NRAL | Chapter 46

~Chapter 46~

The Beautiful Fake Princess

The servant who shouted to announce the entrance suddenly had a look of realization. He had unintentionally called out “Eleanor” instead of “Ellie” because Hilda had been repeatedly calling “Lady Eleanor, Lady Eleanor” outside the door. He knew he would receive a harsh punishment after the ball for this mistake.

As the guests, who had been focused on Nora and Kiara’s argument, naturally shifted their attention toward the stairs, the timing of the announcement couldn’t have been more perfect. Everyone, without exception, watched the appearance of the fake princess.

The massive doors opened, and a slender woman walked out alone, without a partner. When she finally appeared at the top of the stairs, a profound silence filled the Violet Hall.

With a blank expression, Eleanor looked down at the ballroom, her presence delicate but undeniably powerful and royal, much like an emperor.

It wasn’t just her presence that took everyone’s breath away. As she descended the stairs at a calm pace, her appearance was so stunning that no one could believe she was truly Eleanor Astria.

Her platinum-blonde hair was loosely tied in the middle, the natural curls of the back of her head falling like moonlight to cover her pale skin, swaying gently. Her perfectly curled eyelashes, delicate nose, and rose-colored lips had not changed, but with a light touch of makeup, she appeared even more beautiful.

Among the many shocks, what stunned Nora the most was Eleanor’s dress.

The dress, perfectly fitted at the chest and waist with a chiffon material layered in the skirt, was a dazzling golden color. The design was simple, without ribbons or jewels, but the color alone was enough to draw everyone’s attention.

Especially striking was the long neckline, round shoulders, and straight arms, all fully exposed. Despite the revealing nature of the dress, Eleanor wore no accessories like necklaces or bracelets, which made her look elegant rather than vulgar.

“Lady Ellie, was she always this beautiful?”

“I knew she had a pretty face, but I never imagined such beauty hidden beneath an old-fashioned dress.”

“Compared to her, Lady Nora looks like a child trying to act like an adult.”

The noble guests, who had been singing Nora’s praises just moments ago, were now buzzing with admiration for Eleanor, the woman who had appeared out of nowhere, stunning everyone.

The men began to approach the stairs to speak to Eleanor, while those who couldn’t due to their partners simply stared in awe at her from head to toe.

Even Nora’s perfect partner was no exception.

“Ellie…”

He couldn’t just stare at her but also murmured her nickname, which made his actions even worse.

“This is impossible…!” Nora thought, her face pale with shock.

She had clearly seen Eleanor’s white dress torn earlier. So why was she now wearing a completely different dress?

Could it be?

A horrifying thought crossed her mind, and she clenched her teeth in panic. She glared at Eleanor with pressure in her eyes, and their gazes met in the air.

When Eleanor saw Nora, she smiled brightly. The look of Nora, as if she wanted to kill her, somehow pleased her.

Just seeing that smile made everything she had put Lady Corcos through for two weeks worth it.

Eleanor softly whispered, her cheeks flushed pink.

“Yes, just like you think.”

Yes, from the beginning, there were two dresses.

Eleanor had specifically asked Lady Corcos for this.

“Lady Eleanor, just to confirm, you need two dresses, right? You want them delivered at different times?”

“Yes, madam. One should be simple enough to meet the occasion. No need for expensive decorations like jewels or lace.”

“Will this fabric work for the simpler dress?”

“Yes, that’s perfect. Please make it as white as possible.”

The debutante dress had to be something Nora couldn’t stand unless she tore it apart.

Eleanor had given these instructions to Lady Corcos, and the dress was delivered just as planned.

The day before the debutante, the white dress was delivered first, and the second one, for the ball, arrived just before it began.

Now, the results of all those instructions were in front of Nora.

Nora trembled as she tried to hold herself together.

She desperately wished all of this was just a nightmare, that if she closed her eyes and opened them again, it would all be over. Unfortunately, her prayers were not answered.

Eleanor, in her golden dress, had such a powerful presence that no one could ignore her. Nora’s partner, in a daze, couldn’t take his eyes off his former fiancée.

Instinctively, Nora clung tightly to Arlo’s arm. She feared he would lose his composure and approach Eleanor, just like the other men.

Despite her efforts, Eleanor walked straight toward Nora and Arlo. Realizing where she was heading, the nobles quickly parted to clear her path, and there was nothing blocking her way.

The sound of her orderly footsteps grew louder, and with each step, Nora’s face became more pale.

When Eleanor was close enough, Kiara, noticing that Arlo seemed distracted, seized the opportunity.

“Lady Ellie! Is it true that you stole the necklace that Timothy sent to Nora and gave it to her, pretending it was a gift from you?”

The nobles were shocked by Kiara’s rude question, especially since it was delivered without any greeting. However, the issue that had been momentarily forgotten due to Eleanor’s beauty was now being raised again, just as Eleanor had intended.

Eleanor tilted her head as if she didn’t understand.

“The necklace?”

“Yes! The ruby necklace that Nora is wearing right here, on her chest.”

Kiara subtly criticized Nora’s tackiness, and several noblewomen, who had been thinking the same, secretly laughed.

“I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“That’s a lie!”

Nora shouted, almost screaming.

“It’s a lie! You’re lying to put me in trouble! Ellie, I know you don’t like me, but how could you do something like this?”

It was the same accusation she had made earlier, with a voice that seemed like it might tear at her throat. The nobles frowned at the noise. At first, it was interesting, but after hearing it several times, they were starting to get tired of it.

Noticing the reactions around her, Eleanor gently patted Nora’s shoulder, as if comforting a child.

“It seems like something big has happened, but Nora, this is a party, isn’t it? If you don’t want to be rude to the guests, maybe it would be better to leave the arguing for later. If you need to apologize, you should do it now.”

“Why should I apologize? You should! This is all your doing!”

Thud! Nora roughly slapped Eleanor’s hand away. This familiar action, stemming from her usual behavior, shocked the nobles who valued decorum and gentleness.

Regardless of who was truly at fault, acting in such an undignified way was always the most disgraceful behavior.

“Oh dear…” someone murmured, shaking their head in disapproval. Others clicked their tongues, showing their displeasure. Even those who had been on Nora’s side reacted similarly.

Soon, a cold silence swept through the ballroom, and Nora realized that the situation had turned very wrong. But there was no way to fix it now.

“I… I’m upset. It hurts my heart to think that you purposely ruined my party with such schemes…” She desperately lowered her voice, trying to garner sympathy from the crowd.

Eleanor sighed deeply and gave her a look as if seeing the troublemaker in the family, then spoke.

“Huh… If you really insist, fine. Do you have any proof?”

“What?”

“Do you have any evidence that I stole your letter and gave it as a gift? If what you’re saying is true, then surely one of the servants must have seen me giving it to you.”

There was no way there would be any proof.

If there were evidence, it would have to come from Eleanor’s side—proof that she had broken into her room, torn up the dress, and stolen jewelry.

“That’s… if we investigate…!”

“There won’t be, obviously. You hated talking to me. The servants can testify that we haven’t met alone recently. Yet, you, who never wanted to talk to me, are now wearing the necklace I supposedly gave you?”

Eleanor shook her head wearily.

“Nora, when are you going to stop lying about getting a gift from me after doing all these terrible things?”

Her eyes briefly flickered to someone among the crowd, and that person unconsciously muttered.

“Wait, does that mean the hat from before…?”

The person who spoke was Vanessa, the beautiful, curly-haired daughter of Count Patel. She suddenly remembered the matching hat Nora had worn at Kiara’s dinner party, which was exactly like the one Eleanor had worn as an accessory. The thought crossed her mind without her meaning to, and she blurted it out.

As the eyes of the crowd turned toward her, Vanessa hurriedly shut her mouth, but by then, it was already too late for her words to go unnoticed.

“Could it be that she did this before?” people whispered to themselves.

Since it came from “angelic” Vanessa, everyone naturally began to think this way.

Among the glances exchanged, Nora felt utterly isolated.

Should she confess the truth? Should she admit that she had borrowed the necklace from Eleanor, and that Eleanor had intentionally set this situation up?

No, she couldn’t. If she did that, it would reveal that she had repeatedly stolen from her.

Or should she continue to deny everything? Claim that she had no idea, and that Eleanor secretly gave her the gift?

But the accusing glares from the people around her made it impossible for her to speak. Her heart raced, and her vision blurred.

Kiara, Vanessa, and the men who had been looking her over—they were no longer on her side.

The only person left to help her was…

Nora looked up at Arlo. He was the only one who could save her from this situation.

But the Arlo who had whispered sweet words in bed and gently touched her soft skin was now standing there, staring only at Eleanor, as if the world consisted of only him and Eleanor. He made no move to help her in her moment of need.