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The night combined, missing the farce.
Aresia quickly regretted letting Karina play around.
As Karina left, students, who seemed to have been observing the situation suddenly approached and struck up a conversation one after another.
The man came to invite for a dance, the woman to introduce herself, and they settled down to chat. Some accepted the rejection for a dance while others persisted in conversation, turning this once quiet corner into a bustling hub.
These people had a relaxed demeanor, their words pleasant and not bothersome, yet they annoyed Aresia enough that she wanted to drive them away directly, or at least politely indicate she preferred solitude. They remained, not quite catching the hint, which made Aresia contemplate leaving herself.
Eventually, Aresia stood up, indicating a need to use the restroom and seeming composed while escaping the situation.
She was sure she wouldn’t return to this place.
Initially planning on just heading back, having already attended the banquet, she thought a brief appearance was sufficient, but she couldn’t get the timing to leave.
As she walks, she saw Karina dancing in the ballroom. Aresia felt joy seeing her, sincerely hoping for Karina to see her, but seeing her enjoying, she decides to find a quiet spot to wait a little while longer for Karina.
Finding Karina in the populated area was challenging. Aresia hesitated but decided to go to Karina during a break in the music to tell that she will only go outside to take a walk.
Not wishing to linger further, Aresia left the hall and sat on nearby resting chairs.
The area was far from the lights and shielded by trees, making it difficult to spot. Mosquitoes were menacing.
Unfazed by the bugs, Aresia cast a spell to repel them and another to control the temperature. Despite the summer night’s bugs, the refreshing breeze, and the beauty of the night makes her wished for some chilled fruit.
Looking up at the starry sky through the trees, her mind was already back in the laboratory.
Aresia was working on an ambitious project related to alchemical production, requiring advanced equipment that wasn’t available here. The research demanded cutting-edge tools; without them, progress was impossible. It wasn’t a simple matter. Despite being a mage accustomed to creating experimental equipment, modifying a basic model here required much more effort due to the lacking resources.
This wasn’t a path she hadn’t tread before, but replicating it, skipping numerous issues, was challenging. The only missing piece was funds.
Though her studies sometimes suffered due to these challenges, she prioritized her research whenever possible. It was her way of relaxation – drawing, drafting, and computing data during breaks between classes.
Money was another issue. Despite the significant profits from the textile factory and the Duke’s funding, the expenses always consumed the surplus. Aresia struggled with budget constraints, unable to afford even basic materials without comparing prices.
She’d buy what she could and seek help or alternatives for what she couldn’t. The feeling of not having enough money was truly frustrating. Adjusting to her current lifestyle, except for a disagreement regarding the cost of a magical tower, had become manageable.
However, she couldn’t forget her promise to her father. Her mind was occupied with modifying a set of blueprints to establish a production line for hoverboards.
Furthermore, as the demand for magical beast continued to increase, Aresia felt the need to design another magical tool production line closely associated with these creatures.
The minds of mages were magically enhanced; the higher their level, the sharper their memory, akin to photographic memory. At Aresia’s level, her mind was running at full speed, calculating faster than the high-magic world’s magical network. However, her body couldn’t match the speed, risking burning out her mind in less than three seconds if she pushed too hard. She had learned to temper her efforts, capable of modifying a relatively simple production line blueprint directly within her mind.
Yet, it was draining.
After long hours of concentration, Aresia felt her mind grow fatigued but couldn’t stop thinking.
Perhaps it was time to replicate the basic equipment and create another magical brain to assist with data processing.
Feeling mentally drained, Aresia stood up, preparing to replenish her brainpower by grabbing a bite to eat at the banquet.
However, upon re-entering the hall, she sensed an unusual atmosphere.
Glancing around, she noticed people huddling and conversing, a heavy air lingering.
Karina had stopped dancing and immediately approached Aresia as she returned.
Aresia inquired, “What happened? Why does the atmosphere feel strange?”
Karina eagerly pulled her aside.
They were near the dining area, and Aresia grabbed a slice of cake before listening to Karina’s share of information.
“Just now, Miss Howard made a scene involving Wendy.”
Karina enjoyed gossip, especially during such occasions. Aresia knew that this Wendy was someone the the previous Aresia had considered a rival.
However, a Viscount’s daughter, an influential figure and a non-Holy Lotean City people, creating a scene involving Wendy. Aresia seems confused.
Karina had witness the situation with her own eyes. Alice had brought trouble upon herself. She approached Osweid and planned to dance with him. After failing miserably at attempting to dance with him, not once but thrice, losing face, she finds Osweid’s closeness with Wendy annoying and it visibly irked Alice.
“Guess what happened? Miss Howard’s gown was a trailing style, and someone stepped on the train, ripping it off!”
Aresia blinked, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, “Really? It tore off?”
“Yeah, from here to here!”
Karina gestured toward her chest and then moved her hand down to her waistline.
Aresia widened her eyes, “What.”
Wasn’t her entire chest exposed?
Karina shrugged, “It was, but the dress was cinched tightly with a corset. Though the dress fell, the corset held everything in place.”
Aresia shook her head in disbelief, “It’s already embarrassing enough.”
In such situations, while there was a wardrobe malfunction, it was more of a social faux pas.
“Even more embarrassing things happened.”
Karina scanned the surroundings and leaned close to Aresia, speaking in a hushed tone, “Those who stood nearby saw it. Miss Howard had padded her chest, not just a little bit.”
“When the skirt got stepped on, the padding fell off. The difference between both sides of her chest was too obvious.”
Upon this revelation, Aresia could only remark, “Uh… poor Alice.”
“Poor? She was asking for it.”
Karina rolled her eyes. She didn’t like Alice Howard’s attitude, and Aresia wasn’t fond of the person either.
“People around here are clear on the fact that Alice was the one who first picked a fight with Wendy. It wasn’t a simple tug-of-war; she accidentally tore Alice’s dress while pulling. Alice tried to evade Wendy when her skirt got snagged and tripped, falling. And then, the skirt was yanked off, leaving her exposed. That’s karma for you.”
Understanding this inside story, Aresia quickly replied, seemingly unaccustomed to this sort of gossip from her previous life.
If Aresia remembered correctly, it was she who had confronted Wendy, not Alice Howard, who had no reason to. Instead, Alice Howard approached Osweid and it was Wendy’s interference that irked Alice, and who also felt threatened by Wendy due to Osweid’s protection.
“Did they already leave?”
“Yes, Miss Howard lost her face so badly she had to leave. And then, Osweid personally escorted Wendy out, and Miss Howard, who had already lost face, lost her temper further, making some guests leave.”