~Chapter 44~
The guests’ reactions to my greeting were varied.
“Oh… I see, Lady Ansi.”
Some noblewomen stared at me in surprise.
“This party is wonderful. No wonder Princess Claudius decided to attend.”
Others clearly showed their awareness of the princess’s presence.
“A-Are you really Lady Ansi? That is… No, never mind.”
Even a few young noblemen nearly asked something rude before quickly catching themselves.
And that wasn’t all.
“That’s Lady Ansi?”
Whispers floated through fluttering fans and over champagne glasses.
I had assumed all attention would be focused on the princess.
But surprisingly, I was being talked about quite a bit too.
“I’ve never seen her so dressed up before.”
“She always wore such gloomy, crow-like outfits…”
“I used to think Lady Lopez was the only beauty, but Lady Ansi looks amazing when she’s dressed up too.”
I tried to ignore the murmurs.
But one part I did enjoy was:
“Marchioness Ansi! Your daughter is so pretty!”
“Her hair looks amazing—do you have a secret trick? I’d love to try it on my own daughter.”
My mother, surrounded by her friends, stood tall with pride for once.
And—
“Must’ve cost a fortune to get your daughter that dress, huh?”
“Ha! She’s my only daughter—you think I wouldn’t do that much for her?”
My father was laughing heartily in front of his peers.
They’d always worried over their “lacking” daughter, but now they were smiling because of me.
I watched them fondly.
“Lady Ansi!”
At the same time, the princess came skipping over to my side.
“You look amazing today!”
She looked me over proudly and gave me a big thumbs-up.
“This is how my friend should look!”
“Thank you so much, Your Highness.”
I replied politely.
Then, with a smug turn of her head, she teased:
“So, who was it that helped you look this good today~?”
“Why, the trendsetter of the imperial social scene—Princess Claudius herself, of course.”
I laid on the flattery, clearly for her to hear, and she burst into laughter.
Then her eyes sparkled as she spotted cookies on the table.
“Ah! Those are my favorite cookies!”
She scampered off toward the snacks like an excited kitten.
‘She’s just too adorable…’
While I was smiling to myself, a man suddenly appeared before me.
“Lady Ansi.”
Huh?
I glanced up.
A man was smiling and offering me his hand.
A proper gentleman’s gesture to invite a lady to dance.
“May I have this dance?”
“…”
I stared at the hand he held out.
‘This guy… Philip Todd, right?’
Philip Todd—heir to Baron Todd and one of Seraphina’s loyal followers.
He had never so much as looked at me before.
‘This is… ironic.’
I’d always been known as a wallflower.
The one who never danced.
Only Seraphina received invitations.
My role had been to look plain and withdrawn, highlighting Seraphina’s glow.
Even Gregory, my fiancé, never offered me a dance—only her.
And now… someone was offering me?
But still…
‘Am I supposed to be thankful just because someone finally asked me?’
I glanced at Philip Todd again.
And I saw it.
‘You won’t dare say no to me, right?’
That arrogant smirk, assuming I wouldn’t refuse.
At that moment, I made up my mind.
“I’m sorry.”
“W-What?”
He clearly hadn’t expected rejection—his face twisted awkwardly.
But I had no intention of taking it back.
‘You were the one who always worshipped Seraphina.’
I remembered too well—
That hateful gaze that sized me up like an object while he invited Seraphina to dance.
“Lady Lopez and Lady Ansi together? It’s like Beauty and the Beast!”
He had shouted it to his friends, laughing loudly.
And Gregory—who had stood by, laughing with them instead of stopping it.
“Lady Ansi!”
Just then, the princess poked her head in between us.
“P-Princess Claudius?!”
Philip flinched and immediately straightened his face.
Of course—he couldn’t afford to offend the only princess of House Claudius.
For once, I welcomed the power of nobility.
“I think I ate too many cookies… I’m thirsty now.”
She pouted like a cat.
“Shall I bring you a drink?”
“Bring it? No way! We’ll go together.”
She boldly linked her arm with mine.
Then she cast a dismissive glance at Philip Todd.
“So yeah, I’m taking Lady Ansi with me now, okay?”
“…”
Without waiting for a reply, she led me away.
Philip, who’d looked down on me so clearly, couldn’t say a word to her.
‘So… this is the thrill of power, huh?’
Once we were a little distance away, the princess immediately whispered excitedly:
“Good job rejecting him! Ugh, that ugly guy—flirting with my friend? Please.”
“Pfft.”
I had to bite my cheek to hold back my laughter.
To be fair, he wasn’t that bad-looking—just average.
But the princess just shrugged smugly.
“Right? I can’t stand guys uglier than me standing next to my friends.”
Ah… so she was the standard.
Fair enough.
If we were judging by her beauty, then yeah—most men didn’t even come close.
“Ugh, what’s taking so long?”
She began bouncing on her heels.
‘Who’s she waiting for?’
I wondered.
And just then—
The party stirred.
“D-Did you see that?!”
“That carriage crest…!”
The entrance buzzed with whispers.
‘Who’s arriving that’s causing this much fuss?’
Curious, I turned to look.
And then—
“It was the Claudius family crest, right?!”
Gasps spread like wildfire.
‘No way… The Duke himself?’
My eyes widened in shock.
The room was in chaos.
“The Duke came to the Ansi family’s party?!”
“Maybe he’s here for the princess?”
“Then that means both Claudius siblings are here today!”
“Who knew the Ansi family was so close with the Claudius house?!”
Then, he stepped into the ballroom.
If the word “noble” were made flesh, it would be him.
Pale platinum hair, perfectly styled.
A tailored suit that looked straight out of a luxury catalog.
Posture tall, presence commanding.
‘It’s really… the Duke.’
I went blank for a moment.
The princess immediately ran over to him.
“Seriously, Brother!”
She pouted and glared up at him.
“Why are you so late? I was waiting forever!”
“…”
“Making a lady wait? That’s totally un-gentlemanly!”
“…”
The Duke didn’t say much… but his face said plenty.
His elegant jaw clenched slightly.
Then he smiled faintly, though his voice was firm.
“We need to talk later. Okay?”
The princess’s eyes shook.
“W-What? Talk about what? I have nothing to talk about with you!”
“But I do.”
He answered sharply.
‘Uh-oh… Did the princess get herself into some kind of trouble again?’
