Ah, she was referring to those earrings. How do I answer her?
I offered her a slow, languid smile, my fingers tracing the edge of my fan.
"Oh, the serpent's fangs? I received them, Lady Elara. They were... lovely. Truly. But I'm afraid they aren't exactly my aesthetic. I prefer jewelry that reflects my status, not my enemies' intentions. I've tucked them away safely, though. Perhaps I'll lend them to a maid one day."
Elara's knuckles whitened around her saucer, but she didn't break. Instead, her eyes dropped to the slit in my dress, lingering on the silver chains that glinted with every shift of my weight.
"This 'aesthetic' of yours," she began, "It was a bold choice for a debut," she pivoted, her tone sharpening. "One wonders what a 'Daughter of the House' hopes to achieve with such a... brazen display. This is a ballroom, Lady Lyssa, not a dockside brothel."
The noblewomen beside her stiffened, hiding their judgmental smirks behind painted fans.
