Chapter 3

Leticia woke from sleep feeling as if her heart had stopped. There might have been drool on her lips, but she didn’t have time to care.  

Whenever it almost stopped, now her heart was pounding as if it would burst at any moment.  

“This was a nightmare…”  

Even though the most beautiful angel on earth appeared against the backdrop of a bright spring day, it was undoubtedly a nightmare.  

Of course, she realized that the phrase “the most beautiful on earth” was loaded with personal feelings. Even so, it gave her chills.  

What else could you call a dream where an angel immediately spat venom at her upon meeting?  

Her fragile mind, so weak it could shatter with a mere touch, had been broken in her sleep.  

Leticia closed her eyes and muttered to herself.  

‘D*mn Valerio, d*mn angel. Now you torment me even in my dreams?’

That event from long ago felt so vivid. She could even picture each fluttering eyelash of the angel in her dream.  

Maybe she imagined even the details she hadn’t seen back then because the shock was so strong. Anyway.  

Her heart raced at the memory that had resurfaced after so long. She ruffled her tangled hair, thinking of her beautiful but troublesome ten-year nemesis.  

But why had she suddenly dreamed of him? She’d kept up this nemesis for ten years since meeting Valerio at age ten, but had never had such a vivid dream before.  

Moreover, if Valerio knew she’d dreamed of him, his expression would surely twist. He would frown, wrinkle his brow, and turn his head away.  

He was already busy being summoned into the dreams of countless young ladies and noblewomen, though it wasn’t by his own wish.  

If even his friend dreamed of him, Valerio would certainly be displeased.  

And he wouldn’t even consider that she saw it as a nightmare.  

No, the moment she called it a nightmare, he’d probably relax his face and smile as he got back at her.  

“Hmm, but how did I fall asleep?”  

As Leticia tried to calm herself and touched her forehead, she heard a clatter. She must have hugged something and collapsed onto her desk before falling asleep.  

Leticia found the jewelry box she’d been holding.  

“Jewelry box…”  

Looking at the round jewelry box decorated with beautiful gems and ornate craftsmanship, her memory gradually returned.

* * *

Yesterday evening. The birthday banquet for Rosalie Latria, the precious only daughter of the Latria family who ran the merchant group, was held.  

It was also the occasion to officially announce her as the heir to the merchant group. Rosalie’s birthday party invited people from all walks of life.  

Two invitations arrived at the Blanc family. One asked the esteemed Blanc Earldom to attend and grace the event, the other specifically invited Leticia as an academy classmate and social acquaintance.  

Leticia and Rosalie Latria only knew each other by face, not close at all.  

But due to the delicate distance required in social circles, their relationship was not bad either.  

Above all, though she chose the path of a mage after graduating from the academy, as a daughter of the Blanc family, social activities were an unavoidable duty.  

Even if she usually holed up in her private laboratory, she had to attend social parties occasionally to escape her parents’ nagging.  

Especially her mother, the Countess Blanc, had become much more invested in her daughter’s appearance since Leticia’s coming-of-age ceremony.  

Moreover, since noble ladies married young, her mother’s anxiety grew stronger each year.  

For these reasons, the answer to the invitation was obvious. Leticia promptly replied that she would gladly attend.  

The only minor issue was that there was no man to escort Leticia at the party.  

Even that was easily solved. Leticia confidently ordered her brother to be her escort.  

Her brother tried to escape with the excuse that there were other men nearby who could escort her, but it didn’t work.  

Leticia had no boyfriend, and her brother had no girlfriend. So they were the perfect partners for each other.  

In the end, her brother Johan Blanc grumbled but accepted the escort request, saying he happened to have business at the party anyway, so she should be grateful.  

Leticia didn’t even listen to his complaints, but she did carefully choose a present for Rosalie Latria.  

Rosalie was the only daughter of a merchant group. The Latria family spent their overflowing gold coins on collecting rare and unique treasures.  

Leticia had to satisfy Rosalie’s taste and uphold the Blanc family’s reputation. So her brother’s grumbling didn’t reach her ears.  

“Oh my, I sent the invitation, but I didn’t expect you to make time to celebrate my birthday.”  

As expected, Rosalie was sarcastic when she actually met Leticia.  

Rosalie herself must have reviewed the guest list, so she knew Leticia would attend—it sounded like she was mocking her.  

But Leticia didn’t mind. That was just Rosalie’s way of speaking. Even if it sounded snide, Rosalie Latria was genuinely grateful.  

Leticia shrugged and got to the point.  

“Happy birthday, Rosalie.”  

“Thank you for coming, Leticia.”  

“This is from me.”  

“Just having you enjoy the party I prepared is enough joy. Why go this… far?”  

Rosalie’s practiced words trailed off as she opened the gift.  

Leticia, anxiously waiting for her reaction, quietly sighed in relief.  

“Hmm. Not bad.”  

Her efforts paid off. Rosalie, though holding her nose high, seemed satisfied.  

Leticia, bracing for the elegant sarcasm typical of noble ladies, cheered inwardly. She’d passed!  

After exchanging formal greetings with Rosalie, Leticia ran into another academy classmate, Prel.  

With her mood lighter, she sipped wine and chatted warmly as the party atmosphere grew livelier.  

Drink just enough, congratulate the not-so-close classmate on her birthday.  

She tried to slip out, but the second part of the birthday party awaited.  

The Latria family showed off their collection of exotic treasures with an impromptu auction.  

The proceeds from the auction would be donated entirely to the orphanage in Rosalie Latria’s name.  

It raised her beloved daughter’s pride, gave attendees the satisfaction of doing good, and saved the merchant group’s money!  

Leticia, intrigued, stayed with Prel to watch the auction.  

About twenty treasures were up for charity auction. Whether they were worth the final bid was uncertain, but they were certainly interesting.  

A handwritten score by a deceased promising composer, a blue porcelain said to have crossed the sea, a gold coin proving the existence of the legendary golden city, a music box that didn’t make sound even though it wasn’t broken, a mirror said to show your future partner…  

The treasures became increasingly dubious, but no one questioned their authenticity. They just enjoyed themselves and raised their paddles.  

Whether it was the atmosphere, the alcohol, or both, everyone was clearly intoxicated. The excitement of showing off wealth reached its peak.  

Leticia, hiding half her face behind a fan, whispered with Prel and watched the excitement.  

She was mostly an observer, but even tipsy, she couldn’t deny she was having fun.  

At least until her brother, who was supposed to be her partner, got more excited than she did and boldly bid on something just because it was pretty.  

The Blanc siblings adored anything cute, pretty, or lovely.  

To put it nicely, they had a soft spot for such things; bluntly, they were such easy marks that even if they got scammed, they’d just laugh it off if it was pretty.  

It was hard to criticize just one of them since it was true of both Johan and Leticia herself.  

So the siblings were both captivated by Valerio’s looks, mouths agape.  

The day she cried after hearing Valerio’s harsh words to her face, her unreliable brother confessed, too. He’d been so entranced by the Duke Lester’s face that he didn’t even notice his mouth hanging open.

Anyway, even Leticia could understand, more often than not, why her older sibling, born three years earlier, had a weakness for pretty things. Still, wrong was wrong.

Her brother returned, swinging around the item he’d won at auction. It was called a magical jewelry box that would grant any wish.

Normally, she’d have doubted it even existed, but yesterday, luck, which rarely showed up, activated and he managed to win it against three or four competitors.

Perhaps it was worth noting that her brother’s bid hadn’t set the record for the charity auction’s highest price.

The intoxication wore off, and Leticia sighed as she grabbed her brother by the scruff and went home.