The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 215: The Farce at the Party (1)

Vol 2 Chapter 215 The Farce at the Party (Part 1)

"It's been a long time since we've been to the Griffin house. It's rare for Eriel to host a gathering this time." Several young people who had just stepped down from their carriages gathered together, chatting as they walked.

"The house was designed by the former Master Bren. It uses tiles that are almost black with a bluish tinge, and the walls are made of white tiles with slight salt stains. The style is quite good."

"I heard it cost a lot of money. Mr. Alanfude was even in quite a bit of debt at the time."

"Hehehe, after all, it's only been one generation. It can't be helped that they lack depth and heritage."

The young masters and misses who could attend this gathering were either wealthy or noble. Many of them came from great families with generations of heritage. For newly wealthy, upstart families like the Griffins, even if they showed surface-level respect, they would still harbor a sense of superiority that was hard to erase deep down.

As they spoke, the group walked inside, commenting on the various flowers and plants placed in the courtyard along the way.

"Giggle, they actually brought in potted plants temporarily. Don't they have a dedicated flower gardener or horticulturist at their house?"

"Sigh, saving money, you know. The rose garden at my house has been passed down since my great-grandfather's time. It costs a lot of money to maintain every year. I'll take you to see it next month; the roses should be blooming just right then."

"Wow, you have a dedicated rose garden?""Yes, I heard they were specifically transplanted from the 'Harp Flower Union' back then. They are 'Fulante Roses', different from ordinary varieties, and very delicate."

"Oh, oh, I must go see them then."

While they were talking, Eriel in the distance was leading some people around the corner of the corridor. She heard everything they had just said. Even though it grated on her nerves, when she walked up to them, she still managed to put on a smile.

"Welcome, Virelna. That red dress you're wearing today is truly eye-catching~" The Virelna Eriel mentioned was precisely the girl who had just talked about her family's rose garden.

"Thank you, Eriel. You're so sweet. You're the only one who noticed my difference today; no one else could tell~" After saying this, the two laughed and hugged each other. An outsider who didn't know better would have thought they were the closest of friends.

Virelna had beautiful chestnut hair. A lock was teased out at the side of her forehead, slightly wavy and curled. The other side was tied up with a deep red hair ribbon, which went around her neck and fell in front of her chest. Today she wore a rose-red dress with a skirt that overlapped like waves, revealing glimpses of her smooth knees when she walked. Paired with her outstanding looks, she could be said to be the center of attention wherever she went.

Compared to her, even though Eriel had prepared a beautiful dress today with a snow-white base and golden thread outlining seaweed floral ornaments, she was still overshadowed by Virelna in terms of temperament and appearance.

Faced with this situation, Eriel smiled and welcomed them on the surface, but secretly she was gritting her teeth in frustration. This was supposed to be *her* gathering as the hostess, meant to showcase her own charm, yet this time someone else had stolen the spotlight.

After Virelna arrived, her stunning figure and eye-catching rose-red dress immediately attracted the attention of many people. Many young masters began to quietly discuss her.

"She truly lives up to being the second young lady of the Andela family. Neither her family background nor her looks have any flaws."

"If I could marry her, I'd be willing to live ten years less."

"Hah, what if I said twenty years?"

"Forget it, brother. Twenty years is going too far. Where there's money, there are beauties. Why hang yourself on that one particular tree?"

"Actually, Eriel isn't bad either. She's tall and has good looks."

"But she lacks a bit of temperament. How to describe it... it's like a shiny golden coin. It's indeed good, and you indeed like it, but it's just a bit tacky," one young man commented.

"Your standards are too high. Although Eriel isn't top-tier, in Quebec, there aren't many prettier than her."

While they were talking, a noblewoman stepped down from a carriage in the front courtyard. She wore a lavish hat adorned with flowers and feathers, held a valuable handbag with one hand, and with the other, she led down a young master dressed in formal attire.

"Lady Mosha and Young Master Weiss have arrived. Go inform the young lady." The servants in the courtyard saw them, and two of them quickly left to find Eriel, who was entertaining guests.

When it came to the status of the various great families in Quebec, aside from the City Lord's family, the 'Tumbleweed Family' to which Lady Mosha belonged held the highest position. It was said their family held noble titles in two or three countries. Lady Mosha's grandfather was a Count in a neighboring country. Although her father did not inherit the title, he still maintained connections with the family.

"We're here, Weiss. Come with me."

"Yes, Mother." Young Master Weiss followed somewhat stiffly behind Lady Mosha.

At first, he walked very properly, but before long, he couldn't hold back and began to slacken, his gaze wandering everywhere, staring at the pretty girls at the gathering without the slightest attempt at subtlety.

Lady Mosha, walking ahead, greeted familiar faces along the way. Most people here were young, a generation below her. Many had to bow when they saw her.

To this, Lady Mosha smiled and responded, telling everyone not to be so formal. Then, after asking a servant, she led Weiss towards the center of the garden where the gathering was.

"Madam." Reminded by a servant, Eriel walked over to Lady Mosha and bowed politely. Her golden wavy hair, falling in the afternoon sunlight, had a certain translucence and beauty.

In response, Lady Mosha smiled and nodded.

"I heard you were having a gathering today, so I brought Weiss over. I hope you all have a pleasant time." When she turned her head, Weiss was now standing up straight, putting on a polite and proper demeanor, completely devoid of the earlier look of gawking around.

Lady Mosha then whispered a few more instructions in his ear before taking her leave.

It was clear this lady cared deeply for Weiss, her only son, and wanted him to present a respectable image in front of everyone as much as possible.

Seeing Lady Mosha leave, Weiss pretended to be reserved for a little while, but soon, under the teasing of several companions, his true colors showed.

"Haha, why is Lady Mosha bringing you over again? You're going to be 15 soon, aren't you?"

"Don't even start. I didn't want to either, but Mother insisted on coming along this time." Weiss picked up a glass of fruit wine from the side and complained to his companions beside him.

"These clothes are really uncomfortable." He tugged at his collar to let some air in.

"We're all just wearing shirts directly today. You're dressed up so formally. What, could it be you really have your eye on Eriel? I've seen you two talking together often lately," one companion leaned over to tease.

"That's none of your business." Weiss waved his hand, shooing away this troublesome friend.

Amidst the laughter of the group, Eriel, surrounded by a cluster of her close female friends, also arrived in front of Weiss.

Although she had been overshadowed by Virelna earlier, this was, after all, her home turf. Surrounded by a group of close friends and servants, an intangible aura and presence manifested, immediately returning her to the focal point and center of the gathering.

"Young Master Weiss." Eriel clasped her hands together in front of her waist, accentuating the curves wrapped by her strapless gown. When she bent to bow, Weiss couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Hello, Eriel. You... you look... really beautiful today." His speech became somewhat halting, as if he were processing a lot of extra information.

Seeing this, the corner of Eriel's mouth lifted in a smile, and she continued the conversation, talking about the recent weather, amusing incidents in life, and so on.

During the process, the few troublesome friends beside Weiss really wanted to come over and interrupt or tease them. Fortunately, Eriel's circle of close female friends was not just for show. They skillfully parried and diverted them away, creating a private environment for the two.

Soon, the two walked to a corner of the garden, looking at the newly placed flowers while exchanging sweet, intimate words.

On the other side of the gathering, Virelna sat at a small table under a parasol, slowly savoring black tea. A close friend beside her couldn't help but lean over and ask in a low voice.

"Aren't you going over to say a few words? That woman Eriel's scheme is about to succeed."

"Go over for what? I may not like Eriel, but I despise a guy like Weiss even more. Should I lower myself to compete with her for that kind of person?" Virelna shook her head.

"The Tumbleweed Family is indeed good, but Lady Mosha's generation can no longer be considered the main lineage of the family. The next generation's Weiss is even more of a mess." She lifted her teacup, blew on it, her long, slender legs crossed, basking in the gentle breeze, enjoying the soft afternoon environment.