Chapter 14: The Ball
by RingGuests invited to the coming-of-age ceremony arrived one after another. Half came at Mother's request, and the other half came out of curiosity about Lilia. They praised Mrs. Berium's magnanimity as intended. "To boldly present a bastard child to society like this. As expected, Marchioness Berium has great courage." But when Lilia appeared shyly in her tan dress, people realized it wasn't just because Marchioness Berium had great courage. Lilia immediately caught everyone's…