CHAPTER 36
Banquet (2)
In the end, the banquet was not cancelled.
My first thought upon waking up was: I don’t want to go. After everything that happened last night, it was embarrassing to even look at Rupian’s face. I wasn’t used to this new level of closeness. My lips and ears still tingled with the remnants of last night. I must have blushed at least ten times already.
But of course, none of that mattered—because I had work to do.
It was the day of the banquet. The official start of my revenge.
Though I tried to act as usual, I couldn’t ignore the butterflies in my stomach. The pressure weighed on me like a rock.
It had to succeed. It had to end here.
“You’re beautiful.”
I hadn’t expected a compliment from him the moment I stepped out.
Rupian, who was waiting for me outside the door, stared intently at me without hiding his expression. His violet eyes sparkled under the sunlight. I knew I had dressed up more than usual, but the straightforward compliment was… strange.
“Do I look that different?”
“Very.”
I tilted my head.
The truth was, I had tried to look as mature and seductive as possible. It wasn’t my usual style, but if I was going to carry out this plan, I needed every advantage I could get. I’d even applied the perfume that Dior had sent me before.
The scent was subtle but intoxicating. Rupian’s brow twitched as if he recognized it.
“Dior?”
“…Yeah.”
He didn’t say anything more, but I could feel his disapproval.
That made two of us. I wasn’t thrilled about it either, but it had a purpose. The scent was tailored to stimulate desire. Dior must have had quite the intention behind sending it, but now, it was simply part of my strategy.
To lure out the prey.
“Let’s go.”
I extended my hand first.
Rupian looked down at it for a moment, then intertwined our fingers naturally. His hand was warm and familiar.
“Thank you… for last night.”
A whisper barely louder than breath. He didn’t respond, but his fingers tightened slightly around mine.
The banquet hall was filled with more people than I’d expected.
All the noble families were gathered, including those I hadn’t seen since I was a child. Faces blurred by time looked at me with a mix of curiosity, confusion, and disdain. But no one dared say anything aloud—not with Rupian by my side.
Every step I took felt like walking on thin ice, but I wore a smile.
Everything had to go smoothly.
And then I saw him.
Dior Agnes.
Leaning against a marble column, he looked relaxed, but his eyes locked onto me the moment I entered.
He pushed off the pillar and began walking toward me.
I felt Rupian’s grip on my hand tighten again.
“Ellie.”
His voice, calm and composed, still sent a chill down my spine. Dior stopped just in front of us, his gaze moving slowly between me and Rupian.
“You look stunning.”
“Thank you.”
I replied smoothly. This much interaction was still within the plan.
Rupian, on the other hand, remained silent, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
“I hope you saved a dance for me.”
I smiled.
“I think I might have.”
Dior smiled back, satisfied, and walked away.
Rupian turned to me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. Jealousy? Annoyance? Fear?
“You really plan to go through with it.”
He wasn’t asking. He already knew.
“Yes. Tonight.”
He didn’t argue, didn’t try to stop me. But he also didn’t let go of my hand.
“I’ll be watching.”
That was all he said.
As the banquet reached its peak, the hall glittered with gold, laughter, and clinking glasses.
And then, the signal came.
One of the attendants discreetly handed me a note. The handwriting was elegant.
“Greenhouse. Midnight.”
Dior.
Perfect.
I placed the note in my sleeve and made my way across the room, pretending to enjoy small talk. As the clock neared midnight, I excused myself and slipped away from the crowd.
The corridor was silent. The only sound was the echo of my heels on the polished floor.
When I arrived at the greenhouse, the heavy scent of flowers hit me first. The air was warm and humid, and moonlight poured in through the glass ceiling.
And there he was.
Dior stood in front of a rose bush, his back to me.
“You came.”
“You called.”
He turned, and his expression was more serious than I had ever seen it.
“Are you really here for me?”
I stepped closer, the soft click of my heels echoing between us.
“I came to end this.”
His eyes widened slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“This game. The lies. Everything.”
He stepped forward, but I raised a hand.
“You knew, didn’t you? About what happened to my family.”
His expression froze.
“You lied to me for two weeks. You played the perfect suitor, pretending to care.”
“Ellie, I—”
“Save it.”
My voice was calm, but my hands trembled.
“You were part of it. All of you were.”
Dior took another step, but this time his voice was desperate.
“I didn’t know they would actually go that far—”
“But you knew what was happening.”
“…Yes.”
He finally admitted it.
That was all I needed.
Before he could react, I reached into my sleeve and pulled out the small vial Rupian had given me. A fast-acting paralytic—specifically made for nobles who might resist magic.
One drop was enough.
With practiced ease, I tossed it at his face. It shattered, the liquid splashing over his skin.
Dior gasped, clutching his throat.
“You—”
I stepped closer and whispered:
“This is my revenge.”
As he collapsed to the ground, eyes wide with disbelief, I felt nothing.
No guilt. No regret.
Only a cold, hollow satisfaction.
