At the questioning tone of the voice, the wives of the aristocrats present began to rake their eyes through the crowd in search of Nina West.
"She's the one with the red hair, yes?"
"Yes, that's right. She was the one standing quietly in the corner of the banquet."
"I remembered her coming in with Countess West at first, but her first impressions were..."
"Ho Ho! The young lady seems to have a quiet personality. Didn't we all see each other for the first time today?"
"Yes, I can't even remember Countess West's niece's face anymore."
The wives all threw in their first impressions of Nina, and while each woman spoke of their own impressions and first meeting, the meaning behind their words was the same.
Nina West didn't make a strong enough impression to be memorable.
She did not possess a once-in-a-lifetime beauty like Rose Honeywell, nor was she eye-catching enough that a single glance would leave her image imprinted on their minds like the emperor.
The glances the wives exchanged with each other brimmed with the conclusion that even if Nina West submitted an application to the Imperial Palace, the probability of her successfully becoming Tristan's Gloria was low.
Well, it wasn't of any concern. It just meant one less competitor.
Countess West was not a woman who was deaf to their exchange of glances.
Although not truly her niece, Nina was a relative of Elliot Proud, whom she cherished very much.
For that reason alone, the whirling voices of the ladies were enough to get on her nerves and injure her pride.
Countess West deliberately snapped her fan close, causing a loud clap to silence the ladies.
At the sound, the wives' eyes scattered apart as if planned as they were individually subjected to the pointed stare of the Countess.
"Nina will definitely become Tristan's Gloria. If not her, who will be this year's winner?"
At the end of her rant, her surroundings were quiet. No one knew how to answer.
The once friendly ladies gathering circle became quiet as if doused in cold water.
Countess West snorted.
If Nina had come here with Proud's last name, not my last name, she wouldn't be treated like this by everyone.
Nina and Elliot, what are they thinking?
Leaving her confusion behind, Countess West prepared to stand up, not in the mood to talk to other wives for a second longer, but just as she put the fan in a small bag and was about to get up.
"Auntie, would you like to change seats?"
A sweet and friendly voice of a young lady called for her from behind. The Countess knew of only one who would call her by such a title.
Countess West turned around, already knowing who it was that stood waiting for her.
"Yes, Nina, I was tired. I was thinking of taking a break in the break room."
Countess West turned to face the young lady, but upon discovering her, she was speechless.
Nina's aura changed somehow.
Countess West could immediately see the changes.
Her face, which had been lifeless like that of a corpse, turned bright and brimming with an abundance of life force.
Even the blurry green eyes were now as blue and clear as the greenery of midsummer.
Her body, which had resembled the dry branches of a winter's night, had now become rejuvenated like a flower blossoming in spring.
"Oh, is this the Young Lady West?"
"I didn't know earlier, as she hid in the corner, that she was such a gorgeous young girl."
"As Countess West said, she is worthy to become Gloria of Tristan."
The wives of the noblemen changed faces as quickly as turning the palm of their hands.
Nina showed no sign of shyness despite the compliments that showered her.
Countess West moved, shaking off the strange feeling that enveloped the place.
"Nina, I'm going to go to the break room to rest. What are you going to do?"
"I came to visit my aunt because I wanted to go back to the mansion."
"Oh no, why? Where are you sick?"
"It's not that I'm feeling ill. I just finished my business, so I have no reason to be here anymore."
"What did you do...?"
Countess West inquired, but Nina made no effort to answer.
Countess West, who looked into her eyes for a moment, nodded.
"Alright, let's return to the mansion. I was about to go to the break room to rest anyway. It's better to rest at the mansion, so let's go."
When Countess West left, Nina followed.
The two ordered the waiting attendant to bring the West family's carriage, and the two of them left the party to get into the carriage.
Walking down the quiet corridor, Countess West drew Nina into some light conversation.
"Nina. How was the Imperial Palace's banquet? Is this your first time at the Imperial Palace's banquet hall?"
Perhaps from Nina, the Countess expected only a simple, one-word answer.
"Yes. It was my first time, so everything was amazing. The Imperial Palace was definitely different from what I'm used to. Everything was gorgeous, and I think it will be an unforgettable day. I also ate some of the prepared food, which is great."
However, contrary to Countess West's expectations, Nina took the time to answer her properly, even pointing out aspects of her evening that she enjoyed.
She's even spoken of the food served without being asked.
Surprised, Countess West stopped and turned around.
"Nina?"
"Yes. What's wrong, Aunt?"
Rather, when Nina responded calmly, it embarrassed Countess West, who then said it was nothing and turned around again.
When they arrived at the end of the steps, the West family's carriage was already waiting for the two of them.
A knight working in the Imperial Palace waited at the entrance and opened the door of the carriage.
The Countess West and Nina climbed into the carriage, took their seats, and the coachman set off.
Not long after the carriage began to move, Nina called for Countess West.
"Countess?"
"Yes?"
"I seemed to recall you discussing the Gloria of Tristan earlier."
"Haa... So you heard? Around this time of year, the young ladies from aristocratic families who desire to become Gloria of Tristan submit their applications to the Imperial Palace."
Countess West examined Nina's reaction.
She said she would make Nina the Gloria of Tristan, but that was purely based on her personal opinion. The opinion of Nina, the party involved, was not taken into account at that time.
Will Nina try to run for Tristan's Gloria?
It was belatedly followed by worry, but fortunately, the worry soon disappeared.
"If you'll excuse me, can I take West's last name and go to Gloria in Tristan?"
Nina is saying that she wants to be nominated herself.
Countess West's face lit up.
"Of course. Even if you didn't, I was thinking of writing your name on the application form and submitting it to the Imperial Palace."
"Thank you."
"Ah! It's my pleasure! It is also the dream of every woman in Tristan to earn the honorable title of Gloria of Tristan."
Gloria of Tristan was a dream, even for Countess West.
Before getting married, she also submitted an application, but unfortunately, it was filtered out of the emperor's hands, and she couldn't even set foot in the temple.
As she only had a son, Countess West was very happy that Nina was participating in Tristan's Gloria nomination.
If Nina is nominated and goes to the temple, then it won't be too late to send a letter informing Elliot, right?
A small hum left the Countess West's mouth.
Looking at her like that, Nina tilted her head and opened her mouth.
"Countess?"
"Yes?"
"Did you hear anything from Duke Proud? It seems like quite some time has passed since we left the capital."
"Ah? No, I haven't received any word from him yet."
Countess West waved her hand with a tired expression.
"They said that the culprit of the terrible incident that occurred in the Rosenberg Marquisate hadn't left behind any clues worth following, so he had to stay there for a while. I'm not worried for Elliot's safety as I know he will be safe... Though it's been a long time since he's been away for this long, except for the time he was in the academy dormitory, so I'm worried in a different way."
"The clues to the culprit are hard to track..."
"Yes. On a better note, the Marquise Rosenberg is safe, so at least there's that."
Countess West involuntarily sighed deeply.
Nina stared at her blankly before wordlessly turning away. Her fingers resting on her lap began to tap the hem of her skirt at regular intervals.
The banquet concluded quickly.
As the coming-of-age banquet came to an end, Wells and Rose left their seats with Russell and headed directly for the carriage.
At the entrance of the Imperial Palace, a procession of carriages waited patiently to pick up their owners, stretching as far as the eye could see.
In another secluded area, away from the procession, an Imperial knight hurriedly ran to Wells' side, who was about to climb into the carriage.
After assisting Rose into the carriage first, Wells put his foot on the carriage's footrest and turned his head at the sound of the knight's galloping.
"Duke Honeywell, you should go to His Majesty with due haste."
"...I see."
Wells, who read the seriousness in the stiff face of the knight, replied straight away without questioning.
He sat in the carriage and looked at Rose, who watched him silently.
"Rose, you should leave for the Manor first."
"Did something happen?"
"It appears so. I don't know what's going on, but I'll have to go back now. Wait a moment, and I will send you a knight escort."
"Alright, brother."
Rose followed Wells' advice without another word, having already experienced a kidnapping while being alone in the carriage, which taught her a lesson in caution.
She did not have the confidence to return to the manor alone without Wells.
He bit his lip and closed the carriage door.
"You stay here for a while. I will soon send a knight to escort the carriage."
"All right. His Majesty..."
The knight whispered in Wells' ear about the location of Russell.
Upon hearing the location from him, Wells' eyes widened. He moved hastily.
It's not running per se, but he walked away as fast as possible.
When Rose noticed the knight standing in front of the carriage door, alert, she felt a sense of relief.
"What happened?"
Rose, remembering the voice of the knight who had been talking to Wells just before, remembered the seriousness that explained the tense atmosphere and made her curious.
She moved to the window and looked out.
Although the banquet venue could not be seen from where the carriage was, Rose did not take her eyes off the splendid building of the Imperial Palace towering beyond the window.
"If I had been the Duke of Honeywell, I would have been able to help His Majesty even in the smallest of things."
Though I've never really wanted a title in my life,
As Rose was an aristocratic woman, she just naturally thought of the things that would follow.
Marriage, childbirth, social life, and so on.
I have vaguely imagined getting married someday, having a child someday, and attending social gatherings consistently even if I don't like it someday, but I've never imagined myself receiving a title.
"Uhm, Duke Rose Honeywell...? Hmm... No. Ha! No matter how old I look or how I look at it, my older brother precedes me, so I won't be given the title of duke anyway. Hmm, but maybe... How does Baron Rose Honeywell sound?"
Rose envisioned others calling her 'Baron Honeywell' instead of 'Lady Honeywell'.
Even though it was imaginary, her face was stained with embarrassment at just the thought of such a thing.
"I don't think it suits me. Well, it's not often that women are given titles, even on rare occasions. It's true that Allison also inherited the title from her husband, the Marquis of Rosenberg, rather than receiving it."
Rose banged her head lightly on the window sill.
The sound of her flesh hitting the thick glass was soft, but the knight right in front of the door probably heard it and turned abruptly toward the window.
"Oh my!"
Rose quickly corrected her slumped, unladylike form before making eye contact with the knight. Their eyes met embarrassingly.
"Ah..."
Rose laid down on the carriage chair and slowly closed her eyes.
"It's the first time I've ever been so envious of my brother, the duke, like today."
Rose let out a laugh as she vanquished such outlandish thoughts.
A voice was heard from outside the carriage announcing that a knight had arrived to escort her safely to the manor, saying that he had come on the order of her beloved brother.
The carriage shook, and with a rattling movement, Rose slowly fell asleep.