Marked as the Tyrant's Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 10

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“The Duke of Matzert has sent you an invitation to a ball, Miss. It’s scheduled for three days from now.”

At the sudden news of the invitation, I flinched my small shoulders.

Is this finally the end of the practice life and the real start of the novel?

Adam said that my debut in high society would be the first signal announcing the return of the Mylar Marquis family’s era.

I might even be able to befriend one of the people I’m supposed to meet there.

“You’ve greeted His Majesty the Emperor, and you’ve entered the Marquis’s mansion, so now it’s time to take your first step into the Empire’s high society. I hear that more and more people are becoming curious about you, Miss.”

Adam continued with a slight smile.

“Albreon’s social circles are truly not to be taken lightly, so you should be nervous.”

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“…So pretty! I think she’s the prettiest of all the ladies who’ve entered!”

“Ellie! Shh! Miss, please have mercy.”

As I stepped out of the carriage and entered the Machert Duke’s residence, the eyes of a child about five years old, holding her mother’s hand, sparkled as she looked at me.

The employee, as if having made a big mistake, made the child step back and bowed deeply to me.

I smiled gently and took out candy from my clutch-style mini bag to give to the child.

“Here, a gift for you.”

A smile spread across the child’s lips.

“Wow, thank you, big sister!”

“Thank you too. For helping me relax.”

Seeing the child smile brightly, happy with just a few candies, made me feel good too.

The employee seemed surprised by my words of gratitude towards the child and hesitated before bowing again.

I smiled gently and moved forward. The small talk with the little one seemed to have relaxed my facial muscles a bit.

Indeed, my reflection in the mirror I saw before coming out was radiant.

My face, with its small, slightly chubby cheeks, straight nose, prim lips, and emerald eyes, is naturally pretty.

In addition, the two thick braids of golden hair meticulously styled by veteran maids, paired with a water-colored dress to match, made me look like a lovely noble young lady.

‘That’s right. Don’t be intimidated, Arinel Mylar.’

As soon as I entered, the eyes of many nobles turned towards me.

I recalled what Adam had told me earlier.

“The Matzert Duke’s family is one of the Empire’s most prestigious houses, comparable to the Siegfried or Guermont ducal families. They’re also a family that supported a prince other than His Majesty the Emperor, but quickly changed their stance when His Majesty ascended to the throne. And the main character of today’s party, Lady Lariel Matzert… She might not be very friendly towards you, Miss.”

“……”

Since it was the birthday ball of Lady Matzert, who was said to be the same age as me, there seemed to be as many young noble ladies and gentlemen of my age as there were noble wives.

And some of them were looking at me with rather stiff expressions.

To be more precise, it was more of a territorial gaze than a stiff one.

As Adam had warned, it was clearly a challenging situation.

“That’s because Lady Matzert has long had feelings for His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Near the center of the upper area, there was a girl who anyone could tell was the main character of this event.

The girl with wavy red hair and black eyes was beautiful but gave off a cold impression.

Around her were gathered many girls in glamorous dresses, and I could easily guess that they were the main cliques among the nobles of my age.

“……”

In fact, when I heard that the Duke’s daughter liked the Crown Prince, I hesitated to attend this ball.

‘My first ball being hosted by a girl who might see me as a rival… That’s such a bad condition.’

But despite my hesitation, Adam insisted that I must attend today’s ball.

The reason was…

“I hear they invited ‘that lady’. And she has accepted the invitation.”

“If you mean ‘that lady’……”

“Yes, the ‘Minister of the Imperial Household’, whose shadow is difficult to even step on.”

Duke Alens, the Emperor’s maternal uncle, was her husband, but he died less than a year after their marriage. As a widow, she willingly dedicated the rest of her life to educating young ladies.

It’s said that among the few women called the flowers of the Empire’s social circles in the past twenty years, none hasn’t been through her hands.

Every noblewoman with a young daughter aspired for her daughter to become her student, but she selected noble young ladies for her education based on very strict conditions and standards.

Her eye for talent was accurate; it’s said that young ladies with potential became the Empire’s most noble jewels through her education, dazzling the social circles.

“I hear there’s a high possibility she’ll select a new gem at today’s event. Given that it’s a party hosted by Lady Matzert, there’s a good chance she’ll be chosen, but it’s worth a try, isn’t it?”

According to Adam, invitations to today’s Matzert family ball were even being traded at high premiums among young ladies from unremarkable noble families.

All for a chance to catch the eye of that ‘Minister of the Imperial Household’.

“……”

While I, struggling even to walk in this princess-like dress, had no intention of becoming a disciple of such a remarkable lady, I thought I should at least try to make her acquaintance on this occasion.

After all, it would be the first step towards achieving my future goals.

“Happy birthday, Lady Matzert. My name is……”

Thinking I should first deliver my gift to the party’s main character, I approached the young lady.

Lady Matzert’s black eyes were on me, and the corners of her prim lips were slightly raised.

“Arinel Mylar. It’s nice to meet you.”

A few seconds of silence passed between us as if time had stopped.

I could see the glamorously dressed girls standing behind Lady Matzert exchanging smiles and chuckling among themselves.

Lariel Matzert slowly extended her hand to receive my gift.

Then, in a small, soft voice, she said:

“Thank you. Mariel Raila.”

With neat eyebrows and a gentle smile, but she deliberately mispronounced my name just now.

Two or three giggling voices could be heard from behind her.

Sigh, I had secretly hoped for a reverse cliché where this young lady, who gives off the vibe of an antagonist, would turn out to be a decent person. But it seems that such luck doesn’t follow me, who struggled from the very start map.

I recalled what Adam had hinted to me earlier.

“The fact that you were with His Majesty in Galnem might give malicious forces a reason to target you, Miss. So for safety reasons… we announced that you came from a foster family in the countryside.”

So this was undoubtedly… meant as a childish mockery.

It’s no different from elementary school kids making fun of a transfer student’s countryside accent.

Even though my pronunciation is no different from that of the capital’s nobility.

“……”

Hmpf-

When I smiled instead of furrowing my brows, the end of the young lady’s delicate eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.

Her eyes seemed to say, “What’s so amusing?”

Certainly, if I were an ignorant child, I might have turned red and blue with anger.

‘And such behavior in this setting would directly lead to social burial.’

So, for me, who’s known to have just arrived from the countryside, this girl’s intention in setting such a trap at our first meeting is obvious.

‘It must be a reaction to Parmes being designated as the Crown Prince’s fiancée, someone they’ve never heard of before.’

“My gift is……”

I calmly opened my lips while looking at Lady Matzert.

“An air freshener made with herb pomfure. It helps soothe both mind and body.”

The young lady’s lips twisted crookedly as if to say, ‘So what?’

The gazes of the young ladies standing behind her, keeping silent and looking at me coldly, were also sharp.

But unlike what this girl or anyone else might expect, I’m not an easy target.

I, with a decade of practical survival experience in the countryside on top of my career as a South Korean office worker in a fiercely competitive society, am on a different level from these delicately raised children.

“It also has therapeutic effects. It’s used as a remedy for poor patients whose tongues have stiffened, preventing them from pronouncing words correctly.”

“……!!”

“It’s a very gracious herb. I packaged it thinking of you, Lady.”

As I continued my explanation with a sweet smile, Lady Matzert’s eyes wavered and her brows furrowed.

The young ladies behind her also flinched, as if they hadn’t expected me to say such things.

Lady Matzert’s face froze as she glared at me, but she couldn’t open her mouth.

Because I was merely explaining the benefits of the gift, and since no one except the lady and her close friends standing nearby had heard that foul pronunciation, getting angry would be tantamount to revealing her own mockery towards me.

“……”

The lady’s tightly clenched fist was trembling slightly.

Since the ‘Minister of the Imperial Household’ was said to be attending this event, she must be trying even harder to suppress her anger, right?

Take that!

“Please, use it well.”

I turned around with a thoroughly delighted smile.

I could feel Lady Matzert’s burning gaze on the back of my head, but I couldn’t help feeling refreshed at having given her a taste of her own medicine.

Separately, I am concerned about the seemingly challenging social life ahead…

‘It doesn’t matter. The survival skills from Galnem are not to be underestimated.’

And then, there was a voice that caught the attention of all the guests.

“Madam Fiolena Alens is entering.”

A melodious bell sound rang out, and the part that had looked like curtains covering the windows was drawn back, focusing everyone’s attention there.

There was a hidden room, a concealed chamber within the ballroom.

Would Adam’s words be true that she, the Midas touch of the social world, would be looking for a student?

And the moment she revealed her face, stepping out with one foot covered in a velvet dress.

I couldn’t help but be surprised.