Luo Lan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly stepped forward.
He took her hand. Even through the thin gloves, he could feel how slender and cool her fingers were.
With his other hand, the young man steadied her, letting Chloe use his support to gracefully step up onto the carriage.
Only after Chloe was seated did Elia and Yuna board the carriage in turn. The carriage door closed gently, and it slowly started moving toward the venue where the Holy Rite would be held.
Inside the carriage, Luo Lan and Elia sat on one side, while Yuna and Chloe sat across from them.
The air was filled with a faint, gentle fragrance unique to young ladies.
Luo Lan’s thoughts drifted. For some reason, he felt that Chloe’s insistence on having him help her into the carriage just now might have had some deeper meaning.
At this moment, however, Chloe had already returned to her usual calm self. She tilted her head slightly, quietly watching the scenery flying past the window.
When she saw the disappointed or astonished faces of the noble young ladies retreating outside, Chloe’s lips once again curled into a smile. This smile was even more pronounced than before, carrying a hint of pride.
Valgard’s night was awakening, and the city lights shimmered like a river of stars.
The venue for the Holy Rite had been chosen to be the Royal Garden. Though it bore the word “Royal” in its name, except for occasions like today, most of the time the garden was open to ordinary citizens for leisure.
By the time Luo Lan’s carriage approached, the once spacious road had already been occupied by a wide array of carriages.
Gilded, silver-inlaid, adorned with elaborate family crests—each glimmered in the night with their own distinct luster. Fortunately, for this Holy Rite, the kingdom’s leaders had dispatched city guards and the capital’s garrison in advance to maintain order. They just barely managed to marshal the congested flow of arrivals into a slow but orderly procession, ensuring that their group did not arrive late.
The carriage wheels finally stopped in the designated area.
Elia was the first to alight, followed by Yuna. The two stood on either side of the carriage door. Luo Lan took a deep breath and stepped out of the carriage as well.
The moment his feet touched the ground, the noise of the world seemed to fall silent.
Unlike the clamorous and nerve-wracking atmosphere outside the garden, stepping into the Royal Garden felt as if an invisible wall had separated two different worlds.
No longer was he assaulted by the din of wheels and the roar of crowds; instead, the air was filled with the elegant and lively melodies played by a band. All around, nobles spoke in hushed, courteous whispers—soft and never jarring.
The garden had been decorated with the utmost care. Crystal magic lamps floated in midair, casting a dreamy, misty glow over the manicured flowerbeds and winding paths.
“It’s just a soundproof barrier. Is it really that impressive?”
Yuna’s voice came from behind. She reached out and patted Luo Lan on the shoulder, urging him to hurry along, lest all the delicacies prepared by the royal chefs would be gone.
The so-called Holy Rite was originally just an annual occasion when the Holy See visited the Kingdom of Rodland, exchanging pleasantries and expanding social circles.
What made this year’s Holy Rite so noteworthy was the leader of the Holy See’s visiting delegation—none other than one of the two current powers at the core of the Holy See: Grand Duchess Claudia, State Secretary of the Holy See, Cardinal, Chief Minister of the Papal Chamber, Liadeline.
As Luo Lan gently held Chloe’s hand and, together with Elia and Yuna, stepped into the Royal Garden, he distinctly felt the constant background murmur of conversation abruptly pause for a second or two.
Countless gazes converged from all directions, silently landing on their group.
To be precise, landing on Chloe.
The situation made Luo Lan tense up instinctively. His fingers, supporting Chloe by her elbow, grew stiff.
Fortunately, aside from him, the others seemed long accustomed to this sort of attention.
Luo Lan felt as if he’d suddenly become a marionette, being invisibly led by Chloe, as they greeted, exchanged pleasantries, or simply endured the admiring glances of nobles who had come to pay respects or just catch a glimpse of her.
Because the name “Lufinias” had lain dormant for so long, its high-profile return to Valgard’s inner social circle—combined with Chloe’s stunning appearance tonight—drew an endless stream of eager conversationalists.
Luo Lan felt as if the standard smile on his face had become a mask, stiff and unmoving. His replies grew ever shorter, reduced to dry words like “Yes,” “It’s an honor,” and “You flatter me.”
Who knew how long it lasted—long enough to feel like a century—before the ordeal finally ended.
Almost subconsciously, Luo Lan let go of Chloe’s hand and flexed his stiff shoulders and neck.
This movement immediately drew Chloe’s attention.
She shot him a glare, a flash of annoyance passing quickly through her eyes.
Before Luo Lan could react, a voice tinged with the scent of alcohol and laughter whispered almost against his ear.
“Heehee, I’d love to paint your expression right now.”
Yuna took a glass of wine from a passing attendant and shook it at him.
Luo Lan had reason to suspect that she’d lingered here all this time just to see him embarrassed.
Next, according to the established schedule, the visiting Holy See delegation should have made their formal appearance.
But as luck would have it, the master of ceremonies regretfully announced that, due to Grand Duchess Claudia feeling unwell, this segment was temporarily canceled, leaving those eager to behold her famed beauty thoroughly disappointed.
Still, it wasn’t exactly a world-shattering incident.
A momentary stir and quiet gossip quickly faded beneath the lively tempo of a new dance tune from the orchestra.
As the elders’ perfunctory greetings wound down, and the anticipated Holy See segment was unexpectedly cut short, the attending nobles—especially those with marriageable children—tacitly began their most important and classic agenda:
Finding suitable marriage partners for their prized sons, daughters, and nieces.
For most families, becoming familiar faces in the presence of the Holy See’s new nobility was important, but not nearly as practical as securing the next stable alliance for the family’s bloodline and interests.
“Aiya, looks like I’ll be slipping away for a bit.”
Yuna’s voice rang out, entirely unapologetic in its relief. She shoved her empty wine glass into the hands of a passing attendant, then grinned and waved at the group.
“Thanks to the Grand Duchess, the rest of the event will probably be cut short. I have to slip away early… go prepare for the Academy’s mana resonance test.”
“Mm… Hope Your Highness and Sister enjoy yourselves.”
With that, she vanished into the crowd before the ignored Luo Lan could voice any protest—making her escape with impunity.
Luo Lan watched her disappear, the corner of his mouth twitching almost imperceptibly.
—He’d actually been hoping to see her make a fool of herself at one of these matchmaking games.
Within noble society, matchmaking—or rather, arranged marriages—always carried heavy political implications.
For Chloe, it was even more utilitarian.
So young and already the head of a duchy, even if the Lufinias family no longer commanded its former glory, her title of “Grand Duchess” alone was enough to attract countless ambitious and covetous suitors.
Should someone take this orphaned girl as a daughter-in-law, or have their own young master swallow his pride and marry into her family, they would gain not only the Lufinias name, but the residual prestige, connections, and distant fiefdoms that came with it.
And so, with no official engagement announced, Chloe was quickly surrounded by keen-nosed noble parents—each bringing along their own well-groomed, eager-to-impress sons, daughters, or nephews.
Young noblemen tried to impress—some feigning steadiness, some showing off their talents, and others relying purely on the strength of their family background—in hopes of making a lasting impression during the brief conversations.
At first, Chloe maintained her polite but distant composure, but she soon grew impatient.
As for Luo Lan… appearing on the guest list as “Luo Lan Lufinias” made him a person of interest as well.
Especially to the noble ladies whose daughters were of marriageable age—perhaps of slightly lesser status, but no less ambitious. With exquisite makeup, the young ladies—shy or bold—quickly clustered around Luo Lan.
Both situations, no matter which, rapidly soured Chloe’s mood.
Each time she saw a young lady approaching Luo Lan, or a mature, buxom noblewoman acting overly eager, her gaze darkened.
The onslaught continued until yet another countess brought her son to perform in front of Chloe. That was the last straw.
Chloe leaned over and whispered something to Elia, who was standing behind her. Then, using “feeling unwell” as an excuse, she grabbed Luo Lan’s arm and pulled him out of the circle.
They passed through the still-bustling main banquet area and followed a garden path into a quieter corner.
The lights here were sparser. Chloe’s steps finally slowed, and she let out a breath of air, thick with undisguised irritation and exhaustion. The white mist instantly vanished in the cold night air.
Elia stood quietly not far away, alert to their surroundings.
Just as Luo Lan was wondering whether they should wait here until the Artras Academy’s test began, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from the bend at the other end of the path.
A figure slowly emerged, seemingly unaware of Luo Lan and the others.
It was Ophelia.
Unlike her usual gentle, smiling self, Ophelia now looked haggard, with dark circles under her eyes. Her formal dress was still elegant, but it only made her seem even more fragile.
“…Ophelia?” Chloe called out in surprise. “You… what’s wrong?”