Chapter 77
“Your dress is really beautiful.”
“Yes.”
“And the ornament in your hair… is it silver?”
“Yes.”
I only answered her questions, and Bella smiled silently before speaking.
“This is your first time at a debutante ball, isn’t it?”
The young ladies around Bella covered their mouths and snickered quietly among themselves.
I stared up at Bella.
‘That’s strange.’
In my head, Lady Larien’s words replayed automatically, words she had drilled into me over and over.
“Being that naive, you’ll only be a helpless prey in this ruthless social circle.”
At that moment, I didn’t fully understand, but now that I had come to the debut, I felt I understood what she meant.
‘Yes. I really was a naive fool.’
As evidence, I had no clue why Bella and the other young ladies were approaching me.
Lady Larien had said that every approach and greeting would have meaning.
“Your eye color is beautiful.”
“And your hair, too. How does it shine so brilliantly?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
In a way, it seemed like these young ladies just wanted to be friendly with me.
I let my guard down and nodded, just as…
“In fact, I brought a corsage today that will go perfectly with your dress.”
Bella’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, and one of the other girls behind her held something out.
It was a simple corsage decorated with a red ribbon and silver beads.
My expression stiffened.
“This… Lia doesn’t need—”
“Here.”
But Bella forcefully pinned the corsage to the front of my dress.
I frowned and looked up at Bella.
Now I fully understood her intention.
‘A red ribbon corsage.’
This ornament was a kind of ticket granting entry to the palace party.
The problem was, it was something only commoners—non-nobles—used.
“It’s not pretty.”
I stiffened and tried to remove the corsage Bella had attached.
But the short pins held it so firmly to the fabric of my dress that it wouldn’t come off.
“Why? It suits you so well! Don’t you all agree?”
“Yes! It looks like it was always part of the dress!”
Giggles burst out among the girls.
They had subtly surrounded me, and I realized Sharon Abner had already disappeared from sight.
A trembling voice broke through my unease.
“Lia, let’s go.”
“Already leaving? We just greeted you.”
Bella bent forward annoyingly.
“Then, while we’re at it, I’ll put another corsage on the left side. Having one on each side would look more balanced, wouldn’t it?”
Another young lady, as if waiting for this moment, brought another identical corsage.
“You’re the developer of that amazing medicine, so at least two should be pinned on.”
“Ahaha!”
The girls laughed again.
I clenched my fists and glared at Bella.
“…I’m not putting it on. I’m taking this off too!”
“Then try to take it off.”
Bella smirked, raising one corner of her mouth teasingly.
I groaned and tried to remove the corsage, but froze in place.
Upon closer inspection, something shiny surrounded the silver pins.
‘Glue.’
I frowned in disbelief.
Seizing the moment, another young lady grabbed the hem of my dress.
“If you don’t want it, should I put the other one here?”
“Don’t!”
I shook her hand off and tried to step back.
“Ah!”
I stumbled as I collided with someone.
Turning, the first thing I saw was sparkling green eyes.
“The youngest one!”
Immediately, another voice followed.
“I told you not to go alone! There are too many people; it’s dangerous.”
I backed away stiffly, step by step.
A boy approached and scooped up the young girl who had bumped into me.
“Are you alright, Hiana?”
Hiana.
The pink-haired girl I collided with was Hiana.
And the boy holding her was Prince Lewis, the third son of Longton.
My brother from my previous life.
I stiffened with tension and turned my body.
I could feel Bella looking down at me with a curious expression, but I wobbled forward anyway.
With every step, the corsage on my dress jiggled.
‘I have to get to Sharon Abner…’
Even in this chaotic moment, I felt frustrated.
‘I came here boasting to Lady Larien that I wouldn’t be ignored.’
In the end, I hadn’t been able to fight back against Bella’s group at all.
I couldn’t scratch them, nor spill my drink on them.
‘And now I even ran into Hiana and Lewis…’
My heart pounded wildly.
Just as I was about to fully escape their group, a childish voice rang from behind.
“Hmmm, I want that too.”
I turned to see Hiana staring intently at Bella while clinging to Lewis.
“Hiana wants one too! Give it to Hiana!”
Bella’s face paled in shock.
“Y-Young lady, that’s…”
She glanced around at the other girls for help.
But no one spoke up.
“What the… come to think of it, that’s a corsage for commoners.”
Soon, Lewis noticed the corsage pinned to my dress and frowned.
“Why did they put that on Miss Abner?”
Lewis put Hiana down and strode toward me.
I hesitated and stepped back, but Hiana moved faster.
She crossed in front of Lewis and pressed herself close to me.
“Wow, there are two pretty ones! Hiana wants one. But… hmm?”
Hiana’s eyes widened as she examined the corsage pinned to my chest.
“It’s glued!”
Her voice was so loud that the surrounding area fell silent.
“Who stuck glue on the ribbon? They got glue on the pretty lady’s dress?”
Lewis sighed as if he expected it, and Bella and the young ladies turned pale.
Soon, someone arrived in the crowd, having heard the commotion.
“What’s going on?”
The Empress Dowager.
She widened her eyes the moment she saw me.
“My child!”
Her gaze slowly fell on the corsage pinned to my dress.
Her mouth closed in surprise, and anger quickly appeared in her eyes.
“Who did this?”
The Empress Dowager looked around, commanding the area with a cold tone.
“I asked, who is responsible for this?”
While the Empress asked again, Sharon Abner approached with a pale face.
She scooped me up and held me close, hiding the corsage on my chest and dress.
“…It’s alright. Let’s remove it immediately. Good thing you brought your new dresses.”
I hesitated but nodded.
Sharon Abner gently stroked my hair to soothe me.
“Just because someone mocks you in a lowly way doesn’t mean you become lowly too. Remember that. Do you understand?”
“…Yes.”
“Are you upset?”
I quietly buried my face in Sharon Abner’s shoulder.
And murmured,
“A little…”
“There’s no reason to be upset. If you get upset over such petty tricks, then that’s the real loss.”
“Yes!”
I tried to answer firmly and nodded.
Then I glanced at Bella’s group.
They were still trembling in front of the Empress Dowager.
“Did these young ladies really have to do this to a five-year-old who hasn’t even officially debuted?”
“E-Empress Dowager…”
“There’s nothing as useless as birth! And yet, you humiliated her over something so trivial? This child has contributed greatly to the royal family and even received a gift from His Majesty today!”
Bella bit her lips while clutching her skirt.
Sharon Abner added, still holding me,
“It’s not like she’s better than my granddaughter in anything except birth.”
Her heavy, dignified voice commanded everyone’s attention.
“Even if it’s about birth, I have to hold onto it just so I don’t look completely worthless.”
“Mi-Miss Abner!”
At that moment, someone pale ran over.
Bella’s face contorted as she saw him.
“Father!”
The man shielded Bella with one arm and looked at Sharon Abner and me.
“You call her worthless? Aren’t you being too harsh?”
The Empress Dowager sighed deeply, pressing her hand to her forehead.
The man continued,
“It’s just kids fighting. Even adults shouldn’t lose their manners over kids’ quarrels.”
But Sharon Abner didn’t flinch.
She merely raised one corner of her mouth in disbelief and spoke coldly.
“Stop the nonsense, Marquis Howell.”
“W-What?”
“Since the unified era, our Abners have always led the charge on the battlefield, cutting down enemies. And now you’re talking about manners? Politeness?”
Marquis Howell closed his mouth, looking flustered.
“But manners? Politeness? To whom are you saying such naive things now?”
