As the guests arrived on time one by one, the ball hosted by the Duchess of Berry also began.
The band played melodious music, and the guests gathered together in twos and threes to chat or look for next dance partners.
Agnes was immersed in this dazzling, glitzy and dazzling world, and for a moment she almost forgot the passage of time.
Although she was not greedy for wealth, the sight of jewels she saw in front of her still made her a little dazzled. She didn't know if she could be the focus of the ball, but she made her own decision, if someone invited her to dance later.
, she would probably happily agree.
This doesn't mean that she has plans to choose a mate as her father expected, but...it's already here, wouldn't it be a loss if she doesn't experience it?
She found a corner and sat down, and next to her were several ladies who were also dressed up. Maybe because of jealousy, or maybe because they didn't want her to steal the limelight, the ladies sitting next to her deliberately avoided her.
They chatted happily, but Agnes was not interested in their topic and could not bear to participate in it, so she could only remain silent and sit aside obediently in silence.
She could sense that there were many people watching her, but perhaps she misunderstood her because of her "isolated" attitude. These people were obviously hesitant, fearing that she would rush over to invite them and end up offending her.
The brow of a high mountain flower was rejected and became a laughing stock.
Agnes guessed the predicament she was facing now. She felt ashamed and angry, but there was nothing she could do. She refused to put down her body and take the initiative to find a young man to dance with.
As time went by, the girls next to her gradually came over to invite people, but there was no movement at all. She began to feel that the laughter of the people next to her seemed to be laughing at herself.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and she couldn't help but narrow her eyes and glare around her.
You oily-headed, shameless playboys, you are all so talkative, why don't you have a bolder person come over now? You have no future! You are all useless guys!
If it were him, he would definitely pull me up to dance with him, so he wouldn't be afraid of anything... Bah, bah, bah, what are you thinking about? How could you think of that bastard?
Confused, Agnes angrily picked up the wine glass and poured herself a sip of wine, finally suppressing the anger and depression in her heart.
And under her angry aura, no one dared to approach the notorious Miss Agnes.
In this way, a subtle stalemate formed around the area a few meters away from Agnes. Many young people were eager to try, but no one dared to really take that step. Maybe if it took a few more minutes, someone would
The lucky guy will finally break the fear in his heart, grit his teeth and rush forward to flatter Miss Agnes...
At this moment, Agnes found someone approaching her. She turned her head and looked over with joy, but was disappointed to find that the person was wearing the uniform of a palace attendant and an old-fashioned wig on his head.
I wasn't looking for a dance partner in the first place.
Under her gaze, the attendant walked up to her, saluted her respectfully, and then looked at her with a smile.
"Miss de Nordrian, Madam would like you to come over and have a few words with you. Are you available?"
"Huh?" This unexpected invitation made Agnes at a loss.
Afterwards, her mood immediately turned from sadness to joy. It was obvious that being received by the Duchess of Berry in person was an honor that her peers did not have today, which meant that she had "sparkled" to a certain extent.
.
At this time, the ladies nearby also heard what the attendant said, and they immediately cast jealous glances at Agnes, but this look made Agnes even more joyful.
You deserve it!
"It's my honor, of course I'm free." Agnes answered immediately.
Then, she followed the attendant through the crowd, and then came to the other side of the hall, where the lady rested.
When Agnes came to the lady, she found that the lady was sitting lazily on the sofa, and next to her was her close friend Princess Kadiyan. The two of them were talking intimately, with smiles on their faces.
.
After seeing her coming, the two people stopped talking and looked at her at the same time.
Not only do they have noble status, they are also well-deserved top figures in the social scene of the Kingdom of France at this time. Being watched by them like this, even Agnes, who has always been bold, can't help but feel a little uneasy.
Agnes knew them, but of course she had no real dealings with them, so she did not dare to make any mistake and bowed respectfully to Madam.
"Madam, good evening."
"Good evening, Agnes." The lady smiled and nodded, but the smile was very formulaic and not very friendly. "You are very beautiful tonight, and both Diana and I have noticed you. There is no doubt that you are.
You are one of the most beautiful girls here tonight, and I think... your father will be very happy, because her daughter can become one of the brightest pearls in our social world."
This high-level compliment made Agnes overjoyed, as if all the resentment accumulated today had been swept away.
"Thank you!" She smiled modestly, but it was obvious that she didn't mean what she said.
"I haven't finished speaking yet." Madam continued to look at her with a smile, "But, in our place, it is not enough for girls to be beautiful, they must also have corresponding knowledge, talents and character. In these aspects,
I'm sorry to hear some rumors that are not very beneficial to you. Just because I can't bear to see the pearl covered in dust and see those shortcomings that damage your charm, I specially handed you over and wanted to give you a little bit.
suggestion."
Agnes felt something was not right as she listened, and the smile on her face froze.
"You...what do you mean? If I do something wrong, I will find a way to correct it. Please give me some advice."
"Guidance is out of the question, but I have a relationship with your father, and I can also feel his ardent expectations for you. He said more than once that you are his most precious daughter, and he hopes that you will not only be able to stand out in the social world.
, and can get the most perfect husband in the future. It is precisely because of this that he implores me to help you and let me invite you here..." The lady said unhurriedly, "You must also know that I want to
To achieve this goal, it is not a problem that can be solved in just one dance. You will also need to grow slowly over time to meet the expectations of the outside world."
Meeting the expectations of the outside world... Agnes was still very confused after hearing this. She blinked and looked at Princess Kadiyan next to her, as if hoping to get some hints from her.
But the princess didn't say a word, she just nodded to her with a smile to show her friendliness. Agnes was still confused about the current situation. How could she have imagined that she couldn't see clearly what was disguised in a kind smile?
The light of the sword and the shadow of the sword!
She could definitely block the metal sword, and few people could defeat her; but this simple girl, when exposed to the bizarre and dangerous Vanity Fair, was so fragile that she was almost defenseless.
, not to mention the power of resistance.
"Thank you for reminding me, I will work hard to grow up." Agnes could only reply like this.
Gu Leng
"Come over here." Madam waved her hand. "Let me take a closer look at you."
Agnes obeyed, walked in front of her, and let the other party examine her.
"What happened to your hand?" After looking at it for a while, the lady pointed to Agnes's hand. "It looks like a maid who is used to doing rough work, not like a princess."
Agnes' face blushed slightly.
As a price for practicing swordsmanship for many years, she developed a lot of calluses on her hands. Although she paid great attention to taking care of herself due to her beauty-loving nature, this was unavoidable.
"This is...it grew out of sword practice." She replied in a low voice. "This is my usual hobby."
"Why do you have such a strange hobby?" Madam raised her eyebrows, and then asked in disbelief, "A lady from a famous family should be gentle and quiet, how can she be contaminated with weapons? What will outsiders think when they see it?"
Then, she darkened her face slightly, "By the way, I remembered it. I heard that you were very brave and fierce in the past, and you fought with many men, right?"
"Yes." Agnes couldn't dodge this question at all and could only nod in response.
"How unbecoming." Madam frowned, and the smile on her face disappeared, "Now I understand why your father is so worried about you...I see. Miss Agnes, what you did is very serious.
Being untimely will not only damage your own reputation, but also bring disgrace to your family. A young lady fought with others with a sword and was injured and bloody. How could this happen?"
"I'm good at swordsmanship and rarely get injured..." Agnes defended in a low voice.
"It's not that question." Madam interrupted her, "but think about it, is this what you should do? Isn't it that you came here dressed up in fine clothes just to be admired? And you are so brave.
Those ruthless deeds will only have the opposite effect on this purpose. I just noticed that no one has dared to invite you to dance together, which shows that they all have some opinions on you."
That's because they have no guts, so who can blame me? I was obviously ready to agree... Agnes answered in her heart, but she didn't dare to say it out loud, so she could only lower her head and listen silently.
Perhaps because she felt that she had made the atmosphere too tense, the lady laughed again, "Agnes, don't misunderstand me, I'm not scolding you. I just hope that you can get what you deserve because of your beauty.
You should abandon inappropriate behaviors and work hard to cultivate your talents and character, so that you can become a respected lady in the future, are you right?"
This is what Agnes wanted to answer.
She just needed to answer this, put it all aside, bid farewell to her wife, return to where she was just now, and pretend that nothing happened.
But when the words rolled to her lips, she opened her lips, but found that she couldn't say anything.
Even though she didn't know much about the world, she could still tell that Madam was suppressing herself and forcibly denying herself, even though she didn't quite understand the reason why the other party did this.
So, what should you do?
Do you want to agree in front of others, deny your own hobbies, and deny your previous life? Are all the sweat and joy of victory in the past just a joke, a joke that can be denied because of other people's words?
No...no...that's not the case! Even she can't deny it.
I did make a mistake, but the mistake was that I came to the wrong place. This place does not belong to me, but I don't need to bend my knees to cater to them. We live in different worlds, but this is also good.
Agnes raised her head, her eyes suddenly became sharp.
In an instant, a shocking evil energy burst out from her body, making both the madam and the princess stunned at the same time.
Of course, Agnes didn't intend to take action, she just answered the other party word by word.
"I don't think you are right, ma'am."
Before the princess could ask further questions, she risked her life and continued, "I respect you, just as I respect any member of the royal family. My ancestors served this royal family, and I must also be its good subject. But
Even you, who sits high among the thrones, have no right to decide for me what I should like or how I should do it. I know, maybe you are right, but so what? I have said that before
I am very happy. I have found self-esteem in the sword and the glory of defeating strong enemies. This is not about being brave and ruthless. Even when fighting between life and death, I am full of compassion for human life!
Compared with those, how to become a lady is a trivial matter that is not worth mentioning to me. I have never thought about it. I grew up like this in the past, and I will do it according to my ideas in the future. I am full of respect.
I will remember the advice you gave me tonight, but I will act on my own terms, madam."
After Agnes made such a call, the lady's face immediately turned pale, which is understandable. It had been a long time since she had been contradicted in person like this.
Princess Kadiyan noticed that the lady's hand was tightly holding the handle of the folding fan, and she was obviously very angry.
This little girl is really stupid... She only wants to talk quickly without considering the consequences. Her father is just a courtier seeking favors. How can he afford to anger his wife?
Her goal has been achieved, now she has to find a way to smooth things over. After all, Edgar said not to embarrass Agnes too much.
"Carolyn, the next dance is coming soon, shall we choose a dance partner? It doesn't seem appropriate to keep chatting here." She finally spoke, breaking the stiff atmosphere.
The lady also knew that she could not lose her temper in public, so she slowly calmed down. Then, she gave Agnes a hard look with her eyes, and then nodded without saying a word.
Agnes also knew that the princess had helped her, so she gave the other party a look of thanks, and then she said goodbye with a resolute and uneasy mood.
Her determination and fearlessness were for herself, and her uneasiness was for her father. She knew she might have gotten into trouble.
She walked back a little uneasily. Most of her usual keen perception had been worn away at this time. The laughter and laughter around her seemed to have turned into the chirping of bees. It was noisy and harsh, but nothing could be heard clearly.
Just when she was about to return to her previous position, she felt as if someone had pulled the hem of her skirt behind her. She subconsciously looked back and saw a well-dressed lady looking at her with a smile but not a smile.