adorned with small crystals that sparkled like the Milky Way as it flowed downward.

“I’ll let my hair hang down naturally and decorate it with sapphire pins instead,” Lobelia said as the three handmaidens worked to style her hair. “It’s a salon party, so I don’t need to wear a hat.”

This time, Lobelia wanted to emphasize her sharp appearance, so she left off the lace veil that usually softened her appearance. But the natural waves in her silver hair and the shining sapphire pins by her ears added a touch of femininity, creating a balanced overall look. Lobelia looked in the mirror and was pleased with the handmaidens’ work.

“Is the Duke escorting you today?” Adele asked as she made final adjustments to her own dress. The Duke’s attention to Lobelia at the Opera House a week ago had caused quite a stir in the capital and had made the Duke’s staff more compliant, though Lobelia did not think it was necessarily a good thing to spread rumors.

“No,” Lobelia replied, shaking her head. “Sir Jereminus will be escorting me today.”

Jade, who had been once friendly to Lobelia, had returned to his cold demeanor since Lobelia had rejected his offer of a cake. So, when he claimed to have something urgent to attend to, Lobelia coldly accepted Joheim’s offer of an escort.

“Really?” Adele asked, tilting her head in confusion. “I thought the Duke would escort you.”

“It’s none of our business, Adele,” Hilda cautioned, while Mary gave Adele a meaningful look. These three handmaidens were particularly respectful of Lobelia among the duke’s attendants.

Finally, Lobelia’s hair and dress were ready and she descended to the hall, where Joheim was waiting.

“Miss Lobelia? Really…” Joheim exclaimed in surprise as he took in her appearance, but quickly looked away as Lobelia turned her head.

“Let’s go,” Lobelia said, placing her hand on top of Joheim’s trembling one as he held it out to her.

As Lobelia stepped into the carriage, she couldn’t help but wonder why Joheim was so nervous. But before she had a chance to ask, Joheim closed the carriage door and fled to the carriage himself.

As Lobelia arrived at Dora’s mansion, she noticed that there was no carriage bearing the coat of arms of Evelentia present. According to Hilda, Aina had been invited but returned the invitation unsigned when she heard that Lobelia would be attending. Lobelia suspected that the commotion at the opera house had come as a shock to Aina.

With the help of Joheim, Lobelia stepped out of the carriage and presented her invitation to the servant at the front door. The servant nodded and allowed her entry. Joheim declined Lobelia’s invitation to come inside with her and stayed outside with the carriage.

This was Lobelia’s first time visiting the mansion alone, but she had visited as Aina’s handmaid a few times before and was able to navigate her way easily. She thought she’d feel nervous as it was her first time attending a party alone, but she felt strangely calm.

As she entered the party room, all eyes were on her. The men couldn’t take their gaze off of her, and the women whispered to each other behind their fans. Even as Lobelia made her way to an empty table, the male nobles continued to stare at her.

​​“That girl…”

“How did she get an invitation?”

“She’s the Duke of Ferrado’s lover. She can get whatever she wants.”

“Shh, she can hear you.”

The staring was something she often encountered when she was Aina’s handmaiden, but somehow the men’s gazes felt more repulsive today, and her skin prickled. She wanted to turn away, but there was something she needed to check.

Lobelia glanced at the men’s faces with the most indifferent face she could muster, but something strange happened. The men who had been staring at her turned their heads in surprise, as if they had been startled, when their eyes met hers. Lobelia ignored their whispers and instead focused on a young boy who was trembling and staring at the floor, the only one among the men who didn’t stare at her. The boy appeared to be around seventeen years old and was not a nobleman, but rather a poet invited to the party because the theme was “Music and Poetry.” Lobelia realized that he was the person she needed to convince today.