Charlotte (Bianca’s Mother): “Ohoho, I’m in awe of Lord Buffanoa’s intelligence. With this, our Roseline family is assured.”
Buffanoa: “It’s all thanks to Lady Charlotte’s assistance. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything on my own.”
While complimenting each other, they did not reveal any weaknesses.
Watching her mother interact with the renowned accompanist Buffanoa, Bianca felt exasperated internally.
This is one of the most fashionable and refined cities in the empire.
Close to the imperial capital, frequented by high-ranking nobles.
People shop for high-class items, wear high-class attire, and want to be seen by high-class ladies. If luck would have it, they’d like to be noticed and fawned over by a gentleman of a higher social status.
Even while keeping these typical teenage girl dreams to herself, the reality in front of her was harsh. It had been twenty years since her mother Charlotte was lauded as a beauty. Frustrated with her philandering husband, she had become thin and had squandered the viscount’s savings in a spree of retail therapy, touted as stress relief.
Her mother’s new source of income seemed to be a man who proclaimed himself a genius musician – Buffanoa.
(He has a bushy beard. His face is greasy. I don’t know if he’s a genius musician or not, but he seems suspicious.)
Involuntarily, she felt like retching at his greasy face.
Despite losing her glow, her mother Charlotte, not yet 40, being seen by this creepy man made her feel uncomfortable.
Despite calling himself a genius musician, he didn’t have a single disciple. He would say things like “I prefer original music, so they don’t understand my music’s charm,” but it was doubtful whether it was true or not.
Charlotte: “Now, I can finally socially obliterate that woman’s daughter. If she is made to suffer a great humiliation at the ball, even the Rondinia family will have no choice but to break off the engagement. Eventually, the adopted Bianca will…!”
Buffanoa: “But, is that okay? Even though she was your old friend?”
Charlotte: “No, not at all. Black hair is creepy. I’m ashamed that I considered such a woman, Rieshen, as a friend.”
Her mother personally resented Rosamiris’s mother. Even Bianca felt sympathy for the mother and daughter in question. After all, the reason her mother resented Rieshen was one-sided. Her mother was married to such a worthless man, while Rieshen envisioned a happy family – the disparity among friends was the cause.
Her mother planned to crush Rosamiris at the ball.
She would likely torment her in every possible way. In order to do this, she has been bribing many poor nobles, ladies, and gentlemen. She teamed up with Buffanoa, who was the organizer of the ball and her junior from music school, in order to perfectly corner her.
(Ah, even if Lady Rosamiris is crushed, her fiance will not fall for me.)
Bianca disliked Rosamiris but did not hate her.
She had approached Siegforten because she was attracted to his beauty and the title of being a duke’s son. She’s not foolish enough to want to approach a man who glares at her with a demonic face. It was only because her mother ordered her to.
(This is boring. It would be more meaningful to practice dancing at the count’s house.)
In fact, she had been praised for her dance by Rosamiris for the first time yesterday.
It felt good.
It was worth enduring the humiliation while gritting her teeth and biting her handkerchief. As frustrating as it was, Rosamiris was incredibly good at teaching.
Unlike her mother who just shouted, she was reasonable and sometimes showed a kind smile.
(Even though I became a count’s daughter, I’m still just Bianca.)
It can’t be helped, I’ll sneak out.
(My mother will be engrossed in conversation with that hairy man for a while, and she won’t even notice when I’m gone.)
Siegforten: “That bearded man probably wants the legendary violin owned by the Rondinia family, but I don’t think it’s that easy to get.”
Rosamiris: “I’m going to have a tough time tomorrow because Lord Buffanoa wants a violin made by the master, Leviros. Haha, I heard something good.”
Bianca: “Wh-What’s going on!?”
(This isn’t ‘heard something good,’ you know!?)
Why are they here?
Why are Siegforten and Rosamiris here?
She said she was going out today, but didn’t she say it was a date?
(Isn’t Lord Siegforten trying to kill me with his gaze? Hey, it’s scary, could you stop? I haven’t even had tea spilt on me yet!?)
After being glared at with a demonic face, she was met with cold eyes like a murderer’s.
(Eh? Am I going to die? Am I, going to die!?)
Rosamiris: “Bianca, my dear sister, I’ve been worried about you. You suddenly left us and I’ve been anxious thinking you might have been kidnapped. Come, tell me what happened over there, to your unsophisticated sister.”
(That ‘dear sister’ is really scary, you know!?)
Being led away with a smile by the overflowing elegance of Rosamiris should have been a familiar sight, but today was even more so.
(No really… she’s definitely not thirteen, right?)
