By the time I returned to the girls' dormitory, the hallway was completely empty—not a single student in sight. Everyone must have already started getting ready.
When I opened the door to my room, I saw my roommate, Tisna Aerlian, sitting at the vanity, carefully doing her makeup.
"Tisna, I'm back."
"Lixia, how was it? What level did you reach?"
"Level 21."
I answered her as I walked toward the bed that seemed to be calling my name. Even though I was sweaty and hadn't showered yet, I knew I shouldn't lie down—but my legs refused to listen. As if acting on their own, they carried me right to the bed, and my body collapsed onto it.
The moment I lay down, I felt incredibly heavy. Exhausted. Sleepy. My eyes shut on their own, and a thought surfaced in my mind—just forget everything and fall asleep like this.
"Guess it really is too hard to go alone… Oh, Lixia, earlier, Infellet—wait, Lixia! There's a ball later, you can't sleep!"
I felt someone pushing my back—it must be Tisna. She was right. I had to get ready for the ball. But I couldn't get up, and honestly, I didn't want to. Maybe just a short nap… there should still be enough time.
"...I know. Let me sleep a little."
"No, you'll run out of time—"
Before I could hear the rest of what she said, my consciousness faded.
"...Wake up."
Hm? That was Tisna's voice. What did she say?
"...It's already 4 p.m. Wake up."
4 p.m.? The ball starts at 6—that means only two hours left to prepare. A sense of panic hit me instantly. I shot up, eyes wide open, and shouted—
"I'm going to be late!!!"
"You finally got up. I've been waking you every five minutes since 2 p.m. You won't find a roommate as thoughtful as me anywhere else, so you'd better thank me properly."
The moment I woke up, I was greeted by Tisna's mix of complaints and self-praise. But honestly, someone as kind as her was rare. I was truly grateful she woke me—otherwise, I'd definitely get scolded by Ms. Kate.
"Tisna, thank you! I'll treat you to lunch for six days!"
I quickly got out of bed, thanking her while promising my repayment.
"Then I'll be picking the expensive stuff. Also, I've been waiting forever—I can't reach the zipper on my back."
"I'll help you."
I pulled up the zipper on her dress, and she stood up, spinning around before lifting the hem slightly.
"How is it?"
Her dress was a bright orange, with diagonal yellow wave-like patterns stitched across the front, along with delicate details. The whole outfit matched perfectly with her light brown hair.
I gave her two big thumbs up.
"Beautiful."
"Thank you. Now hurry and shower—I'll help you after."
"Okay."
After my shower, I quickly put on a deep blue dress. Since I didn't have much time, I only did some light makeup, added accessories to match the outfit, and finally slipped into a pair of heels I wasn't used to wearing.
"Wow~ Lixia, you're so pretty."
"That's not true—you're prettier."
I immediately returned the compliment. I genuinely thought Tisna, who had put so much effort into her appearance, looked even more stunning. She had even styled her hair into a complex and elegant design, while I had simply brushed mine neatly without doing anything fancy.
Tisna placed a hand on my shoulder, turning me toward the mirror so we could both see our reflections. With a helpless tone, she said,
"You were already pretty to begin with. Otherwise, why would Infellet be so obsessed with you?"
The first part was fine—but I couldn't help responding to the second.
"Why bring up Shien? You should be focusing on getting closer to Somare during the ball."
"W-Why are you bringing up Harus!? I—I'm not interested in him at all…"
The moment she heard Harus Somare's name, Tisna panicked. She shrank her shoulders, blushing as she denied it, her fingers nervously tracing the surface of the vanity.
Even though she refused to admit it, it was obvious to anyone that she liked him. Honestly, it made her look kind of cute.
Just then, the bell rang from the hall—it was already 6 p.m. I quickly stood up and grabbed Tisna's hand, who was still flustered.
"The bell rang! Let's go!"
We hurried toward the hall where the ball was being held, trying our best not to break into a sweat, and quietly slipped inside.
But as expected—we were late. Ms. Kate and the boys' dorm supervisor, Mr. Maldizer, were already giving their speeches.
As we entered, it felt like Ms. Kate shot us a glare. We'd probably have to write reflection essays later.
"Tisna, I'm sorry. I dragged you into this."
I felt guilty—she wouldn't have been late if not for me.
"It's fine. We're roommates—we're supposed to help each other."
"Thank you. You're my best friend."
Tisna really was a wonderful person. I was so lucky to have her as my roommate.
"You won't find another one like me."
"I know."
Soon, the aroma of food filled the air, and my stomach growled immediately. That's when I realized—I hadn't eaten lunch. I came back and went straight to sleep.
But I decided to endure it for now. The speech wouldn't last long—it was almost over. I'd eat my fill afterward.
Unexpectedly, another female student arrived even later than we did—and the loud sound of the door opening instantly drew everyone's attention.
She was incredibly beautiful, wearing an extravagant dress in a striking color. Her accessories were clearly expensive at a glance.
And there wasn't a single noble who didn't recognize her—she was Baravina Brantes, the youngest daughter of Duke Brantes, who had been doted on since childhood.
She looked slightly disappointed as she spoke,
"What? The speech isn't over yet? I came too early."
It seemed she had intentionally arrived late just to avoid the speech. Ms. Kate responded sternly,
"Miss Baravina Brantes, you are late. Submit a reflection essay tomorrow."
"Yeees~"
She dragged out her reply, sounding completely unapologetic.
That wasn't surprising—after all, she and Ms. Kate were related. Ms. Kate's full name was Kate Brantes, the younger sister of Duke Brantes and Baravina's aunt.
Still, her entrance was undeniably impactful. Even if her attitude wasn't great, her beauty was dazzling, her figure elegant and curvaceous, and her posture graceful. Even the girls were captivated—let alone the boys, who had been staring at her without blinking ever since she walked in.
After a while, Ms. Kate and Mr. Maldizer finally finished their speeches. Then Mr. Maldize signaled to the nearby musicians and addressed everyone with a formal tone.
"Lastly, Ms. Kate and I will present the opening dance of the ball."
Mr. Maldizer extended his hand like a true gentleman, inviting Ms. Kate. She gracefully placed her hand in his, accepting the invitation. As the music began, the two of them started to dance.
I watched in delight. Their movements were elegant and composed, and they even chatted and laughed as they danced, as if it were as natural as breathing.
Also, I realized something way too late—Ms. Kate looks absolutely stunning without her glasses!
At that moment, two female students in front of us watched Mr. Maldizer and spoke with a hint of disappointment.
"So disappointing… I wanted to be Mr. Madi's first dance partner."
"Same here."
"Madi" was a nickname for Mr. Maldize, and he allowed students to call him that. Even though he wasn't particularly handsome, his bright personality, talkative nature, and great sense of humor made him very popular among students.
Then two older female students in front of them turned around and explained,
"You're first-years, right? Every year, Mr. Madi and Ms. Kate perform the opening dance, so their first partners are already set."
"So technically, his second partner is the real first. But you should leave that to the graduating third-years."
So they were upperclassmen—they wanted that spot too. Mr. Maldizer really was popular among the girls. At this rate, by the time we're third-years, there might be fierce competition among the girls.
Soon, the music ended, and so did their dance. The audience responded with enthusiastic applause.
"Well, everyone? Did you enjoy that? Were you captivated by the beautiful Ms. Kate? Or perhaps you were mesmerized by my gorgeous dance moves?"
As Mr. Maldizer said that, he lifted one leg and spun dramatically, making everyone laugh.
"Hahaha!!!"
Even Ms. Kate laughed, speaking in a cheerful tone.
"Mr. Maldizer, the students have been waiting long enough."
It was my first time seeing Ms. Kate show an expression other than seriousness—and she looked beautiful. Mr. Maldize really is amazing.
"Ah, right. Everyone must be hungry by now. In that case, as your dorm supervisors, we won't keep you waiting any longer. I hereby announce—the social exchange ball has officially begun!"
With Mr. Maldizer's declaration, the long-awaited ball finally began.