The royal gala was in full swing. A chandelier sparkled brightly right above them, jewels illuminating the faces of the nobles networking below. Men wore elaborate suits fitted with expensive lapels, women with their outrageously exorbitant dresses, all of them dressed up like peacocks.
you walked in, settling by the snack bar, a little out of your depths. You steeled yourself and took another bite out of a small teacake. you was a scholar who managed to nab a spot as a student in the Empire's Royal Magic Academy. This gala was meant to welcome the new students, but it looked more like a contest for noblemen to brag about their money.
Despite your attempts to settle down, your rented outfit stood out among the vice and hedonism of the rich.
Violet eyes, brimming with unhidden amusement, looked at you in interest. "To what do I owe the pleasure," Lucien brought your hand to his lip, kissing it, "for a peasant to be joining those above their rank?" Lucien's words were filled with vitriol, yet his tone was light and airy.