Chapter 51
The Ball
The enfeoffment ceremony was truly tedious.
In the grand and magnificent castle hall, the apprentices dressed in wizard cloaks of various colors from different towers stood in rows, stepping forward one by one to receive their titles from Grand Duke Phoenix.
From this moment on, they would enjoy the privileges of nobility within the duchy and even the kingdom, and receive the honorary title of "Court Wizard."
Rather than having much practical significance, these two titles served more as a political signal to proclaim to the outside world that "wizards stand alongside the nobility."
After the morning ceremony ended, apprentices from the various towers returned to their residences to change into formal attire, then rode carriages to the Duke's castle to attend the enfeoffment ball.
With the help of the female knight Judy Wells, Lucy put on the gown that had long been prepared.
Due to the unique status of wizards, this outfit was not a traditional court gown, but resembled more of a hunting attire.
The upper part was a combination of black leather and linen, paired with long boots and white trousers with cyan stripes, while the red cape draped over her left shoulder added a touch of festivity to the ensemble.
The moment Lucy, with her thick braid, stepped out of the room, the sword in the hand of the male knight Raul Morgan, who was standing guard outside, clattered to the ground, his mouth wide enough to swallow a fist.
Had Judy not appeared right after, he would hardly have believed that this heroic and striking noble lady before him was the same Lady Lucy he saw daily.
Quite satisfied with her outfit, Lucy waved her small hand.
"Let's go!"
...
On the high platform, the burly Grand Duke Phoenix slightly hunched his body.
The old wounds from the War of National Defense flared up repeatedly every autumn and winter, causing unbearable pain for this powerful Sky Knight.
He could only rely on the anesthetic effects of coca leaves for some relief.
Even so, he still insisted on attending the annual enfeoffment ball.
Only these great nobles knew what humanity would face without the protection of wizards.
The presence of wizards made the moments before the ball unusually serene. The nobles of the duchy all maintained proper decorum, displaying a civility that seemed out of place in this era.
Once all the main guests had arrived, the master of ceremonies raised his hand to signal the conductor in the corner, and the graceful melody of the dance instantly echoed through the hall, announcing the official start of the ball.
Grand Duke Phoenix handed his cane to the butler beside him, straightened the hem of his formal attire, and approached a wizard apprentice.
"Beautiful Miss Bella, may I have the honor of inviting you for the first dance?"
As the first wizard from the Tower of the Four Sages to be promoted to official apprentice in this class, and as the tower's representative, Bella gracefully stood up and accepted the invitation.
As the two stepped into the dance floor, several other royal members also approached their chosen partners.
Although the apprentices from the three towers inwardly disdained such social activities, the repeated instructions from their tower leaders before departure made them all cooperate and stand up. The once spacious dance floor soon became lively and bustling.
However, the keen nobles immediately noticed something unusual.
The duchy’s famously foolish Prince Kaelde was not in the dance floor!
The crowd swept their gazes across the hall and quickly spotted Prince Kaelde in the Four Sages Tower's rest area, wearing a flamboyant pink tight-fitting ceremonial suit.
At this moment, the prince was clinging to a silver-haired witch like a boar in heat.
"I’ve already said, I don’t know how to lead as a lady."
Lucy repeated her explanation for the third time, veins already bulging on her forehead.
But Kaelde completely ignored her, his mind solely fixated on wrapping his arm around the witch’s slender waist and dancing with her.
In his eyes, this so-called "don’t know how to lead as a lady" was nothing more than an excuse.
Thus, the foolish prince puffed out his chest and, in his usual arrogant tone, commanded:
"I order you to dance with me!"
The entire hall instantly froze.
All the wizard apprentices stopped in unison, staring in disbelief towards the source of the voice.
This idiot dared to issue orders to an official wizard apprentice?
Grand Duke Phoenix coughed violently out of anger.
"You fool! Apologize to this lady immediately!"
Realizing the trouble he had caused, Kaelde turned pale, bowing repeatedly like a beaten dog to apologize.
At this moment, a clear female voice rang out through the crowd.
"Since this wizard lady isn’t skilled at the female steps, may I serve as Your Highness’s dance partner instead?"
Everyone turned their heads and saw Her Highness the Princess approaching gracefully in a cyan-white gown.
The Beckett family’s signature black hair contrasted strikingly with her snow-white skin, making her exceptionally eye-catching among the crowd.
Since Lucy’s mission was precisely to get close to the princess, she naturally went along with the situation.
She stood up, ignoring the prince who was still bowing, and performed a standard dance invitation gesture.
"Beautiful lady, may I have the honor of dancing with you?"
Olivia slightly lifted her chin, revealing the elegant line of her neck like a swan.
"It would be my pleasure."
With their participation, the dance floor regained its harmonious atmosphere, and the musicians resumed playing the Pavane.
Lucy gently held Olivia’s slender waist, moving slightly nervously to the rhythm of the music.
Since the princess was slightly taller than her, and with the added height of crystal high heels, Lucy’s gaze happened to fall right at the princess’s neck.
The large expanse of full, ample skin revealed by the low-cut neckline left her momentarily unsure of where to look.
"I am Olivia Beckett." The warm breath brushing against her ear caused the witch’s ears to redden slightly.
"Lucy Felicia."
"You seem to be quite interested in my necklace?"
"Ah?"
Lucy was momentarily stunned, only then noticing the ruby necklace hanging around the princess’s neck. She quickly coughed lightly to cover her embarrassment. "Cough, it is indeed very beautiful."
"It was my mother’s keepsake."
"I’m sorry."
"It’s alright, she passed away many years ago. I can barely remember what she looked like anymore." Olivia shook her head and said, "Miss Lucy, you give me a very different impression compared to other wizards."
Lucy pressed her lips together without answering.
This had completely deviated from the conversation rhythm she had planned originally, she was supposed to take the lead in a conversation with a girl of fourteen or fifteen years old, yet now she found herself passive at every turn.
Seeing that Lucy did not speak, Olivia chuckled lightly.
"Just now, I noticed you’ve been secretly watching me. I thought you were quite bold."
But now, she discovered that this wizard lady did not even dare to look at the cleavage exposed on her chest.
Of course, these latter words she only whispered in her heart.
Lucy remained speechless.
From the moment she entered the banquet hall, she had indeed been thinking about how to approach the princess, but she did not expect that this witch had already noticed her gaze.
Sensing her embarrassment, the considerate princess shifted the topic.
"You’re a wizard from the Tower of the Four Sages?"
Relieved, Lucy nodded. "To be precise, I am a wizard apprentice."
"What is the tower like inside? In two days, I will be going as well, but I know nothing about it."
Lucy recalled the people and events she had encountered since her arrival in this world.
Despite the unpleasantness with Orlando, there were Talia, Leticia, Hain, Karen, Mentor Fernando, and those adorable enchanted organ specimens...
Unknowingly, she had already met quite a few people.
"It’s a very nice place."
Pretending to be ignorant, though perhaps knowing the tower’s rules even better than Lucy, Princess Olivia’s smile stiffened slightly.
"Is that so! That’s truly something to look forward to."
After a brief silence, as if remembering something, Her Highness spoke again. "I would like to know more details about the tower. May I invite you to stay at the castle as my guest after the ball?"
Lucy blinked.
Was this development not going a little too smoothly?