Chapter 409: Why Am I Nervous?

Eventually, the carriage came to a halt before the mansion’s main entrance, where two servants were already waiting.

One of them stepped forward and opened the carriage door, greeting Ruvian with a respectful bow.

"Welcome to the Arcanis estate, Sir Castelor, we’ve been expecting your arrival."

"Ah, thank you."

Stepping out of the carriage, Ruvian adjusted his coat before glancing toward the mansion’s entrance.

A middle-aged woman dressed in a neat, formal servant’s uniform approached him, her hair neatly tied into a bun.

With a slight bow, she introduced herself in a calm, polite voice. "Good evening, Sir Castelor, my name is Orianna, and I serve as the head servant of this household."

She straightened her posture and offered a courteous smile.

"Lord Evrard has been informed of your arrival and is expecting you in the dining room, so please allow me to escort you."

"Of course, please lead the way."

With Orianna taking the lead, Ruvian followed her through the mansion’s main entrance and into a spacious entrance hall.

A large chandelier hung overhead, illuminating the polished marble floor, while several servants stationed nearby bowed as they passed.

Although Ruvian had visited Silvena’s guild before — which was much more luxurious — he still found himself glancing around at the rather impressive interior.

Noticing his interest, Orianna slowed her pace slightly and turned toward him with a polite smile.

"I trust your journey here was comfortable, Sir Castelor, and that our arrangements were to your satisfaction."

Ruvian nodded, returning the smile as they continued walking.

"Oh, yes... everything was excellent, thank you for arranging the carriage."

"I’m pleased to hear that, sir."

After passing through a short hallway, they eventually arrived before a pair of tall wooden doors. Orianna came to a stop and adjusted her sleeves before turning toward Ruvian.

"We’ve arrived, Sir Castelor, Lord Evrard is waiting just beyond these doors."

Ruvian inwardly sighed. ’Haa... it’s just dinner with Calyra’s family. Surely that’s nothing to be nervous about, right?’

Taking a quiet breath, Ruvian straightened his coat and gave her a small nod.

Orianna then stepped forward, opened the double doors, and announced his arrival in a clear, respectful voice.

"My lord, Sir Ruvian Castelor has arrived."

*****

[Calyra’s POV]

An hour earlier...

Calyra stood before the large mirror in her room as Orianna helped her into a dress.

The elderly servant smoothed the fabric around her waist, checking for any loose folds. Having served the Arcanis family for so many years, Orianna was quite accustomed to her young lady’s silence.

"There you go, My Lady, just a little more and we’ll be finished," Orianna said with a gentle smile.

She straightened the collar before taking a step back to inspect her work. "My~ you really have grown into such a beautiful young lady."

Calyra examined the dress in the mirror. It was a lovely shade of pale blue, with delicate patterns sewn along the sleeves and waist.

She had never cared much about her appearance, but Orianna had insisted that she dress properly for tonight’s dinner.

"Young Lady, may I ask you something?" Orianna suddenly spoke, reaching for a small comb on the dressing table.

Calyra gave a slight nod, allowing the older woman to continue.

"Are you perhaps... feeling nervous about tonight?"

"...?"

Calyra turned her head slightly, her brows drawing together in confusion.

Seeing her reaction, Orianna let out a soft chuckle.

"Oh, don’t give me that look... look at you, you’ve grown so much that you’re already bringing a young gentleman home to meet the family."

"...I didn’t invite him, Orianna,"

Calyra replied after a brief pause.

"...Father did."

"Pfft, yes, yes, of course he did," Orianna laughed, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "I’m only teasing you, My Lady."

Calyra remained quiet for a moment, watching Orianna carefully arrange her hair.

"By the way, why did you ask if I was nervous?"

"Oh, well..."

Orianna smiled and gently took one of Calyra’s hands into her own. She turned the slender palm upward and brushed her thumb across it.

"Because your hands are a little sweaty, My Lady."

"...They are?"

Calyra lowered her gaze toward her palm, inspecting it with mild curiosity.

Indeed, there was a faint layer of moisture against her skin, something she hadn’t noticed until Orianna pointed it out.

Slowly, she opened and closed her fingers, wondering when that had happened.

’Am I... nervous?’

’But why...?’

The thought struck her as rather strange.

She was merely going to eat with her family and Ruvian, someone she had already spent quite some time with. Besides, it wasn’t as though she had never shared a meal with him before.

And yet, now that she was paying attention, she could feel her heart beating a little faster than usual.

It wasn’t painful or uncomfortable, but the steady thumping in her chest was difficult to ignore.

How peculiar.

"Is this normal?"

Calyra finally asked, looking at the older woman through the mirror.

For a moment, Orianna said nothing, but the playful smile on her face slowly softened.

Then, with a quiet sigh:

"Of course it’s normal, My Lady," Orianna replied gently, carefully weaving the strands together.

She gathered the braid behind Calyra’s head, securing it with a small silver hairpin. "You’ve forgotten, haven’t you?"

"...Forgotten?"

"Yes. Back then, you were always such a nervous little girl... and quite the troublemaker, too. I still remember how your little hands would get all sweaty whenever something important was about to happen. You’d keep wiping them on your dress."

Calyra listened quietly, her eyes remaining on Orianna’s reflection.

She could vaguely recall some of those moments. It was rather strange hearing someone describe a version of herself that now felt so distant.

"But you know, My Lady, that was something I always admired about you..."

Orianna continued, her voice growing a little softer.

"...You would be frightened before your lessons, especially when your father came to watch, but you never once tried to run away. Even when your hands were shaking, you’d take a deep breath and do your best anyway."

"..."

"You were such a brave little girl. Although, I do miss how you used to complain to me about every little thing."

Hearing that, Calyra lowered her blue eyes slightly, unsure of what to say.

She knew that she had changed over the years, and it wasn’t something she could easily explain, even to herself.

"Anyway... there’s nothing wrong with feeling nervous, My Lady, even if you don’t quite understand the reason yourself. Sometimes, it is just that our hearts have their own way of telling us what matters."

Orianna gave her a knowing wink.

"So, just give yourself some time. The answer may come when you least expect it."

"..."

"Now then, shall we take one last look?" Orianna asked cheerfully, returning to her usual manner.

Calyra raised her eyes toward the mirror, quietly studying her reflection.

The dress fitted her neatly, while the loose braid and silver hairpin gave her a softer appearance than usual. For some reason, she found herself wondering what Ruvian would think when he saw her.

’...’

Calyra blinked, then staring blankly at the mirror.

Why had that thought crossed her mind?

There was no particular reason to concern herself with his opinion, especially when she had worn this dress simply because Orianna had chosen it.

After a moment, she dismissed the thought and reached up to touch the hairpin.

"Thank you, Orianna."

The older woman’s expression softened at those words, and she gently patted Calyra’s shoulder.

"You’re very welcome, My Lady, now let’s not keep your father waiting," she moved toward the door, leaving Calyra alone with her reflection for a brief moment.

Calyra took one final look at herself before turning to follow her. Her expression remained as calm as ever, and her steps were no different from usual.

Yet, as she reached for the door, she noticed that her palm had become a little sweaty again.

Calyra sighed inwardly.

’Maybe... it is just the dress. It’s too restrictive.’

After a few walks, she finally arrived at the dining hall where her family and Ruvian would be having dinner together.

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[Chapter 409: Why Am I Nervous?]

Plot Points = 281,000