High-Society Debut

In the Hirean Empire’s capital, Hirim, there was a gorgeous palace, the size of a small town. The outside of the palace was fitted with gold trimmings and white walls. There were large glass windows on every floor, a few feet apart from each other. Purple curtains partially covered every window. They were opened because of the special occasion taking place.

The high society debut ball happened when there were at least 10 or more noble or royal children who turned 14 or were about to turn 14. This was usually hosted at the Imperial Palace. If there were less than 10 children who turned 14 in a given year, the parents were allowed to host their own debut ball for their child.

This time, 16 children turned 14 or were about to turn 14.

Inside the palace, many nobles from across the Hirean Empire were socializing in the ballroom. Nobody danced or ate food because the main characters of the night had not arrived yet.

The ballroom was adorned with beautiful, six crystal chandeliers that lit up the room. In the back, there were four seats, one for each legitimate member of the Imperial family.

The tables and chairs were sectioned off depending on status and territory. All the Dukes and their immediate family members sat near the Imperial family.

Even though the Imperial family hadn’t arrived, everyone in the room was sneaking glances at two people sitting in the section for the Dukes and their families.

One of them had black hair and purple and gold eyes, while the other had blonde hair and the same eye colors, just opposite of the other.

Among the many people talking, some whispers could be heard about the pair.

“Even though I heard the rumors, who knew they were actually true.”

“Black hair with gold and purple eyes, blond hair with purple and gold eyes, they were both blessed by the Dragon God and the God of Light.”

“I am sure the Imperial family is trying to tie down the young man with black hair. He has the most features that are related to the Dragon God.”

“A shame that Duke Alnhart’s second son already has a fiancée. I would have introduced my children to him.”

“Do you know what they call people like you? Delusional. A Baron’s family like you has no chance of even talking with them nonetheless getting engaged.”

“Hey, one can dream can they not?”

“Keep your dreaming to the bedroom.”

Three loud claps resounded throughout the ballroom, silencing the crowd of people. Everyone looked toward the source of the sound.

A man standing by the entrance of the ballroom stood at the center, satisfied that he got everyone’s attention.

“We would like to announce the arrival of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, His Imperial Majesty the King Consort, as well as Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess, Her Highness the Crown Princess’ consort, and lastly, His Imperial Highness the First Prince.”

Everyone stood up and held a polite bow while the doors opened and the Imperial family made their way into the ballroom.

The Emperor and his King Consort entered together, wearing matching outfits. Emperor Ermir wore a more intricate outfit that was different from his day-to-day clothes. It was similar though. His black suit was filled with gold embroidery. He also wore a purple and gold cape and had a large crown on his head. It matched the rest of his outfit. It was made of gold and adorned with red gems.

As for King Consort Gale, his clothes and cape matched Emperor Ermir, but his navy blue hair was adorned with small crystals and he wore a similar, but smaller crown. He also had a lot more jewelry than the Emperor, which accentuated his beauty and grace.

Behind them, Imperial Crown Princess Scarlett walked side by side with Imperial Prince Ronan. She wore a red ball-grown dress with gold flower embroidery. She didn’t have a crown, but she had a lot of gold jewelry with black onyx gemstones.

Prince Ronan wore a similar ceremonial outfit to his father, but he didn’t wear a crown.

The Emperor and his family walked through the ballroom and toward the back where their seats were.

Everyone stayed in their bowing positions until they heard the Emperor say, “Be at ease.”

The attendees of the Debut ball looked up and saw the Emperor and his family sitting. The most notable thing, though, was that the Emperor was looking over at the Alnhart family, especially at Atlas who bore an almost exact resemblance to the Dragon God, the savior and creator of their Empire.

Even so, that didn’t stop him from giving his speech that would start the debut.

“Today we celebrate the children who have turned fourteen years old or are about to turn fourteen years old. After today, they will be allowed to take part in different high-society events. Of course, because they are still children, they must be supervised until they become of age.”

Then he started to talk about his own child who recently turned fourteen and he had high hopes for not only him, but the other children of the nobles present at the debut ball. He hoped that they would all contribute to the Empire to the best of their abilities.

Halfway through the Emperor’s speech, Atlas began to space out and thought about other things. He thought the Emperor had really strong genes because the Crown Prince and Prince Ronan looked very similar to him. There were some features that they got from the King Consort but it seemed negligible in comparison.

Then again, the genes of the dragon were incredibly strong in the royal family and all the descendants of the dragon looked similar to one another.

Once the Emperor finished talking, he motioned for Everet to come to him for a private chat.

Everet knew that he could not avoid the Emperor anymore, so he obediently followed the Emperor to a private back room that was connected to the ballroom.

Mirabelle stayed behind to make sure all of their children were safe. “Cyrus, Atlas, be sure to follow your big brother, Sirius after your first dance, alright? If you feel you are in danger, be sure to call out to me or Sir Walter and we will come running.”

“Yes, Mother,” Sirius, Cyrus, and Atlas said in unison.

“Good, now have fun and try to make some friends!”

Cyrus and Sirius didn’t have any plans to make friends, but Atlas, the friendly dog of the group, had a lot of energy and wanted to make new friends.

Well, they had to dance first before they could socialize.

Sirius had already walked over to his dance partner, a young man of a similar age to him. This young man was named Julian Aclin. He recently became Sirius’ fiancée. He had long pale pink hair and forest green eyes, showing that his highest affinity was wind attribute. His braided hair reached his mid-back. Like many others, there were small gems and decorations in his hair, making him look like a forest fairy.

The Aclin family was one of the eight Marquesses' families. There were two marquesses in each of the Duke’s territories. They were there to assist each Duke with management. As for the Aclin family, they were from the North to assist the Balther family.

Julian Aclin was the third and youngest child from the Aclin family and was not the heir, so getting engaged to Sirius was not a problem. Plus, Sirius and Julian were originally friends, so they got along well and enjoyed each other’s company.

When Sirius left, Cyrus and Atlas also left each other to meet up with their dance partners. Of course, Cyrus went to Sophie while Atlas went to Ronan, who was standing near his family.

King Consort Gale and Crown Princess Scarlett were looking at Atlas with curious eyes, but Ronan stepped in front of Atlas so Atlas wouldn’t get dragged into a long conversation that would stop them from dancing.

“Atlas, may I have this dance?” Ronan asked Atlas to dance just like he did every year for Atlas’ birthday.

“Of course, Ronan.” Atlas put his hand on Ronan’s hand and was guided to the dance floor where Cyrus and Sophie were.

Cyrus gave a glance at Ronan that seemed to have a meaning that only he knew. Then he looked at Atlas and gave a soft smile. After that, he looked back at Sophie and focused on the music and the dance.

The first song being played was a slow, but joyful song that seemed to give off a youthful spirit. If one closed their eyes, they could see kids dancing in a flower patch, filled with laughter and smiles. The song was suited for the young teenagers who were about to debut and enter the academy.

Atlas had a goofy smile on his face as he followed Ronan’s lead. Nothing could dampen his mood or his spirit as he seemed to spin around the dance floor like a child dancing in his own playroom, unaware of other people’s glances. Ronan, who was a lot more reserved, looked like he was indulging in Atlas’ playful dancing but still keeping it true to his own personality. Even though their dance styles were different, it didn’t seem off-putting or strange. Just two people who knew each other well but also accepted one another for who they were as people.

As for Cyrus and Sophie, they were reserved but graceful and light, like angels that descended from the sky. It was almost as if they were floating, their steps were soft and fleeting. The two complimented each other well, almost as if they were dancing as one. Different from Atlas and Ronan, these two were similar to one another.

Other noble teenagers tried to act graceful and noble-like though some were awkward and more shy because they were not used to the setting they were in. Still, they enjoyed themselves because this was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Some older teenagers were able to attend, but they made sure to stay off to the side, making sure the debuting noble teenagers were able to have the spotlight.

Once the first dance was over, the participants were able to dance with other peers or family members. Many young teenagers asked to dance with their parents and siblings.

Cyrus and Atlas also danced with each other, attracting a lot of attention. Most people couldn’t help but stare at their hair and eye color. Atlas didn’t seem to have a care in the world with how people viewed him. Cyrus was a bit more guarded but still indulged the lively Atlas.

After the two danced with each other, people got ready to see if they could go dance with them. Even just talking to them was fine as long as Atlas or Cyrus said something to them!

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Grandpa Marky: Hey everyone, I know it's been a hell of a long time. I am really sorry XD But I am back now and will be doing once-a-week updates! Thank you for being patient with me <3

I have no editor. If you see a mistake, please let me know. I hope to get an editor soon but who knows...

Anyway, that's it from me. I will see you all next week :D