Chapter 26: They’ve Arrived

Three days later, the castle looked as if it had been completely renovated.

From the main building entrance to the guest greeting gallery, from the hanging lamps on either side of the long stairs to the patrol routes on the outer circle of the garden, every inch was polished until it looked brand new. The guards’ patrols were even stricter, and the very air carried a tense, solemn quality.

After all, they were receiving the Queen and Princess of the blood clan.

Flora stood before the mirror, a second layer of sweat already coating her palms.

She took a deep breath. “I’m still nervous.”

Ilya stood by her side, adjusting the royal amethyst brooch on her chest. Her tone was very steady. “That’s normal.”

“I’m afraid I’ll walk crookedly again,” Flora whispered.

“Just be yourself. As long as you don’t fall, it’ll be fine,” Ilya said calmly.

“I definitely won’t do that,” Flora replied.

But her heart was still thumping wildly.

Three days of etiquette hell training had exhausted Flora, but her manners had indeed improved.

Her smile was forced but passable, her gait was steady but a bit stiff, and her curtsy wouldn’t be messy, though the range of her movements still lacked precision.

Everything was just barely enough, yet still a far cry from elegance.

“Flora.”

Ilya suddenly called out to her.

Flora looked up. “Yes?”

Ilya reached out, gently cupping Flora’s face to make her look directly at her.

“Don’t rush. You have already done very well.”

Those silver eyes seemed able to see right through the trembling in her heart.

Flora took a breath. “I’m not afraid of meeting people… I’m just afraid of making a fool of myself.”

Ilya said softly, “It’s fine to make a small mistake.”

But Flora clearly didn’t believe her.

Just then, a guard appeared at the end of the hallway and bowed slightly.

“Your Majesty, the blood clan Queen and Princess have arrived.”

Flora’s heart suddenly leaped into her throat.

Ilya raised her hand. “Let us go.”

When Flora followed Ilya into the guest greeting gallery, a rush of cold, magnificent air hit her face. It was the ancient scent unique to the blood clan, carrying elegance, the aura of death, and a silent noble pressure.

Standing at the very front was the blood clan Queen, Lias Phetora.

She had a slender figure, and her skin was as pale as jade carved in the moonlight.

Long silver-white hair fell at her sides, and a crown sat atop her head.

Her eyes were a deep crimson, yet they held no hostility; they were simply so deep that they seemed to see through everything.

She wore a formal gown with dark patterns that flowed like mist, and every move she made was one of elegant restraint.

Standing there, she seemed to make the entire hall grow dim by comparison.

Beside Lias stood the blood clan Princess, Xueli Phetora.

She was much shorter than Lias, yet she possessed a cold, piercing beauty.

Her long silver-white hair stirred slightly in the breeze, the tips seemingly scattering a chill.

Her features were as exquisite as a painting, yet they betrayed no emotion.

Her eyes were blood-red, but unlike other members of the blood clan, they possessed a sense of transparency, carrying an icy frost and a clear feeling.

Her dress was simpler than Lias’s, but its silhouette was sharp, and her steps were clean and decisive.

The two of them stood together like a moonlit night and a frost-covered blade.

Flora’s steps felt light and airy for a moment. She knew that the etiquette she had practiced for three days was fundamentally different from this kind of innate aura.

Ilya stepped forward.

“Lias.”

She gave a slight bow, her movements steady and composed.

Lias returned the gesture, her expression calm. “Ilya, it has been a long time.”

There were no excessive pleasantries between the two rulers, but everyone could see the trust built up over the years.

Flora stood half a step behind Ilya, exactly in her designated position.

It was her turn.

She remembered the movements she had learned in her etiquette classes: curtsy, bend, lift hand, and slow her breathing.

She gently tilted her chin and offered a gentle smile that she had “worked hard to practice.”

“Your Majesty, Princess Xueli, welcome to our home.”

The smile was acceptable.

Though her voice was soft, her nervousness was clearly audible.

Her movements followed the rules, but there were slight, tense pauses.

Ilya gave a subtle nod behind her, signaling ‘Not bad.’

Lias observed her for a few seconds, her eyes holding a warm, polite attitude. “So this is the Flora you’ve mentioned so often.”

Her voice was soft, yet it carried the unique resonance of the blood clan. “She is indeed a lovely child.”

Flora hadn’t expected Lias to comment on her like that, and she was momentarily stunned. “Th-thank you, Your Majesty.”

Xueli, on the other hand, did not completely hide her attitude.

Her eyes swept from the top of Flora’s head to her toes, and then she frowned slightly.

Flora could see it, and she could never mistake it; it was a subtle evaluation, critical, and dissatisfied.

Flora’s shoulders stiffened imperceptibly.

Three days of etiquette training hadn’t yet prepared her to remain completely calm under such a gaze.

Her smile almost slipped.

Ilya noticed Xueli’s coldness but merely pressed the back of Flora’s hand inconspicuously, as if to say: ‘Don’t be afraid, she won’t bite.’

Flora thought silently to herself, ‘Her eyes are scarier than her bite.’

Only then did Xueli speak, her voice as faint as frost.

“The demon race’s new Princess… I thought she would be more steady.”

Flora hesitated for half a second, struggling to maintain her smile. “I… I am still learning.”

Xueli said flatly, “I can tell.”

Ilya gave a soft cough, as if in warning. “Xueli.”

Only then did Xueli restrain herself.

Lias seemed accustomed to her daughter’s attitude and gave Flora a gentle smile.

“Don’t take it to heart. Xueli means no harm. This child has been raised under strict etiquette since she was young, so she is a bit harsh toward others as well.”

Flora nodded. “I understand.”

Ilya raised her hand slightly. “You two have traveled far. Please move to the inner hall to rest.”

Lias nodded. “Very well.”

However, Xueli paused for a moment as she passed Flora.

She didn’t look at her, but her movements seemed to tell her something.

“When the formal meeting begins later, I will observe you again.”

Flora: “…”

Ilya frowned slightly behind her. Xueli’s harshness toward Flora far exceeded her expectations.

But it wasn’t hostility; it was more like the innate sharp-wittedness and vigilance a blood clan Princess felt toward an unknown subject.

Flora took a deep breath and murmured under her breath, “I feel like… I’m in an interview.”

Ilya heard her and reassured her in a low voice, “You don’t need to be perfect.”

“I am here.”

Flora was stunned for a second, her heart warming.

Then, she responded in a tiny voice, “…Mm.”

***

The walk to the drawing room wasn’t long, but to Flora, it felt like an endless corridor.

She had just finished the greeting, and before her heart could fully settle, she had to immediately maintain the walking posture she had practiced for three days.

Chin up, shoulders back, spine straight, steps small and steady—each step had to land along the center line of her skirt’s hem.

But her heart was beating so fast it threatened to break the rules of etiquette.

As her skirt swayed slightly, she walked with extreme caution, afraid even to breathe too loudly.

Her left hand hung naturally, while her right hand lightly held the side of her skirt. Her movements were as standard as those written in a book, yet as stiff as a cardboard model.

Ilya and Lias, the two rulers, walked at the front with graceful, effortless steps, their innate steady aura spreading across the floor.

But Flora…

Despite wearing a magnificent formal dress, her steps would falter from time to time, and she would then have to pretend it was a transition in her gait.

Flora’s problem was still obvious: she lacked an overall sense of composure.

Her steps were too cautious, her shoulders were a bit stiff, and the position of her hands was somewhat unnatural.

She looked like someone who had just memorized a section of theory from an etiquette book and rushed out to take an exam.

She didn’t dare move recklessly, much less look around. She could only try her best to stare straight ahead.

However, out of the corner of her eye, she couldn’t help but drift toward the right… toward Xueli.