Chapter 14
A few days later, the ball that everyone in Myuton had been eagerly waiting for was finally held.
But no one had been waiting for it as desperately as I had.
“Alright, today’s the day.”
The banquet was as splendid as expected, and everything was prepared to perfection.
Leoni wore the blue satin dress we had chosen together, and even as a fellow woman, I had to admit she was breathtakingly beautiful.
“Leoni, oh my goodness.”
The way the fabric fluttered like dragonfly wings suited her perfectly.
Of course, I would have liked to wear a beautiful dress too, but I didn’t forget my duty.
Well, I did cling to the dress Zerelach sent me until the very last moment, trembling with longing.
But I held it together. Good job, me!
“Leoni is truly beautiful. I’m very satisfied. This is perfect!”
Feeling pleased, I reached for a glass of champagne to wet my throat, when the voices of gathered young ladies floated over.
“Oh my, Lady Leoni Almaz really came prepared today.”
“Her beauty is unmatched, that’s for sure.”
“But can a demure face like that really catch His Grace the Archduke’s eye?”
“We’ll see.”
I didn’t care what they whispered.
After all the effort I put in for today.
I had prepared for Leoni’s debut at the ball with the heart of a mother bird caring for her chick.
Choosing a dress that matched the color of her hair, helping her maintain her silky locks, searching high and low for the perfect ribbons and accessories that would suit her!
“Oh my, look at Lady Bernadette standing next to Lady Almaz.”
“Really, what is Lady Bernadette thinking?”
“Why is she wearing that grayish dress? How could she pick something so plain?”
They called it “plain,” but honestly, the fabric was so cheap you wouldn’t even use it as a bedsheet.
I didn’t even know dresses came in such drab colors until now.
Thanks to that, I became the laughingstock of the gathered young ladies, but who cares.
It’s not like they’re going to help my fate anyway.
“It’s really odd. Wearing a gray dress like that just makes her look dull.”
“And that awkward brown hair makes her look even plainer.”
“Her face is passable, but with a dress like that, she won’t catch anyone’s eye.”
“Shh, keep your voice down. If Lady Bernadette hears you…”
“You’re right, lower your voice.”
“She’s known for her temper.”
Honestly, I had slapped on powder carelessly, let my hair hang loose without any accessories, just as I always did.
Actually, I probably looked messier than usual.
“Ribe, are you okay?”
I didn’t care, but Leoni looked furious as whispers filled the air around us.
“Those people are awful. Why do they care so much about others?”
“It’s fine, Leoni.”
I drowned all those sharp words in my glass and downed them in one gulp.
It didn’t matter how beautiful I looked.
My only concern was to make Leoni shine.
No matter what happened today, I had to make Leoni and Zerelach fall for each other.
And of course, my plan would succeed.
Because Leoni was dazzlingly beautiful!
Just then, the grand doors of the ballroom opened, and the music that had been swirling around abruptly stopped.
The one who entered, upright and dignified, was today’s star, Zerelach Cygnus.
“He really does have a ridiculously perfect face.”
I forced myself to turn my gaze away as it kept wanting to drift toward him.
His elegant nose, eyes as deep as an abyss, pale skin, and reddish-brown eyes.
I found myself clenching my dry hands unconsciously.
It was a subtle but familiar feeling, and instinctively, I lifted my head.
Even from afar, I could feel his persistent gaze.
Though he was quite a distance away, his eyes seemed to pierce through the crowd and grab me by the wrist.
I tried to maintain my composure, but it wasn’t easy.
“Ribe, are you okay?”
“Yes, of course. I’m great.”
I deliberately ruffled my hair a bit more and gave Leoni a thumbs-up.
“No matter what happens today, I will connect Zerelach and Leoni.”
As I steeled my resolve, clenching my fists tightly, someone approached, bringing a familiar scent with them.
“Oh my, fancy meeting you here, Lady Bernadette.”
It was none other than Failey, approaching with her usual haughty steps.
It was the first time seeing her since we had bumped into each other at the dressmaker’s a while back.
Since then, Failey had sent me multiple invitations to have tea together, to go see plays, and so on.
Each time, I had made excuses, saying I was busy, had prior engagements, or wasn’t feeling well, doing my best to avoid her.
In the original Turbulent Leoni, Failey had been one of the people who took the lead in tormenting Leoni alongside me.
I hadn’t known it before, but recently, I found out that Failey had feelings for Zerelach!
“There’s nothing good that can come from getting close to her.”
She always liked dressing extravagantly, but today, she looked so over-the-top that she resembled a deranged peacock.
“Good grief, what is all that? Well, she’ll definitely stand out one way or another.”
I hid my thoughts behind a polite laugh.
“Oh my, Lady Bernadette. Are you unwell?”
“Sorry? Unwell?”
“That dress you’re wearing… it looks just like what patients wear, you see.”
As soon as Failey finished speaking, the women behind her covered their mouths with their fans and giggled.
Honestly, did they think covering their mouths would hide it?
It was annoying, but I wasn’t about to start a fight here, so I awkwardly smiled and turned to leave.
Suddenly, Leoni stepped forward, her voice firm.
“Lady Isley, it’s quite rude of you to comment on someone else’s attire like that.”
“Oh my, is that so?”
“It is. You should apologize to Lady Bernadette at once—”
“Leoni, it’s fine.”
I grabbed Leoni’s arm and tried to lead her away quickly.
“It’s not fine, Ribe. What she said was too much.”
Leoni’s face was flushed with anger all the way to her forehead.
I was grateful she was getting angry on my behalf, but getting involved with Failey would only bring trouble.
It would be a disaster if Leoni became her target.
Failey was capable of who knows what.
Without holding her hand as I did in the original story, I wouldn’t be able to see through her schemes.
And since I wouldn’t know what was coming, I wouldn’t be able to stop it.
That’s why I wanted to avoid her as much as possible, but Failey’s face was twisting unpleasantly, and it didn’t look good.
“What did you just say, Lady Almaz?”
“If you didn’t hear, shall I say it again?”
Oh, Leoni, why are you like this!
This won’t do. Fine, I’ll be the crazy one instead.
I snatched the champagne from Leoni’s hand, downed it in one gulp, and said,
“Yeah, the more I think about it, the more pissed off I get.”
“…What? You get what?”
“I said, I’m pissed off.”
Ha, bet you’ve never heard that before, huh?
You don’t know what it means, but it sounds unpleasant, doesn’t it?
That’s exactly why I said it!
“Look here, Lady Isley. What does it matter to you if I wear a rag, prison uniform, or hospital gown?”
As I snapped back sharply, Isley’s eyes widened.
But I had no intention of giving her a chance to retaliate.
I’ll show you how to win a verbal fight.
“You think piling on everything fancy makes you look pretty? Ever heard this saying? Just because you draw stripes on a pumpkin doesn’t make it a watermelon!”
How about that, a modern-style attack!
“Hah, Lady Bernadette, did you just—”
“Ugh, enough. It’s obvious you dolled yourself up to catch the Archduke’s eye, so why don’t you stop picking a fight with me and go look for him instead.”
See that? That was a perfectly timed follow-up attack!
And just as I grabbed Leoni’s wrist and turned to leave—
“Who’s looking for me?”
A languid voice rang out, right in front of me.
It was none other than Zerelach Cygnus.
