TFYLOTBF CHAPTER 10

“If you wish, I could introduce my older brother to you, my lady.”

Grace spoke in a deliberately gentle tone.

Not far away, I spotted an ordinary-looking man with brown hair similar to hers.

“My cousin is currently serving the Duke of the North, managing his estates, and my mother once even received a book of etiquette personally from Her Majesty the Empress.”

“And your brother?”

“…Pardon?”

Grace blinked wide-eyed at my question, caught off guard while reciting the glories of her family.

“I meant your brother, Grace. Not your cousin, not your mother. You said you were introducing your brother to me, didn’t you?”

“Ah… my brother is…”

Her eyes rolled awkwardly before she continued.

“He’s about to sit for the exam to become a knight.”

“So he doesn’t have a title yet.”

“W-Well, not officially! But it’s practically guaranteed! My cousin promised that—”

“Will your cousin be the one bestowing the title?”

“No, but… he said he’d pull some strings to get my brother into the knighthood.”

“I see.”

As I lowered my gaze and nodded, Grace flusteredly added,

“And our grandfather in the capital will also help my brother—”

I gently slipped my arm free of hers and smiled faintly.

“I appreciate the thought, but no thank you.”

“…What?”

Her bewildered expression deepened as I shook my head kindly.

“Your brother must be quite an impressive man of great standing.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

The others were looking at me as if they didn’t understand a word.

I took a deep breath.

Catering to these people’s vanity was easy. After all, the only one they truly despised was Eric. All I had to do was smile at their words and agree, and they’d happily hail me as a ‘true noblewoman.’

But still…

“I must confess—I’m a bit of a materialist.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Actually, very much so.”

My soft smile left them stunned.

I toyed with the ruby necklace Eric had “loaned” me and continued.

“Honestly, how many noblemen who’ve known a lady for only a day or two would give her such a beautiful necklace and an extravagant gown? Even if one becomes a knight, the salary would only buy mass-produced trinkets at best.”

“M-My lady…”

Seeing Grace falter, I forced the corners of my lips into a bright smile.

“Your brother may take years to secure a title he was practically born into, but Eric? He’s built a merchant guild from nothing to rival nobility in no time.”

“……”

“Isn’t it obvious whose side would grant me more? The answer is clear.”

“H-Heavens—”

“A man who can buy me exquisite seafood dishes at fine restaurants every day—that’s the kind of partner I want. I doubt Grace’s brother could manage that, don’t you think?”

Grace’s mouth hung open, and beside her, Emily scowled.

“How could you think in such a vulgar way!”

Her voice rang with scorn. The same people who’d been full of goodwill toward me moments ago now glared with sharp disdain.

‘Not that it bothers me.’

Back when I was Rebecca, I’d endured far worse gazes and far harsher treatment.

An ant’s bite would sting more than this.

“My lady.”

Just then, a gentle voice cut through the crowd.

Eric walked forward, grasped my hand, and pressed a soft kiss upon it.

“Forgive me for keeping you waiting. May I have the honor of this dance?”

At that moment, a familiar melody filled the ballroom—the waltz Isabella had loved.

I silently nodded, granting my consent. Eric led me smoothly to the center of the floor.

And there, more gracefully than any nobleman present, he guided me into the dance.

No matter how skillfully one’s partner led, it was difficult to follow a dance perfectly with nothing but memory and instinct.

I focused all my nerves down to my toes when I heard a chuckle above my head.

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to laugh…”

Eric’s shoulders shook as he turned his head.

“You overheard that conversation earlier, didn’t you?”

“I never expected you to so boldly call yourself a materialist, my lady.”

Still amused, he added,

“And yet, not long ago, you refused my gifts, saying they were too much for you.”

“They were burdensome, yes, but not because I disliked them. I do like fine restaurants, and expensive dresses, and pretty jewelry.”

I had only refused because I possessed nothing of my own to offer in return.

“I’m relieved, then. I feared my excessive gestures had left a poor impression.”

“Not quite that. It was just…”

The sudden flood of fortune had been too much for me to bear.

To wear dresses I never dreamed of, to step into a ballroom I never thought to enter, to dance hand in hand with a man I never expected to meet—it was like living someone else’s life.

Eric’s voice pulled me back.

“Still, those young ladies were not entirely wrong. I gave you gifts in hopes of your favor, and I avoided speaking of my past.”

“I don’t care who your parents were. What matters is the man in front of me now.”

“…And what sort of man am I, in your eyes?”

“A remarkable one.”

Whatever quarrels he had with his adoptive family, that was all hearsay.

But the fact that he had raised a humble trading company to the point where nobles whispered his name—that was undeniable.

And judging by how quickly those same nobles rushed to reveal his origins when we entered the hall, it wasn’t hard to guess how he had been treated all along.

In that instant, I suddenly remembered the priest who had looked down at me with disdain, scolding the novice knight for bringing “someone like me” into the temple.

The man holding my hand had endured such contempt and scorn daily from countless people, and yet still worked diligently to grow what was his.

He had never run away.

“You’re remarkable, Eric. Of course, your abilities are extraordinary, too.”

If I had even a fraction of his skill, Isabella’s revenge would be so much easier.

A pang of envy struck me.

Meeting his eyes, I continued,

“That’s why you must understand my caution toward your generosity. You’re capable of things beyond my imagination. I’m afraid of falling into a debt so immense I could never repay it.”

Eric’s steps pressed lightly into the rhythm as he asked quietly,

“But did you not just call yourself a materialist? Shouldn’t you delight in the favors I show you?”

“As I said before, it’s because I have nothing with which to repay them.”

As he spun me gently back into his arms, his handsome face came into view.

To me—who had never experienced such a moment—it felt like a dream.

Wearing a beautiful gown, basking in the envy of the crowd, dancing with a capable, handsome man—all of it felt unreal.

My heart tickled in my chest. The warmth of his touch at my fingertips stirred something inside me.

“The song is about to end. Don’t you find that a pity?”

His low voice brushed against my ear.

I could see the musicians flipping their sheets, preparing for the next piece, and the curious glances of the other dancers.

I relaxed my grip on his hand.

“Not really. One dance is enough.”

It had been a sweet moment, like a dream.

Dancing to music with someone, savoring a sweet treat afterward—things I had never once experienced in my life.

Perhaps one more dance wouldn’t matter.

‘But no. This is enough.’

To lose myself too much in this fleeting moment would be dangerous.

There was something far more important to me than all this: fulfilling Isabella’s last wish, surviving, and returning.

As I slowed, intent on ending the dance, Eric spoke again.

“This may be a rude question, but… have you perhaps suffered misfortune after accepting someone’s kindness in the past?”

I looked up. Concern shadowed his eyes.

“No.”

I shook my head firmly.

“On the contrary.”

His expression flickered with surprise.

“I once received a kindness so pure and immense that I could never repay it. A kindness far too great.”

It was back when I had no beauty, no title—when I was nothing more than a filthy, wretched girl from the slums, despised simply for being seen.

Isabella’s kindness was the first and only one “Rebecca” ever received.

Like a miracle, it flowed into my life, softening my parched, shriveled heart.

It became the single ray of light in a life full of despair.