What a boring event.

These were the thoughts in Nora Xeclyde’s mind when she looked at the pure and charming face reflected in the mirror.

She had never been particularly interested in her birthday, and she didn’t find it necessary to make a big fuss about it. In fact, she hated it when people did so. No matter what, this was still the day her mother left her.

Her mother, who had no transcendent abilities, died due to labor difficulties.

Nora might not have met her mother before, but she had a father who loved her deeply. Her birthdays initially had still been acceptable to her, but things began to change last year.

From the moment of her social debut, her birthday became nothing more than a convenient excuse for the upper echelons of society to gather and socialize. This notion made her feel a little uncomfortable inside, and it made her even more so aware of how hypocritical and meaningless everything around her was.

Do I have to face the fawning smiles of those nobles once more? Just looking at their faces makes me feel revulsion. All that is in their minds are ways to further their own interests, and they make it so blatantly obvious too. It’s so unbelievably boring that I don’t even want to bother dealing with them at all.

These days are really getting unbearable… Oh, wait a moment. He’ll be coming this year, right?

The silhouette of a little boy flashed across Nora’s mind as emotions rippled across her impassive face. She remembered that he wasn’t around during her birthday banquet last year. But since they had met one another this year, Marquess Carter would surely drag him here.

“Maybe it’ll be a little more interesting then?”

Nora muttered under her breath, while a rare tinge of anticipation touched her heart. Her lips subconsciously curled up into a smile.

Everything proceeded smoothly afterward.

Nora, who was rarely in public sight, awed the nobles easily with her appearance. Whether it be a guy or a girl, adult or child, everyone looked at her with eyes filled with amazement. None of this brought Nora any joy though. She faced the guests with a slight smile, all the while discreetly scanning the crowds to find that same-aged boy she remembered.

There were too many people attending the banquet that it took Nora quite a bit of effort before she finally found her target. It was a black-haired boy standing behind his father with a helpless look on his face. The air of disinterest around him felt incongruous with the lively atmosphere of the banquet.

Oho, that’s quite an interesting expression he has over there.

Nora’s body trembled upon seeing the conflicted look on Roel’s face, and she nearly burst into laughter even. She took a deep breath to maintain her poise before focusing her attention back on the hymn.

After praying for Sia’s blessings, going by convention, every noble house would bring their children forward to have a short conversation with Kane and Nora, so that the children could get to know one another. The time allocated was usually one to two minutes for each house, and anyone who took any longer than that would be scorned for a breach of etiquette.

This was one of the things that Nora hated the most about her birthday banquet. One must know that this meet-and-greet session lasted a whole two hours last year. She had to maintain the highest level of decorum throughout this entire period of time and remember the name of every single person. As this was a standing buffet, she couldn’t sit down and rest either.

As the future leader of the country, Nora knew that it was her responsibility to display her most perfect self before her followers, so she hosted the nobles that stepped forth with utmost grace. That being said, she maintained a sliver of her attention on the black-haired boy, wanting to know what he was up to.

The boy first argued with his father, Marquess Carter, about something, before his head drooped down in disappointment. A short while later, the two of them, together with a silver-haired girl, began making their way toward her.

Nora keenly noticed the bitter look on the black-haired boy’s face, and for the first time in this banquet, she revealed an entrancing smile that came from the bottom of her heart, causing the nearby guests to be spellbound.

Is he trying to avoid meeting me? Hahaha, how interesting.

Knowing that she was the culprit behind the boy’s troubles, Little Miss Angel suddenly felt her mood lifting. The dreadful nature that she had sealed up deep within her threatened to burst forth. At the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder why Roel was so averse to her.

I agree that the girl named Alicia is rather adorable too, but I don’t think that I’d lose to anyone in a competition of outer appearances. Is it my personality then? Does my personality make you cower as if I am a venomous serpent hissing at you?

Nora narrowed her eyes. It was not displeasure that she felt inside; it was excitement. The desire to dominate was puffing up in her chest, enticing her to succumb to her true nature.

How I wish I could step on him right now.

Nora tried her best to push down the thoughts running rampant in her head. While she liked seeing Roel’s troubled expression, she didn’t want to make him hate her. The dominance she sought wasn’t one of imposed authority; she would only get a soulless shell of a body and not his heart. That was not what would bring her joy.

There were many people who were more than willing to throw themselves at her for all sorts of reasons, but that was not what she wanted either. She viewed these people with revulsion, and they would never have been able to fulfill her desire to dominate either.

This Little Miss Angel’s criteria were quite specific, in fact. She wanted a person who was reluctant to be with her but had no choice but to accept her. She wanted a challenge!

And a prey had just caught her line of sight.

Roel Ascart knew the deep desires she harbored within, and he wouldn’t intentionally please her. He was fearful of her, but it wasn’t to the extent where he repulsed her. He had a dashing face and top-notch acting skills. He was a cunning person worthy of crossing blows with her.

It’s almost as if he’s a dessert prepared specially for me.

Nora sighed yearningly as her face flushed slightly red.

To obtain this man, render him utterly helpless before me, and make his everything mine; is there any greater excitement than this in the world?

With such thoughts on her mind, Little Miss Angel put on a bewitching smile as she readied herself to cross blows with Roel.

“It has been a while, Your Highness.”

At the forefront of the banquet hall, Roel, who had come forward reluctantly with Carter and Alicia, stood stiffly with his eyes focused on the ground. He spoke a stiff greeting that sounded almost as if he was reciting it monotonously from a book.

Even Alicia couldn’t help glancing at Roel in intrigue from his peculiar behavior.

Nora was not surprised by the distant attitude that Roel was treating her with. She looked at Roel with a graceful smile and said.

“Call me Nora.”

“… Pardon me?”

“Call me Nora.”

“…”

Roel finally raised his gaze, only to be faced with a beautiful angel with a smile so enchanting that it stopped one’s breath. An ominous feeling arose in his heart.

Beautiful indeed, but why do I feel like this lass is even more bad news than before?

Roel felt as if he was a frog being eyed by a snake, and it made his heart jolt in fright. He forced himself to put on a smile as he responded to Nora’s remark.

“Your Highness, you are…”

“Your Highness again? Does my name sound jarring to your ear?”

The angel before Roel was still smiling, but her eyes had grown far more piercingly sharp than before. With the entire circle of nobility watching them, he had no choice but to relent.

“N-Nora?”

Roel decided to wimp out and go along with Nora’s wishes, causing her smile to further deepen. Then, she said a few words that left everyone frozen in place.

“I’m overjoyed to have you here. You are the only one that I was looking forward to meeting.”

(Affection Points +100!)