"Greetings, Your Highness Hillena."
"Ah, it's Lady Belmont, good evening."
Gazing at the noblewoman before her, dressed in her finery yet wearing a humble smile, Hillena did not rise but cracked a slight smile and nodded gently as a form of greeting.
Seeing this, the other party seemed flattered by the attention, and then, with slight discomfort, she took a seat next to Hillena with her young daughter in tow.
Though the woman hailed from a Marquis Family and her husband was one of the Empire's councilors, her maternal family was weak, and she herself was a secondary wife to Marquis Belmont, hence she was not much regarded in the social circles of the Imperial Capital.
At this moment, the open-air auditorium, resembling a gladiatorial arena, was abuzz with activity. Many finely dressed guests roamed back and forth along the aisles, all noble dignitaries invited to this evening's event.
