Chapter 10

The murmur in the banquet hall ceased in an instant.

People stopped their conversations mid-sentence.

It was as if time itself had frozen inside the hall.

Through the open door, two figures slowly made their entrance.

“Oh my…!”

A small gasp echoed through the hall. People stared wide-eyed, seemingly sharing in the awe.

It was rare for Laila to attend a banquet, but as a noblewoman, she made a formal appearance once or twice a year. The nobles remembered her from those occasions.

Unlike the slender noble ladies, she was short and overweight, always cold and standoffish, and only ever gave curt, one-word replies when spoken to.

That was the image of Laila that remained in the nobles’ memories.

Not a favorable impression. People whispered that the Duke had spoiled his daughter too much.

But the young lady now entering the hall was a world apart from the Laila they remembered.

Had it not been for the resemblance in facial features, many would have failed to recognize her.

Her dazzling green eyes sparkled even more in the warm afternoon sunlight. Her silver hair, braided up elegantly, looked like something from a fairytale. Her slender, porcelain arms and neck were radiant. The chubby, stubby Duke’s daughter was nowhere to be seen.

As her angelic face brightened with a sweet smile, everyone couldn’t help but gasp.

She was truly a beautiful young lady.

Beside her was none other than Lord Edwin, holding her hand and gazing at her with warm, tender eyes—as if she were the most precious thing in the world. His radiant silver hair and deep blue eyes made him look like a prince from a dream. All the young ladies who secretly admired Edwin desperately wished—just once—to hold his hand like Laila did.

Watching this, Lupe bit the inside of her cheek hard.

‘This… this isn’t right.’

Her entourage murmured beside her.

“Is… is that really the young lady?”

“She’s completely changed…!”

“Unbelievable…!”

“….”

“She’s beautiful.”

Hearing someone whisper that last part made Lupe feel as if her blood were boiling.

The one thing she’d always had over Laila—her slim figure, maintained by near starvation and barely sipping water—had been overtaken.

Now, Lupe was shorter than Laila. She actually had to look up to her.

But it wasn’t just a matter of physique.

The silver hair pinned with rare pink diamonds and emeralds, the pink dress made from a fabric more luxurious than anything else in the hall—it was all beyond Lupe’s reach.

Laila was never on Lupe’s level to begin with.

That truth was painfully clear.

‘No. No, I—how much effort did I…!’

Lupe had painstakingly worked her way close to Laila, enduring humiliation, chipping away at her bit by bit to drag her down to her level.

But all that effort had been meaningless. At this very moment, Laila shone brighter than anyone else in the room.

Lupe despaired.

Laila walked confidently to the center of the hall. All eyes followed her and Edwin, as if hypnotized.

Once she reached the center, Laila spoke.

“Thank you all very much for attending my birthday banquet.”

Standing in the middle of the hall, I opened my mouth to speak. Everyone’s attention was fixed on me. Sunlight filtered through the elegantly tied curtains, meeting the light of the grand chandelier and bathing the room in shimmering colors.

“Your presence has made this day even more special for me. Though short, I hope this banquet becomes a memorable one for us all.”

As I finished, Eddie-oppa took over.

“Thank you all for attending the birthday banquet of my beloved sister, Laila. I hope this will be a most enjoyable evening for everyone.”

He ended his short speech, and we both bowed our heads and bent our knees slightly in a formal court greeting.

As we lifted our heads, the crowd seemed to snap out of a spell. The murmuring resumed.

The orchestra, now regaining their senses, began to play once more. The smooth strings and soft piano filled the hall. Eddie-oppa and I took our seats at the place of honor near the end of the room.

“Oh my, I haven’t seen you since you were very little… You’ve grown so beautifully.”

“You really do resemble the former Duchess.”

A noblewoman spoke with an air of pride, and others quickly joined the conversation. They began reminiscing about ‘Erbella,’ the beautiful, silver-haired, green-eyed former Duchess and social queen.

The banquet carried on in a cheerful atmosphere.

‘Phew. Thank goodness.’

I sighed quietly to myself. It would’ve been a lie to say I wasn’t nervous at all. But I had managed to get through the most critical moment.

“Are you nervous?”

Eddie-oppa whispered. I gave a small nod.

People came over to greet us—mostly marquises and counts, rarely anyone my age.

While I was exchanging greetings, someone approached me.

“How have you been, Lady Laila?”

At that moment, I clearly felt it—“Well, well, what a lucky encounter.”

Her lips trembled. The inferiority was obvious on her face as she bowed her head. Yet she tried so hard to keep her pride intact.

It was clear Lady Lupe was still too young to completely hide her emotions.

I stood up smoothly and gave a polite curtsy. Neither of us held official titles yet, but as a daughter of House Roschille, I outranked her. There was no need for me to bow. Few people in this hall outranked me, in fact. Lupe seemed even more bitter at that realization.

“…Happy birthday.”

Her voice carried a tinge of sarcasm. I simply smiled brightly.

“Thank you. Have you been well, Lady Lupe?”

“Of course.”

Her eyes darted around as she forced a sweet smile.

“Rather than chatting here, wouldn’t you like to join me and my friends? We’d all love to welcome you.”

As if.

I smirked inwardly.

More like tolerate me. If I was lucky, they wouldn’t openly sneer. But I was far better than Lupe at hiding my thoughts. I beamed, as if overjoyed.

“Really? Thank you for the kind offer. Brother, may I go greet the other young ladies?”

“Go ahead.”

Eddie-oppa nodded.

I followed Lupe to a corner of the hall, where I met her group. None of them seemed to outrank me, and their dresses and jewelry were hardly impressive.

“Um… hello, Lady Laila.”

“Happy birthday.”

About half the girls seemed friendly, the other half cold. But all looked a bit bewildered.

“Good afternoon. Thank you for being here today.”

My confident, warm greeting only deepened their confusion. Lupe scowled. The old Laila would’ve never acted this way.

Of course, the expensive and beautiful things I wore probably made Lupe dislike me even more.

“It’s such a lovely banquet,” Lupe said in a sweet tone.

“But if I may say… Isn’t it a bit much for just a birthday? Especially when it happens every year.”

She tilted her head innocently.

“Have you heard about the drought in the western region? Many are struggling just to survive.”

“Oh my.”

I smiled sweetly.

How cheap.

“Of course I’ve heard.”

I had nothing to hide, so I replied calmly.

“A smart lady like you must’ve also heard that House Roschille is running a relief effort for those affected by the drought. Not to mention our long-standing urban poor welfare programs.”

Lupe looked stunned, clearly not expecting that response.

“And my father and brother love me very much. They want to give me the best of everything. Even if we held a hundred of these banquets, it wouldn’t affect House Roschille’s finances at all.”

As I finished, I added as if it had just occurred to me:

“Come to think of it, didn’t you also have your birthday last month, Lady Lupe? Happy belated birthday.”

“…Thank you.”

She replied after a long silence.

In our social studies with Lloyd, I’d learned that House Tyra was struggling financially, and that the marquis was notoriously sexist. Her 14th birthday banquet had been so modest it became gossip fodder.

People tend to insult others with the very things they’re most insecure about. Lupe must’ve had deep-seated inferiority about her wealth and family.

I smiled as if I knew nothing.

Seeing Lupe fuming, another young lady quickly changed the subject. At least one of them had some sense.

“R-right. By the way, I heard the First Prince is attending today? That’s amazing!”

“The First Prince? Wow… only House Roschille.”

“I bet he’s going to have the first dance with Lady Laila.”

“…They’d look great together.”

One of them echoed, her envy too strong to hide. I looked at her warmly.

“It’s true that His Highness will be attending. But I’ve already decided—my first dance will be with my brother Edwin.”

The young ladies blinked in surprise.