Hyuga frowned.
“On the contrary, it’s for the best. You can’t ride in a luxury carriage without spending a single penny and not offer anything in return. Anyway, if you want to look convincing as ‘Isabella,’ you’ll need to attend gatherings with nobles frequently.”
“That’s not wrong.”
Hyuga nodded as if satisfied with my words.
Turning my gaze, I saw Eric approaching the staff of the trading company, giving various instructions.
“While I attend the ball, could you look into Baron Berker’s family and the Timona Trading Company for me?”
“Did something about them catch your attention, or seem suspicious?”
“No, not really…”
It just felt unsettling how smoothly everything had been going.
Of all days, at that exact moment, Eric had appeared before me with exactly what I needed.
Thanks to his goodwill, I could easily reach Hwangdo, and the price he asked in return was something I could ‘accept.’
“I’ve never really had luck in my life,” I admitted.
Maybe it was because I was born unlucky.
Nothing had ever resolved itself this conveniently before.
I always had to sacrifice more than I had.
“So, just be careful. Even as Isabella, I don’t think my misfortune has disappeared from my life.”
Hyuga, who had been quietly listening, opened his lips as if to say something, but then closed them again.
As the sun set and the sky darkened, stars began to twinkle one by one.
I listened to the music echoing from inside the grand building.
“You don’t seem used to balls,” Eric said.
In a small voice, I asked,
“Is it that obvious?”
“You seem nervous,” he answered.
Isabella wasn’t particularly active in social circles.
Even when she attended parties, it was mostly those hosted by the matron, Lady Veronica, and she would stay just long enough to be polite before leaving.
‘As Rebecca, I’d have even less connection to these events.’
Seeing my tense expression, Eric spoke softly to ease me.
“It’s just a gathering for social purposes. You don’t have to feel pressured.”
A doorman checked our invitations and gave a courteous bow.
“I hope you have a pleasant evening.”
Through the open doors, I saw women in dazzling dresses spinning slowly with their partners to a gentle tune.
Linking arms with Eric, we stepped into the ballroom, and curious gazes immediately turned toward us.
“Eric!”
A plump, well-built man approached with a friendly voice.
“Unbelievable! You’re attending a ball like this, and with a partner!”
His exaggerated enthusiasm soon fell on me.
“This is—?”
“Ah, this is Miss Isabella, who accompanied me tonight,” Eric introduced, bowing lightly.
The man extended his hand toward me and seemed about to press his lips to it.
Seeing my flinch, Eric subtly pushed him aside and spoke,
“I believe this is regarding the proposal you mentioned to me last time.”
“Ah? Oh, the business proposal? Have you reviewed it?”
The man’s attention shifted immediately; this seemed very important to him.
“Excuse me, Isabella, would you mind waiting a moment while I speak with this gentleman?” Eric asked politely.
“Yes.”
“It’ll be brief. Please be patient.”
He leaned close and whispered, his breath brushing mine.
Before I could even react, Eric had already walked away, engrossed in conversation with the man.
“Is your name Isabella?”
A shadow fell before me, someone fiddling with her ear and standing awkwardly.
It was a young lady with curious eyes.
“I’m Grace of the Noren Marquis family,” she said, kneeling slightly.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Isabella of the Harper Barony.”
“Harper Barony?”
Another young lady stepped closer, tilting her head.
“You must have come from quite a distance, then?”
“Yes.”
With my short answer, some of the young ladies nodded knowingly.
“Balls in Bluewell are usually attended only by invitation, so most people there are locals. It’s rare to see a new face. I’m Emily of the Willet Marquis family.”
“Nice to meet you, Emily.”
Other young ladies followed, introducing themselves with their family names.
I tried my best to mimic Isabella’s gestures, movements, and speech, responding politely.
Fortunately, none of them showed any displeasure; they even returned my greetings with smiles, so I must have been doing a decent job at impersonating her.
Just as a sense of relief passed through me, someone suddenly asked,
“How did you come to know Baron Berker?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but then sensed the strange atmosphere surrounding me.
Most of the young ladies were looking at me, waiting for my response, as if my answer was crucial to them.
After a moment, I carefully spoke.
“I wouldn’t say we’re close. I happened to meet the Baron at my previous estate, and we ended up traveling to Hwangdo together.”
My cautious answer seemed to ease the tension around me.
“I thought so.”
“I see.”
Grace, who had first spoken to me, closed the distance and linked her arm with mine.
“The moment we saw you escorted by Sir Eric, we all realized—you clearly don’t know much about him.”
“I don’t know much about him?”
As the conversation continued, the young ladies’ faces showed determination.
“Eric Berker, you see, comes from a background unknown even to his parents.”
“……!”
“He was found among goods purchased by the trading company. The company owner took pity on him, raised him, and taught him various skills, discovering his talent for commerce.”
“The original name of the Timona Trading Company was Berker Trading. After the owner passed away, the name was conveniently changed to Timona Trading.”
“Did the owner have children?”
“Yes. Though not as capable as Eric, the child was said to have potential. But at some point, he disappeared and didn’t even attend his father’s funeral.”
“Eventually, Eric reported him missing, and the constabulary found a document similar to a will, closing the case… but people still found it suspicious.”
A man who disappeared, only to be presumed dead by suicide.
Everyone seemed to have guessed, though no one dared say it aloud.
“Soon after, he offered massive gifts to a high-ranking noble in Hwangdo and obtained a barony.”
Once the young ladies’ tongues were loosened, they spoke freely.
“Everyone knows Eric was seeking a noblewoman because of his insufficient ‘lineage.’”
“He wants to expand the trading company further. His social status is a constant obstacle to handling large-scale business.”
Indeed, the one who makes the money is the merchant, but the one who guarantees the merchant is the noble.
And the noble’s qualification is simply having the family name?
“At least his skills seem proven. He turned a small trading company into something significant.”
Having built a network of estates, received a barony, and established branches everywhere, he was undeniably impressive compared to the past me.
Emily, beside me, covered her mouth with her fan and smiled.
“That’s why you must be careful.”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it because he has nothing by birth that he’s so greedy for money?”
“Lineage can never truly be hidden.”
“What’s the point of changing the trading company’s name or gaining a title? Lowly origins never change.”
A small laugh escaped, breaking the tension.
Speculations and assumptions spread—Eric entering the trading company, changing its name after the owner died, the owner’s only son dying—all seemed too conveniently in his favor, making suspicion inevitable.
‘But what does that have to do with nobility?’
Being born with nothing doesn’t make someone vile, and yet people assumed he must have taken what wasn’t his.
“Noble status, huh…”
It felt absurd.
Wearing expensive jewelry and dresses, people treated me as a noble just because I was ‘imitating’ Isabella.
