The day passed with a strange blend of normalcy and electric anticipation.
Mara tried to stick to her usual routine—helping Alice with chores at the Velvet Veil, chatting with the other girls, even spending some time reading in the small library Cecilia had set up in one corner of the establishment—but her thoughts kept drifting back, again and again, to what awaited her that night.
An orgy, she thought as she folded clean sheets.
I'm going to an orgy in a mansion.
No matter how many times she repeated it in her mind, it still sounded surreal.
The sun began to sink toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple that filtered through the windows.
The light of dusk bathed everything in warm tones, and Mara felt her anticipation slowly turn into nervousness.
"Are you ready yet?" Beckie's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
Mara looked up to find her standing in the doorway of her room, already dressed for the trip.
She wore a simple yet elegant dark green dress that highlighted her eyes, and her hair was tied back in a loose braid that fell over one shoulder.
"Almost," Mara replied, glancing at the small bag she had prepared on the bed.
She hadn't packed much—as Alice had suggested, she probably wouldn't need much clothing—but she had included a few essentials: a brush, some underwear, a spare dress, and a few personal hygiene items Alice had given her.
"You look nervous," Beckie observed, stepping into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed.
Mara laughed, the sound a little shaky.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Completely," Beckie confirmed with an understanding smile. "But that's normal. It's your first time at something like this, right?"
Mara nodded. Technically, considering everything she had experienced since arriving in this world, she wasn't exactly inexperienced when it came to sex.
But this… this was different, in both scale and nature.
"Have you been to one before?" Mara asked, genuinely curious.
Beckie shook her head.
"Not to something this big. I've been to smaller gatherings, but never to an event organized by Marchioness Dahlia. They say that when she hosts something, it's… memorable."
There was a mix of excitement and reverence in Beckie's tone.
"What do you know about her?" Mara asked as she began changing clothes.
She slipped out of the simple dress she'd worn during the day and put on a more elegant one Alice had lent her—a midnight-blue dress embroidered with silver threads that caught the light beautifully.
"Marchioness Dahlia is… well, she's a legend," Beckie began, her eyes shining. "She's noble by birth, but instead of living a boring, respectable life, she chose pleasure. She has contacts everywhere, unimaginable wealth, and they say her mansion is like a palace devoted to the senses."
A shiver ran down Mara's spine.
"That sounds intimidating."
"Oh, it is," Beckie agreed. "But they also say she's incredibly generous with those she likes. And if Reiko is working with her, then this is going to be something special."
Mara finished adjusting her dress and looked at herself in the small mirror hanging on the wall.
The midnight blue contrasted beautifully with her orange hair, and her eyes seemed to glow with renewed intensity.
"You look gorgeous," Beckie said sincerely.
"Thanks," Mara replied, feeling her cheeks warm slightly.
A soft knock at the door interrupted the moment.
"Girls? The carriages are arriving," Alice's voice announced from the hallway.
Mara and Beckie exchanged a look—a mix of excitement, nerves, and determination—before nodding at the same time.
"Let's go," Mara said, picking up her small bag.
They went downstairs together and found Alice waiting for them at the reception desk. The red-haired woman wore an elegant crimson dress that matched her hair, and although her eyes were covered as always, her smile radiated warmth.
"You both look beautiful," Alice said, and Mara could feel the sincerity in her words.
"You look amazing too, Alice," Mara replied.
Alice laughed softly and extended her hands, taking one from each of them.
"So, are you ready for the adventure?"
Mara took a deep breath, feeling anticipation swirl in her stomach like a storm of butterflies.
"Ready," she said.
"Ready," Beckie echoed.
The three of them stepped out of the Velvet Veil and into the street, where night was already beginning to spread its dark cloak over the city.
Street lamps were being lit one by one, creating small circles of golden light in the growing darkness.
And there, waiting in the street, was the carriage.