54: Subtle reminders

Subtle reminders

The Lanarkian masquerade ball was a grand affair where guests revelled in a luxurious atmosphere while keeping their identities hidden behind their masks. This was only the case for the noblemen. Noblewomen had different troubles to deal with.2

Standing in front of her vanity table, with the Baroness positioned behind her, Adela gazed tearfully into the mirror as the Baroness looked on with pity.

"Come now, My Lady, it will improve your posture. You wouldn't want to spoil your smoky eye makeup, would you?" she asked, tightening the laces to ensure the corset was secure.

"Baroness… I cannot breathe!" 

Baroness Frieda made sure that the corset was not biting into Adela's side. She gently smiled at her in the mirror, ignoring the Lady's suffering.

"It is perfect, I shall tie it now,"

Perfect? Adela wasn't even sure if the masquerade ball was still on! She squeezed her eyes shut, recollecting the uncomfortable silence that had lingered between her and Claude during their walk back home from the market two days prior.

I should not have ignored him…

The Crown Prince spent the remainder of that day with the Archduke in his study, not emerging even for supper. By nighttime, Kaiser had locked himself in one of the guest rooms, while Claude had departed from the manor.

"It has been two days," Adela said softly, sighing out the words with concern for her cousin.

Placing both palms on the vanity table, she focused on taking deep breaths to combat the tightness of the corset. Her gaze drifted down to the elegant invitation she had received the day before for the masquerade ball.

Her head throbbed.

"Here, raise your hands up," the Baroness declared happily, holding the dress that the Archduchess had chosen for the occasion on her arm.

The Baroness assisted Adela in donning a stunning hunter-green, long-sleeved sequin dress. Adela was taken aback by how well it looked on her reflection in the mirror, the only drawback being its backless design.

"Baroness, do you think an up-do hairstyle would be appropriate?"

"My Lady, it is a stunning dress," the Baroness replied confidently. She knew all too well who would be escorting Adela tonight and had no care in the world so long as he was by her side.

"…Did you speak to my mother again about attending the ball?" Adela asked.

The Baroness nodded grimly, then shook her head.

"Is that so…"

As if it was not enough to worry about the guest of honor, Adela also had to concern herself with the Archduchess's feelings. Her mother had declined to attend the event at the neighboring estate, stating that her conscience was clear since it was not what they had originally agreed upon. Adela could have made more of an effort to persuade her mother, but a little voice inside her told her that the Archduchess was too worried about her husband to leave him alone at such a time.

I must do something to cheer father up... She promised that it would be the first thing she does once the ball is over.

She tightened her grip on the table, feeling a different kind of ache in her chest as she recalled someone else who wasn't feeling well the last time she saw him.

"Will he even be there?" she muttered.

The Baroness who was just finishing the final adjustments to Adela's attire looked up and smiled, "The Crown Prince would not miss the event for the world, do not worry about it,"

"…"

The faint blue circles around her eyes had been the reason why the Baroness had opted for the smoky look in the first place. Night after night, she waited by a closed window, struggling not to open it, and eventually losing the battle. But Egon never came to visit her again.

"Your elegance is truly striking, My Lady," The Baroness remarked with a sniffle, pressing her handkerchief delicately to her nose. "A vision in emerald...Gentlemen will undoubtedly be queuing up to request a dance with you."

All the compliments reminded Adela of the true beauty in the house.

"Is Larissa ready?"

Hearing her name from behind the closed door, Larissa barged in before receiving permission, earning a flat look from the Baroness.

She smiled apologetically at her before turning to Adela. "My, don't you look stunning!"

Adela turned around to face her sister, clad in a floating white gown reminiscent of an Emorian bride on her wedding day.

"Look who's talking, you look absolutely gorgeous!"

The two sisters giggled, but Adela had a pressing question for Larissa.

"Will your knight be escorting you?" she asked.

Larissa blushed. "No, Andreas will be accompanying me."

There it was again, the familiar sensation that Adela experienced every time she thought of her sister and Andreas together - a mixture of happiness and an ominous premonition that she tried to push away as far as possible. All she wanted was for Larissa to be content.

"Don't worry, Adela, Mother already knows," Larissa reassured her.

That was a significant piece of news.

"Are you..." Adela's gaze fell upon Larissa's white gown, which now carried a different meaning. "Are you and Andreas courting?"

A radiant smile crept across Larissa's lovely face, one that Adela would always recall. She hurried to embrace her sister, being careful not to disrupt their final appearance.

"Andreas von Conradie is the luckiest man in the world," she exclaimed.

Larissa held back tears of joy. "Adela, I know you're worried about Father, but he will be fine...And you will be with the man your heart desires soon enough!"

The Baroness cleared her throat uncomfortably, but the three of them couldn't help but laugh at the sudden tension.

"On that note...Who will be escorting you to the ball?" Larissa asked.

Adela grinned. "Arkin, of course,"

It was quite peculiar, but Adela could have sworn that Larissa looked somewhat relieved upon hearing this news.

"Well then, let's retrieve our masks and be on our way," Adela said.

"Right! That's why I came here in the first place." Larissa reached inside the hidden pocket of her dress and withdrew two small boxes. "These were delivered to us, courtesy of the fugitive." Larissa raised an eyebrow.

Adela opened the box with her name engraved on it and gasped.

"...We already chose something else," Larissa protested.

She took a deep breath before turning back to her sister's indecisive expression. "These masks remind us of who we are, Larissa. I'll wear mine with pride, and so should you."

Shaped like the wings of a falcon, similar to the ones on the de Lanark family crest, Adela held her head high as she placed the mask over her eyes.

My heart may falter, but my actions will never fail my family...

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