Chapter 21

It should be noted that in the Hazar Empire, the throne was often used by high-ranking nobles at similar social events to demonstrate that they were the main figures of the social event in question.

This, of course, applies to the head of the household, regardless of whether it's his birthday or not, as well as to any other member of the family.

And yet, not only was Princess Ekaterina the only one who used that seat of honor, which she should have shared with her entire family at this important celebration where almost all the nobles of the Hazar Empire were present... But a simple magical beast accompanied her in this custom that should only be for people enlightened by the gods!

It was too absurd!

None of them could understand why they had made such an absurd decision.

Some nobles were even tempted to subtly mock them, especially duchesses of equal rank to Mireia, who should have been responsible for the party's theme and all its preparations as the hostess of the house... but the sight of the six people along with the horned rabbit left them all breathless.

The same for those who were still quite bewildered by this never-before-seen act, not even the thought of secretly mocking what they saw crossed their minds, not before their entire attention was completely focused on the Dranalian family.

Duke Astaroth today wore a formal black uniform resembling that of a military man with his blond hair slicked back and a solemn expression that was magnificently manifested by his beautiful ice-blue eyes, elevating his charismatic aura completely and causing the single women among the guests to inwardly sigh at how handsome he was, regretting that he was married.

Duchess Mireia looked charming in her snow-white dress and her hair flowing in waves down her back, her beautiful golden eyes shining like two suns with happiness at being able to celebrate her daughter's birthday without any problems.

Her custom-made ball gown draped her beautiful legs and lightly outlined her alluring figure, making some lords secretly regret not having tried this incredibly beautiful woman in the past, when she wasn't in the overprotective arms of Duke Dranalian.

The eldest princess of Dranalian, Claudia, was wearing a one-piece dress with small golden ruffles in a very similar color scheme to her father's, looking quite adorable and cute even with that slightly exaggerated, bold expression of confidence, though that probably wasn't what she wanted to convey with that outfit.

And at her side were her grandparents, the former Dukes of Dranalian, with affable smiles on their faces as they looked at their granddaughters who did not diminish in the least the dignity that emanated from them thanks to their perfectly aristocratic bearing.

They had aged well, completely healthy, looking elegant in their respective formal attire that complemented their figures and a sharp gaze that did not weaken with the passing of the years, telling everyone not to underestimate them.

But in the end, it wasn't any of them who stole the guests' attention.

Some girls gasped in surprise, and the boys blinked at what they saw. And with good reason... because the star of this party shone brighter than all of them.

I've met Ekaterina-sama several times before... but she really is as beautiful as a morning glory flower today... now I'm completely certain that Ekaterina-sama will take the social scene by storm when she grows a little older just from her looks... she might even become the new flower of high society!

Chinira thought to herself as she looked at Ekaterina's current appearance with admiring eyes.

The little thirteen-year-old girl had always been a lovely-looking young lady, like a beautifully crafted porcelain doll who captivated people with her design that seemed to have been the work of a skilled craftsman.

Whenever she and the others saw her, they were sure that she would become a peerless beauty, and Mimina sometimes expressed her jealousy about this.

She was even prettier than her older sister, something that Cláudia herself seemed especially proud of.

But today... Today Ekaterina was more beautiful than ever!

Although she still looked like a 10-year-old girl, the little Dranalian princess was decorated enough to be ignored, leaving people speechless with her unique beauty.

She wore a beautiful light blue princess dress decorated with sparkling pearls dotted around her like countless stars and silk threads at her hems, slightly exposing her beautiful white shoulders and covering her slender legs, with beautiful floral patterns made of silver-colored thread and a beautifully designed light layered skirt that fell with elegant curves.

The presence of a small tiara as white as the light of the gods adorned her head; with precious jewels of various colors that, however, were overshadowed by the overwhelming charm of its owner, unable to beautify her more than she already was, being someone whose perfection was already evident to anyone who saw her.

And perhaps, for that reason alone, there was no other adornment more valuable on her person, considered unnecessary, something of which many were convinced when observing the appearance of the beautiful young woman who looked absolutely charming with her hair tied back in a braid that slid gently over her shoulder.

Floral embroidery, like that on the birthday girl's dress, will remain in fashion well into summer, demonstrating that the Duchess also wanted her daughter to wear socially conscious fashions. However, there was something different about it, too.

Normally, this type of detailing is only placed on the front, chest, and belly of the dress, but details were also added to the slightly sheer sleeves of the dress, making it look even more beautiful.

Her slightly drooping eyes that shone like the purest gold looked beautiful with her long, delicate eyelashes that seemed capable of breaking with a single touch, shining slightly under the sunlight, and the small smile that adorned her pretty pink lips made her look like those fairy tale princesses whose mere presence wins everyone's affection, melting even the coldest heart with her charisma.

There was a kind of aura emanating from her that made people find her more special than any other, as if just looking into her eyes was enough for her person to enter your heart with extreme ease and you would trust her completely with sincerity, feeling that she is a pure and unassuming maiden who will listen with a generous soul to all your sins and embrace all your good and bad sides with affection.

Although she barely had any expression, that didn't really ruin her appearance; rather, it added a touch of elegance and royal dignity that made it nearly impossible to entertain thoughts of disrespecting her, even with her small frame.

Ekaterina was simply dazzling today. Even the young noblemen of 14, 15, and 16 who had their sights set on more mature girls stared at her with their mouths agape. To them, the girl seated elegantly on the largest throne was more precious than an amethyst gem.

Lady Michelle, the daughter of a marquis who turned 17 this year, was considered the most beautiful woman in all the Empire, with her horse as silver as the moon and her blue eyes as deep as the sky. Yet, compared to the unearthly beauty Ekaterina displayed, her brilliance was rather dull. There's no doubt that when Ekaterina grows a little older, she'll easily steal the hearts of many men with just a small, friendly smile.

Among the young people from the 18 invited noble families, the vast majority developed quite positive feelings toward the young beauty who looked like the pure maiden who serves the gods with grace.

While everyone was stunned by the girl's beauty, the Duchess of Dranalian, Mireia, suddenly raised her voice with a calm voice, full of solemnity that caught the attention of the nobles, while the Duke had his arms crossed with no intention of speaking for now.

“I thank my esteemed guests for putting aside their important duties and coming to our lands to celebrate with us a new year for our little princess.” The beautiful Mireia placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder with a motherly and happy smile that was reciprocated before continuing her speech in a soft but dignified voice, “I couldn’t be happier that none of you have spurned our invitations and bothered with the long journey to be part of this special day, except for a few people. I humbly hope that our preparations to welcome you to this feast will be reward enough for those willing to congratulate my little one on coming into the world, and no matter how humble the gifts you have brought, know that my daughter will embrace them all the same with a happy smile on your faces.”

All the nobles present smiled at this act of courtesy and thanked Duchess Astaroth for her kind words and nodded in recognition. As for who these "individuals who spurned Dranalian's invitation" were, one would have to be a fool not to understand what they were talking about.

After a few more words, the Duke crossed his arms behind his back and spoke for the first time: "Very well, let the party begin."

With a clap from the duke, the attendants who had a direct connection to the duchy immediately headed to the wall and stood there as a crowd of servants suddenly burst through the side doors carrying long round tables, chairs, tablecloths, crockery, flower pots, trays, and carts filled with all kinds of dishes, enormous jugs and bowls with many drinks, baskets of fruit and bread, and much more. They even set up a barbecue, and a chef cooked the meat in front of the guests.

As the nobles watched in amazement, Ekaterina's birthday party hall quickly transformed into a banquet hall. Even on the dais, a long table was placed in front of the throne, where servants began serving dishes to the duke and duchess.

The maids guided the nobles to the sets of round tables and chairs for their use. They were told that the dishes and drinks would be placed on the long tables, that they would be free to choose the dishes and drinks they wanted in any quantity, and that they could eat them near the long table, carry them to their assigned round table, or carry them as they walked through the hall.

It was explained that this type of food was called a buffet by Princess Ekaterina, who one day suddenly came up with it as a suggestion for the party and the proud Duchess happily implemented it.

For these nobles, accustomed to a noble banquet where the host's servants served the food to the guest on plates while he sat at the table, this was a novel experience. Although they doubted that Ekaterina would ever have thought of such a thing as a child, they obviously didn't mention it out loud, as none of them were that stupid.

Some people even came up with the idea of ​​copying this buffet to organize their own social gatherings and parties. And so, Ekaterina started a new trend...

There were various meat dishes, vegetable dishes, egg dishes, fish dishes, bread-based dishes, whether sautéed, baked, roasted, fried, boiled, steamed... every cooking method imaginable. The flavor was rich, the sauce was profound, even far more delicious than the dishes served at the noble feasts they remembered. So, the amount of meat used in the dishes overwhelmed the barons and viscounts, who were unused to consuming such large quantities of meat. Perhaps the meat they would eat in a single dish at the feast would be more than they consumed in a single year.

It was definitely worth coming, they thought. Although the servants with rabbit ears and horns on their heads also caught their attention... quite a bit.

Although if they were honest, it wasn't the strangest thing at a noble party they had visited before.

And this empire had a rather eccentric nobility.

♦♦♦♦

With her family behind her, Ekaterina gazed at the Great East Hall where her birthday celebration was taking place, which was lavishly decorated with banners, flags, and tapestries.

Their family crest was proudly emblazoned inside, with the image of three lions roaring at their enemies, full of dignity that made clear their position as the most powerful ducal house in the empire.

The 150 guests gathered in the enormous hall, including high-ranking civil and military officials from the north—humans, elves, and even the rare gnomes—dressed in formal attire that would have been out of place in 19th-century continental Europe. Some have already begun chatting among themselves about the strangeness of the feast or are sampling the various delicacies laid out on the table while musicians slowly play soft music.

Among the nobles there were also some children and teenagers who occasionally glanced at her, and Ekaterina's attention inevitably fell on one of these young gentlemen.

The child she was subtly watching over was a beautiful boy with hair as black as the darkest night whose complexion, she noticed with arcane eye art, was quite pale like that of a sick person, looking somewhat weak, helpless, but he did not seem to be simply a cute child.

Her aquamarine eyes, as beautiful as an expensive gem, held a depth that seemed beyond that of children her age. She stood, speaking formally and cheerfully with other noble children who stood some distance from their parents, subtly disinterested in whatever topic was being discussed.

I would recognize that face no matter how young I am or how pale my skin is now in contrast to his dark appearance. He is definitely the… eldest son of Duke Obrein… And… He sighed inwardly as he thought… my next capture target.

Feeling somewhat bitter and embarrassed, Ekaterina quickly recalled the system window, which was displaying information about a new chain mission as she continued to glance sideways at the black-haired, sea-blue-eyed boy.

<Chain Quest: The Heart of the Forge>

<The future Master of Smithing, Lunay Shirren von Jaktom, has appeared on your birthday long before his attraction to the fires of the forge was engraved in his heart, sending him into the misery of being unable to use an iron hammer with his own hand due to his status and sinking him into the dark feeling of inferiority towards his younger brother due to the constant reminder of his poor martial and magical talent in comparison. Do your best to get close to him so that he does not become the frivolous noble of ill repute, help him walk the path of the smiths, so that the flames of his passion forge the most powerful weapons of the empire>

Well... it's easier said than done, you know?