Living a Glamorous Life as Lady Barberini

Vanitas stood tall, his presence so commanding it sucked the air right out of the ballroom. The moment he stepped forward, the room fell into an eerie silence. The nobles were practically vibrating with discomfort. Every eye was glued to him, feeling his overwhelming energy pulse through their veins.

Lucius, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword hilt, paused, then relaxed his grip, clearly realizing there was no immediate threat, though his eyes never fully left Vanitas.

"Goodness, why is he here?" a noblewoman gasped, her voice full of disbelief.

"That good-for-nothing lowborn..." muttered a man in the back, shaking his head in disdain.

"A cursed man..." another whispered, eyes wide in fear.

"Good riddance," a third voice sneered.

The murmurs exploded like wildfire, ricocheting off the walls. ' A lowblood. A dark mage. A cursed being. How dare they?' Claudia could barely keep her composure. Her gaze was fixed on Vanitas, her mind whirling. She'd only read about him, conjured up fleeting images of him in her mind—never had she imagined that seeing him in the flesh would hit her like this.

Her heart raced, and her cheeks flushed with heat as she thought, Finally. My love, my heart, my everything is right in front of me. I want to throw myself at him and hug him right now... but no. Not yet. Control yourself, Claudia.

"How can the Duke invite such a dirty lowborn?" someone hissed in disgust.

Claudia's blood boiled at the words. Her fingers clenched into fists at her sides. 'So what if he's lowborn? So what if he's a dark mage? He saved this empire, for heaven's sake! He was the second youngest after Cassian to win a war for this empire. And yet they treat him like this?'

Before Claudia could stew in her thoughts any longer, the double doors flew open with a dramatic crash, and a young man stormed in. His long silver hair streamed behind him, and his sharp violet eyes burned with urgency. His cloak, rippling faintly with magical energy, swept around him as he dashed toward Vanitas, shouting, "My lord!"

The room froze once again, stunned into silence. A few nobles exchanged wide-eyed glances, unsure whether to whisper or let out audible gasps.

Vanitas turned leisurely toward the young man, folding his arms with an air of exasperated grace. His golden eyes glimmered with amusement as the man skidded to a halt, chest heaving as he caught his breath.

"My lord," the newcomer wheezed, barely containing his frustration. "Why—why would you teleport here of all places? Let alone to a high-ranked noble's debutante ceremony?!"

Vanitas cocked his head, his expression calm but utterly unapologetic. "It was the fastest option, Caelan. You said being late would be disrespectful."

Caelan opened his mouth to retort but he stopped. After a long pause, he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "There are rules, my lord," he muttered, shaking his head. "Social rules."

Vanitas raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Caelan let out a quiet groan, the sound barely audible over the rising tide of murmurs sweeping through the crowd. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, summoning every ounce of patience he had left.

'This is exactly what I was trying to avoid,' he thought, his inner voice dripping with exasperation. 'But no, my lord simply must be the lead actor in every scandalous drama these nobles can cook up. Bravo, my lord. Truly, an encore-worthy performance.'

His gaze slid over to his lord, who was either blissfully unaware of the chaos he'd caused or enjoying it far too much. 'Probably the latter,' Caelan mused darkly.

Suppressing a sigh, Caelan stood straighter, wondering if it was too late to fake a fainting spell and escape.

Claudia stepped gracefully into the center of the grand hall, her gown shimmering under the light of the gilded chandeliers. The room was silent, all eagerly awaiting her words.

She curtsied low, her movements measured and elegant, before lifting her gaze to meet Leonardi's.

"Your Majesty," she began, her voice steady but warm, "thank you for honoring me with your presence on this important day. It is an immeasurable privilege to stand here before you."

Leonardi gave a slight nod of approval, his expression unreadable, though an odd smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Of course, why would I miss the debutante of the daughter of the greatest swordsman of this empire?" he remarked, the words laced with an air of mock grandeur.

'She has indeed ripened into a fine lady,' Leonardi thought, his gaze lingering on her.

Claudia's eyes widened for a split second before she quickly masked her surprise. 'Why the heck did he have such a thought?' she wondered, brows furrowing in disbelief. 'Did the acting emperor ever like claudia? No, I don't remember that... He wasn't even given much screentime in the novel!'

Her mind raced as she tried to shake off the unsettling thought.

Meanwhile, Antonius gave a polite bow and said, "Thank you for coming, Your Majesty." Giuliana followed suit with a graceful nod, and Lucius offered a respectful greeting as well.

Claudia, however, couldn't shake the nagging feeling about that odd smile on Leonardi's face and the strange thought that followed.

'I'll figure that out later...'

Shaking it off, she turned her attention to the members of the White Crest Order and Black Crest Order, who stood resplendent in their ceremonial attire. With a slight, respectful incline of her head, she greeted them as well, momentarily letting go of her previous distraction.

"To the esteemed members of the White Crest and Black Crest Orders," she said, her tone carrying a subtle hint of admiration, "thank you for taking the time to attend my debutante. Your unwavering dedication to the empire is nothing short of inspiring, and I am honored to have you here today."

A soft ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd at her composed yet sincere acknowledgment of the Orders.

"Is that really Lady Claudia?"

"She used to stutter and make all sorts of mistakes."

"And she was always following Lord Emilio around."

"By the way, where is Lord Emilio?"

"I can't see him. Seems he wasn't invited."

"Now, that's a first."

Claudia straightened, a faint, graceful smile gracing her lips as Cassian and Alessia approached, bowing in greeting.

"We are honored to be here, Lady Claudia."

Vanitas and Caelan followed suit, their voices warm and respectful.

"We are honored as well, Lady Claudia. Thank you for inviting us."

Claudia's gaze immediately fixed on Vanitas, her eyes lingering on him. She couldn't help but stare, a flutter of excitement stirring within her chest.

Her attention flickered to Caelan, who was glancing at Vanitas with a bemused expression. She couldn't help but overhear his thoughts, 'At least he greeted properly this time.'

Claudia blinked, her mind momentarily short-circuiting. 'Wait, I've been using my mind-reading ability on him as well... so why can't I hear Lord Vanitas' thoughts?'

Her eyes widened in realization. 'Is my power fluctuating? Or something?' She glanced around, a bit frantic.

Panic set in as she mentally scrambled. 'What if I can't read minds anymore?'

She tried to focus even harder. Vanitas' golden eyes met hers, and she felt her cheeks flush. Just as she thought she might combust from the intensity of his gaze, a voice suddenly echoed inside her head.

"Lady Claudia's face seems red. Is she okay?"

Claudia almost choked. She whipped her head towards Caelan. 'That was his thought, not Lord Vanitas'... so... that means I can't read his mind?!!'

Her eyes widened in horror .

The music began to swell as the orchestra struck up a delicate waltz, and the ballroom seemed to come alive with movement. Claudia blinked, as if emerging from a trance, and took a steadying breath.

Lucius approached her with a confident smile, extending his hand. "It is time to dance, little dove," he said with a slight bow, his voice warm yet teasing. "Will you grant your older brother the honor of your first dance?"

Claudia hesitated for only a moment, the flutter of excitement in her chest settling into a calm smile. Her brother had always been protective, his teasing nature masking the affection he held for her. She placed her hand gently in his, her fingers almost disappearing in his larger grip.

"Of course, Lucius," she replied with a playful tilt of her head. "I wouldn't dream of dancing with anyone else first."

The orchestra's strings soared around them as they took their position. Lucius led her effortlessly into the rhythm of the waltz, his movements smooth and practiced, guiding her through the steps with an ease that only years of training could bring.

"I'm glad he's a good dancer, ' Claudia thought, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her lips. 'The original Claudia was never good at dancing.'

Although she still struggled a little with the swirl of the floor, Claudia kept pace, her steps growing more confident with each beat.

A while later, the dance came to an end. Lucius gave her a graceful bow, his smile full of brotherly pride.

Claudia curtsied in return. She could feel the eyes of the room on her, but for once, they didn't seem to matter.

"That was a beautiful dance," the herald said with a glint of amusement. "Now, it is time for the selection ceremony."

"Lady Claudia will have to choose which of the selected suitors listed as her fiancé," the herald announced, as the staff brought forward a scroll on a silver tray.

Claudia took the scroll with a graceful motion, unrolling it with an air of curiosity. She scanned through the names, her eyes pausing for a moment before she thought, 'I don't see Lord Vanitas' name... as expected.'

She sighed dramatically, her thoughts continuing, 'The original Claudia chose Emilio when he was invited here, but thanks to me, he's not here... And now, I'm stuck choosing a fiancé. Oh, who will I choose?'

She placed the scroll back on the tray, her decision seemingly made. She began walking toward Vanitas, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

She stopped right in front of him, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. Caelan's jaw dropped, and the entire room seemed to collectively gasp.

What was happening?

"Lord Vanitas," Claudia said, her smile widening, "I choose you as my fiancé."