Charisma 100: My Academy Life As A Heartbreaking Commoner-Chapter 210: The Salon

The salon was decorated beautifully, Aegis had to admit.

Some crystal chandeliers, some fancy chairs arranged in geometrically satisfying ways, a central table with wine and-

[Ooh, pastries!]

Servants moved quietly along the edges, refilling glasses and offering refreshments. Very elegant, very tasteful, very "we have lots and lots of money."

It would have been lovely, really, if not for the somewhat unfortunate seating arrangement.

Aegis found her name card on a chair positioned at the far end of the room, as distant from Duchess Evangeline’s elevated seat as physically possible. Lady Roseheart and Serilla had been placed on either side of her, which was either a kindness or an attempt to isolate all three of them at once.

[Subtle. Real subtle, Evangeline.]

She sat down anyway, smoothing her dress and accepting a glass of wine from a passing servant. Serilla settled beside her, already scanning the room for potential threats and entertainment. Lady Roseheart took her seat and immediately began nodding politely at the nobles she recognized.

The other nobles were already watching.

"Lady Starcaller." Duchess Evangeline’s voice cut through the murmur of conversation. "How kind of you to join us."

"How kind of you to invite me, Your Grace."

She received a thin smile.

"We do so enjoy fresh perspectives at these gatherings."

The event officially began.

For the first twenty minutes or so, the conversation stayed relatively civil. People discussed the weather, the upcoming harvest season, a minor scandal involving some baron’s third son and a merchant’s daughter. Aegis participated when appropriate, kept her tone pleasant, and waited for the first attack.

It came from a woman seated near Evangeline’s right hand, a sharp-featured noblewoman with silver rings on every finger.

"I must say, it’s refreshing to see new houses entering society," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Though one does wonder about houses lacking proper breeding. How does one learn etiquette without generations of refinement?"

Several people glanced at Aegis.

"Practice, mostly," Aegis replied, taking a sip of her wine. "Though I’ve found that good manners are less about bloodlines and more about not being insufferable at parties."

A few muffled laughs from the corners of the room. The sharp-featured woman’s smile went stiff.

Duke Cindergrave spoke next, his tone deceptively mild.

"Speaking of new houses, Lady Starcaller, I understand there were some concerns about financial irregularities during your recent audit. Quite troubling, if true."

"Concerns that were thoroughly addressed," Aegis said. "The audit concluded without issue. No irregularities found." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"So I heard. Still, such rapid growth does raise questions." Cindergrave swirled his wine, trying to look thoughtful. "One can’t help but wonder where all that gold came from."

"Archaeological discovery, mostly. My manor sits on Pre-Unification ruins. The documentation is all on file with the Consortium, if you’d like to review it." She smiled. "I’m always happy to educate those who have questions."

Another woman chimed in, this one younger, with an upturned nose and the look of someone who’d never been told no in her entire life.

"Education is important, certainly. Though I do wonder what sort of education one receives on a farm. Crop rotation? Animal husbandry?"

Aegis set down her wine glass.

"Among other things. Though I did manage to find time for reading between the planting seasons." She tilted her head slightly. "For instance, I’m quite fond of Valdrian history. Are you familiar with the Treaty of Silver Falls? The one that established the current boundaries between the Great Houses?"

The young woman blinked.

"I... of course I’m familiar with it."

"Then you’ll know it was negotiated by a commoner-born diplomat named Hazel Wrenford, who convinced three warring houses to set aside their differences through nothing but clever argument and sheer stubbornness." Aegis picked up her wine again. "Just because I grew up on a farm doesn’t mean I couldn’t read."

Silence.

Lady Roseheart coughed delicately, hiding what might have been a smile.

The attacks continued, but Aegis met each one the same way. When someone questioned her retainers’ qualifications, she mentioned their victory at the recent exhibition tournament. When another noble implied her potion contracts were built on inferior products, she casually noted that three Great Houses had already placed orders for next season.

Serilla jumped in at key moments.

"I find it fascinating," Serilla said after one particularly pointed comment about Aegis’s romantic prospects, "that so many people here seem concerned about Lady Starcaller’s personal life. One might almost think they were jealous."

"Jealous?" The sharp-featured woman from earlier laughed. "Of what, exactly?"

"Of her success. Her influence. Her ability to walk into a room full of hostile nobles and hold her own." Serilla leaned back in her chair, looking thoroughly entertained. "It’s impressive, really. Most people in her position would have crumbled by now."

More uncomfortable silence.

The conversation shifted, and for a while it stayed on safer topics. But Aegis could see the frustration building among Evangeline’s allies. Their target wasn’t breaking down as expected, wasn’t fleeing in tears or making embarrassing outbursts. She was just sitting there, sipping wine and deflecting every attack like it was target practice.

Then Lady Helsworth opened her mouth.

She was an older woman, somewhere in her sixties, with a pinched face and the kind of permanent scowl that suggested she’d been sucking on lemons since birth. She’d been quiet for most of the evening, watching the exchanges with narrowed eyes.

"I must say," Lady Helsworth announced, loud enough to cut through a lull in the conversation, "it’s quite remarkable how far a common whore can climb if she spreads her legs for the right people."

The room went dead silent.

Even Evangeline’s expression flickered. Lady Roseheart’s hand tightened on her wine glass. Serilla went very still.

Aegis stood up.

She crossed the room with slow, deliberate steps, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Every eye in the salon followed her. Lady Helsworth watched her approach with a smug expression, clearly expecting some cutting remark that could be dismissed or turned against her.

Aegis stopped in front of her chair.

And slapped her across the face.

Not hard. Not enough to leave a mark or cause real injury. Just enough to make a sound, to turn Lady Helsworth’s head, to leave her sitting there with her mouth hanging open and her cheek flushing pink.

"I’m sorry," Aegis said. "I must have misheard you. Could you repeat that?"

Lady Helsworth stared at her, speechless.

"No? Nothing to say?" Aegis straightened her dress. "I thought not."

She turned to Duchess Evangeline, who was watching the scene with a carefully blank expression.

"Thank you for the lovely evening, Your Grace. I believe I’ll take my leave now."

She walked back to where Serilla and Lady Roseheart were already rising from their seats, collected them both with a glance, and headed for the door.

No one tried to stop them.

---

The carriage was halfway back to Starcaller Manor before anyone spoke.

"That was incredible," Serilla said, laughing. "The look on her face! I thought she was going to faint."

"She deserved worse," Lady Roseheart said. "That comment was beyond the pale, even for Evangeline’s circle."

"Even Evangeline looked surprised," Aegis noted. "Did you see her face? She wasn’t expecting Helsworth to go that far."

"You handled it perfectly." Lady Roseheart shook her head. "A slap was exactly the right response. Strong enough to make a statement, restrained enough that no one can claim you were out of control."

"That was the idea."

Serilla leaned against Aegis’s shoulder, still grinning.

"Those nobles are going to be talking about this for weeks. The upstart commoner who walked into a hostile salon and slapped a woman twice her age for being rude." She laughed again. "They’ll respect you for it, you know. Not openly, but privately. Nobility loves someone with spine."

The carriage rolled on through the night, and by the time they reached the manor, Aegis was feeling good about how things had gone. She’d walked into Evangeline’s trap, landed a few verbal blows, and made a statement that would spread through noble gossip networks by morning.

Not bad for one evening.

---

The next morning, Evelyn arrived with fresh correspondence.

"My lady. You have a letter from the Noble Consortium."

Aegis took it, broke the seal, and read.

"Military assessment," she said, a slow smile spreading across her face. "They’re evaluating house military capabilities next week. Open invitation to all houses seeking legitimacy confirmation."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"Will you be attending?"

Aegis set down the letter.

"Oh, absolutely."