Little Tyrant Doesn't Want to Meet with a Bad End[1-200]

Chapter 38: Nora's Philosophy of Hunting

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, and emotions rippled on 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 as 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.