Chapter 7-2
1342 Words
The seats in Section A were spacious and comfortable, with elegant nameplates and fresh flowers adorning the tables.
Ella located the nameplate reading "Catherine Darley" and promptly took her place to the right of the head of the table.
She had barely settled in when someone approached her side.
He was Count Edmund of the Blood Clan. Ella recognized him vaguely, though he did not know her.
Dressed in a deep blue velvet tailcoat, his family crest pinned to his lapel, his hair combed immaculately, he had been conversing with his neighbors. But when his gaze fell upon Ella, he paused, his brow furrowing.
"Young lady," Edmund began, his tone tinged with his usual haughtiness, "Have you taken the wrong seat? This belongs to the Hain family. Who are you? What do you do?"
Ella looked up at him. "I am Catherine Dares, special consultant to the Hain family, representing them here. I am a spirit medicine practitioner from Moonlight Glade."
Edmund scrutinized her from head to toe, his eyes widened, then narrowed skeptically. "Consultant? You?"
He snorted derisively before continuing, "Since when does the Hain family hire consultants so casually? A herbalist from Moonlight Glade? Do you think you deserve to sit here? This is the VIP section, you know?"
He pointed at the nameplate in front of Ella. "Did you just pick up this tag somewhere? I advise you to know your place and return to where you belong. You're making a scene."
His loud outburst drew attention from those around them, eyes already turning their way.
Section A was reserved for the truly influential figures. Edmund's voice carried clearly, audible to everyone nearby.
Ella remained silent, instead calmly retrieving a deep purple velvet pouch from her handbag. From within, she took out a badge.
The insignia was small, crafted from a material neither gold nor silver, radiating a warm, antique luster. Its design featured a crescent moon encircling three stars, with an open book placed within its circle.
This was the Hain family crest—a token insignia reserved for core members or significant representatives.
She pinned the emblem to the collar of her long gown.
Her movements were deliberate, yet carried an air of unquestionable authority.
Edmund stared at the insignia, his pupils suddenly contracting.
He recognized it instantly—the genuine Heine family crest. It couldn't be forged, and no one dared to imitate it. The bearer was undoubtedly a member of the Heine family.
The count's previously haughty expression froze instantly. His mouth opened instinctively, as if to speak, yet no words emerged.
His earlier words now felt like a slap across his own face.
After fastening the insignia, Ella turned her gaze back to Edmund, her tone level: "Count Edmund, do I now have the right to sit here?"
Edmund's cheek muscles twitched as he forced a stiff smile. "Of course... of course. My eyesight failed me; I did not recognize your status, my lady. My apologies for the disturbance."
With that, he turned almost immediately and strode back to his seat without another glance in her direction.
A few muffled snorts of derision drifted from nearby, clearly from those who had witnessed the scene.
Ella lifted the water glass on the table, sipped it, and acted as if nothing had happened.
Before long, a faint stir arose near the banquet hall entrance.
Serena Silvermoon glided in, surrounded by several female companions.
She wore a pure white floor-length gown tonight, accentuating her ethereal figure. Her silver-white hair was elegantly pinned up in a bun, radiating regal grace.
A moonstone necklace, emitting a cool, soft glow, adorned her neck.
This necklace perfectly complemented her white gown, instantly capturing the attention of the entire room upon her arrival.
Many gentlemen rose to greet her, while the ladies cast glances of either admiration or envy.
Serena smiled and nodded to acquaintances before following the attendant to her seat.
Coincidentally, just diagonally in front of the Hain family's section—also in Area A—lay another set of seats, quite close by.
As she approached her place, her gaze naturally swept over the neighboring tables, then settled on Ella.
Serena's brow furrowed slightly, and her steps faltered.
She looked at Ella's pale green cotton-linen dress, which stood out starkly against the surroundings, and a cold, dismissive smile touched her lips.
But when she recognized the seat Ella occupied—the main guest seat of the Hain family—a hint of schadenfreude stirred within Selena, a desire to watch the spectacle unfold.
However, just as she was about to walk straight past, she caught sight of the emblem at Ella's collar.
Serena was no stranger to the finer things. One glance told her this was the Hain family crest—specifically, a special insignia reserved for the family's upper echelons.
"Is this the taste of the Hain family?"
Serena muttered inwardly, her eyes flashing with undisguised disgust and contempt.
Sitting so close to someone like that? It was practically dragging her down a notch.
After taking her seat, she turned her head, whispered a few words to a young woman beside her dressed in pink lace, and let her gaze drift in Ella’s direction.
The woman, named Lisa, took her meaning at once. A sly, understanding smile spread across her face as she nodded. She exchanged a knowing glance with her two companions, and all three rose instantly.
Soon, Lisa made her way toward Ella, glass in hand, a cool, calculated smile playing on her lips, her gaze fixed on her target. The other two followed, flanking her on either side to encircle Ella.
"Oh," Lisa began, her voice shrill and thin, dripping with undisguised contempt.
"Well, well, who might this be? Quite unfamiliar. This seat... belongs to the Hain family, doesn't it? Have you perhaps taken the wrong place?"
She deliberately eyed Ella's attire from head to toe with a challenging gaze. "Let me guess… someone’s plus-one? And by ‘plus-one,’ I mean the kind that gets left at the back door. Here to see the world? Quite bold of you. Aren't you afraid the lady of the house will find out?"
The woman on the left covered her mouth with a soft giggle before chiming in, "If you're here to see the world, you ought to dress properly. Dressed like that, are you trying to embarrass your 'master'? A mistress like you wouldn't even pass muster."
"Honestly, I think you're overestimating her. She's no mistress—at best, she's a lowly servant."
The woman on the right spoke with a look of utter disgust.
She pinched her nose while fanning herself with her other hand, her words dripping with venom: "Ugh, do you smell that? It's like... hmm... dust? Or medicinal herbs? It's choking me. Seriously, don't they know this is a high-end banquet? The organizers are far too lenient. Even with an invitation, they shouldn't let someone like that into the banquet hall."
Their voices were neither too loud nor too soft, perfectly audible to several nearby tables.
Not far away, Selena sipped her wine with elegant poise, seemingly uninvolved. Yet the cold smile playing at the corners of her mouth and the look of amusement in her eyes were impossible to conceal.
Nearby guests once again cast glances her way—some curious, others dismissive.
Such an "oddity" appearing in Section A was bound to draw attention.
Facing the trio's barrage of accusations and provocative remarks, Ella's expression remained unchanged.
She merely set down her water glass with deliberate slowness. Then, leaning back lightly, she adopted a languid posture, stretching her limbs. Crossing her long legs, she casually tucked one foot over the other.
A faint, ambiguous smile played at the corners of her mouth, her eyes utterly still, without a ripple.
It was as if everything those three women, barking like dogs, had said had nothing to do with her at all.
Ella didn't look at the three people in front of her. Instead, she shifted her gaze to Selena, not far away.
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