Free Web NovelChapter 67: Chapter 67: Ethereal
Chapter 67: Ethereal
The grand ballroom doors opened slowly beneath the glow of crystal chandeliers.
At once, people paused mid-dance.
Several nobles instinctively turned toward the entrance together with the musicians nearest the platform. Even the dancers slowed subtly as attention shifted almost unnaturally toward the woman standing beneath the golden light spilling from the hallway beyond.
And there...framed by golden lights and polished marble...
...stood Aria Valen.
For one brief moment, the entire ballroom seemed to fall silent around her.
She looked...ethereal.
The gown she wore looked unlike anything aristocratic society had seen before.
It possessed the elegance expected from noble fashion, yet carried a softness strangely absent from most formal attire within the empire. The dress shimmered in a breathtaking shade of rose touched faintly by winter dawn, delicate layers of translucent fabric flowing around her with every step like drifting clouds kissed by morning light.
The material itself appeared almost weightless.
Soft tulle layered gracefully over silk so fine it caught the chandeliers with every step she made. Rather than the rigid heaviness common among noble gowns, her dress moved naturally with her body, creating an effortless grace that looked both luxurious and strangely freeing at once.
And somehow...
...that difference alone made it impossible to ignore.
The fitted bodice embraced her figure perfectly without appearing restrictive. Thousands of tiny crystals had been embroidered delicately throughout the fabric, flickering softly each time the ballroom lights touched them. They resembled scattered starlight resting against her skin rather than jewels sewn onto cloth.
Beautiful and refined.
Nothing about the gown appeared excessive despite its obvious luxury.
It was elegant but unfamiliar to everyone present. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
The sheer floor-length cape attached beneath a jewel-encrusted collar swept behind her in soft flowing layers, trailing gracefully across the marble floor like mist following a queen.
The translucent fabric caught the slightest movement of air as she walked, creating the illusion that she floated rather than stepped into the ballroom.
Several noblewomen visibly stared in complete admiration.
Because the gown broke countless expectations without openly defying noble standards.
It remained feminine.
Refined.
Appropriate.
And yet...
...entirely different from anything they themselves wore.
Even her appearance had changed subtly.
Her dark hair had been swept into an elegant low arrangement that exposed the graceful line of her neck while still allowing a few soft strands to frame her face naturally.
Tiny pearls and delicate pearl ornaments had been woven throughout the glossy black strands, shimmering beneath the chandeliers like scattered moonlight caught in silk.
The hairstyle itself was deceptively simple.
No towering ornaments.
No excessive jeweled structures favored by imperial noblewomen.
And somehow, that simplicity only made her more breathtaking.
It softened her beauty into something almost unreal and dangerously elegant.
Her lips carried a delicate rose sheen beneath the ballroom lights, while subtle shimmer dusted her eyelids each time she blinked.
Warm color rested naturally against her cheeks, giving her an almost luminous softness beneath the gold glow of the chandeliers.
Every detail appeared intentional.
Beautiful in a way nobody present could fully describe.
And because it differed so completely from traditional aristocratic beauty...
...nobody in the room could look away.
The ballroom atmosphere shifted almost immediately.
Noblewomen began silently studying every detail of the gown with growing intensity.
The embroidery.
The silhouette.
The flowing cape.
The impossible sparkle scattered across the fabric like captured starlight.
Meanwhile, countless men simply stared before remembering belatedly that they were meant to possess dignity.
Near the western side of the ballroom, Duke Sebastian Blackwood had gone unusually still.
Archmage Ezekiel Rowe lowered his wine glass halfway through lifting it, golden eyes fixed entirely on her.
And Matthias Sinclair who rarely concerned himself with appearances beyond formal necessity, found himself unable to remove his gaze from her either.
Because Lady Aria Valen no longer looked merely beautiful.
She looked unforgettable.
But then, another figure stepped beside her that snapped all of them out of their own daydreams.
Dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit embroidered with silver detailing, he looked elegant enough to rival young nobility themselves.
His dark hair had been styled neatly away from his face tonight, the formal attire emphasizing his sharp features and calm composure beneath the chandelier glow.
Several nobles stared at him almost as much as they stared at Aria.
Because together, they looked perfect.
Ren extended his hand toward her with familiar ease.
And Aria accepted it naturally without hesitation.
As though standing beside him like this had always been the most obvious thing in the world.
Ren guided her carefully into the ballroom while her crystal-strewn cape drifted behind her in soft shimmering waves. Every movement sent light scattering across the countless crystals sewn into the gown, making her appear as though stars themselves followed wherever she walked.
The musicians eventually resumed playing.
Conversations slowly returned.
Dancers began moving once more across the marble floor.
Yet despite the recovery of the evening’s rhythm...
...the atmosphere no longer resembled what it had been before her arrival.
Because now, whether anyone admitted it or not—
Lady Aria Valen had become the center of the entire banquet.
No matter how desperately the orchestra attempted to continue playing as though nothing unusual had happened, the atmosphere inside the ballroom had already shifted beyond repair.
Conversations resumed eventually, but not naturally. Every noble present still glanced toward her between dances, between drinks, between every carefully rehearsed social interaction.
Because ignoring her had become impossible.
Aria herself seemed entirely aware of it.
"Do I look nervous, Ren?" she asked with a playful grin while subtly tightening her grip against his arm.
Her male servant standing beside her chuckled softly.
"A little," he admitted honestly. "Perhaps dancing would help ease your trembling."
"I am not trembling."
"My lady nearly crushed my sleeve five seconds ago."
"That was..." she paused and looked away.
Ren’s expression softened faintly before he extended one gloved hand toward her formally.
"Then may I request this dance, Lady Aria?"
"You may," she answered dramatically before placing her hand into his.
Whispers immediately erupted nearby.
Because regardless of how elegant Ren appeared tonight, many nobles still recognized him vaguely as a servant often seen accompanying Lady Aria publicly.
And now he was dancing with her.
In the middle of a noble banquet.
Aria ignored every stare effortlessly.
"You are attracting hostility from at least twelve noblewomen," Aria informed him conversationally.
"Only twelve?" Ren asked calmly. "That is less than expected."
She nearly laughed.
The dance itself felt surprisingly natural.
Aria had expected awkwardness, but Ren moved gracefully enough that she almost forgot the countless eyes still watching them from every direction.
His posture remained straight, one hand resting carefully against her waist while the other held hers securely.
"You dance well," she admitted.
"My mother insisted upon it," he answered quietly.
Aria blinked slightly.
Again, that strange feeling returned.
Sometimes Ren said things that sounded entirely inconsistent with the background he claimed to possess.
Before she could think deeper about it, another voice suddenly interrupted smoothly beside them.
"I believe you have monopolized Lady Aria long enough."
Aria turned immediately.
Archmage Ezekiel Rowe stood nearby wearing dark formal attire with silver magical runes subtly embroidered in the fabrics. His long silver hair had been tied neatly.
Several nearby noblewomen nearly stopped breathing.
Honestly understandable.
The man looked unfairly attractive.
Ren sighed quietly.
"My apologies, Lord Rowe."
"None accepted," Ezekiel answered lightly before extending a hand toward Aria. "Lady Aria, may I steal you away for the next dance?"
Aria opened her mouth to protest but before she could answer...
Another hand suddenly intercepted hers first.
"She should dance with her fiancé before entertaining other men."
Sebastian Blackwood appeared beside them looking deeply offended on a different level.
Aria stared.
Duke Sebastian Blackwood looked absurdly handsome tonight in formal black attire detailed with dark gold embroidery.
Unfortunately...
He was currently sulking.
Actually sulking.
"You ignored me the entire evening," Sebastian informed her accusingly.
Aria blinked slowly.
"I arrived fifteen minutes ago."
"That is still fifteen unnecessary minutes."
Ezekiel scoffed immediately.
"You sound pathetic."
"And you sound...unmarried." Sebastian replied without hesitation.
"Oh my God," Aria muttered beneath her breath.
