NRAL | Chapter 24

~Chapter 24~

Words Must Be Said Properly

The black hair I saw that night, the cold, emotionless face that was as beautiful as a sculpture, and the fiery red eyes that shone like the sun captured everyone’s attention.

It was really Duke Royster.

He rarely attended royal banquets, yet here he was, responding to a sudden and playful dinner party invitation from a young noblewoman.

A sharp and oppressive presence filled the room, overwhelming the nobles. He was that kind of figure. His large frame, hardened from fighting monsters, seemed to swallow the air, and his cold, fierce gaze dominated the space.

No one dared to speak, until Kiara, the host of the party, finally realized her role and quickly stood up.

“Your Grace, what brings you here…?”

“I recall receiving an invitation. Did I come to a place I wasn’t invited to?”

His deep, resonant voice was so icy that one might believe he was here for a duel rather than a party. Instinctive fear washed over Kiara, making her face go pale.

“N-no, of course not. I just didn’t receive any reply from you, so I was a bit surprised.”

She forced a friendly smile, but inside, she was panicking.

Having Duke Royster attend her party was a good thing—his presence would greatly elevate her social standing, as it was rare for him to attend even royal invitations. But the problem was that he had come to a party where the crown prince was also present.

How could she have invited both of them to the same event? If the crown prince became angry and refused to attend any of her future parties, she would be in big trouble. It would be a relief if that’s all that happened.

In hindsight, she regretted sending Duke Royster an invitation. She had foolishly thought he wouldn’t come.

As expected, Arlo’s face was twisted with anger, beyond description. Everyone was too busy watching him, so no one dared to greet the Duke or say anything to him.

“You didn’t give me enough time to send a reply, so I skipped that part. If that’s enough of an explanation, I’d like to be shown to my seat now.”

“Of course, Your Grace. Please, have a seat over there. We were just about to start the meal. Haha…”

Even Duke Royster, who seemed like he wouldn’t flinch even if pricked by a needle, hesitated for a moment when he saw where Kiara pointed.

More precisely, he froze when he made eye contact with Eleanor, who was sitting beside the empty seat. His usually composed face twisted into an uncomfortable expression.

Eleanor felt the same way.

She had anticipated the changing attitudes of her friends, Nora’s possible appearance, and even the encounter with her stolen belongings. But she had never expected his arrival.

“Don’t worry, it will be explained that Fletcher Beck was overly drunk and simply missed his step,” She recalled the man who had appeared in a raven-like mask at the most critical moment, saving her.

She also remembered how she had fled without properly thanking him.

Feelings of guilt for having repaid his kindness with rudeness and suspicion about his unknown motives churned within her.

Eleanor watched him silently, pressing her lips together. Though her emotions were complicated, her face remained calm. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, but not enough to be noticeable.

“Your Grace? Is something the matter?” Kiara asked, addressing the suddenly still Karsian.

‘Did he just notice the crown prince? It would be great if he had the sense to leave now,’ she thought, hoping for the best.

But Karsian shook his head.

“…No.”

In his deep voice, he replied and walked over to sit beside Eleanor.

His gaze then shifted to Arlo and Nora, who were seated across from him, his narrow eyes narrowing further. He seemed puzzled as to why Arlo wasn’t sitting next to Eleanor. But no one in the room had the courage to explain the situation to him.

“Shall we begin the meal now? We’ve prepared a special Royster-raised veal steak as the main course, so please enjoy it,” Kiara announced.

Tense silence filled the air as the dinner party resumed.

Plates of fine food and fragrant wine were placed on the table. But the guests were too focused on the situation to even notice what they were eating.

In this kind of atmosphere, it was the host’s job to ease the tension. However, Kiara looked half out of her mind with worry over the possible consequences.

Sighing softly, Viscount Cunningham decided to make the first move.

“Lady Nora, you take such small bites. Is that the secret to your slim figure?”

Perhaps, like earlier, praising the new fiancée would improve Arlo’s mood, he thought. Others seemed to agree, feeling that his decision to steer the conversation towards Nora was a wise one.

“Yes, how does Nora even make eating look so cute?”

“Cute? Vanessa, you’re so beautiful yourself. You must be teasing me.”

“No way! I really mean it. Isn’t she adorable, everyone?”

Following Vanessa’s lead, the others chimed in with compliments. It was the polite thing to do at a social gathering when someone was being praised.

But despite understanding the social etiquette, Eleanor remained silent, focused only on her meal.

‘How rude!’ Vanessa thought, fuming. She wanted to call out Eleanor’s behavior immediately, but Duke Karsian was there, making her hesitate. He, too, was silently sitting beside Eleanor.

For some reason, Karsian had his eyebrows furrowed, staring intently at Nora.

Was he captivated by Nora’s beauty? Whatever the reason, his actions were rude.

But even though he was acting discourteously, no one could dare to criticize a duke. Especially not Vanessa, who could only sit there fuming quietly.

Then, someone spoke to Karsian.

“Your Grace, it seems like you’re not eating much either.”

The Crown Prince’s new fiancée and the one who would become the real Eleanor Astria—no one expected Nora to be the one to speak to Karsian first. Even Arlo’s brow furrowed deeply, clearly confused.

Whether she was aware of this or not, Nora giggled sweetly, looking straight at Karsian.

‘Hmph, distracted by my looks,’ she thought, secretly mocking Duke Royster.

Whether it was a prince or a duke, men were all the same. How laughable it was to once think that nobles seemed godlike when she was a child.

“Oh my, your eye color is so unique. They’re like expensive, beautiful rubies.”

No man dislikes compliments, especially when they come from a cute, pretty girl with a bright smile to go along with it. Compliments like that always doubled their effect.

This was a truth Nora had learned over her lifetime. She was certain it would never fail, as long as she didn’t grow old or fat.

“…I believe this is the first time we’ve met.”

But Karsian’s reaction left Nora completely stunned.

“That was extremely rude. Even an uneducated servant knows better than to comment on someone’s appearance before introducing themselves.”

She was so shocked that her carefully maintained mask almost cracked. Her pale cheeks flushed red, and her breath grew hot.

To make matters worse, he had mentioned servants, triggering her sense of shame.

Most of the nobles present knew that Nora had once been Eleanor’s maid. They could all be laughing at her on the inside right now.

“That’s your rudeness, Duke!”

Arlo burst out angrily. It was only natural. He hated the fact that Nora had grown up as a maid more than anyone else.

Whether Karsian had meant his comment or not, Arlo assumed that the duke had insulted him on purpose.

“How dare you refer to my fiancée as ‘servant’! You should be the one greeting her first, Duke.”

“…Fiancée?”

Karsian repeated the word, his eyebrows furrowing in disbelief, as if asking, What nonsense is this?

“It’s fine, Your Highness. The Duke didn’t know, so don’t be angry,” Nora said, regaining her composure and putting on a gentle, forgiving face. Arlo’s outburst had given her the time she needed to calm herself.

“Nora, you’re too soft.”

“Your Grace, I’m Nora. Nora Astria. Please take care of me,” she said sweetly, patting Arlo’s hand and smiling brightly. Karsian’s red eyes flickered with something intense.

A new fiancée, a new Astria lady, and Eleanor, sitting alone as if she had given up on everything.

One clue after another began to fall into place, revealing a truth that was hard to believe—a truth that made no sense at all.

“This is something to be angry about, Nora. Insulting you is the same as insulting me.”

“Your Highness, please, for my sake. I don’t want to ruin the mood.”

The scene was unbearable to watch. Eleanor, feeling nauseous, quickly drank some water.

When she glanced to her side, she saw Karsian, his expression frozen. His sharp jaw was clenched, and the veins on his temple were bulging. Clearly, Arlo and Nora’s behavior was getting under his skin, creating an ominous atmosphere around him.

Why did Nora have to speak to the Duke in the first place? Eleanor thought, clicking her tongue inwardly.

“Ahem, excuse me for a moment,” Viscount Cunningham said as he carefully left the dining room, clearly uncomfortable with the couple’s whispers. It seemed he needed to use the restroom.

Seizing the opportunity, Eleanor put her glass down.

“Kiara, thank you for inviting me, but I don’t think this is a place I belong. I’ll take my leave now.”

She stood up and grabbed her hat from the stand.

She briefly wondered whether she should say goodbye to Duke Royster, who had come without knowing anything. But in the end, she decided it wouldn’t do either of them any good to talk right now.

“And, Nora.”

Just before leaving the dining room, Eleanor stood by the hat stand and suddenly took off her shawl. As the beige shawl fell away, a black ribbon tied around her waist was revealed.

With a mocking smile, she tapped the hat hanging on the stand with her finger.

“No matter how much you dislike something, you should call it what it is.”

The hat, decorated with a ribbon that closely resembled the one tied around Eleanor’s waist, was the one Nora had worn.

“When you take something, it’s called stealing, not receiving a gift,” she said, her voice cool.

Just like you stole my name.

Without waiting for a response, she walked out.

Bang! The door closed behind her, leaving only the sound of her fading footsteps echoing in the silence of the dining room.

“Uh, I-I need to excuse myself as well. I’m just going to the restroom,” Darcy Wickens said, finally breaking her silence and rushing out. Whether she went to the restroom or somewhere else, no one really cared, but it snapped Kiara back to her senses.

This was her chance to shift attention.

With a scoff, Kiara spoke up.

“Hah! Leaving before the meal is even finished—how rude!”

“And accusing someone of stealing! What a false claim! She’s clearly out of her mind with jealousy,” Vanessa added, though she felt a slight doubt. The ribbon on Eleanor’s waist and the one on Nora’s hat had looked suspiciously similar, almost as if they had been made as a matching set.

There’s no way Ellie would have given Nora a gift, Vanessa thought.

She briefly considered the possibility, but quickly dismissed it and continued to join in the criticism of Eleanor. Other nobles, who had once tried hard to be close to Eleanor, also chimed in, not wanting to be left out.

Nora fidgeted with her fingers, as if she found the conversation uncomfortable, but she didn’t make any attempt to stop it. Of course, she wouldn’t—this was the topic she had been waiting for.

Meanwhile, Arlo was replaying the sight of Eleanor walking away in his mind.

Was it because she had once been his fiancée? Or because he remembered her apologizing to him just a few days ago? His heart felt heavy. But with Nora by his side, he couldn’t show it.

Since the two most important people at the party—Arlo and Nora—were quietly listening to the gossip, the nobles took it as approval and continued their insults.

“Does she still think she’s a noble, graceful lady? She’s just a beggar pretending to be a young noblewoman.”

“Exactly! Did you see her clothes and accessories? So tacky. She claims those earrings belonged to the late Empress, but how do we know they’re not fake? She’s a fake herself!”

Bang!

Suddenly, a deafening crash echoed through the room. The sound of dishes clattering and breaking followed immediately after.

Startled, the nobles widened their eyes and turned toward the source of the noise.

It was coming from the seat right next to where Eleanor had been sitting just moments before.