Life Without Worry [Claudia, Calliope] [Duvalier Gala]

Ah, wasn't this lovely? Everything she'd planned was now in place, every purchase made and all of the necessary research finished. Now...it was simply a matter of waiting, and Claudia was nothing if not a patient woman. Stepping into the luxurious ballroom of the Castello Aragonese, her castle on the sea, the Queen of Carrington gazed around at those guests who had already come to her charity gala. Such an outstanding social event, intended for the well-being of others, would surely bring forward any number of important individuals from across the realms. After all, who could imagine refusing to help such a charitable cause?

Ah, but things had just begun, and many of the guests were still arriving for their stay. Accommodations were nothing short of exquisite, after all, and between adjusting to such high society and working with security, she was not surprised to see that only a few guests had already begun to socialize.

"Bonjour à tous! I hope everyone is enjoying themselves. Please, make the most of these four days here at my home."

Ingratiating oneself with others was simply a matter of making yourself necessary, to be certain, but Claudia had long since mastered the art of making herself well-liked, as well.

Of course, Claudia knew quite well who this was. The goings on in the City of Lights were always something she was very aware of for business reasons, and on account of the role the Albedochiffren played in their arrangement, she had already familiarized herself with the change in leadership. Frankly, it was all the same to her either way.

"Ah, a pleasure, Ms. Schwarzmann. I'm quite pleased to finally meet you, given the importance of our working relationship. The Castello is certainly a lovely place, so I'm more than honored that the Italian government has let me make it into a home. It was in rather poor state before I came, so I suppose it's a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Not that Claudia really cared about that, nor was it even especially true. Italy was, by and large, squarely in her pocket, and it had taken little more than a formal request for purchase to get this place into her ownership. She did like it, though especially seeing as her old home in Vastime was gone. At least the handful of items she had some fondness for had been secured.

"I hope everything here proves to your liking. I have quite a bit planned for these four days, and I would hate to disappoint anyone who's been so generous as to give to this cause."

It was a charity gala, after all, and Claudia was all too willing to reinforce that fact. It didn't bother her that she was seeing not a penny from this; on the contrary, she was donating no small amount of her own money on top of everything they raised here. It made her look that much more above ground, reinforced her image further.

Claudia couldn't help but feel as though she were being needled, tested in this little conversation, though perhaps it was just new blood out of its league. Regardless, she took it all effortlessly in stride, always maintaining the air of the courteous philanthropist. It was, after all, an image she had cultivated for years.

"I wouldn't ever think to do anything else. It's one thing to give my own money to the cause, and of course I have every intention of continuing to support relief efforts for as long as necessary. But raising awareness of the issue, and bringing others into the matter to help as well, is a far better use of my time than simply signing checks."

Of course it was. Socializing, ingratiating herself with others, was the greatest strength Claudia had ever cultivated as a businesswoman. It was the only reason the Duvalier Group had become everything that it was.

"We did lose holdings, yes, though I suppose some would say it's fortunate that I had already begun relocating much of my work here to Italy. 'Fortunate,' though, hardly feels fitting for anything surrounding what's happened."

"Ah, how very true. People do always seem to think it's a good idea to play the hero, don't they? I prefer leaving things in the hands of those I can trust to be ethical and reliable."

That much was true. Not because Claudia actually agreed with the ethics one way or another, of course, for ethics were all arbitrary to someone like her. No, it was simply easier to handle people who thought they were doing the right thing. Then again, Claudia had worked with the Vandenreich enough by now to know not all of them were quite so...altruistic.

"Do let me know what the Duvalier Group can supply, of course. No expense is too great when it comes to such a tragedy."

If she were a woman capable of such empathy, Claudia might have found Calliope something of a kindred spirit in how she carried herself. Words so well-crafted that a less aware person would simply take them as earnest, but Claudia had no faith in anyone but those firmly under her heel. Even then, 'fatih' was nothing more than the assumption a tool would do its job for a reasonable period of time.

"Think nothing of it. This is an event meant only to provide help to the world, by whatever means I am able. I wouldn't wish to delay any further assistance just for the sake of politeness, would you?"

The air of a philanthropist was one Claudia put on quite well, given her true feelings on everyone she helped. Of course, that was from years of practice, long stretches of selfless acts and generosity meant to create an unbreakable facade. One could perhaps even make the case that Claudia's public face was just as real a person as her true self, a different woman entirely who reared her head only when the malicious side of her discerned that it would be imprudent to show herself.