Guide to the Education and Training of Girls with Mentally Abnormalities

Chapter 21 Different Paths, Same Destination

"Huh, Edmund?"

"Hmm...? Miss Edith?"

At the entrance to the Enfield family mansion, Edmund and Edith looked at each other in bewilderment.

Edith looked at the invitation in Edmund's hand with a strange expression.

Before she could ask Edmund where the invitation came from,

Edmund shrugged.

He smiled at the elderly gentleman standing behind Edith:

"Alright, Miss Edith, let's not block the way at the door over such trivial matters. There are other people who need to go in."

Edith stared at Edmund, and seeing him lead Esther toward the banquet hall, she quickly followed.

The pure white Estée, the raven-black Edith, the black and white Willow, and Edmund between them, together form a gradient of black, white, and gray.

The banquet hall's dome was resplendent with gold, and the crystals hanging from the gilded lamp holders shimmered with iridescent light in the sunlight.

Musicians carrying various instruments sat on chairs by the dance floor, dressed in formal attire reserved for grand banquets: neat white shirts and dark jackets, long, straight black trousers under lace bow ties, and finally, gleaming leather boots.

In the center of the dance floor were young men and women dancing together. Most of them were the younger generation of the families attending the banquet. Although they were dressed as adults, their faces still showed the innocence and naivety of teenagers.

The older ladies, with their arms around the gentlemen accompanying them, danced in their elegant evening gowns, their steps resembling flowers swaying in the breeze.

If you pay close attention, you'll soon see some of them scatter like birds after a dance, only to be surprised to find two of them intimately cuddling on the dance floor, their affection even surpassing that of their former "original partners."

There were even instances of two gentlemen or ladies dancing together.

Ugh.

Treating decadence as romance does fit the image of these people who are just whining about nothing.

Edmund silently looked away.

"Some people can openly display their stupidity, absurdity, and debauchery, while I was kicked out simply because I didn't want to be called a scavenging crow," Edith said irritably to the guys on the dance floor, her eyes fixed on Edmund.

"Gurgle..."

Upon realizing she had made a sound, Esther subconsciously pursed her lips and blinked at Edmund and Edith, who were staring at her.

Before he left, Edmund repeatedly warned him not to say anything, to keep his mouth shut as he would at home, and to watch his tongue.

Moreover, if you don't watch what you say, "tears of emotion" will spill out.

Edith gave Willow a wink, and before Edmund could react, the loyal maid dragged Esther, the "exotic young lady," gracefully toward the bountiful place in the banquet hall, where milk and honey flowed.

She watched Esther walk away, still turning back to look, and her words drifted to Edmund like the fragrance of flowers carried on the wind.

"Edmund, may I invite you to dance with me?"

"Just consider it a lady's friendliness to a gentleman, okay? Don't mistake me for one of those bastards on the dance floor. I've never invited anyone before, nor have I ever accepted anyone's invitation."

"You're the first one." She rested her chin on her hand and stared intently at Edmund.

"It's my pleasure, Miss Edith."

The two went to the dance floor.

Edith tiptoed and whispered in Edmund's ear.

"You know, Edmund, I prefer to take the initiative."

"Then I'll trouble you to bear with my clumsy steps," Edmund said with a smile.

He wrapped his arms around Edith's slender waist, gracefully taking steps, letting the young woman before him lead him in a dance on the ballroom's dance floor.

The flowing skirt resembled a blooming flower, and the shimmering silk looked like a black rose glistening with dew.

No matter where they are, handsome men and beautiful women can always attract the attention of those around them the fastest, not to mention that Edith is a "big shot" who is "famous" in the entire Karenbel aristocratic circle.

"Hey, isn't that Edith? What's she doing at this party?" The gentleman who first noticed Edith nudged his companion.

"Edith? The one who was expelled from the Enfield family? Expelled from the family and she still has the nerve to come back here?"

The other person, with an expression that clearly showed amusement, swirled the wine glass in his hand.

"Even if you leave your family, you still have noble blood flowing through your veins, so of course you're qualified to attend this banquet, but..."

"Although both of them are eligible to be heirs, her sister is able to receive the Enfield family head's full support and training, while she can only come to this mansion, which is no longer related to her, like an outsider."

"And she brought a strange man with her, haha, I'm starting to look forward to the show: I wonder if the Enfield family will be furious that his second daughter has just left the family and is already getting involved with a stranger, even bringing him to the party as a date."

During breaks in conversation and laughter.

One of them suddenly seemed to have thought of something and raised his eyebrows.

"I remember that gentleman also had an invitation."

"That gentleman did indeed have an invitation."

"I entered not far behind him. He was accompanied by a silver-haired girl, while Edith was only accompanied by her maid."

"He clearly had a female companion, yet he got involved with Edith, and at the Enfield family heirs' banquet no less?"

The group exchanged smiles.

"I'm getting more and more excited for this show."

...

Alicia held her speech for the banquet in her hands. Although she had memorized everything perfectly, this was her first appearance as the official heir of the family.

She still wanted to make her speech at the banquet as effective as possible.

For example, add some extra content to the original speech: in the father's words, this is how to demonstrate his subjectivity and authority as the future head of the family.

"Alicia, don't you think the banquet hall is noisier than before?"

"Noisy? When is a banquet like this not noisy? The music at the ball, the conversations of the guests, the clinking of glasses..."

"No, no, Alicia, I didn't mean the kind of noise you're thinking of."

Eya Min peeked around backstage.

"The commotion outside sounds more like... a riot?"

"A disturbance? Perhaps the guests were a little tipsy and got carried away." Alicia's attention remained on her prepared remarks.

Almost all the prominent nobles of the city of Karenbel were in the banquet hall, and their guards and the knights of the Papacy were on high alert inside and outside the banquet hall.

Aside from a madman who would use someone else to commit suicide, Alicia couldn't imagine who would cause trouble for the Enfield family on this day.

"Alicia...I..." Eyar's voice trembled slightly.

"What's wrong?" Alicia looked up.

Eya rubbed her eyes and swallowed.

"You said you had someone send him an invitation, and that he would be coming today, right?"

"uh-huh."

"You've really made up your mind to confess your feelings to him, haven't you?"

"Hmm." Alicia's tone became more cheerful. She nodded and naturally puffed out her chest, clearly having already thought about how to show Edmund her best side in her speech later, and then find Edmund alone to express her feelings.

"Then I think you should take a look at this..."

"Alicia?"

Eya turned around, but Alicia was no longer in the spot she had just been in; only the snow-white speech manuscript remained, drifting slowly down forlornly.