Chapter 64
“What do you mean, ‘departure’? We have to go to Roanoke. Your nineteenth birthday is coming up, right? We have to go to this year’s debutante ball! Even if I don’t care, you have to go.”
Debutante ball? Ellen hadn’t even thought about it.
It seemed Roil immediately read her thoughts.
“Look at you. You have to go this time. You’re the right age—seventeen to nineteen—for this year’s debutante ball. You’ve been busy with everything, and last year the ball didn’t even happen because of the rebellion, so this is your only chance.”
“Ah… I see.”
“You ‘see’?”
“Yeah. A couple of months ago, I sent Neshu to meet the others. Both Serel and Erica asked me if I’ve been taking care of my hands.”
At that, Roil looked at Ellen’s hands. They appeared fair and soft, but the tips of her middle fingers had some ink stains, and calluses marked her knuckles.
It must have been from practicing with the bow, throwing knives, and daggers. Roil knew Ellen practiced without even wearing gloves.
It was impressive that she hadn’t neglected practice—but at the same time, it made him worry.
“I see… what about your hands?”
“I’ll start taking care of them from today, I guess… though I’ll probably get scolded when I meet the others.”
Ellen looked down at her hands, touching each callus, and exaggeratedly made a frightened face.
“The debutante ball is… around the thirtieth day of autumn, right?”
“Somewhere around then… probably.”
Neither of them had peers who had attended a debutante ball, so they weren’t sure of the exact date. Roil tried recalling from a previous etiquette class.
‘Ugh. All I seem to remember is weapon use and tactics.’
No matter how hard he tried, his memory was fuzzy. He was surprised that his recollection had faded so much in just a few years.
“A little over a month left? Eek, just a month?”
Ellen exclaimed in surprise as she roughly calculated the date.
“It’ll take forever to prepare, and since we can’t teleport, we have to get to Roanoke on our own!”
She froze in her seat.
“Since you have a ‘pocket,’ we won’t need a luggage carriage, and not many attendants will be required. The Roanoke estate has servants too. If we travel with a minimal group and ride horses quickly, it’ll take about a month. But your stamina… that’s the question. A carriage would be tough. Even if we left today, it would barely make it in time.”
Roil rattled off the logistics to the dazed Ellen.
“Yeah. I prefer horses over a carriage anyway. Even with two cushions, the ride’s still rough. And no matter how good the carriage is, the roads in this world need repaving. But that’s not the problem now… traveling a month on horseback…”
“Getting there is probably doable, but your dress and jewelry are the real problem. I don’t know much, but I think it takes a long time to prepare them. It’ll be difficult to get ready immediately.”
“Yeah, it’ll be hard. I’ll have to talk to Mom. What about your outfits? You just got back today and probably don’t have anything to wear. You’ve grown quite a bit too.”
“I guess I could get something simple. After all, it’s the women who get noticed at the debutante ball, not the men. Honestly, men don’t even have to go.”
Originally, the debutante ball was primarily for young noblewomen coming of age, but eventually noblemen of the same age also began attending, and it became tradition.
Even so, it was still the women who placed more importance on it. If a woman reached the appropriate age but didn’t attend, it implied some issue, while men occasionally skipped it without much consequence.
Roil himself wasn’t particularly interested in the ball, and with the estate’s pressing matters, he hadn’t planned to participate—until he remembered that Ellen had to go.
“I’m actually on my way home after taking measurements. I don’t know much about design, so I told them to handle it themselves.”
“Hmm.”
Ellen let out a sigh, scribbled something on a note, and attached it to the necklace of Neshu, who had been rolling around nearby.
“Go visit Erica, then stop by Serel. Make it quick.”
Neshu, stretching his back on the floor, glanced up at Ellen in mild annoyance and dashed out the window.
“What’s that about?”
Roil asked, watching the scene.
“Erica is in Edelhain. I asked her what dress designs are popular in Roanoke now. Serel isn’t too familiar with the estate, so I asked Neshu to check with him as well.”
“Even if you check the trends now, I think we’re running out of time.”
“That’s true, but we need to know anyway. Hopefully the current trend isn’t some ridiculous ruffled monstrosity—it’d take too long to make and would be heavy to wear.”
Roil chuckled at Ellen’s expression, which twisted in disgust at the thought of a waist-straining dress. Their playful gaze met as they sat across from each other.
“So, your hard work begins again?”
Ellen teased. Roil caught on immediately.
“You talk like you’re not working hard yourself.”
“I’m used to it. I’ve been doing it for the past two years while you were away. Work keeps increasing, but it doesn’t feel like a burden anymore. I guess it’s natural for work to pile up over time.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“Tch.”
Ellen clicked her tongue at Roil in mild mockery, and he laughed while straightening up.
“I should get going.”
“Already?”
“If we’re leaving for Roanoke, you need to get ready, and I have work to do.”
“Want me to help? I’m pretty good at it now.”
Ellen offered to assist, having become familiar with the work over the past two years.
“No, this time Dad left a secretary behind.”
“What about him?”
“He said he picked up a capable person earlier. Since he’s been trained, Dad took him along. The secretary stays to manage the estate.”
“Is that okay? Isn’t his work more urgent?”
Roil shrugged.
“Dad must have his reasons. Plus, with the war prolonging, estate management was neglected, so it needs more attention now.”
“True. Lately, estate matters have increased, and public sentiment needs more care.”
“Yeah. That’s probably why he left the secretary. Honestly, I’m fine with it. I was a bit worried about the work, but now I’ll learn a lot.”
“Wanna hear something scarier? Soon, this will be our lifelong work, and we’ll bear all responsibility.”
Ellen shivered at the thought.
“Why do you have to say scary things like that?”
Roil muttered, looking pale.
During their conversation, Roil passed the stairs to the first floor. Ellen, following absentmindedly, realized something was odd and called after him.
“Roil, where are you going?”
“To escort you?”
“Where am I going?”
“To Mom’s office.”
“….”
Ellen stared at him with wide, dismayed eyes. She had to go back to Mom’s office eventually, but the fact that Roil was escorting her made it irritating.
‘Why has he become so annoying?’
Still, Roil steadily walked toward Gloria’s office.
“You’ll go back to work after I leave, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“Then don’t escort me, just go in.”
Roil smiled slightly.
“Don’t forget to tell Mom about your dress first.”
“Hurry, hurry! I’m not going down to the first floor!”
Ellen waved her hand, urging him to go. Roil waved back and backed toward the stairs.
“I’m going. Send Neshu.”
“Okay.”
Ellen held the office door handle and watched Roil disappear up the stairs. Only then did she open the door.
“Mom.”
“Ellen, did Roil leave?”
“Yes. But Mom, I have to go to the debutante ball this time.”
Gloria tilted her head, curious at Ellen’s urgency.
“Why suddenly?”
“Oh, you knew?”
Gloria’s reaction was casual, as if it wasn’t an issue, surprising Ellen.
“Of course I knew. It’s your debutante ball.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me…? More importantly, what about my dress?”
Gloria pulled the cord beside her, removed her glasses, and sat on the sofa, motioning for Ellen to approach.
“Have the dresses you’re making for Ellen brought here.”
“They’re not finished yet.”
“I know. Bring them anyway.”
Once the maid left, Ellen looked at Gloria.
“You’ve been making my dress?”
“Yes. I told them to make it urgently. Sorry I didn’t ask your opinion sooner. It’s only been a few days since it was ordered. Remember, you went on a survey of the estate a few days ago? That’s when I gave the instructions.”
Gloria paused, looking slightly apologetic.
“I was so busy I forgot, but when I saw you leave on horseback that day, I remembered. Checking the dates, there wasn’t much time left, so I hurried to give instructions.”
That was understandable. Ellen didn’t feel any resentment toward Gloria.
Gloria truly had been swamped, dealing with a constant influx of documents. Ellen had even worried about her health, seeing how thin she had become compared to before the war.
Yet, Gloria remembered the debutante ball—even when Ellen had forgotten—and that was enough to be thankful for.
“They started with a basic design for now. The design can be modified later.”
“Ah, I just sent Neshu to Erica to check what dress designs are popular in Roanoke these days.”
“Good. The dressmaker visits the estate, so we’ll talk again once we get Neshu’s reply.”
“Yes.”
