Chapter 20

That’s why everything related to the Liwonoc family was important to Rachel.

Rachel, who would never normally converse with a woman in such a lowly state, was only doing so because she brought a letter from the Duchess of Liwonoc.

“What brings you here?”

“Ah… the Duchess has asked me to deliver this letter to you, Lady Rachel.”

Patricia handed the letter to Rachel. As Rachel unfolded and read the letter, her eyes grew wider.

“…Were you a maid working at the Duke’s residence?”

“Yes, that’s right. I was unjustly accused and expelled by the new mistress, Evelyn.”

‘Oh, my.’ 

After finishing the letter, Rachel understood Amelia’s intentions.

Indeed, the woman who will become her future mother-in-law is different.

She had already intended to give that woman, Evelyn, who didn’t know her place and took Rachel’s position, a good lesson, and now she was being supported in this endeavor.

It seemed that the Imperial Ball would be the perfect stage.

Rachel looked at Patricia with a seemingly sympathetic and delicate voice.

“Oh dear. You devoted yourself to working for the Duke’s family for decades, only to be falsely accused of embezzlement and expelled. And you were even beaten? How dreadful”

By now, Rachel had forgotten about the jeweler’s tardiness and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

* * *

Today was the day of the imperial ball at the palace.

Under Merrilyn’s guidance, Evelyn was gradually transforming, like a lotus flower blooming at dawn.

Her long auburn hair was braided and pinned up, and with the finishing touches of makeup and peach-colored lip cream, a stunningly beautiful woman emerged.

However, her face did not seem particularly bright.

“Are you unwell, my lady?”

Evelyn pondered how to respond to Merrilyn’s question.

It was true that she was not feeling well, but she didn’t know how to explain this symptom to herself.

At first, she only had the occasional cough, but today her body felt as limp as a wet cotton ball. As a result, she had barely managed to get out of bed.

‘Why is this happening…’

She wondered if it could be that the past few days of worrying about Dyffrin have taken a toll on her body.

The day before yesterday, after finishing dance practice, she had parted ways with Dyffrin on an awkward note, and the next day, when she tried to approach him, she only received short replies.

Naturally, they hadn’t practiced dancing since then. Although she could dance reasonably well by now, his avoidance bothered her.

As a result, both her body and mind were not doing very well.

But she couldn’t say she wouldn’t go now, so when the clock struck six, Evelyn had to go outside.

Dyffrin was already seated in the carriage. Once Evelyn got in, the carriage departed for the imperial palace.

Fortunately, the cool night air seemed to have improved her condition a bit.

Entrusting her body to the rattling carriage, Evelyn looked out at the scenery. The streets painted in darkness were quiet.

As Evelyn quietly gazed outside, she turned her gaze to Dyffrin reflected in the window. He still seemed unwilling to say anything.

Accepting the silence, Evelyn mentally ran through the important people she might meet at the ball tonight.

First, there was Lady Oakley from the Earl of Loeom’s family. She was not just someone Evelyn “might” meet, but someone she “must” meet.

The reason for attending the social gathering was to meet her.

Lady Oakley, the daughter of the Earl, was a capable woman managing the Loeom Trading Company. Her business acumen was so impressive that the company was the only one to have survived and grown in power in the port controlled by the Marquisate of Pinford.

Befriending her could provide great assistance for the events to come. It could even help increase the alimony amount she would receive in two years.

Evelyn forcibly turned her hazy mind to recall the details of the original work.

‘And who else should I meet?’

Ah. She remembered another person she mustn’t forget.

If Oakley was an ally, then the person she just thought of was an adversary. An adversary who had returned from hell, eyes gleaming, wishing for her downfall.

It was Rachel Pinford. She was the young lady of the Marquisate who had an unrequited love for Dyffrin.

‘It’s a bit of a misnomer to call it unrequited love…’

Her actions were more akin to obsession than love. She was the kind of woman who would even make a show of hanging herself if it meant Dyffrin would listen to her.

That’s why Rachel was always lurking, trying to harass Evelyn through others.

Evelyn sighed softly, resting her elbow on the window frame and propping her chin.

‘Rachel… is a bit of a nuisance.’

Ignoring other people’s gazes would be enough, but Rachel was too aggressive and combative to be ignored.

She would surely try to undermine Evelyn again this time, using her minions.

However, since the pattern of her attacks was obvious, she wasn’t a particularly frightening presence.

Evelyn pushed aside her thoughts about Rachel.

The buildings of the imperial palace were now coming into view. They would be arriving soon.

Seeing the palace reminded her of someone.

‘Come to think of it…’

Since this is the imperial palace, Fenris must be somewhere around here as well.

But the chances of meeting him today were low. It had only been a few weeks since he was attacked, and he wouldn’t attend a royal ball hosted by Nosellerton.

The sound of a horse’s cry came from outside. Somehow, the carriage had already arrived at the main gate of the imperial palace.

When the coachman announced their family’s affiliation to the guards, the massive iron gate bearing the royal emblem slowly opened. The carriage entered the palace grounds at a reduced speed.

The palace gardens were beautiful. The flowers shimmered in the light of the lampposts, displaying a vibrant array of colors.

But Evelyn soon realized that was nothing compared to the lavish exterior of the imperial pavilion and the people dressed to match it.

As Evelyn momentarily lost herself in the sight of the people in front of the banquet hall, Dyffrin spoke to her for the first time.

“When you get out of the carriage, put your arm on mine.”

The first words he had spoken in a while were in a commanding tone. It didn’t sit well with her, but if she didn’t play the part of a doting wife, the rumors would once again spread throughout the capital, so she had to follow his instructions.

Evelyn got out of the carriage and placed her hand on his arm, linking. As Dyffrin stepped into the ballroom, Evelyn followed him inside.

With each step, she could feel the gazes of the people converging on them. To hide her embarrassment, Evelyn straightened her posture.

In contrast, Dyffrin’s expressionless face suggested he was quite accustomed to being the center of attention wherever he went.

As Evelyn and Dyffrin found their seats, people began to approach and greet them. They asked simple pleasantries and engaged Dyffrin in brief conversations, mostly about the current state of the empire or news of the Liwonoc Duchy.

Occasionally, they would compliment Evelyn’s appearance, but they didn’t go beyond that.

‘It’s rather fortunate…’

Her fatigued body and hazy mind seemed to have cleared up a bit, perhaps due to the tension.

Suddenly, the entrance of the ballroom became lively.

“Oh, she’s finally here.”

“As always, her beauty is dazzling.”

Someone who drew everyone’s gaze as if she was the main attraction of the ball entered.

It was Rachel Pinford.

* * *

Rachel, more elaborately adorned than ever, left her mansion.

The meticulously styled hair that took three hours, the embroidered dress specially made by harassing the designer, and the pearl earrings offered by the late jeweler – everything was perfect.

But the most perfect thing was her mood. Imagining Evelyn shedding tears in the crowded ballroom filled her with delightful excitement.

She wondered what thoughts would Dyffrin have, seeing that. Surely, he would regret marrying Evelyn and lament losing Rachel.

Barely containing her humming, Rachel entered the ballroom. Receiving the admiring gazes of the people, she surveyed the interior.

Finding Dyffrin was not difficult.

As expected, he was the most handsome man in the empire. His perfect face, impressive figure, and that noble aura.

Right beside him was Evelyn. She was quite pretty but not the kind of stunning beauty that drew eyes like Rachel did.

That’s why looking at Evelyn made her even angrier. She wondered what kind of luck did that wretched girl have.

But today, even looking at Evelyn didn’t make her feel too bad. She planned to resolve all her accumulated grievances in front of all these people.

Of course, she wouldn’t do it herself. Direct confrontation was for the unsophisticated.

She always had to watch the fight gracefully from a distance.

Rachel signaled to Karina, who was lingering near Evelyn.

Karina, a noble lady who usually followed Rachel, was often used by Rachel when she didn’t want to dirty her own hands.

Karina began to approach Evelyn as if starting her mission. Rachel picked up a glass of champagne from the table and leisurely watched the scene.

“Hello, Lady Evelyn.”

Following Rachel’s orders, Karina greeted Evelyn.

Evelyn belatedly turned her gaze to Karina, who had greeted her instead of Dyffrin.

Karina slightly bowed her head and introduced herself.

“I am Karina from the Viscount Thompson family. It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time.”

“Ah… Nice to meet you. I’m Evelyn Liwonoc.”

Karina glanced at the clock on the wall. She had to finish her task before the ball officially started.

Gulp. Nervousness made her fingertips tremble, and she clenched her fist slightly before finally speaking.

“Um… If it’s not too much trouble, there’s something I’d like to ask you, Lady Evelyn.”