Chapter 82
Aurora excused herself from the gentlemen after assisting Merchant Liang and made her way toward the ladies gathered near the ballrooms' grand windows.
Before she could even reach them, Selene spotted her.
"Aurora!" she called excitedly, waving both hands. "Come quickly! Katherine has been trying to convince everyone that she can bargain in Mandarin."
Aurora laughed as she approached.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Katherine folded her arms proudly and lifted her chin.
"I can."
Aurora raised an amused eyebrow.
"Really? Then let's hear it."
Katherine cleared her throat dramatically.
"I know exactly three phrases."
"And they are?"
She held up one finger.
"'Hello."(Mandarin)
Aurora nodded approvingly.
"Very good."
A second finger.
"'Thank you." (Mandarin)
"Excellent."
Then Katherine grinned mischievously as she held up a third finger.
"And... 'How much cheaper can you make it?" (Mandarin)
The ladies burst into laughter.
Aurora shook her head, unable to hide her smile.
"I knew that would be your favorite sentence."
"It saved me a fortune."
"It nearly started a fight with a silk merchant," Aurora reminded her.
Katherine gasped dramatically.
"That was not my fault!"
Aurora folded her arms.
"You accidentally asked if his grandfather was for sale."
The surrounding ladies laughed even harder.
Selene wiped a tear from her eye.
"I still remember the poor man's face."
Katherine groaned.
"You corrected my pronunciation far too late."
"I was laughing too much."
Even several older duchesses covered their mouths as they laughed.
One elderly marchioness chuckled.
"I don't know what is funnier... Lady Katherine trying to bargain or Lady Aurora calmly fixing the situation afterward."
Aurora smiled sheepishly.
"I became rather skilled at apologizing."
The laughter slowly faded, leaving the atmosphere warm and relaxed.
It was then that Bella gracefully approached the group.
"Lady Aurora."
Aurora turned politely and inclined her head.
"Lady Bella."
Bella smiled beautifully, though the warmth never reached her eyes.
"I've heard so much about your travels."
She paused delicately.
"It must have been... such a unique experience."
Aurora smiled.
"It certainly was."
Bella gently opened her fan.
"Living among merchants and commoners for two years must have been quite an adjustment."
Several ladies exchanged uncomfortable glances. The remark sounded harmless...
Yet everyone understood the hidden meaning.
Aurora's smile never wavered.
"Actually, it was one of the greatest privileges of my life."
Bella blinked.
"Oh?"
Aurora nodded.
"It taught me that wisdom has very little to do with rank.... I met physicians whose knowledge amazed me....Merchants who understood economics better than ministers....Farmers who knew more about nature than any scholar."
She smiled gently.
"I realized that we never stop learning, no matter our title."
A few ladies nodded thoughtfully.
Bella's smile tightened ever so slightly.
"How admirable."
She tilted her head.
"I suppose after spending so much time abroad, and among commoners, you now feel far more comfortable in their company than among the nobility."
The conversation around them quieted.
Everyone waited for Aurora's response.
Aurora looked around the ballroom.
She saw children laughing with their parents.
Merchant Liang speaking with her father.
Selene and Katherine smiling beside her.
The Queen chatting warmly with several duchesses.
Her gaze returned to Bella.
"Kindness has a wonderful way of making anyone feel welcome, regardless of title."
Her voice remained calm.
"I've been fortunate enough to find kindness among both commoners and nobles."
A brief silence followed.
No accusation.
No anger.
Yet many ladies lowered their eyes. They remembered how Aurora had once been ignored...And how graciously she now spoke despite it.
Bella felt the conversation slipping beyond her control. She tried once more.
"Your travels have certainly changed you."
Aurora smiled softly.
"I believe they simply helped me become the woman I was always meant to be."
An older duchess stepped forward before Bella could continue.
"I couldn't agree more."
She took Aurora's hands warmly.
"You've returned with elegance, wisdom, and humility."
Another lady smiled.
"And your parents must be incredibly proud."
"They truly have every reason to be."
Several ladies murmured their agreement.
Bella's fingers tightened around the handle of her fan until her knuckles turned white.
She had intended to embarrass Aurora.
Instead...
Aurora had earned the admiration of every lady present without raising her voice once.
Selene leaned toward Katherine and whispered just loudly enough for Aurora to hear.
"Do you think you could bargain for a new fan before Lady Bella breaks hers?"
Katherine pretended to think deeply.
"Only if she gives me a discount."
She glanced dramatically at Bella's fan.
"It already looks slightly damaged."
Aurora bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.
Selene completely failed.
A small snort escaped her, and she quickly hid behind her teacup.
Even a few nearby ladies struggled to suppress their smiles.
Bella, however, remained perfectly composed.
She closed her fan gracefully and offered Aurora another flawless smile.
"It has been lovely speaking with you, Lady Aurora."
"The pleasure was mine," Aurora replied with genuine courtesy.
Bella inclined her head before turning away.
Not once did she allow anyone to see the storm raging inside her.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
For two years she had comforted herself with one thought.
Aurora would return forgotten.
She would return awkward.
She would return unable to reclaim her place among the nobility.
Instead...
Aurora had returned accomplished.
Confident.
Graceful.
She had become a bridge between kingdoms, earned the admiration of scholars, merchants, nobles, and commoners alike...
And the most infuriating part of all—
She wasn't trying to impress anyone.
She simply was.
Bella's jaw tightened ever so slightly.
No...
I won't lose.
Not after waiting two long years.
Not when Lucian had only just begun looking at Aurora again.
As Bella disappeared into the crowd, Aurora watched her go for only a moment before turning back to Katherine and Selene.
Katherine let out a long breath.
"I think I need another lesson in Mandarin."
Aurora laughed.
"Why?"
"So next time I can insult someone without them understanding."
Aurora looked horrified.
"Katherine!"
Selene burst into laughter.
"And there goes all the wisdom Aurora tried teaching us."
The three young women laughed together, their joy light and genuine.
Watching them from across the ballroom, the Queen smiled quietly.
"They've become quite close."
Beside her, Duke Owen nodded proudly.
Aurora had left the kingdom as an overlooked sixteen-year-old girl.
She had returned as an accomplished young woman.
And without ever demanding attention...
She had somehow become the brightest light in the room.
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