The Life, Death, and Relife of the Mushroom Mage

Chapter 14

Artesia watched as the Imperial palace rose up before her. It was tall and imposing. She had been staying in the room prepared for her at the temple, but this was terrifying. It was the debutante ball, and she was supposed to be the crowning jewel of the event. They were going to announce her, and she was meant to dance with the first prince, also known as the second ML. She was not looking forward to that. He was going to be awestruck over Daisy the whole time, and she specifically recalled she was meant to get jealous over that.

Well, she was not going to be getting jealous over that, she decided. The first prince was two years older than her, seventeen, and she was just going to be calm and chill about the whole situation. Maybe escape to a balcony. Except... Wait, no, she couldn't do that. She could not escape to a balcony. That was just asking for an unplanned event. She knew her tropes. She couldn't escape to the garden, either, because that would definitely trigger an event.

She didn't know what to do. She was terrified. She was panicking, actually, as the coach rolled to a halt and the door opened. A footman approached to help her out, and she took his hand and stepped down in the delicate heels she had been supplied with. They were a far cry from the massive heels that had become commonplace in her first world. She rose up, looking to the sky, and then she strode forward.

Courage. She had to have courage. She couldn't falter now. She just had to get through these first few events, and then she would have smooth sailing from then on. It was four years until the actual plot started. This was just the prologue. What was she panicking about? Nothing. She was panicking about nothing.

She lifted her skirts and walked up the stairs, feeling weird in her own skin. She didn't like this dress. She wished they had let her come in her robes. Her robes were what felt like armor. Mally had said something about that, hadn't they? Come to think of it, she hadn't actually asked Mally what their pronouns were. Maybe they were a... he/they? Due to social pressures, trans people weren't all that common in Korea. She had never actually met one in person, to her knowledge, unless they were flying under the radar. She wasn't sure of the rules.

With a sigh, she reached the top of the stairs and stood up straight.

"Do you have your invitation?" the announcer asked, and she held it out. It was a little crumpled, but it was fine. "Ah. Hello, Your Holiness. We've been expecting you."

The massive doors opened to the banquet hall, and the announcer drew himself to his full height.

"Her Holiness, the Saint, Artesia Verdun!" he announced, and a hush fell over the room. Every eye in the room was on her, and she walked forward, straight back and hair cascading down her shoulders. The gorgeous dress shifted, and everyone was watching her.

"There's a Saint? After this long?"

"We greet her as Her Holiness, right? My etiquette classes didn't cover interactions with a Saint."

"She's beautiful..."

"Has anyone heard of Verdun? House Verdun?"

She took a deep breath in and came to a halt at the base of the dais which boasted the Imperial family. The first prince was standing to the left of the Emperor, dressed in white and red and gold, and she executed a perfect, deep curtsy.

"Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty," she said, and bowed her head.

"Oh, there's no need to curtsy to me, Saint," the emperor said. "You're a welcome relief. Contamination has been plaguing our lands for too long."

"I hope to execute my duties as best as I can," she said, and rose.

"Now, Jacques, why don't you entertain the Saint?" the emperor asked and Prince Jacques, of course, stepped forward.