Charisma 100: My Academy Life As A Heartbreaking Commoner-Chapter 196: Hospitality*

Aegis burst into Evelyn’s office like she owned the place.

Which, technically, she did. In any case, she arrived this way because an idea had fallen on her lap from the heavens themselves, like she imagined it must have gone for whoever the first person was to rub two sticks together and make fire.

"I want to host a dinner."

Evelyn didn’t look up from her ledger. Her quill kept scratching across the page with the steady rhythm of someone who’d learned to work through interruptions.

"A garden dinner," she clarified.

Evelyn nodded slowly.

"Tomorrow," Aegis continued.

The quill paused.

"Tomorrow?"

"The day after, actually. For multiple noble houses." Aegis dropped into the chair across from Evelyn’s desk, throwing one leg over the armrest. "Including some that don’t like me."

Now Evelyn looked up.

"My lady, when you say ’some that don’t like you,’ how many are we talking about?"

Aegis thought about it.

"Most of them?"

Evelyn set down her quill. She removed her glasses. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You... want to host a formal dinner party for people who actively wish you harm."

"I want to host a formal dinner party for people who think they wish me harm." Aegis grinned. "By the end of the night, they’ll be fighting over who gets to be my new best friend."

"And you believe this because...?"

"Because I’m extremely charming and also I have a plan."

"A plan."

"A great plan."

Evelyn stared at her for a long moment. Aegis could practically see her steward calculating the odds of talking her out of this versus the amount of effort it would take.

The calculation did not come out in Aegis’s favor.

"Very well." Evelyn picked up her quill again. "Guest list?"

Aegis rattled off names. House Briarcrest, who’d been cold to her at the exhibition. House Marbray, neutral but influential. House Delacroix, actively hostile ever since she’d humiliated their son at the Summer Auction. House Fenwick, House Lorent, House Baldbury.

"And House Rain," she added. "Lord Rain’s been running his mouth about commoner upstarts to anyone who’ll listen. Let’s see if he’s got the balls to say it to my face."

Evelyn’s pen scratched across paper.

"This is ambitious."

"This is necessary." Aegis leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "The Moonspire Summit showed me something. The great houses are watching. If I want to be taken seriously, I need to prove I can play host. Show them Starcaller Manor isn’t just some refurbished ruin with delusions of grandeur."

"And inviting your enemies?"

"Keeps them close. Plus, if they refuse to come, they look like cowards." Aegis smiled. "And if they do come, well. I’m very charming."

Evelyn sighed the sigh of a woman who was currently making peace with her life choices.

"I’ll arrange the catering."

"You’re the best, Evelyn."

"I’m aware."

---

Later that evening, Aegis visited Rosalie’s shop.

The alchemist was elbow-deep in some kind of purple goo when Aegis walked in. Her green hair had completely escaped its bun and there were stains on her face that suggested she’d been at this since before sunrise. The whole place smelled like someone had boiled flowers in vinegar.

"Lady Starcaller!" Rosalie straightened so fast she nearly knocked over a rack of vials. "I wasn’t expecting you!"

"Surprise inspection." Aegis picked her way through the cluttered shop, dodging a bubbling cauldron and what looked like a jar of eyeballs. "Just kidding. I need a favor."

"Of course! What kind of potion?"

Aegis glanced around. Empty except for them. Good.

"Aphrodisiacs."

Rosalie’s hands froze mid-wipe on her already-ruined apron.

"I... what?"

"Mild ones. Powerful enough to..." Aegis waved a hand vaguely. "Lower some inhibitions. Make people relax. More open to having a good time."

Rosalie’s face had gone the same color as some of her potions.

"I... yes. Technically. There’s a formula using moonpetal extract and crushed ambervine." She pushed her crooked glasses up her nose, clearly falling back on technical knowledge to cope with the awkwardness. "It actually isn’t magical. But, it creates a warming sensation, increases blood flow, heightens emotional receptivity. But why would you need—"

"I’m hosting a dinner party."

Rosalie raised a brow.

"And you want to put your guests on aphrodisiacs?"

"I want to help my guests relax and enjoy themselves." Aegis picked up a vial from the counter, examining the murky liquid inside. "That’s all."

Rosalie chewed her lip. Her eyes darted to the door like she was checking for witnesses.

"The effect would be subtle. Most people wouldn’t even notice anything. They’d just feel... good. Happy. Generous."

"Perfect."

"It’s not exactly ethical—"

"Rosalie." Aegis set down the vial and turned to face her fully. "Half the nobles coming to my party have organized at least one assassination or two. They stab each other in the back, get each other killed, and sentence each other to lives of poverty and irrelevance on a daily basis." She smiled. "On my end, all I’m doing is making sure everyone has a good time despite their worst intentions."

Rosalie hesitated.

Then she sighed.

"I’ll have it ready by tomorrow evening. How many doses?"

"Enough for thirty guests."

"Thirty?!" Rosalie’s voice cracked. "That’s... that’s a lot of moonpetal extract. Do you have any idea how expensive—"

"Bill it to the house account."

"But—"

"Rosalie." Aegis put a hand on the alchemist’s shoulder. "Trust me. This is an investment."

She left Rosalie muttering about reagent costs and profit margins and headed to her next stop.

The Musician’s Guild wasn’t going to book itself.

---

The day after tomorrow arrived.

Starcaller Manor had been transformed temporarily.

Lanterns hung from every tree in the garden, casting warm golden light across the grounds. Tables had been arranged in elegant clusters, each one draped in deep blue cloth with silver accents. Flowers decorated every surface. The scent of jasmine and honey hung thick in the summer air.

Musicians played from a raised platform near the fountain. Strings mostly, with a soft flute weaving through the melody. Nothing aggressive. Just pleasant background noise that made people want to drink more wine and talk about their feelings.

And the food. Oh, the food.

Evelyn had outdone herself. Roasted quail with herb glaze. Seared fish on beds of seasoned greens. Fruit tarts and chocolate confections and cheeses from six different regions. Each plate was a work of art. Each bite was better than the last.

The wine flowed freely. Every glass enhanced with Rosalie’s special addition.

[Let’s see them sneer at new money now.]

Aegis stood at the entrance in her finest outfit, greeting guests as they arrived with a smile that made her face hurt.

"Lord Briarcrest. Thank you for coming."

The older man grunted. His wife smiled politely. They moved past without further comment.

[Warm as a glacier. Expected.]

"Lady Marbray. You look absolutely stunning tonight."

The compliment landed exactly as intended. Lady Marbray preened, one hand touching her elaborate hairstyle like she was making sure it was still there.

"You’re too kind, Lady Starcaller. What a lovely venue."

[There we go. One down.]

"Lord and Lady Delacroix. I’m so pleased you could make it."

Lord Delacroix’s expression could have been carved from stone. His wife’s was worse. Their son, the one Aegis had publicly humiliated, was notably absent.

Smart.

"Lord Rain."

The man who’d been calling her an upstart to anyone with ears stood before her. Grey-haired, broad-shouldered, with a permanent scowl carved into his face like someone had chiseled it there. He looked at Aegis the way you’d look at something unpleasant stuck to your shoe.

"Lady Starcaller."

The words came out like he’d gargled with vinegar first.

"Please, enjoy yourself." Aegis gestured toward the gardens with her most gracious smile. "The wine is excellent."

He moved past without another word, practically radiating contempt.

[Charming fellow. Can’t wait to ruin his evening.]

The guests mingled. The wine disappeared. The music played.

And slowly, something shifted.

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the warm summer air and the beautiful setting. Maybe it was the genuinely excellent food and the fact that Evelyn had somehow made the gardens look like they belonged in a fairy tale.

Or maybe it was Rosalie’s aphrodisiac doing exactly what it was supposed to do.

Either way, the tension started to drain.

Lord Briarcrest was laughing at something Lord Fenwick said. Actually laughing, not the polite chuckle nobles used when they wanted to be somewhere else. Lady Marbray had cornered Evelyn by the dessert table and was asking enthusiastic questions about the manor’s renovation. Even the Delacroixs seemed to be thawing, their stiff postures softening as they worked their way through a second bottle of wine.

Aegis worked the crowd like it owed her money.

She complimented Lady Baldbury’s necklace and learned it had been in her family for six generations. She discussed shipping routes with Lord Lorent and discovered they shared opinions about efficiency and cost-cutting. She listened to Lord Rain complain about taxation policies for fifteen straight minutes, nodding in all the right places and making sympathetic noises.

She moved from group to group, never staying too long, always leaving them wanting more. A joke here. A thoughtful question there. A touch on the arm that lingered just slightly longer than strictly proper.

By the time the main course arrived, half the guests were looking at her differently.

Not with suspicion. Not with disdain.

With interest.

[Now we’re getting somewhere.]

She spotted a new target near the fountain.

Lady Rain stood with her daughter, both of them holding wine glasses and looking vaguely uncomfortable. The daughter was maybe nineteen, with auburn hair pinned up in some complicated noble style and a green dress that hugged her tits and ass in ways that suggested either an excellent tailor or divine intervention.

Pretty. Very pretty.

Aegis approached.

"Lady Rain. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your daughter."

The lady’s smile went thin enough to cut paper.

"This is Corinne. Corinne, this is Lady Starcaller. Our... host."

The pause before "host" was deliberate. Dismissive. The verbal equivalent of a sniff.

[Charming woman too, huh. I can see where her husband gets it.]

"A pleasure to meet you, Corinne."

Aegis extended her hand. Corinne took it, her grip soft and hesitant, and Aegis brought it to her lips for a brief kiss. Proper. Traditional. Exactly what any noble would do.

Then she winked.

Quick. Subtle. Easy to miss if you weren’t looking.

Corinne’s cheeks flushed pink.

"The pleasure is mine, Lady Starcaller."

Lady Rain’s expression curdled like milk left in the sun.

"Come, Corinne. Your father wants to introduce you to Lord Fenwick’s son."

She grabbed her daughter’s arm and steered her away, shooting Aegis a look that could have stripped paint.

[Oops. Seems I’ve made a friend.]

Aegis watched them go, sipping her wine.

Corinne glanced back over her shoulder.

Their eyes met.

Aegis smiled.

Corinne’s blush deepened.

[Oh, this is going to be good.]

---

The party wound down around midnight.

Guests departed in waves, most of them notably warmer than when they’d arrived. Lord Briarcrest actually shook Aegis’s hand. Lady Marbray kissed both her cheeks. Even Lord Rain managed a grudging nod, though his wife still looked like she’d swallowed a lemon whole.

The servants began cleaning up. Evelyn kept supervising them till the end.

So, with everything coming to a close, Aegis retreated to her bedroom.

But, she wasn’t alone.

Corinne Rain had found her during the after-dinner mingling. A whispered conversation near the hedge maze had led to an invitation to see the "private gardens" and that led to a detour that somehow ended up nowhere near any gardens at all. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Now she was bent over the edge of Aegis’s bed, with that expensive, elaborate dress hiked up around her waist, and her face shoved into the sheets to muffle the sounds she was making.

Aegis gripped her hips and thrust forward.

"Oh gods, yes—"

Corinne’s voice came out strangled and desperate. Her fingers clawed at the bedding like she was trying to tear it apart.

[When nobles talk about networking, I don’t think this is what they mean. But, hey, it’s fun.]

"Harder," Corinne gasped. "Please, harder—"

Aegis obliged.

The bed frame creaked. Corinne’s moans grew louder, the sheets doing less and less to muffle them. Her pussy clenched around Aegis’s cock with every thrust.

"Your mother’s going to kill you if she finds out," Aegis said, not slowing down.

"Don’t care— don’t stop—"

[Fair enough.]

Aegis leaned forward, pressing her tits against Corinne’s back, mouth finding the noble girl’s ear.

"What would she say if she knew you were getting fucked by the commoner upstart?"

Corinne shuddered so hard Aegis felt it in her bones.

"She’d be— ah— she’d be furious—"

"Does that turn you on?"

"Yes— gods, yes—"

Aegis grabbed a fistful of auburn hair and pulled, arching Corinne’s back, forcing her head up from the sheets. No more muffling. Every moan, every gasp, every desperate whimper filled the room.

"I’m close," Corinne panted. "I’m so close, please—"

"Then cum for me."

Corinne came apart.

Her whole body seized. Her pussy clamped down hard enough to almost hurt. A cry tore out of her throat as she shook through it, legs trembling, fingers white-knuckled in the sheets.

Aegis buried herself deep and followed, spilling inside Lord Rain’s precious daughter with a satisfied groan.

[Contacts made. Relationships built. Enemies softened.]

She grinned against Corinne’s shoulder, still balls-deep in the man’s firstborn.

[Not bad for a commoner upstart. But, still, this is nothing compared to the actual prize.]

Five days remained until the engagement.