Chapter 3: The Coming-of-Age Ceremony

The room was as warm as a spring day. Solene sat quietly by the fireplace, the jumping flames casting flickering reflections in her eyes.

The fire seemed to symbolize those struggling in agony, their forms constantly twisting. It was not just their bodies that were contorted, but their weathered souls.

Lost in thought, Solene unconsciously leaned closer to the hearth until a sharp sting at her fingertips snapped her back to reality.

The gauze wrapping her wound had been ignited by the flames.

Solene quickly clenched her fist, ruthlessly smothering the sparks. This sudden surge of pain stimulated her nerves, dragging her back into the memories of the past. Her first father had been a truly good man, never willing to let her or her mother endure a moment’s hardship.

That night, she fell into a deep sleep, clutching her father’s pocket watch tightly.

Before a month had passed, Caleb was released. He had grown much thinner, owing his regained freedom only to the occasion of his birthday.

His friends flocked to visit him. Thanks to Solene’s consistent care and the food she had brought him over the past weeks, the tension between them had dissipated, replaced by a lingering, slightly awkward silence.

Solene had completely shed her original accent. Her flawless Upper City speech allowed her to make many friends among the nobility. Whenever a noble lady invited her, she would attend with warm enthusiasm; eventually, as they grew familiar, she received invitations to every social gathering.

Earl Dagon provided her with expensive jewelry to gift her friends, effectively paving the way for her social network. Now, she carried herself with the perfect poise of a noble lady.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without Liliana’s help. Earl Dagon was deeply devoted to Liliana and followed her every whim.

Caleb watched his bustling birthday party, conversing with his friends with a sense of numbness. From this day forward, he was finally free.

Caleb hired a private tutor. While he had driven away all his previous teachers, he was exceptionally well-behaved this time. Earl Dagon credited this change to Solene.

Whenever Caleb lost control, Solene would step in, braving injury just to calm him down. In her, Dagon saw the shadow of Liliana; she, too, had once been so kind and gentle. Consequently, he permitted Solene to attend lessons alongside Caleb.

This was exactly what Solene had hoped for. In those classes, she absorbed all kinds of knowledge, from aristocratic etiquette to national internal affairs. Occasionally, she would help Caleb with his assignments; whenever he needed her, she was there.

Deeply disillusioned with his father, Caleb began to depend on Solene more and more.

Eight years vanished in the blink of an eye. Liliana had still not borne a child for Earl Dagon. The physicians concluded that her body, exhausted by past hardships, was now unable to conceive. This news, which initially troubled Dagon, only made him more protective and doting toward Liliana.

She was not only his savior but his first love; this profound devotion made him entirely subservient to her wishes.

As Solene approached her eighteenth birthday and her coming-of-age ceremony, her mother finally secured the right to manage the household.

Caleb finally relented. According to the law, after the passing of a nobleman’s first wife, the son has the right to inherit the internal management of the estate. Caleb had clung to this power, but this time, he voluntarily surrendered it.

Solene accidentally overheard the reason—Caleb wanted to marry her.

Earl Dagon saw through his son’s intentions. To please Liliana, he used Solene as a bargaining chip, trading her to Caleb in exchange for the estate’s internal authority, promising to announce their relationship at her eighteenth birthday gala.

A faint smile touched Solene’s lips. The coming-of-age ceremony was about to begin, and everything was in place.

She planned to take her father’s pocket watch, which had stopped three years ago, to be repaired as soon as the gala ended.

"Sister." Caleb’s deep, resonant voice came from outside the door. Hearing him, Solene moved with light steps and gently turned the handle, only to be instantly pulled into a tight embrace.

"Caleb," Solene whispered his name in a soft, delicate voice, as if every syllable were infused with endless warmth.

"Sister, once the coming-of-age ceremony arrives, we can finally walk through life together and never be parted again."

Solene reached out her slender hand, gently stroking Caleb’s soft hair as she hummed a quiet assent. Caleb’s emotions were pure and simple; just a sliver of love and comfort was enough to satisfy him.

Sixteen—an age where he didn't even dare to steal a kiss.

"I’ll wait for you." Solene’s smile was as gentle as ever. At this moment, her beauty was breathtaking, as if she embodied all the grace in the world. The newspapers even praised her as a true Saintess.

While watching a play, she saw a character modeled after herself and realized that beauty was indeed something worth the time to celebrate.

Their foreheads touched lightly. Caleb’s voice was low and sincere: "I once harbored so much resentment for my father, but now, I find myself grateful to him—because he is the reason I met you."

Solene’s expression grew slightly complex, but in the end, she only gave a small smile, covering her mouth to hide the curve of her lips. Her eyes softened further. "And I am grateful to my mother for the honor of meeting you."

Caleb was indeed strikingly handsome; otherwise, it would have been difficult for her to perform such sincere emotions.

With those words, Caleb turned to leave, offering only a soft "Goodnight."

Solene covered her mouth and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. She thought to herself:

Grateful to his father for bringing me here? If his mother in hell knew of this, what would she think?

Solene quietly closed the door, her gaze falling tenderly upon her gown for the ceremony. Her heart was filled with infinite anticipation for that day.

She slowly opened an exquisite gift box, revealing a gemstone necklace that had belonged to the previous Countess. The pale pink gems shimmered with a soft light beneath her fingertips.

Solene stroked it gently, her lips curling upward.

High and mighty Countess, when you sent men to beat my mother, did you ever foresee this day? If you knew your beloved son was now a stepping stone for my ascent, what kind of expression would you make?

Solene’s beauty surpassed even her mother’s. Combined with the Empress’s favor, she had become the focal point of the nobility. To call her a decadent socialite of the aristocracy would not be an exaggeration.

She was wealthy, beautiful, and seemingly naive—a combination of traits that made everyone want to draw near her. Marriage proposals flooded in like a tide, piling up like a mountain, but fortunately, with Caleb’s help, they were all turned away.

In an instant, the day of the ceremony finally arrived.

Caleb’s eyes were as gentle as water as he took Solene’s hand and led her through the grand doors. Earl Dagon’s former glory had faded slightly, and eight years had robbed him of his youthful edge, but he still had many admirers. Despite being of the lowest rank of Earl, his opulence was something even the Imperial family admired. However, fearing he might climb too high, he chose to remain an Earl and live as a merchant.

Solene was dressed in a pale blue gown. Gemstones flowed across her slender waist like a brilliant galaxy, perfectly complementing her curvaceous figure and her plush furs.

Eighteen—an age caught between innocence and maturity. At this moment, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Every man and woman present froze the moment they saw her. Though the world had long praised her beauty, there were always those who thought it was merely an exaggeration, believing there were many women as beautiful as she, just in different styles.

Yet now, they had to admit: this was truly the premier beauty of the Empire.

Dagon’s gaze grew misty, as if he were seeing the Liliana of the past; she had been just as radiant. A commoner by birth, she had been chosen by the gods as a Saintess and had saved countless people. Even the current Emperor and Empress had once been graced by her kindness.

Only, that past had come to an abrupt end due to certain... accidents.

"Father." Solene placed her hand over her heart and bowed slightly to Dagon, her voice pulling him back to reality.

"Solene is now officially under the Vaisman name. Solene Vaisman."

Beside her, Caleb frowned slightly. Dagon gave him a reassuring look, and his expression relaxed. In these eight years, Earl Dagon had protected Solene with the utmost care; he had even failed to notice his pocket watch had stopped for three days until she pointed it out.

Solene placed her hand in Dagon’s. Liliana stood by with a smile, and the four of them conversed with the guests together. Caleb looked at Solene’s dress, a flicker of unease rising in his heart.

"Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress! His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince!"

Aside from Earl Dagon, everyone was stunned. No matter how famous Solene was, it was impossible to invite the Imperial family to the coming-of-age ceremony of a minor Earl’s stepdaughter. Although Solene frequently attended the Empress’s banquets, she had always been something of a "wallflower," invited only because her father was in the Empress’s camp.

Solene hadn't expected the Empress to come either. After all, the Empress favored many noble daughters, and she had only ever shown her the utmost loyalty. She understood that the Empress never did anything without purpose—just as she had attended her mother’s wedding to prevent the Emperor from appearing.

Her mother and the Emperor had been first loves, and she was the original woman for whom the Emperor kept "stand-in" mistresses. Under the Empress’s pressure, he hadn't seen her mother once in eight years.

Ian stood beside his mother. His gaze was still as pure and sincere as their first meeting, shining brilliantly in this chaotic world, impossible to ignore.

How truly loathsome.

Solene smiled and bowed with the crowd, speaking softly: "Greetings to the Moon of the Empire; greetings to the Little Sun."

The Empress sat in the high seat, exchanging a subtle look with Dagon, a faint smile playing on her lips.

The unease in Caleb’s heart grew stronger, and he quietly moved to Solene’s side. The eyes of the crowd were fixed on the Empress and the Prince; the once-boisterous gala instantly became solemn and hushed.

The guests here were mostly daughters of Marquises or fellow Earls who were close to Solene. The high-ranking nobility had not appeared, though they had all received invitations—a matter of social etiquette and respect.

The Empress smiled as she watched the trembling crowd, savoring the satisfaction that came with power. Her influence had quietly expanded to the point where she could bring her lovers into the palace.

The Crown Prince had been raised by the Empress since childhood and was very close to her, while the Emperor spent his days immersed in debauchery, his spirit long since drained. It was said that the people the Emperor sent to see him returned in a panic, writing letters to the Prince for help, only for them to be intercepted by the Empress.

These were things the Empress’s lovers had revealed to Solene. Her newest paramour, like Solene, came from the Lowlands, and the two had unexpectedly reunited at a banquet. He told her many secrets without asking for anything in return, leaving her with only one sentence: "I hope you can learn a little more, so you can live a little better."

A simple, honest boy. That simplicity was an innate trait of the people from the Lowlands, yet it was also the root of their enslavement.

"I see everyone is quite tense," the Empress spoke. "Why don't the Crown Prince and Solene have the opening dance? It will help everyone relax."

At those words, Caleb’s eyes widened. Solene, too, was in disbelief. Everyone in the room became even more rigid than before.

The first dance—and the first dance of a coming-of-age gala, no less. This was undoubtedly an announcement to all: the Empress had chosen Solene. She was to be the candidate for the Crown Princess.

Solene had originally expected to share the first dance with Caleb; now, she couldn't help but feel a surge of tension.

The daughters of the Marquises stared at the Prince’s face. His delicate features were almost ethereal, his short hair slightly curled, and his eyes as bright as crystal. He happened to be wearing a blue and gold outfit today—his tall frame, perfect proportions, and gentle smile were captivating.

The guests looked back and forth between the clothes worn by Solene and the Prince. They were clearly a matching set.

Solene looked at Dagon in shock. He was the one who had arranged this outfit.