Off To The Ball

On the night of the banquet, Carina chose a dress that was flashy and pretty but subtle enough that nobody would think she was showing off too much.

(It was also one of the dresses that gave her enough leg room to throw a good solid kick, or if she needed, a swift escape. Just incase.)

Anne spent an obscene amount of time on Carina's make up, muttering about how Carina was finally showing her face to society and needed to look her absolute best. Carina grumbled back that she was pretty enough without make up, but Anne merely shot her a withering look in response and Carina kept the rest of her thoughts to herself.

Carina wasn't supposed to have any maids go with her, but Marie followed her in the shadows, as her bodyguard rather than her maid tonight. Carina felt relieved to know that Marie would be watching out for her. She wasn't worried anyone would try anything, but it still felt good knowing she was protected.

When Carina met Jane at the carriage, her stepsister had an expression on her face that was as if she had ate something sour, her face scrunched up in displeasure at Carina's appearance. More accurately, Jane was upset that Carina was prettier than her, even though Jane definitely had the more expensive and superior dress.

Carina merely looked at Jane and smiled. Nothing could be done about Carina naturally having a more beautiful face, not even if Jane covered herself in fifty layers of make up.

Though the first half of the carriage ride was silent, eventually Jane turned to look at Carina and spoke.

"How did you even get an invitation to the banquet? Nobody even knows you're alive."

Carina shrugged. "I'm not so sure myself, though I do recall bumping into some noblewomen while I was shopping the other day. It must've been then. There were so many of them, and they were all inviting me over for tea, it was a bit overwhelming in all honesty."

Jane stopped talking immediately after that, biting down hard on her lip to keep her jealousy and envy from showing. Though to Carina, it was already very obvious what her younger stepsister was thinking.

Carina looked out the window at the passing landscape and smiled softly to herself, wondering if she might be able to find different ways to torment her stepsister tonight.