~Chapter 45~
The Truth Behind the Ruby Necklace
Once she found the person who sent the necklace, Nora planned to use Damien and Arloâs help to destroy his family and ruin him. She wanted Eleanor to collapse even further as she watched her loverâs downfall.
âIf he asks why Iâm wearing this necklace, Iâll just say Eleanor gave it to me as a gift. Even if he knows itâs a lie, what can he do? Eleanor isnât even here today.â
By now, Eleanor was probably sobbing in her room, clutching her torn dress. She might have wanted to buy a new dress, but there was no time, and none of her existing dresses would be good enough to use again.
Nora smiled sweetly, imagining Eleanorâs despair.
No one had reacted noticeably to the ruby necklace yet. Most people were just glancing at her cleavage and swallowing their saliva.
âThereâs still time after the dance, though.â
Just as Nora was about to give the orchestra the signal to start the next song, a man approached quickly, mentioning the necklace.
It was none other than Timothy Cunningham, the man Kiara had spent a lot of money to claim as her own.
âThat guy?â
Nora was taken aback, opening her mouth in shock. The man was, in her opinion, entirely unremarkable, except for his face. Even that was nothing compared to Arlo or Ernst. His deep-set double eyelids and large nose gave him such an awkward appearance that Nora felt like she had just eaten an entire stick of butter whenever she saw him.
Still, it was a good opportunity. If Cunningham was the one, she could use Kiara to make things even worse.
Kiara, burning with jealousy just because Cunningham had spoken to her, would surely make a big fuss if she found out about the letters and gifts exchanged between him and Eleanor. Rumors would spread quickly.
No matter how bad her situation was, Nora thought it was ridiculous that Eleanor had fallen for such a man.
But within minutes, Nora realized something. The one in a difficult situation wasnât Eleanorâ it was her.
âIâm glad you accepted my gift⊠Ah, how happy I am that our hearts are in sync on this wonderful day!â
What was he saying?
Nora could hardly believe what she was hearing, staring at Cunningham, who smiled blissfully. She was so confused and embarrassed she couldnât even respond.
Instead, Kiara spoke up, looking furious.
âWhat do you mean âin syncâ? Timothy, what are you talking about?â
Her thin arms trembled as she spoke. Arlo, standing next to Nora, glared at Cunningham, demanding an explanation.
The cold gaze made Cunningham flinch, but he quickly regained his composure and stood tall. Then he spoke loudly.
âMy apologies, Kiara. I also owe apologies to the princess. But how can we stop young men and women from sharing love?â
âSo, you and my fiancĂ©e have shared love?â Kiara asked.
âYes! You must have heard that Cunningham men give ruby necklaces to the women they truly love. The only woman I wanted to give a ruby necklace to in my life is Lady Nora. And by wearing this gift to such a meaningful event, Lady Nora has shown she feels the same.â
Kiara was on the verge of fainting, and Arloâs expression turned dangerous. The nobles who overheard the commotion began gathering, eager to see what was happening.
It was only then that Nora realized what had happened.
All of this was Eleanorâs plan, and she had foolishly fallen for it.
âNo!â
She clenched her fists and shouted in a shrill voice.
âTo say we shared love… What nonsense! I think thereâs been some misunderstanding, Lord Cunningham! Iâm sorry, but I have no interest in you. As you know, I have a fiancĂ© whom I love, and you have your own fiancĂ©e.â
Cunningham looked like he had been struck by lightning. He hadnât expected to be publicly humiliated like this. His face turned bright red with shame.
âHow could you wear the ruby necklace I gave you…?â
âI didnât know it was from you! BecauseâŠâ
Nora quickly came up with an excuse she had prepared earlier.
âBecause… It was a gift from Eleanor!â
â…Eleanor gave you that necklace?â Arlo frowned and asked. Nora nodded vigorously.
âYes. She asked me to wear it today, and I thought it was a peace offering⊠I didnât know you sent it with such intentions. I had no idea.â
âWhat, what are you saying! I definitely sent it to Lady Nora… so how did it end up in her handsâŠ?â
âWell, Iâm not sure, but maybe she took it from the mail. Ah, Eleanor, why would she do such a thing?â
Nora pretended to cry and covered her face with her hands.
Even though the lie was made up on the spot, she managed to figure out the truth pretty well. Blaming Eleanor for everything was a clever move. Her quick thinking was impressive.
When she mentioned Eleanor, the whispers among the nobles grew louder. They saw it as a show orchestrated by the fake princess to bring down the real princess, and they expressed sympathy for Nora.
At this point, the person in the most trouble was Lord Cunningham. He turned bright red, unable to do anything, only mumbling to himself.
If this was truly Eleanorâs scheme, Cunningham had just made a fool of himself by revealing his feelings for Nora. Even if he claimed to be a victim of Eleanorâs trickery, it wouldnât change anything. After all, he had boldly declared in front of Kiara and the crown prince that Nora was the only woman he wanted to give a ruby necklace to.
Things couldnât get any worse for him.
At that moment, an unexpected figure extended a hand of salvation.
“So, are you saying that Ellie, who doesn’t even attend Nora’s debutante ball because they are on bad terms, gave Nora a gift, and Nora, knowing full well that Ellie disliked her, accepted it without any suspicion?” Kiara spoke up with her chin held high, her anger and sense of betrayal from earlier replaced by a calm tone.
Although Kiara was furious about Timothy Cunningham secretly sending a gift to Nora, she still cherished Timothy and considered him an important man in her life. As long as his appearance didn’t become repulsive, her feelings for him would remain. She couldn’t let him be humiliated or have his reputation ruined, because it would damage her reputation too. As his fiancĂ©e, she couldn’t allow him to be made a fool of like this.
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Kiara continued. “Didn’t you say that Lady Ellie is pitied because she’s treated like a servant at the Astria Duke’s residence? How can someone like that have the ability to steal the real Astria Princess’s mail? Doesn’t that sound off to you? It actually makes more sense that you, Nora, set up this whole situation to make things difficult for Timothy, Kiara, and Lady Ellie.”
Kiara genuinely believed this. She knew that Nora wouldn’t risk such an important event, but for her own pride, it was easier to think of Nora as a cunning fox, and herself and Timothy as victims of a witch’s trickery.
“Didn’t Timothy send you that gift because you subtly pressured him behind the scenes? Timothy isn’t a fool, why would he send an unexpected gift to a woman he had no previous connection with?” Kiara spoke as if explaining to the gathered nobles, who all looked confused but couldn’t outright take sides, as it was dangerous to oppose either the royal family or Astria. Still, many of them thought Kiara’s words made sense. The common belief was that men often acted foolishly due to the tricks of women.
Timothy Cunningham, unable to reveal that it was Ellie’s suggestion, kept his mouth tightly shut. If he admitted that, he would be ridiculed as someone who had been easily deceived by a fake princess. He couldn’t allow himself to be made a fool like that.
“How could youâ!” Kiara was about to shout, but Arlo interrupted.
“Kiara Portsmouth,” Arlo called her name coldly. As the prince’s voice rang out, Kiara, who had been so confident, visibly shrank back.
“Please refrain from speaking rudely to my fiancĂ©e.”
Kiara was full of indignation, but she knew she couldnât push further. If she did, she might truly offend the crown prince.
âHa! Hiding behind her fiancĂ© to act like a fox… so cowardly!â
Kiara glared at Nora like a wolf eyeing its prey. It was a look that seemed to say that if Nora was a real woman, she should step forward and face her directly, not hide behind a man.
Nora ignored Kiaraâs gaze and, feigning fear, turned her head toward Arlo. She had expected him to comfort her, but instead, Arlo sharply brushed her head aside.
When she looked up at him, she saw suspicion flashing in his golden eyes. He was beginning to feel that Noraâs explanation was not quite adding up.
However, there were too many eyes watching for him to point that out immediately. For now, it would be best to delay any further questioning and shift all the blame onto Timothy Cunningham, to avoid any scandal tainting the name of Austria and the royal family.
âLord Cunningham, from now onââ
He was about to tell him not to come near his fiancée again when a servant from the stairs suddenly shouted.
âLady Eleanor is here!â
