Eos finally arrived at the Bassett's tea party which she was able to meet with Lilith who was the only other person who sent the invitation. The majority of the attendees at this tea party were mostly neutral or supported the Second Prince which only meant that they were recruit more allies. Unfortunately, Eos disliked picking a side and remaining neutral was a difficult position to maintain unless you had sufficient power to be able to resist the tide of power. Not that Courtney and Arachne couldn't resist it was their families head who chose their positions in courts and they could only follow behind since to betray the family to support the other side would be detrimental to their reputation whether it was good or bad.
Lilith was donned in an unorthodox dress which was consist of elements of a dress but with the front opened revealing pants. It was adorned with a cap which cascade down her back complimenting Lilith's long figure as she strutted through the attendees who were instinctually gave her way, "Lady Suveron is wearing an unusual attire once again." Occasional whispers regarding Lilith's outfit began filling through courtyards which all the attendee were gathered. Despite all the whisper about her choice of clothes, Lilith spotted Eos from a distance before quickly strolling to her location.
Eos smiled at Lilith who immediately engulfed her in a hug this was completely surprising, "I heard about what happened." Lilith began checking every part of Eos but was completely stopped by Eos, "What did the Madame do this time?" Lilith pouted but was relieved to see that Eos was physically fine and decided to probe for more information about the rumour that had spread about the incident just a few days ago.
Eos' eyes quickly scanned the crowd to see peering eyes and ears of the attendees who were equally as curious to know what had occurred for the two ladies of the Monciaux house to fight as this extent, "You know the Madame is just overprotective of the heir so she had accused me of brainwash him, " Eos gave out the truth of the situation of the incident but she knew that was too vague as a explanation, "Under the guise of diminishing the heir's power of the Monciaux Dukedom from him." This was definitely something serious to accuse a family member for brainwashing, however, Eos' image had placed her a noble daughter only knowing the femininely arts.
This would only cause people to question the Madame's sanity since she was once dubbed as one of the beauties in her time, however, after marrying the Duke for love. Her personality has completely turned 180 from an enthralling and witty woman to a someone who was jealous of every woman trying to lay eyes on the Duke, including Eos' mother who was marrying into the family. Her reputation soon declined following an incident that involved Eos' mother and the Madame who instantly was put to blame since the Madame began harassing Eos' mother. Thinking that she was pregnant with the Duke since she had convinced herself that Eos' mother couldn't have possibly married Lord Ferdinand who was inferior in terms of both influence and wealth.
After that incident she was immediately placed on prohibition order from Eos' mother and eventually the matter settled by itself. People began to think that everything would return back to normal now that it was had been a few years and the Madame was pregnant with the Duke's child. Raising her only child, the heir to the Monciaux Dukedom, it was a life of serenity even if her husband did not love her but her child would love her instead. Her child, Silas, was a splitting image of his father just more happier and livelier. He was her pride and joy. Accomplishing feats in physical prowess that were difficult for his age group.
However, unbeknownst to her a beautiful child entered the Monciaux Dukedom her lovely appearance struck everyone with awe with her shiny maple biege hair that cascaded down her figure like honey slipping through your fingers. Her light green eyes that had speckles of gold as if those eyes had been handcrafted by the gods as they were like jewels to display for the curious to gaze upon only be lost in their beauty. Her skin was like porcelain it was just smooth skin. Her lips were a soft pink that could only be describe like a petal that had fallen on her face and became her lips. Despite all that beauty that child was nervous as if the Monciaux Dukedom was someplace dangerous.
The Duke had introduced the girl into the family registry, Eos Monciaux. The goddess of dawn. A fitting name for a child so beautiful like the rising sun that blessed the day. Eos soon began exhibiting her talents, outperforming her own child. Silas soon began becoming a shell of himself seeing as Eos comprehension skill in literature were progressing much faster than Silas since he had a much difficult time comprehending the material. A epiphany hit her that the Duke's sudden adoption of the child was sudden.
She had request and organised a private investigator to search the child's background. That child was between the union of the Eos' parents who she was framed the woman for being with child with the Duke's child. But, the child did not exhibit may of the Monciaux trait that was the norm. Her hair was much paler with warm brown under tones compared to the golden colour that was the same as her son had. Her green eyes were pooled with the colour of golden honey as opposed to the pure golden eyes that Monciaux member's inherited. Her appearance was exceedingly more beautiful than most especially since both her parents were beautiful themselves.
The Madame could finally release a breath of relief knowing that Eos could not be able to take the position of heir from her son and become the matriarch of Monciaux. However, that relief would not last long as she quickly came to the knowledge that the Ferdinand family was a direct bloodline of the Monciaux who could provide a heir in the case Monciaux's stability of any power struggle. If a member of the Ferdinand family had produced a son which had inherited the Monciaux's trait then he would immediately be taken in to be a emergency substitute or an immediate vassal. However, if they were to produce a daughter they would immediately be married to a noble family, when she had come to age, who was willing to marry into the Monciaux to produce more members.
Despite Eos being a daughter from the Ferdinand, her existence was unusual in the Monciaux Dukedom as she had no prospect for marriage and raised to be a vassal. Since the marriage proposal all been negated all together by all prospectors. Her management skillset was valuable and she was eventually given a region which the Monciaux Dukedom domains over. The region which she had managed thrive abundant with it becoming the highest producer for food items which the dukedom governs. Her existence would could possibly place her into co-governing with Silas her cousin in the future or being a heir presumptive.
Anxiety overall skyrocket are she come to knowledge but the one remaining factor which would ultimately cause all rationale to from her mind to evaporate, "We could use that child, Epione, to perform the ultimatum to take back what the Monciaux are due." A senior member grin spread across their face. The most senior members of the Monciuax clan were gathered in this room along with the Duke who chuckled as their eyes gleamed with a glint that was unfamiliar to the Madame who thought she knew there was to the Monciaux Dukedom.
A maniacally chuckle escaped from the Duke's body, "Though the child isn't perfect she is a perfect replica of our spirit ancestor." Then the image comparison of the young child and the spirit ancestor was eerily similar like it was as if that child was the actually the spirit's incarnation, "If we can use that child to harness spiritual powers so that the Monciaux house back to its former glory as it founding fathers." The Madame immediately was frightened of the child as she came to a realisation that the child could to use by the Monciaux to hold unimaginable power in the future. A future where endless bloodshed would wash over the empire.
The village where she was birthed in were a small cluster of a population which one of the few villages that co-existed with spirits and fairy folk. It was natural for children of that village to understand the magic folk. The constant fear of the Monciaux Duke who would use a child for his own benefit and the risk associated for her only son. All this information soon cause the Madame descend into insanity once again but this time it would be harder for her to break free from it. Even her beloved son wasn't able to snap her back to reality.
__________
Eos sat with Lilith as their assigned table with some other ladies who were also assigned the same seat. The other few ladies at their table were all whispering amongst each other with occasional giggles but whenever Eos or Lilith tried to initiate eye contact with the ladies. Their faces would begin to fluster as they stuttered to bring words, "Lady Monciaux, is it true you are one of few listed member of Vanity Mask?" They were finally able to talk was quite a surprising topic especially since the scandal of the Madame was such a hot topic itself.
Eos chuckled as she nodded, "Vanity Mask reached out to me to advertise their products, however, I'm not of the highest priority member since I'm not that active in the high society right now." She explained as the table received its itinerary of food which consisted of small snack food, teas and some savoury options which Lilith quickly indulged in.
The other ladies quickly began getting excited hearing that Eos was one of the VIP member of Vanity which was an exclusive club to the most beautiful of noblewomen, "That can't be true you are the most beautiful person in noble society that we know of." They all nodded to each other along with Lilith who wholeheartedly agreed with them. Eos was immediately flustered by the flattery seeing as it wasn't possible to be the most beautiful of all the ladies.
Eos was quite flustered which was surprising since all the ladies that were close enough to see her expression since she was well known for her calm disposition, "No, no, everyone is beautiful." This immediately caused the other noble ladies to be flustered by her comment, "There is no one lady that is more beautiful than another because how can be compare if we are all are as individual as different flowers." She couldn't allow for the girls not to appreciate themselves. Since they were also beautiful as well in their own individual ways.
Lilith smiled at Eos who couldn't even handle flattery like this, "Of course everyone is beautiful just as long you have the confidence," She took a bite of the snacks that they were provided for the tea party today, "A person who has confidence will automatically be beautiful." She plopped a cherry tomato into her mouth mulling over the fact that it wasn't as sweet as she thought it would be but the sauce that was accompanying it was stung her taste buds giving a refreshing mouthfeel after all the sweets that she had eaten over the period of the tea party.
Everyone at the tea party had their self esteem swelled with confidence after hearing the two ladies. Lady Bassett was still relatively young lady when she debuted into high society was immediately uplifted by their words seeing as she didn't have much confidence in herself. She immediately began to approach both Lilith and Eos as she wanted to inquire about the dresses that they wore today since even though they had the vastly different dress designs. The dresses themselves all had that beautiful iridescent material which was a staple for the dress which meant that the two of them had the same dress maker.
As Lady Bassett approached the two ladies who were her senior by a few year since they were the 101th alumni to the Empire's most prestigious academy, Usornia Academy, exclusive to the most intelligent nobles. Its entrance exams was the most difficult in the empire to pass and there was also secondary interview which many had failed. So, it was natural for noble ladies to admire those two who attended the academy with their reputation which had spread across the empire because of their talents, beauty and their family name.
Lady Bassett was about to approach the ladies, however, her nerve immediately cause her stiffly pause in the middle of the room. Eos saw the lady was frozen in her spot so she quickly stood from her seat, coming to her rescue, "Excuse me, may I know where your restroom is?" As soon as Eos approached Lady Bassett she had visible began to calm down, "I need to retouch my makeup." Lady Bassett immediately went to direct Eos to the restroom herself to which the two girls were alone in the restroom which Eos retouch some powder on her face.
Lady Bassett began to fidget as she waited for Eos, "Lady Monciaux, thank you for helping me today." She was obviously nervous since this was the first tea party that she was hosting it all by herself. Though she made the mistake of leaving the party to accompany Eos to the restroom but that could slide since she was quite young and it was a casual gathering so the rules wouldn't need to be strictly followed anyway.
Eos dried her hands as she finished washing her hands from the slight spillage of the powder that she was using, "No worries, its a senior lady's duty to support and aid the younger ladies." That was the norm for senior member of society to support and correct them when necessary since that what all the previous generation also did, "Now, we shouldn't leave everyone waiting for host for too long now should we?" Eos chuckled as she gesture Lady Bassett out of the restroom so that they could be able to return to the tea party.
Both Eos and the young Lady Bassett both exited the restroom and the walk through the hallway back to the tea party, "Umm... Lady Monciaux, can I ask you about something if it isn't too privy of me to ask," Her flustered speech was quite adorable to Eos who saw Lady Bassett as a younger version of herself. Eos nodded allowing her to ask as they continued to walk back to where the tea party, "Both Lady Suveron and yourself have beautiful dresses which I could tell was from the same dress maker and I was wondering if I could know who is the designer since they are so beautiful." Lady Bassett spoke really fast as speaking at a normal speed would only cause her to stutter.
Eos giggled at the nervous child fast speech but she could understand it, "My dress maker is called Penni from Gineveron Boutique." Responding to Lady Bassett who was happy to know where to find the designer to get a dress, "She is about to make dresses specifically to any individual so you won't have a duplicate of your dress anywhere else." Eos smiled knowing that Penni would love to have another customer which would expand her reputation.
They returned back to the tea party and time eventually passed quickly and the party come to end. Every guest left the party quite satisfied with the company and food, meaning that the tea party was a success for the young Lady Bassett.