Chapter 29

The next day’s weather was perfect for a lakeside party.

Even in the heart of winter, the afternoon was quite warm. The calm lake shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.

Nerys was unable to refuse Diane’s insistence and ended up borrowing an outfit. Diane was dressed in a brown velvet dress with an adorable deep green coat, but she seemed far more pleased with the black dress Nerys was wearing than her own outfit.

Nerys’ dress had small black frills shaped like wings on the shoulders, while the skirt below the waist flared out like a bell in a tiered red design.

Wearing it, Nerys naturally attracted attention. Of course, Diane received the most overt admiration and flattery, but among the children, the one who objectively stood out the most was Nerys.

“Who is that young lady? The one with violet eyes?”

“I heard she’s Lady Diane’s friend from the academy.”

“Ah, no wonder she carries such an aristocratic air. She must be from a very distinguished family, yet I’ve never seen her before.”

“Indeed. Have you seen her before, madam?”

With every compliment directed at Nerys, Diane’s expression grew increasingly delighted, while Muriel, who was also attending the party, became more and more displeased. Standing beside her, Heather’s expression turned increasingly uneasy.

“Lady MacKinnon, who is that young lady?”

“Count, it seems Lady Diane has made a fine friend. Why have we never seen her at past gatherings?”

Even Diane’s parents received multiple inquiries about Nerys’ lineage.

The MacKinnon couple, who had taken an immediate liking to Nerys upon their introduction the previous day, simply smiled and gave vague responses. Some guests, assuming the MacKinnon family was deliberately concealing an important connection, grew restless.

One such person was Angelo Railing. Being a foreigner, he made it his mission to familiarize himself with all of Bistor’s key figures.

However, rather than speaking out of turn to the MacKinnon couple, he had a faster and more reliable source of information.

“Heather.”

Muriel’s father, Angelo, called her name. Heather, standing beside Muriel, lifted her head. The father and daughter exchanged whispers. Angelo’s expression shifted as if he now understood something.

“What did you just talk about?”

Muriel couldn’t hear their conversation properly because of the surrounding noise. Heather shook her head.

“It was nothing, Lady Muriel. My father was just asking about Lady Nerys, and I told him what I knew.”

Muriel scoffed.

“Lady? As if. From what I’ve heard, she doesn’t deserve that title. She’s barely above being a commoner. What’s so special about her? Honestly, isn’t it laughable that a knight’s daughter is attending the academy in the first place?”

Heather nervously fidgeted with her fingers at Muriel’s blunt words. The man who had been whispering with Angelo glanced toward Nerys with a peculiar expression.

Muriel continued, her tone full of disdain.

“She even had to borrow a dress because she didn’t have one of her own. What noble family? I’ve never even heard of a Truydd family. That’s why she’s playing around with Diane, isn’t it?”

Muriel had crossed the line. Heather quickly tried to intervene.

“Lady Muriel.”

“What? …Fine.”

Muriel didn’t seem the type to listen to others, but she did trust Heather to some extent. Muttering complaints, she grabbed Heather’s arm and pulled her toward the refreshments.

Nerys had a general understanding of what was happening around her. The number of people approaching her with smiles was gradually decreasing. Some whispered about her dress.

She didn’t care. She had never intended to hide anything. Besides, as long as Diane’s parents remained favorable toward her, no one would dare to ostracize her outright.

Seated on a pristine white bench near the building rather than the lake, Nerys and Diane were discussing school when Joyce and Nualan approached. Their relationship seemed far better than Diane and Muriel’s.

“Di. Lady Nerys.”

“My lovely ladies.”

Joyce greeted them with a blank expression, while Nualan smiled. Diane and Nerys responded indifferently.

“Welcome.”

“Gentlemen.”

“Diane has certainly grown into a lady.”

Nualan chuckled. Nerys raised an eyebrow.

“What, was I not one before?”

“You used to sulk whenever someone greeted you. Looking at you now, it seems your uncle made the right choice in sending you to the academy.”

“Diane is a noble; she was bound to go anyway.”

Nerys’ straightforward reply made Nualan shrug.

“If she had insisted that her health made it too difficult, she might have been excused. We were honestly quite worried.”

“Why?”

Nerys asked with a smile, but her eyes remained devoid of amusement.

Nualan feigned deep contemplation before sitting on the bench. Lowering his voice, he spoke as if sharing a secret.

“Our Diane may seem strong-willed, but she’s actually quite soft-hearted. She grew up surrounded by love. We were worried about how she’d fare in a place without her family’s protection.”

Nerys continued smiling and blinked as Nualan finished speaking. He straightened his posture and grinned.

“I’m glad she has a friend like you, Lady Nerys. You’re firm, so you can protect her.”

“I’m not a child.”

Diane finally snapped. She had tried to hold back, thinking one argument with her cousin was enough for the day, but she couldn’t ignore this.

Joyce kissed the back of Diane’s hand and smirked.

“You’ll always be a child to us. Are you enjoying yourself? Would you like to dance with us?”

Considering their age gap was over ten years, Nerys wondered why they had come. It was clear—they wanted to check if Diane was having fun at her first formal gathering with adults.

Diane hesitated. Nerys, however, readily accepted.

“We’re fine with that. Diane, you said you’d show the steps you learned.”

Though he left out to whom, Diane understood. Her cute face suddenly burned with enthusiasm, and Nerys turned to Nualan.

“Who’s the better dancer?”

“Why?”

“I’ll let the better dancer have the chance to partner with Diane. She dances so well that her partner needs to be skilled enough to keep up.”

“Is that so?”

Nualan flashed a confident smile. His eyes sparkled with anticipation, making him look truly reliable. According to Diane, he was already working at almost equal standing with his father in their trade business.

“What a dilemma. If I say I’m the better dancer, I won’t get to dance with Nerys. But if I say Joyce is better, then I won’t get to dance with Diane. Both of you are such remarkable young ladies that it’s hard to choose.”

“Then you should dance with Diane. I think you’re the better dancer.”

Nualan was indeed sociable and often danced at parties, whereas Joyce always found excuses to avoid dancing, preferring to spend time with men. Diane, aware of this, was impressed by Nerys’ keen insight.

Joyce furrowed his brow but didn’t object.

The four of them stepped onto the outdoor dance floor. Nualan whispered something that made Diane burst into laughter, while Joyce stiffly took Nerys’ hand. He lowered his head slightly.

“Step on my foot.”

“Alright.”

Without hesitation, Nerys stomped on both of Joyce’s feet.

The orchestra struck up a lively tune. Zzzzzing! Joyce led carefully, moving his feet at a measured pace. Despite their considerable height difference, his slow, steady movements ensured that Nerys felt no strain on her arms or waist.

After about half a turn around the floor, Joyce spoke.

“Are you finding it difficult?”

“Thanks to your consideration.”

Just as it was time for a twirling step, Nerys paused. She spun gracefully, then locked eyes with Joyce as she finished her turn.

“Very comfortable.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Up close, Joyce was quite handsome despite his perpetually stern expression. His long, deep brown lashes cast shadows over his face, making a striking impression.

With his wealth and looks, he must have plenty of admirers, yet Nerys had never heard rumors about him in social circles. Moreover, the MacKinnon couple she recalled were not the ones standing before her today.

A dozen years was a long time—long enough for people to fully adjust to a change in household leadership. She had a rough idea of the situation but lacked solid proof, so she chose to observe for now.

“Yesterday, were you returning from an errand? Or were you coming to meet your sister?”

“I had business in a nearby town.”

“Oh my.”

Nerys chuckled.

“I thought it was the latter.”

“It was not.”

Joyce’s response was unusually firm.

“You’re the type to suffer losses. You knew carriages full of guests were arriving, yet you still ran out, hoping one of them might be your sister’s.”

She was right. Joyce hesitated, unsure of how to respond, and simply gazed at Nerys. A small, white cloud was reflected in her violet eyes, which carried a hint of amusement.

Despite being the same age as his sister, this peculiar young lady displayed a composure that even Joyce himself did not surpass.

He had heard she had no personal attendants, which perhaps explained her independence. Yet her dance posture was refined, and her grace at the gathering exceeded that of any lady present.

Joyce wasn’t sure how to perceive this unusual companion. When he remained silent for a long time, Nerys spoke again, her tone gentle.

“You resemble Diane quite a bit. You do everything for the people you love and don’t even think of it as a big deal. But I think you should be a little more suspicious of your surroundings.”

“What do you mean?”

A flicker of doubt crossed Joyce’s eyes. Nerys’ gaze remained calm and sharp.

“Muriel’s harsh words to Diane may not mean much. She just says whatever suits her mood. But that doesn’t mean they don’t hurt the person hearing them.”

“Lady Nerys.”

Joyce’s expression hardened.

“You’re right about that. But why do you use the word suspicious? Everyone knows Muriel and Diane often argue—there’s no reason to question it.”

“Aah!”

Diane let out a short cry. It wasn’t loud, but Joyce instantly paled. Nerys released his hand and stepped off his foot before hurrying toward Diane.

All eyes turned to where Diane had fallen to the ground. Nualan, looking deeply apologetic, quickly helped her up. Joyce growled at him.

“What happened?”

“Sorry. It was my fault.”

Nualan looked dejected as he explained.

“I didn’t hold Diane properly during the turn, and she lost her balance.”

“No, I just tripped.”

Diane’s lips jutted out in embarrassment as she dusted off her skirt. Betty rushed over to help straighten Diane’s outfit.

“Diane, this is why I told you not to dance.”

Muriel approached, feigning concern.

Diane bit her lip, looking hurt. She had been thinking the same thing. Joyce turned on Muriel in anger.

“If anyone’s to blame, it’s Nualan for letting go. Why are you taking it out on Diane? If he’d held her properly, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Yeah, it was my fault. Joyce is right.”

Muriel opened her mouth to protest, upset that her brother was being scolded, but Nualan spoke first. Heather chimed in with a worried voice.

“Lady Diane, the music is too fast. Why don’t you rest for a bit and wait for a slower tune?”

It was a reasonable suggestion. Nerys took Diane’s arm.

“Diane, come sit with me for a while.”

Nerys’ eyes glinted for a moment. Heather smiled sweetly.

“I’ll sit with you as well. It’s been a while since I last saw Lady Diane, and I’d love to hear about the academy.”

Diane looked reluctant but nodded.