To Torment You, Oh Dear Sister

CHAPTER 7

“Your Highness, hurry!”

“Yes!”

Vivian exclaimed as she dashed out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around herself. Her hair was still damp, with noticeable drips of water falling from the ends, and fresh steam was still clearly visible from her body when she exited from the room. The girl had just finished washing herself up when she noticed Madam Evelyn with a concerned look on her face.

"Come, we'll help you," the woman stated, motioning for Vivian to come up to her and in front of the mirror. Unlike other days, there were only the two of them in the room, and the Madam was the only person allowed to tend her. But because today was a special occasion, several more maids arrived to assist and quicken the preparation.

In no time, Vivian was already dressed in her gown as the maids around her continued to move back and forth in helping her look more presentable. Some of the women worked on her hairstyle, others were arranging her make-up, and the rest focused on smoothing the hem of her garment and made different ideas to implement more style in her gown—all of these were taking place at the same time, and Vivian couldn’t help but feel a little suffocated by the way there were handling her.

Nonetheless, she endured it since rushing was their first priority and she didn’t want to be late for the important event.

"No, that ribbon isn't suitable for Her Highness. Throw it away now," she heard Madam Evelyn say in a strict tone as she assessed the performance of the maid who was styling her hair. Even though she knew she was merely doing her job, the girl was unable to contain her laughter because she had never heard Madam Evelyn be so stern.

Evelyn caught her smile and realized it was because she was correcting the maid that made her laugh. The elder woman then circled behind her as she carefully adjusted the small crown on her head and gave her a grin, “I simply want Her Highness to be the most beautiful woman in the whole empire, is that so bad?”

The girl was about to protest to her statement, but at the exact same moment, the maids were finally finished with preparing the princess, revealing her entire elegance and allurement as she gazed at herself in the mirror.

Vivian's hair was semi-tied to the back, with the ends of her long hair being curled up, and small white pearl ornaments adorned her golden locks like brilliant stars. Her make-up was only modest, emphasizing her inherent beauty. And she wore an enchanting off-shoulder sacramento-colored ballgown that wrapped around her, making her seem like a walking flower.

“You’ve grown so much. Our Highness is a lady now,” Evelyn said, catching Vivian's gaze as she looked lovingly at her in the mirror. It was akin to how a parent would witness their own child growing up—except in this case, it was far more special than that. Knowing that Madam Evelyn told her that she was incapable of bearing and that she couldn’t have her own children, it was like she was saying that she was her own daughter.

Because of this, she made an expression that seemed like she was about to cry and she embraced the elder woman in a comforting hug, “Thank you, Miss Lyn, for always taking care of me.”

Evelyn simply returned the hug with a palm on her back, careful not to break any of the maids' earlier designs or arrangements on her. She then stepped away from Vivian with a joyful smile.

“Now, have fun tonight.”

***

The trumpets blared as the whole venue was occupied by a great crowd, and the guards finally opened the entrance door, allowing the aristocratic families to enter amid their clamorous discussion. Every single person was well-dressed and openly showed off their luxurious accessories. From the men's golden cufflinks to the women's sparkling jewelry. From the extravagant emblems to the individuality of each dress' style.

The Emperor, who was seated on the throne at the stage with the Empress and Vivian, was glad to discover that their guests had dressed appropriately for the occasion. The one event they've all been looking forward to.

The Crown Prince’s coming-of-age celebration.

As the people present mingled, their voices became increasingly louder. However, the trumpets abruptly tolled again, making everyone fall silent and cease what they had been doing. When the trumpets emanated, the sound was different from the first time they had arrived, and they all knew what the meaning of the pattern of music was as they all stood up to welcome the incoming person.

"Ladies and gentlemen, His Highness the Crown Prince, Claude Beaumont von Lexington!”

The doors opened steadily as a man slowly emerged from the foyer, and the crowd began clapping. He came to a halt for a minute while he took a look at the people in front of him, a gesture highlighting his status as a prince, as if the rest of them were people who were naturally beneath him. He was also wearing a black suit with golden embroidery—something that symbolized both power and wealth. And he was the only one in the entire place dressed in it.

As Claude went down the set of stairs and passed by, the men bent their heads in a bow whilst the women curtsied as if he were something that disrupted the tranquil waves of the sea. He then reached the stage as their Majesties and the princess sprang up in a traditional greeting, and they waited for him to take his seat before sitting back again.

“We humbly greet their Majesties and their Highnesses, congratulations on your coming-of-age.”

Suddenly, a woman showed up in front of them, followed by two more people, one of whom was a younger woman and the other a man. They all bowed before them, and the woman smiled courteously as she beckoned to their group, “I am Celeste Ambrose. This is my daughter, Elizabeth. And this is Klaus, my husband. We come from the Marquis family.”

Both the Emperor and the Empress returned their greetings while Claude nodded his head in acknowledgement, both parties having a brief talk to get to know one another. It was the first time they'd arranged an event for the Crown Prince, and everyone was looking forward to finally meeting him as an adult.

When the Marquis family had finished conversing, the next household came forward and did the same activity, greeting and sparking a small discussion. They did this because it was a custom for them that whenever the imperial family hosted a ceremony at the palace, each aristocratic family would one by one give their salutations to the royal members as a sign of respect.

A few hours had passed by and Vivian only sat on the princess' chair, remaining silent while everyone else talked. No one seemed to be interested in her because everyone was too focused with the Crown Prince and pleasing their Majesties. If there were any times that she recalled joining in the conversation, the noble family would always only ask her well-being out of formality and the conversation with her would end after she answers.

Nonetheless, she was thankful since she didn’t have to perform her duties as a princess. Entertaining guests was something she had come to dislike because she feared they might question her about matters that she didn’t understand as an aristocrat.

After a while, the ceremony progressed on to the evening ball dance, and everyone became enthused about the enterprise. Men walking to their lovers or spouses, while young men invited the daughters of the households to a dance.

Since he was the center of attention of the event, it wasn’t difficult for Claude to chose a woman from the crowd as his partner, and he could already be seen performing with a certain lady. Vivian, on the other hand, still sat besides the Emperor and the Empress as her face struggled hard not to reflect boredom. At this point, she was just trying to get through the night now without making herself appear rude to others.

Until, all of a sudden, a young man with crimson hair that was her age walked to the stage in front of her. Although no words had been exchanged between them yet, one could already predict what was going to occur next. Eventually, the man bowed and smiled as he offered his hand to her.

"Your Highness, may I have this dance?"

Hearing the question, Vivian paused for a second, reluctant to believe he was encouraging her to dance. It was most likely because it was her first time out to socialize with the nobility, as her stepmother had never allowed her to do so previously. She then gave the Empress a short glance as if she was asking a question, and Ophelia nodded her head in consent.

“You’ve already been taught what you need to know. Do not dishonor me and give them a well-deserved show. Understood?”

The girl then bowed slightly as her indication that she was listening to her, despite that Her Majesty's voice was in a whisper, "Yes, mother."

Vivian then rose up from her seat as she came down the stage before finally taking his hand.

"If I remember correctly, you're Ethan Montague from the Count family, right?" she asked, recalling the families who had introduced themselves to them earlier. She actually couldn't remember everyone because there were so many, but she recognized him in particular since she spotted him staring at her before, which made her wonder.

“I'm honored that the royal princess remembered me,” chuckled the young man as he swung his hand with hers, moving their figures in a different direction as they danced together. “Also, congratulations to His Highness. I'm confident he'll have a wonderful future ahead of him, and I wish him nothing but the best.”

Vivian lifted one of her eyebrows in confusion as she glanced at him with a simper, “Isn't it best for you to tell him this directly? It sounded like you were wishing for my place instead of my brother.”

“Then, won't yours be soon as well?”

“I'm nineteen years-old.”

“Ah,” the son of the Count made a surprised reaction as he processed her words, but it then slowly turned into a delighted look. “Then you still have two years ahead before yours will be honored, that’s good. Mine was celebrated half a year ago.”

Vivian couldn’t help but smile at his easygoing demeanor, as she bent her head to bow slightly to him, "I'm aware that it's late, but congratulations then, Lord Montague.”

“Please, call me Ethan.”

“Ethan?” her gaze darted upwards to meet his eyes as her features displayed a concerned expression. Won’t that be too soon for them? The girl was sure she had just met him once, and that was only today. However, when the male didn't say anything more and instead flashed her a grin, she knew he was insisting on being addressed as the name he told her.

“Alright, Ethan. Then please, you may also call me Gwyneth.”

“Thank you very much.”

The conversation between them temporarily came to a rest, as they both listened to the background noise. They could hear the orchestra playing classical music and the voices of the audience surrounding them. It was calm, to say the least, and Vivian enjoyed the way their bodies danced as if they were effortlessly gliding across the dance floor.

Nevertheless, the evening of ballroom dancing came to an end, and the duo parted ways to bid farewells.

"Thank you, Gwyneth, it was an honor to dance with you. I'll see you again next time, hopefully," Ethan then bowed to her, whereas she curtsied in response.

"Likewise, I appreciate you inviting me. Please be safe on your journey back later."

And thus, that was the end of her night. Vivian expected that it would be a little monotonous for her, but it actually ended with an unexpected twist. It was her first dance, even if she was only pretending to be a nobility, and she believes she won’t forget this moment. Well, that was what the perspective looked like, for her at least.

Unknowingly that a pair of crystalline blue eyes were observing her from afar as she danced with another man.