Chapter 12: Royal Ball

As Selina and the Prince rush in for a finishing blow, the man warps out a flask in his hand and downs it all in one gulp. 

"This won't be the last you see of me." The man remarks before teleporting away leaving the two other people in awkward silence.

"Are you alright?" Selina breaks the ice worriedly. 

"Amelia, I-I'm fine. What were you doing here?"

"I was simply passing by and noticed a disturbance and decided to investigate." Selina casually explains.

"How did you get in here? Only very few individuals know the passcode." 

"...What passcode?" Selina chose to act clueless.

"There were only a few guards here surprisingly so I just snuck in."

The prince stares at Selina suspiciously, but ultimately decides to not pursue it any longer, after all, they both had their own fair share of secrets.

"Well, nothing to do about that. Apologizes for hurting you. Let's head back, shall we my lady?"

"Fine with me, make sure to pick up that dude over there too." Selina points to the unconscious Regis.

"Least I can do and Amelia… thank you for today, I don't want to imagine what would've happened if you didn't step up. Don't tell Troye about this and I won't snitch each other, got it? Keep this between us." 

"My mouth is sealed your highness~" 

"Please, call me Noah." The prince flashes Selina a bright smile.

"Alright…Noah."

Noah lifts up Regis and they both walk out the building through the still destroyed wall. They hop in a nearby carriage that was leftover from the prior retreat and Noah drops off Selina near the Duke's mansion. They bid their farewells and Selina hovers back up, jumping into bed like nothing ever happened. 

Although only a few hours had passed, Selina was thoroughly exhausted. She managed to make it out relatively unscathed with only a few bruises that'll go away soon though. She pulls up her character screen.

Selina Ashton / Amelia Amister

Memories Unlocked: 25% / 100%

Amelia integration: 20%/100%

Awakening of the Dragon: 5% / 100%

Skills: Memorization 

Level 3: Exp 20%/100%

Fireball 

Level 5: Exp 65%/100%

Gale infusion (Evolved version of speed up. During the fight sequence, Selina use wind particles/mana to make herself faster/stronger. Speed up just applied to using wind particles on her feet to make her faster, but she can use wind mana anywhere on her body to achieve those same effects because of training, hence the evolution.)

Level 6: Exp 80%/100%

Hovering

Level 3: Exp 45%/100%

Ability: Allows for easier remembrance of details.

Profession: Dual-Caster Fire/Air/??? (To be unlocked)

Mana: 350 / 350

Strength: E

Agility: D

Stamina: F+

Luck: ???

Charm: S

Mana Capacity: B

Her stats have improved quite a bit because of all the training with Reinhart…maybe she was looking out for her after all. Dragon awakening went up by a lot, was it because of the fight or her meeting with the prince? Interesting. 

Tomorrow is another day, Selina closes her eyes and falls asleep…

The next day arrives and Selina follows her regular morning routine and heads down to the courtyard for her daily training. 

"Morning Reinhart~" 

"You cut it close today, chop chop." Reinhart calmly replies.

"Ever the general. Won't you ever take it easy on me? Look, my pretty face has even gotten eye bags!" Selina remarks cleary aggrieved, truth be told, the eye bags formed because of how intense yesterday was and how late she arrived home, barely getting any sleep. 

But poor Reinhart took her seriously. She places a hand gently on Selina's cheek, caressing the light eye bag with one of her slender fingers.

"I apologize, Lady Amelia." 

Selina, not expecting this, felt a tinge of guilt.

"I-it's fine, as long as you know. I'll get started on running!" She flees to the field, her ears red all over, maybe due to the running or maybe due to something else…

…

As the day passes by as usual, Selina turns in for the night. She wakes up, gets ready, and as soon as she tries to walk to the door, two small knocks could be heard.

"Lady Amelia, his grace calls for you in his office."

"Inform him that I'm coming as soon as I can" 

Selina ponders as for why Troye as called for her, he's been awfully quiet, of course that's fortunate for Selina. She makes his way to his office and enters with a dignified bow. 

"At your request, your grace." 

"Stand up… Amelia, you've surprised me these days." Troye takes a thorough look at Selina's body and feels her magic aptitude through his magic sense.

"You've gotten stronger, maybe you do have some of father's blood in you after all. Well, regardless, you're still half-blood. But I'll save you the critiques today, the royal banquet is being held tomorrow. Save no expenses and make sure to not disappoint. For some reason, his highness specifically mentioned how much he wanted you to come. You're dismissed." Not letting Selina get another word in, he tells her to leave which Selina follows through…

The next day arrives and Selina wakes up bright and early, this time not for training but to prepare for the ball. 

Selina groaned softly as the maids bustled around her room, pulling fabrics, arranging jewelry, and fussing over her appearance. She hadn't realized how exhausting it would be to prepare for a royal banquet, but as the maids worked tirelessly, it dawned on her just how much of an impression she would need to make tonight.

"Lady Amelia, hold still," one maid said gently, as she secured Selina's dress.

The gown was a masterpiece of silken fabric, deep crimson with golden embroidery, hugging her figure elegantly. Its hem shimmered in the light, the design reminiscent of blazing flames licking the edges. Her accessories complemented the ensemble perfectly, a golden necklace embedded with rubies, delicate earrings that dangled like drops of blood, and a tiara that glittered faintly atop her head.

Her reflection in the mirror startled her. For a moment, she didn't recognize herself. She looked every bit the noble lady she was pretending to be, a mask she had grown accustomed to wearing.

"Done," one of the maids announced, stepping back to admire their work. "You look stunning, Lady Amelia. His Grace would be proud."

"Let's hope so," Selina replied with a faint smile, though her mind raced with thoughts of what the party might bring.

She makes her way down the marble stairs and recognizes Troye below. Ugh, even though this man is the biggest bitch a person can be, she can't deny his attractiveness. 

His silver hair gleamed under the chandeliers, perfectly framing his sharp features. Piercing blue eyes swept the room with an air of cold superiority, daring anyone to challenge his presence. Dressed in a tailored black suit with subtle silver embroidery, Troye exuded elegance. A sapphire brooch pinned to his lapel mirrored the icy color of his gaze, completing his regal appearance.

"Amelia," he greeted coolly, his tone as sharp as ever. "I see you managed not to embarrass the family tonight. A rare accomplishment."

"Why thank you, your grace." Selia remarks gracefully despite her inner annoyance. 

Troye walks out the manor, without waiting for Selina. Selina chases him to the carriage and shockingly, Troye lets out his hand. Did he want me to hold it??? This sudden gentleman act astonished Selina, but she nonetheless gripped his hand and entered the carriage. Troye followed by shortly after. Today will be the day where she has officially debuts in high society as Amelia Amister…