Renzille stepped into the grand room, her form adorned in the finest attire from her wardrobe and with grace, she descended the wide staircase.
Two knights escorted her on either side, their presence a replacement that was supposed to be taken by her guardians.
As she moved through the room, whispers that would surely be a start of rumor filled the air.
The nobles and beastmen present in the gathering room turned their attention towards her, their gazes watching her every step and expression.
The atmosphere lit up with tension and expectation, the anticipation as clear as day.
The eyes of the gathered nobles and beastmen lingered upon Renzille, their gazes filled with unspoken questions— the absence of her father and siblings at her side raised eyebrows and prompted puzzled expressions to surface.
While moving through the room, her being alone became increasingly apparent, causing the questions in their eyes to become more pronounced.
Low murmurs filled the space as the attendees exchanged glances, silently asking themselves why she was late, why she was unaccompanied, and why she arrived at her own ceremony alone with no family member on sight.
Every step she took merely amplified their curiosity and assumptions, leaving her under the pressure of their judgemental eyes.
However, under all these scrutinizing gaze, Renzille's eyes remained focused forward, her lips pressed into a thin line as she ignored the probing gazes directed at her.
Her expression gave no indication of acknowledging their questioning gazes, her attention fixed adamantly ahead of her.
In a deliberate display of indifference, she made no attempt to meet anyone's eyes, maintaining a stoic composure as she moved through the gathering room— the noble that gathered only continued to gossip among themselves.
Besides, despite her late arrival, Renzille continued to receive admiring and envious glances from the gathered nobles and beastmen.
Her appearance and refined bearing drew their gazes, fueling a mix of admiration and envy.
Several attendees cast covetous glances at her both faces and body, unable to hide their admiration for her presence— women, on the other hand, silently envied her beauty and elegance.
Regardless of her tardiness, Renzille remained the center of attention, captivating the room with her presence alone.
Once Renzille reached the center of the room, she finally noticed the familiar figure of the beastman with fluffy white ears, standing with a polite smile on his face, ahead of her.
Recognition crossed her eyes as she remembered his role in these ceremonies.
He was the one who would oversee the ceremony and the pairing of the chosen noble or beastman of the week— bestowing the goblet of life to the pair that will leave the ceremony hall.
The beastman displayed respect to Renzille by lowering his head and placing his palm gently on his chest, his voice carrying a polite greeting.
"Happy coming-of-age, Lady Thillion." He stated.
His demeanor was gracious and formal, acknowledging her noble title and the significance of the occasion so regardless of the lingering questions and the curious gazes cast towards her, this beastman adhered to the traditional protocol with dignity.
Renzille couldn't help, but meet the beastman's respectful gesture with a warm smile.
The genuine expression momentarily caught him off guard because the smile she graced him with was both elegant and radiant, blinding him with its brilliance.
His gaze faltered for a brief moment, his composure wavered subtly in the face of her radiance.
The other attendees also took notice of her unexpected display of pleasantness, their eyebrows raising in surprise and curiosity at what had just happened.
Renzille's smile remained in place as she replied politely, acknowledging the beastman's kindness and respect. "I apologize for my late arrival. There was a matter of utmost importance that I had to attend to. I apologize for nearly missing my own ceremony."
As she spoke, her words carried a graciousness that softened the impact of her absence in the earlier hour of the ceremony.
The nobles and beastmen who listened in on the conversation murmured among themselves, their curiosity piqued by her vague explanation, but they have no rights to know which made it more frustrating for them.
In her mind, Renzille silently thanked Sophia for the effort she had made to conceal the wound in her head.
The headwear had effectively hidden the injury she got when she slipped in the bathroom, hidden away from the keen eyes of the beastmen who were renowned for their heightened senses.
A sense of relief washed over Renzille, the knowledge that her wound remained unnoticed allowed her to maintain a composed exterior without any hint of discomfort or pain.
The beastman nodded, his polite smile also still in place. "Indeed, we shall proceed with selecting your betrothed."
He lowered his head once again. "This is an important part of the ceremony so please allow us to thank you for your understanding and bestowing us your presence despite being occupied, Lady Thillion."
The gathering held its breath, anticipation filling the air as the moment for her betrothal approached.
The surrounding nobles and beastmen exchanged eager whispers, the room buzzing with excitement as the attention shifted fully onto Renzille, all eyes focusing on her once more.
The crowd parted as a group of beastwomen and beastmen began to make their way toward Renzille.
Each individual exuded elegance and grace, dressed in finely tailored outfits that accentuated their physique— the men and women alike carried themselves with confidence, eyes locked onto Renzille as they approached.
As the group drew closer, the whispers in the room grew more hushed, the anticipation building with each step.
Faces lit with expectation, eager to witness the important moment of the ceremony, the selection of the betrothed— all of them kept their mouths shut so as to not disturb the ceremony further.
Renzille's gaze fell upon the first beastwoman in the group, her attention drawn to her features.
The beastwoman stood with grace and poise, her wings delicately tucked away behind her. However, what truly stood out was her pair of golden eyes, their intensity and depth captivating Renzille's gaze.
A glimmer of fascination flickered within Renzille's eyes as she studied the woman with the feathered wings, her gaze lingered on the unique color of her eyes, the golden hue looking lovely for her.
However, when Renzille's focus lingered on the first beastwoman, a movement in the crowd suddenly caught her attention.
Her gaze followed the source of the disturbance, causing her attention to be drawn to a familiar figure in the crowd.
Cross.
The sight of him, the one who had betrayed her in her previous life, standing amidst the crowd jolted her with emotions— the memory of his infidelity with her half-sister resurfaced, bringing a brief pang of pain and betrayal to her chest.
Renzille's heart pounded furiously inside her chest as if it might burst any moment, her throat constricting under the weight of her emotions and for a moment, Renzille questioned the depth of her feelings for Cross.
Was it the love she felt for Cross? Was that why the pain of his betrayal still lingered within her, even now?
She had never fully dwell on her feelings before, but now, faced with his presence, gnawing at her soul, she couldn't help, but wonder if it was the intensity of her love that had made the betrayal so devastating.
Cross noticed Renzille's gaze land on him and instantly, he perked up, a pleased expression on his face.
He opened his mouth to introduce himself. "My name is Cross, Lady Thillion—"
However, his words were cut short as Renzille abruptly averted her gaze, cutting off their interaction mid-sentence.
Cross' bright expression flickered with surprise at her blatant rejection, his words left hanging in the air, leaving his mouth open with the surrounding nobles and beastmen watching the interaction, sensing the underlying tension between the two.
Are the two of them secretly doomed lovers?
Renzille forcefully distanced herself from Cross, her gaze eventually landed on a different beastman, one whose appearance bore a resemblance to a ram.
As she reached him, however, she couldn't help, but notice the snickering and whispering from the other beasts surrounding her— an indication of their amusement at the sight of this particular man.
Renzille's attention became glued on the beastman, her eyebrows furrowing as she observed his features.
The snickering only intensified her curiosity, prompting her to look at him more closely.
Renzille walked closer to the beastman and couldn't help, but notice the softness of his white hair, its hue as pure and pristine as freshly fallen snow.
When her gaze met his, she found herself momentarily stunned, her breath catching in her chest.
His icy blue eyes captured her attention intensely, their mesmerizing depth drawing her in, causing the hushed laughter of the surrounding beasts to fade into the background, drowned out by the pair of beautiful blue eyes.
Renzille found herself transfixed on the beastman before her, her eyes hungrily taking in every detail and when she noticed his ears flicking, causing his snow-white hair to shift and graze against his horns? Oh, it was such a mesmerizing and almost hypnotizing sight.
His large, curved horns only added to his fascinating appearance, making Renzille want him even more.
The longer the beastman continued to stare into her bloody red eyes, the more the strange sensation buzzed through Renzille, making her feel inexplicably drawn to this lovely beastman.
"I want this one." Renzille stated, pointing her finger to the beastman whose eyes went wide after hearing the words that left her lips.
So, with Renzille's sudden and unexpected declaration of whom she had chosen, she left everyone inside the hall stunned into a momentary silence, including the beastman that caught her attention.
The nobles and beastmen could only feel their eyes widening in disbelief.
They had anticipated that she might make an unexpected choice, but the speed and certainty of her decision caught them off guard— especially when it was the rumored damaged beastman whom no one wanted.
Murmurs of astonishment echoed through the crowd and Cross, in particular, couldn't hide his surprise, his expression contorting into disbelief and anger.
He had hoped for a different outcome today, only for her choice to throw his expectations into a puddle of mud.