RYL Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I took the letter with curiosity and widened my eyes when I saw the family name and the seal on the envelope.

“This business plan will require strong social connections. You should attend the Belfour Duke’s banquet as Devonshire’s representative.”

Originally, this invitation would have been given to Ophelia, the lady of the house. But now, it was in my hands.

An invitation to the Belfour Duke’s Banquet.

The Belfour family was one of the three great ducal families of the empire, along with Laurentino and Valerian.

And…

Simona von Belfour.

She was the villainess of this novel, and this was her family.

As a noble among nobles, Simona had an extremely high status. That’s why I had never seen her at just any banquet before. She only appeared at gatherings for the most elite aristocrats.

But now, I had been invited to one of those events.

This never happened to Claire in the original novel.

Simona was always desperate to ruin the heroine’s life, but that was only toward her.

What if I could befriend the queen of high society instead?

With Lilianne and Sabrina on my side… and now Simona too?

I might as well have an army behind me.

Smirking, I turned to the count and expressed my gratitude.

“Thank you, Father.”

The count patted my shoulder, wiping away his welling tears with his fingers.

“No, I should be the one thanking you. You’ve grown up so well.”

I only used my past life’s skills, but he seemed to think I had been studying all this time for the sake of the family.

No need to correct him.

◇ ◇ ◇

As I stepped out of the study, I spotted Sophia standing right by the door.

The moment I appeared, she quickly stepped back.

It was obvious she had been eavesdropping.

I frowned deeply.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

At my cold question, Sophia awkwardly adjusted her dress and avoided my gaze.

“I was just… passing by.”

Of course, she wouldn’t admit it.

Clicking my tongue in irritation, I turned away.

For some reason, though, Sophia hesitated before following closely behind me.

“Hey, Claire.”

“…”

I ignored her and kept walking.

After hesitating, she finally said,

“…Sister.”

I suddenly stopped.

Not because I was moved.

I was just curious about what nonsense she was about to say.

“What is it?”

She nervously fidgeted with her fingers before cautiously asking,

“Did Father… give you the Belfour Duke’s invitation?”

Oh?

“And what if he did?”

She hesitated before forcing a fake smile.

“You’ll take Mother and me with you, right…?”

I couldn’t help it—I burst out laughing.

“And why would I do that?”

“What? Because Mother is the lady of this house!”

“Hmm. Then I’ll take her, and you can stay here.”

“WHAT?!”

She was furious but couldn’t throw a tantrum like before.

I walked past her, speaking casually.

“If you want to go that badly, come to my room and beg me on your knees.”

“…!”

Leaving a shocked Sophia behind, I walked away with a satisfied smile.

◇ ◇ ◇

Late at night.

Sophia stepped out of a carriage, wrapped her cloak tightly around her, and cautiously looked around.

Then, she hurried into a luxurious-looking building.

Like everyone else entering, she wore a mask to hide her identity.

A large man—one of the waiters at the entrance—blocked her way.

“Do you have an invitation?”

Sophia quickly pulled an invitation from her pocket and handed it over.

It was a social club invitation she had managed to snatch from a noble’s banquet she attended with Ophelia.

The inside was just as elegant and grand as a noble’s ball.

The difference?

Everyone wore masks, and the air was filled with smoke—probably from cigars.

Unlike formal banquets, people here were much freer and bolder.

Men and women laughed loudly, sitting closely together on sofas. Some played cards at tables scattered with alcohol and cigars, while groups of ladies gossiped behind their fans.

Sophia made her way toward a group of masked women and sat down.

A woman in a red mask noticed her.

“First time here?”

Sophia tensed for a moment, but after taking a sip of the brandy offered to her, she coughed and gagged.

“Oh my, which noble family’s little princess are you?”

Sophia quickly hid her irritation.

“Aren’t we supposed to keep our identities secret here?”

The woman smirked.

“You’re right. That’s what makes this place fun.”

“Your enemy might be here.”

“Or even your fiancé.”

“It’s not really a rule—just an unspoken agreement.”

She took a sip of her drink, then asked casually,

“So, what brings you here? It’s not for drinks or gambling… Looking for a man? Or maybe some gossip?”

She was curious—exactly the type of person Sophia needed.

Swallowing the strong brandy, Sophia took a deep breath and asked,

“Do you know about the upcoming Belfour Duke’s banquet?”

The woman’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“The Belfour Duke’s?”

“Wait… Don’t tell me—you got invited?”

She grinned.

“Looks like you’re more important than I thought.”

The sharp voice of the woman drew even more attention from those around them.

“You received an invitation to the Belfour Duke’s banquet? But isn’t that only for the highest-ranking nobles?”

“I heard their invitations are decorated with gold foil. Is that true?”

“No, no! I heard they even put diamond chips on them!”

With all eyes on her, Sophia straightened her posture and cleared her throat.

“I was supposed to go, but… due to certain circumstances, I can’t attend.”

Hearing this, the women lost interest and turned away, as if they had expected as much.

Annoyed by their reaction, Sophia suddenly spoke up.

“But… have you heard the latest rumor?”

The mention of gossip immediately pulled everyone’s attention back to her.

These high-society women came to this social club specifically to chase after rumors.

With their lazy, incompetent fiancés, overweight husbands, and boring lives, gossip was their favorite meal and dessert.

Especially if it involved the upper-class nobility.

“I heard that the Devonshire Count’s daughter has been boasting that she will be the ‘Belle of the Ball’ at the Belfour Duke’s banquet.”

At this, a woman sitting deep inside the room perked up with interest, resting her chin on her hand.

The ‘Belle of the Ball’—as the name suggests—was the title given to the most glamorous and popular young lady at a banquet.

Usually, this title went to a member of the host family.

And now, some random count’s daughter was declaring she would take that title—against the Belfour Duke’s daughter?!

Some women looked shocked, while others were intrigued.

“The Devonshire family? Aren’t they just a low-tier noble house that survives on a few businesses?”

“Well, the Devonshire Count is known to be close friends with the Laurentino Duke, so maybe getting an invitation wasn’t that hard.”

“But still! Saying she’ll be the Belle of the Ball?! Against the Belfour Duke’s daughter?! She must be out of her mind!”

“I heard that Devonshire’s daughter has been acting arrogantly ever since she started hanging around the Sinclair Marquis’ daughter.”

“Oh, I heard that too! And apparently, she even swam naked at the beach recently!”

“My goodness! She’s completely lost her mind.”

Sophia’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

In a place like this, the truth of a rumor didn’t matter.

All that mattered was having fresh meat to tear apart.