Chapter 63: Ballroom
Classes went on as normal. Or that’s what Elidranthia had hoped. Alas, her wish didn’t last long, for Prince Ludwin, out of nowhere, came to her table in the cafeteria and handed her an invitation to a royal banquet in his castle.
“Lady Elidranthia, joy be with you, for I, Prince Ludwin Althemer, shall invite you to my birthday party in the castle. Here is the invitation. Do you have a dress?”
“...” Eli stared at Ludwin and his entourage for a moment before words could come out of her mouth.
Why did he invite me? Isn’t there another girl he should be inviting? Like Margareth or Ronya, for example?
Through her nobility class, Eli knew that direct invitations like this usually meant dancing in the ballroom, and it also told her that Prince Ludwin was interested in Eli and wished to know her better. But Eli was a mere count’s daughter. Just because she was a mage didn’t mean she could jump through hoops to dance with a prince.
Princes and princesses are usually engaged to dukes’ daughters and sons. Especially now that he would inherit the throne. Duke Bron had a granddaughter, Ronya, while Duke Luca had a daughter, Margareth. Both had no flaws. They have been groomed specifically to become queen. Eli wondered why Prince Ludwin asked her out instead.
Eli stood there frozen as Ludwin handed her the envelope. Refusing would be far too rude. But accepting it would bring a lot of enemies to her side. Jealous dukes’ daughters would surely harass her after this.
“I am grateful for your consideration, Your Highness. But I don’t think I am worthy of your grace. Um… shouldn’t you be considering Margareth or Ronya?”
“Well, your skill with magic interests me. Moreover, I heard you had patronized several students from the scholar course. I heard that with your patronage, they had soared to the top of their class. That’s exactly what a mage should be doing. That’s why I wanted to invite you to my birthday. As for Margareth and Ronya… well, they would come even if I didn’t invite them, right? Why should I invite them?” Ludwin shrugged. Eli could almost see his entourage facepalming.
“Well. I shall gratefully accept.” With no other way to refuse, Eli received the invitation with dread. She could feel the eyes of her peers bore deep into her.
“Ah, your maid can come too. She is your personal maid, after all. See you soon.” Ludwin left.
“Alicia.”
“Yhes?” Alicia said while stuffing her mouth with spaghetti drenched in tomato sauce. This dumb girl was undoubtedly ignorant about the predicament Eli faced.
“We need to talk,” Eli then dragged her into her room. Then, once they were alone, Eli grabbed her by the collar. “Tell me everything you know! Your prophecy is what caused this! You know I don’t want to be associated with him!”
“I mean… That’s what the NovelPhoenix said. No matter how you resist, the prince was just interested in you. Eli in the NovelPhoenix didn’t like the prince either,” Alicia shrugged.
“How do I refuse him?” Eli said.
“You can just ignore or refuse him politely. Just say you are busy or not interested.”
“You know that’s not going to work! Hasn’t Laura told you about etiquette? It’s extremely rude to refuse someone from a higher rank!” Eli said. Her voice rose as frustration threatened to burst out from her because of her dumb maid’s prophecy.
“I mean… What’s going to happen if you refuse? It’s not like they would suddenly execute you. In the NovelPhoenix, Eli mostly ignored Ludwin’s advances, and she was fine,” Alicia said as she sat down and continued her lunch.
For your information, it’s not allowed to bring food inside your room. Yet nobody seemed to berate Alicia for stealing the cafeteria’s plates and bringing them to their room.
“... Is it okay to just ignore or outright refuse Ludwin’s attempt?” Eli said. “Is this one of your prophecies? Is it really going to be okay?”
Eli was hesitant. She was smart enough not to ignore the social etiquette taught to her. Alicia was dumb, and people knew that. So her brash attitude was often ignored. But if she were to do the same, people would assume she was hostile toward the crown.
“Is it really okay to refuse him, Alicia? What’s going to happen if I refuse him?” Eli asked Alicia once again for confirmation. Will she ride this ship? It looked as if this ship was made from mud, but this ship had proven to be correct not just once but twice.
“Yes. Yes. You can ignore him or even outright refuse him. Well, as for what would happen… I guess Ludwin would fall for you even harder.” Alicia tried her best to remember about Ludwin’s story in the NovelPhoenix, but nothing came to mind. Ludwin was just a side character after all.
“Is he a masochist? What a pervert!” Eli almost shrieked. “So, what’s going to happen if I go for the reverse? What if I pamper or show him love? Would he reject me? No. But if that were to happen, I would be exiled.”
Eli said. If she showed an interest in Ludwin and he rejected her, other girls would make fun of her, and she would be ostracized. But if she refused him, other girls might think she was being arrogant. There is no winning this!
“Well. Good luck,” Alicia said as she patted Elidranthia’s shoulder. She then took her empty plate to the cafeteria. Alicia didn’t want to entertain a debate where Eli didn’t even know what she wanted.
“Ugh… Alicia…” Eli kneeled down in anguish as Elena rummaged through her wardrobe looking for a dress she would wear tonight.
Night came fast. Several carriages were parked before the academy as several butlers and coachmen in uniform stood at attention. Eli wasn’t the only one who was invited. Any noble sons and daughters were invited as well. Hell, practically every noble child was invited. This was the crown prince’s birthday after all. If they weren’t invited, that meant they were ostracized or were deemed unimportant, such as third sons or daughters of barons.
Eli really, really didn’t want to come. But she resigned herself to attending, as not attending would be far too rude.
“Wait a minute. Alicia said it would be okay to ignore Ludwin, right? Does that mean it would be fine not to attend?” Eli pondered as noble sons and daughters came for the carriage one by one.
“Well, let’s not attend then. I’m sure Prince Ludwin won’t even notice that I am gone. I mean, he was practically surrounded by other girls at the banquet later.” Eli dragged Alicia, and they decided to return to her room. Alicia, who didn’t have any interest in attending the banquet to begin with, followed her without resistance. As the carriage left, Eli felt she had won. She had ditched the bothersome invitation.
“Arghh! Lady Elidranthia! What have you done! Did you just ditch a prince’s direct invitation? We are going to get hanged for treason!” Elana, the normal maid, was horrified when she found Eli returning to her room.
“Well. I forgot something. Um… Yes. I forgot my silver steak knife. Ah! Alicia had also forgotten her sword!” Eli said as she turned away, making excuses.
“Here! Let’s go back and hire a carriage! We might still make it in time!” Elana threw Eli’s beloved silverware and Alicia’s sword to them and dragged them outside to the gate.
“But there is no way the castle would accept some random carriage, right? Let’s just skip and make excuses, like saying I am sick or that I don’t have a dress adequate for the prince’s party,” Eli nodded down, faking a sad frown, yet her grin was apparent. She didn’t want to attend.
“At the very least, we must notify the castle guard. Let’s go!” Elana said as they went for the gate. Alas, fate said otherwise. Even when she tried to sabotage herself, she was failing at failing.
“Lady Elidranthia. Did you forget something?” Ludwin came up behind her like a ghost.
“Hieek!” Eli jumped. She didn’t expect to get ambushed like this. “Y-y-your highness! Um… didn’t you go to the banquet?”
“I am the main star of the banquet. I must arrive last,” Ludwin said. “So, why didn’t you come with the previous carriage?”
“Um… Yeah. I mean… Um… I forgot something.” She turned around. Elana answered on her behalf.
“Yes, Your Highness. Alicia forgot her sword and Lady Elidranthia forgot her utensils.” Elana said as she kneeled, her head almost pressed to the cobblestone. Eli almost followed suit, but she didn’t want to ruin her dress while Alicia merely watched over her with ignorance.
“Geez, you should have paid attention, Elidranthia. That’s not like you to forget things. There is no way the carriage will wait for you just because you have an invitation. You aren’t a princess. Well, I think we still have some room in my carriage. Let’s go.” Ludwin sighed.
“Um… I don’t want to be a bother.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind! Um… sorry for intruding.” Eli bowed down, feeling ashamed.
“Should I ride another carriage or sit with the coachman?” Alicia was about to ride along with Elidranthia, but she remembered the barest amount of etiquette she had learned from Elena.
She shouldn’t even have asked. Maids and butlers had their own separate carriages.
“No. You can ride with us. You are just a maid, but you are a mage. Come in,” Ludwin said as she motioned them to went inside the carriage. The lazy guards didn’t even notice Alicia’s sword hanging n her waist.
“So, Prince Ludwin, what games are we going to play on your birthday? Is there a special show?” Alicia asked.
“Nah. Just tea, food, and probably a dance. We do have a top orchestra playing. But that’s about it. Eli, can you do a ballroom dance? They said I have to bring at least one partner there,” Ludwin said. He didn’t look like a kid attending his own birthday, but like a salaryman going to a tedious meeting.
“Well, our etiquette teacher had taught us. But I don’t think I am very good at it.”
“Good. I don’t want to dance with an older girl. They are such show-offs.” Ludwin nodded. With that word, Eli’s fate was sealed.
“Alicia….” Eli eyed her maid, looking for help. But her plea fell on deaf ears. Alicia didn’t even know how to help her. She was just a mediocre university student in her previous life. She was no social butterfly. And this meeting was predestined to happen.
Just as the awkward silence permeated the carriage, a loud explosion rang out outside. Alicia and Eli were shocked to the core. Thanks to their experience, their minds instantly shifted from social mode into combat mode.
“Huh? What’s that?” Ludwin was startled. His bored look was soon replaced with horror.
“We are under attack! Protect Your—ARGHH!!!” Blood splattered on the window.
Eli braced for impact as another explosion overturned her carriage.