1.4

For the first time in her life, Ellen found herself in the capital city of Melchia. The immense pressure from her father’s repeated reminders to attract a wealthy suitor for their declining family left her unable to even walk properly as she had been taught.  

Unable to walk gracefully, her hands and feet moved in the same direction, earning her ridicule for her awkward gait. The more people laughed at her, the stiffer her body became, and even when dancing, her movements were rigid. She couldn’t count how many times she stepped on her partner’s feet.  

‘You lack elegance… and refinement.’ 

Eventually, her dance partner, his face flushed with embarrassment, couldn’t hold back and made a remark. Startled by his words, Ellen accidentally stepped on the hem of her dress, tripping over her own feet and landing on her bottom.  

‘She looks as unsophisticated as her appearance suggests.”  

‘Indeed, so provincial.’  

Since it was extremely rare for a noblewoman to fall at a ball, many people laughed at her, and Ellen, on the verge of tears, had no choice but to leave the ballroom.  

“Who could forget the look on everyone’s faces when they saw the dress I wore back then?”  

Originally, Ellen had planned to stay at the Courtney Earldom for a few days before attending the ball. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, she couldn’t stop by the estate and had to attend the ball immediately upon arriving in Melchia.  

As a result, Ellen, who thought she had dressed prettily enough, appeared utterly out of place to the city folk.  

While simple dresses were in vogue in the capital, Ellen alone wore an overly ornate dress, paired with a large-brimmed hat, outdated makeup, and accessories that were far from fashionable.  

‘Good heavens! You came to your debutante ball dressed like that?’

Donna, who had arrived late to the ball due to her own circumstances, was left speechless at the sight of Ellen’s provincial attire.  

It was the worst.  

Ellen shook her head as she recalled the incident. It was truly a memory she wanted to forget.  

“This time, I’m here to help. I’ve already prepared a dress for you. The only problem is… it won’t be ready until tomorrow.”  

Knowing Ellen’s financial situation, Donna had ordered a dress for her as soon as she received Ellen’s letter about her visit. She was determined not to let Ellen face ridicule again.  

However, there was one issue: the dress wouldn’t be finished in time for the ball.  

“I’ll just wear one of my own dresses.”  

“No way. Do you want to be laughed at again like two years ago?”  

“….”  

Not wanting to repeat the humiliation of that time, Ellen eventually had to borrow one of Donna’s dresses. However, since Donna was taller and slightly broader than Ellen, the dress had to be pinned to fit her properly.  

“This is perfect. You don’t look provincial at all now, do you?”  

Once Ellen was fully dressed, Donna beamed with satisfaction.  

Ellen checked her reflection in the mirror and was startled. She had always thought of herself as plain, but now, she looked far from it. She appeared several times more beautiful than usual.  

“How is it? Doesn’t it give you confidence? So don’t be nervous and act confident and graceful! Who knows? Your first love might fall for you this time.”  

“…What?”  

As soon as Donna mentioned her first love, the confidence Ellen had slowly been gaining began to wane.  

“What’s wrong? Are you shrinking back just because I mentioned your first love? Are you still hung up on what happened back then? It’s not like you were actually rejected.”  

Donna crossed her arms and tried to encourage her, but Ellen couldn’t help but feel like hiding in a hole every time she thought about her last encounter with Leon.  

‘Um… excuse me, but who are you?’

Leon’s words had struck Ellen’s heart like a dagger. She had mistakenly believed they had become acquaintances, only to face such a cold response.  

She had been so happy, so thrilled…!  

Even though she had been hurt, Ellen foolishly continued to harbor feelings for Leon, all because of the small kindness he had shown her.  

However, knowing that he didn’t even remember their previous encounter, she had no expectations of anything ever happening between them.  

“This time, you should make sure he remembers you.”  

Donna, who had witnessed everything unfold back then, reassured Ellen that Sir Guilford was simply an indifferent person by nature. But Ellen’s wounded heart couldn’t recover so easily.  

She had convinced herself that hoping for anything was a luxury, but Donna kept shaking her resolve.  

“No, I’ll just be satisfied with getting to know him a little better. I don’t need him to remember me vividly—just knowing my name would be enough.”  

“Then why not talk to other noblemen as well this time? Forget about a first love that seems unlikely to come true, and find someone who can truly love you.”  

“I’ll try.”  

Although Ellen doubted she would find anyone else who caught her eye besides Leon, she nodded for now.  

“Oh, one more thing to remember before we go. Mother mentioned this earlier, didn’t she? Trends have changed. While that has its advantages, it also has its downsides. There are more casual relationships now. Do you know what I mean by relationships that only seek physical intimacy?”  

As they were on their way to the carriage, Donna suddenly brought up a new topic. Ellen was so shocked by what she heard that her mouth fell open.  

Physical intimacy-only relationships…? For someone as innocent as Ellen, the idea was far too provocative.  

Donna shook her head knowingly and continued.  

“So be careful of men who approach you with such intentions. Especially since you look so naive, they might target you. Be cautious.”  

“I understand.”  

Find a new man, but avoid shallow ones… It was a daunting task.  

Ellen resolved to spend the month simply getting closer to Leon and ensuring he remembered her existence. Just leaving behind the memory of Ellen, the woman who had once loved him, would be enough.  

“Wait, isn’t Sir Guilford attending today?”  

On the ball, Ellen’s gaze immediately searched for Leon as soon as she arrived at the venue. Donna also looked around for him on Ellen’s behalf, but he was nowhere to be seen.  

“That’s strange. I heard he was supposed to attend today….”  

Ellen had gone to great lengths, even borrowing a dress, to attend the ball just to see Leon.  

With only a month to spare, she wanted to see his face as much as possible.  

Donna had assured her beforehand that Leon would be attending, so Ellen had expected to see him as soon as she arrived.  

But with no sign of him, the excitement in her heart quickly turned into disappointment.  

“Should we wait a little longer? Maybe he’s running late.”  

At Donna’s suggestion, Ellen nodded.  

Finally, Ellen took in her surroundings. Just like two years ago, the Imperial Ball was dazzling. Underneath the grand chandelier, the spacious hall adorned with golden decorations was filled with gentlemen and ladies who fit right in.  

“How is it? This is your second time in society, so you’re not nervous, right?”  

“Uh….”  

Ellen pretended to agree with Donna’s words, but she was still nervous.  

I really don’t belong here.  

Thanks to Donna, her appearance blended in with the other noblewomen, but Ellen still felt like an outsider.  

“Since you’re here, why not dance with someone?”  

Donna’s voice snapped Ellen out of her thoughts. Donna had already taken the hand of a young nobleman who had asked her to dance.  

“I’ll go first. You follow after me.”  

Donna winked and headed to the center of the ballroom. Ellen watched her blankly before finally taking the hand of the man who had also invited her to dance, following Donna to the center.