Debutante Party
The day of the debutante. From the moment I woke up, it was a battlefield.
I was woken even earlier than on school days, bathed from head to toe, my hair washed, nails trimmed, body massaged with perfumed oil, manicures done, and both face and back covered in packs.
The leg massage was a mystery to me. I wanted to ask if it was really necessary for parts that would be hidden by the dress, but with Sarah and the others looking so deadly serious, I couldn’t bring myself to say a word.
While they dried my hair, I ate a sandwich and a small cake, then they did my makeup and styled my hair. They placed the hair ornament made from Rosso’s gem and pearls.
Next came the dress fitting. Normally this is where a corset goes on, but since I’ve got visible abs, there’s no need to tighten anything. Instead, I put on the bra that Nikki and I developed, to lift and gather the chest properly. Then came the petticoat and several layers of panniers, heavy. Finally, the off-shoulder gown went on, and they adjusted the shape.
A single strand of pearls at my neck, matching pearl earrings, long gloves reaching above the elbow, and a fan. At last, it was complete.
Led by Sarah, I went to the living room where Father and the others waited. There were my parents, grandparents, Brother Gene, and the twins. Brother Noel was already at the royal castle on guard duty.
““Big Sister!””
The twins ran up to me.
“You look absolutely beautiful!” said Hugo.
“Big Sister, you’re unrecognizable. Much better than usual,” said Lyla.
“Hold on, Lyla. You make it sound like I usually look awful.”
“Well, the raw material’s good, but you never care about fashion.”
“…...”
Ouch. That was harsh, Lyla.
True, she’s more fashion-conscious than me, but still…
“I like you just the way you always are, Big Sister.”
“Hey, Hugo. Don’t spoil her.”
“Ugh! S-sorry.”
Even poor Hugo, who tried to back me up, got scolded.
“All right, that’s enough, you two. Let’s sit down,” said Brother Gene, offering me his hand.
“Ahh. You look stunning, Joan. You’re clearly tonight’s main star. You’ve always been lovely, but tonight, you truly shine.”
“Thank you, Father.”
“I’ll be the one escorting you tonight.”
“Thank you, Brother Gene… Can you even dance?”
“P-probably. I did practice a little. What about you?”
“P-probably?”
“You two, honestly…”
Mother looked exasperated, while Father, Grandfather, and Grandmother smiled wryly.
＊＊＊＊＊
The grand hall glittered, filled with young people.
Adults watched fondly as fresh-faced youths made their debut in society, while the royal orchestra played light, lively tunes fit for the occasion.
“Presenting Margrave Stanley Lampail, Lady Margaret Lampail, Gene Lampail, and Joan Lampail.”
With Brother Gene escorting me, we entered the hall alongside our parents. Everyone we knew smiled warmly at us.
As we lined up to greet the royals, Brother Gene whispered, “Joan, look, over there.”
I followed his gaze, Brother Noel was staring this way… crying.
“What!? Brother Noel’s crying? Why? Is he sick?”
“No, that’s not it. He’s moved. Because it’s your debutante. He wanted to escort you himself, but since he was assigned to security detail instead…”
“Oh… I see. I hope we can dance later, but maybe that’s impossible?”
“It’s fine,” said Mother, who was being escorted by Father just ahead of us. She turned back and smiled. “You’ll get to dance. I got permission from the captain of the Mage Corps.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Apparently, Noel said something ridiculous about quitting if he couldn’t dance at your debutante, so the captain came to report it to me. Honestly, that boy is such an embarrassment.”
“Ahaha…”
Brother Noel, seriously? What are you, a child?
All I could do was laugh dryly.
“Well, it just means you’re loved that much, Joan,” said Father.
“… Yes, I’m happy.”
When I looked back at Brother Noel and waved, he started waving his arm wildly in return.
Is it just me, or did he look like an overexcited big dog wagging his tail?
After greeting His Majesty and the Queen, and listening to the King’s congratulatory speech, the dancing finally began. First came His Majesty and the Queen, then Prince Albert and Cathy, and Prince Fred and Senior Elena, three couples in total dancing at the center of the hall.
“Cathy looks gorgeous.”
“Yeah, she really does. Senior Elena looks extra dashing too!”
“Didn’t think they’d actually become engaged, but they seem happy, so good for them.”
“We’ll have to throw a little girls’ celebration later.”
I had joined up with the Belle family and watched Cathy and Senior Elena’s graceful dance.
When the royals finished, thunderous applause erupted.
“All right, Joan, your turn! Get ready,” said Brother Gene.
“Yes!”
As I prepared to dance with him…
“Hey, you two aren’t heading out for a monster subjugation! Turn off that aura of intimidation!” Mother scolded.
““Yes, ma’am…””
Father and the Belle family chuckled.
After my dance with Brother Gene ended, Brother Noel came quickly over.
“Ah, Joan. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you, Brother Noel. Sorry for interrupting your work.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I really wanted to escort you, though…”
“It can’t be helped. But seeing you prioritize your work is impressive. And the Mage Corps uniform suits you.”
“R-really? Then maybe I’m glad I took the assignment after all.”
“Yes. Because I got to see how cool my Brother Noel looks.”
What do you think about this chapter?
