"For you all, she should be someone very worth paying attention to."

Hearing Ariel's words, Celitia lowered her eyelashes, her voice very light, "But these matters... aren't for me to consider."

Ariel paused slightly.

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but in that instant, the girl's expression seemed to contain a faint sadness.

Thin as gossamer, yet extraordinarily lingering and piercing.

Her heart seemed to ache for a moment, and Ariel quickly smiled at her:

"Well, you don't need to think about those things. Right now, you just need to enjoy this grand ball."

Benita emerged from some corner and walked to Celitia's side, letting out a long breath:

"I finally found a chance to slip away. The pressure was too much being around them."

Meilenn was responsible for receiving Ileana at the ball, and as her daughter, Benita couldn't escape and had to accompany them for a while.

Just when Benita thought her ball experience was ruined, she finally got her mother's permission to quietly slip away from the VIP hall.

"This is the trouble of being a noble. People like me only need to be responsible for eating."

Shanie stuffed her mouth full of pastries, her cheeks bulging, making her speech muffled.

"Speaking of which, Benita, isn't this a perfect opportunity for you to shine?"

"How could it be my turn to shine at this kind of occasion?" Benita sighed, "It's better to escape quickly and stay with you all—it's more comfortable."

Listening to the girls' conversation, Ariel smiled: "Then you all have fun. I'll go check on mother's situation."

Celitia nodded at her: "Take care."

"That Lady Ileana actually looks quite kind and approachable," Benita was still complaining non-stop, "but when I meet her gaze, I can't help feeling a bit intimidated."

"After all, she's an important figure," Shanie comforted her, "her presence isn't something we can compare to."

Celitia remained silent.

To be honest, Celitia had thought that after her death, Flora would reclaim all power and no longer appoint a regent.

What she hadn't expected was that Ileana would ultimately take over the regent position.

Could it be that between them...

Her nails dug deeply into her palms as Celitia couldn't continue thinking further.

Was she afraid to think, or unwilling to?

After about another half hour, the ball finally officially began.

Marianne stood on the platform directly in front of the dance floor, hands on the railing, looking down at the crowd gathered below.

"Thank you all for coming to my birthday party. I hope this time, everyone can have fun and return satisfied."

Enthusiastic applause rang out, and when the cheering died down, Marianne continued:

"The first dance is about to begin. Has everyone chosen their dance partner?"

Right, since it was a ball, you needed a dance partner—you couldn't dance alone.

Celitia had completely forgotten about this, neither inviting a partner in advance nor looking for one on the spot.

She was only here for Sophia anyway, and dancing wasn't mandatory.

Glancing at the gorgeous dance floor, Celitia quietly stepped back toward a corner.

Shanie whispered to Benita: "Benita, are you going to dance?"

"I want to rest for a while," Benita replied, "I'm really tired from earlier. You go ahead."

"I'm not very good at dancing and afraid of stepping on people's feet..." Shanie was quite embarrassed, hesitating, "Lily probably wouldn't mind, would she? She doesn't seem to have a partner."

"Wait!" Benita quickly grabbed her, "Don't you know what the first dance represents?"

Shanie looked completely confused: "What meaning?"

"Generally speaking, the first dance at a ball is danced with your accompanying partner." Benita explained, "If you haven't invited a partner in advance, you usually choose someone you fancy on the spot to dance with."

Shanie's tongue was getting tangled: "Som-some-someone you fancy?"

"Get it now?" Benita glared at her, lowering her voice, "If Lily really doesn't make a move, then you can invite her."

"Oh..." Shanie nodded obediently.

Shanie and Benita thought their voices were quiet, but Celitia heard everything.

She sighed and stepped further back, hiding behind the surging crowd.

This way she shouldn't be discovered, and even if Shanie and Benita came to invite her to dance, she could refuse.

Celitia thought this way.

However, a commotion suddenly arose from the front, and the surrounding crowded people all stepped aside, parting a path in front of Celitia.

A girl in a white gauze dress wearing a crown slowly walked from the other end of the path, her garments flowing, like a pure white angel descending from a temple.

Clear footsteps echoed as Sophia walked with firm steps, passing through the crowd to stand before Celitia.

"Dear Miss Celitia."

As Sophia spoke, the noisy ballroom hall immediately fell silent.

Even Marianne on the platform involuntarily held her breath, staring intently at them.

Sophia elegantly bowed, extending her right hand toward her, smiling as she said:

"Would you be willing to dance the first dance with me?"

The guests in the hall moved closer in this direction, all eyes focused on the two of them.

Outside was the crowd surrounding them in layers, but in Celitia's eyes, only Sophia remained.

She was stunned for a long time.

Thump, thump, thump.

Celitia heard the rapid heartbeat from within her chest, her heart seeming to protest against her; her mind went blank, accompanied by slight dizziness, having lost the ability to react.

Sophia wasn't in a hurry, still patiently watching her, her right hand persistently extended before Celitia, waiting for her response.

The hall was very quiet, with only light piano music still echoing.

After a long while, Celitia finally found her voice, asking in disbelief:

"Sophia?"

This time, for reasons everyone knew, Sophia hadn't invited a partner in advance.

And the first person she chose was basically equivalent to announcing to everyone that this was the person she fancied.

As Celitia spoke up questioningly, the people around also began discussing quietly:

"I didn't expect Princess Sophia to make the first move—but why did she choose a girl?"

"I heard that girl named Celitia has a very good relationship with Princess Sophia. Could she be Her Highness's sweetheart?"

"Impossible. She probably just wants to avoid controversy by deliberately dancing the first dance with someone of the same sex, using her friend as a shield."

"Hmph, you're ill-informed. You should know their story has been rumored in Cassia for a long time."