France's salon culture began with nobles gathering for social occasions. Different in nature from formal banquets, these intimate noble meetings caught on like wildfire, spreading across every age and sex.
The ladies' gatherings, where they discussed sweet love stories and jewelry, were easy to imagine as more graceful and refined than the men's, but Hilda detested them, insisting there was just as much vicious politics inside.
Any noblewoman who stood out at all could expect to become the subject of gossip. That was exactly why Hilda hated attending those gatherings—because she herself had been a target of it.
So when she came to Feuzen, she looked happier than anyone else in the world.
The noblemen's gatherings, on the other hand, were largely devoted to bragging about war exploits and indulging in lewd behavior. Nobles routinely called for prostitutes at these meetings and shared a fondness for liquor and gambling, giving in to some rather degenerate tastes.
