CHAPTER 65………………….
Evangeline let out a sigh, utterly exasperated.
“Are you really blocking me without even recognizing me? Don’t you know who I am?”
The knight standing in her way replied with an expression as stiff and unyielding as ever.
“I know very well, Lady Ruth, daughter of the Marquis.”
Only then did Evangeline realize that the knight in front of her looked familiar.
‘Isn’t this the knight I saw in Delphinzar?’
Indeed.
The one blocking her path was none other than Sir Beltaine.
He had just been given strict orders by Hillia that morning to guard the entrance meticulously.
“Guard the entrance closest to Artanus Hall yourself at the Empress’s palace.”
“Yes, ensuring that no one trespasses…”
“No. It’s a banquet. We can’t let anyone in or out indiscriminately.”
“In that case?”
“Check the invitations thoroughly. Let no one in without one, and let anyone with one enter freely.”
As she spoke, Hillia gave a mysterious smile, as if she had anticipated this very situation.
Sir Beltaine simply followed the order to the letter.
“Step aside immediately!”
“That is impossible. Only those with invitations may enter.”
Their scuffle was about to escalate when the door of Artanus Hall opened from the inside.
A woman in a deep green dress stepped out, just enough to catch their attention.
The moment Evangeline saw her, her face contorted with fury.
“Does this maid really think she can act so boldly and survive?”
Every word dripped with gritted teeth.
Evangeline looked as if she wanted to rush forward and grab Annie by the hair.
But Sir Beltaine blocked her path, making that impossible.
Annie, as if flaunting or teasing, spun gracefully, showing off her dress.
It was a uniquely beautiful gown: a skirt embroidered with golden rose vines over dark green velvet, topped with thin cream-colored Watteau pleats cascading from shoulders to floor.
Excessively extravagant and refined for a mere maid, it was a design that belonged to the guest of honor.
In fact, Evangeline herself was meant to wear it, having prepared a gown of equal quality to deceive Hillia.
But now, seeing a maid wearing it, Evangeline was being compared unfavorably, and her fury was inevitable.
Moreover, there was another reason her anger flared.
‘What? It’s the same design, so why does it look so different?’
Madame Philern was equally shocked.
‘It was supposed to look sloppier and less attractive than Evangeline’s dress!’
Having personally seen Hillia’s alterations during the fitting, she couldn’t believe it.
‘It’s the same design, yet the maid’s version looks prettier and more elegant?’
Other attendants thought similarly, though they kept silent.
The dress Annie wore had been perfected over the past three days by Lady Solenu, Frida Wess, to improve it as much as possible.
As a designer, Solenu excelled in the details, and her skill was now fully evident.
After the final fitting three days ago, Hillia didn’t discard the dress.
Instead, she asked Solenu personally that evening:
“Can you make this dress more elegant and refined with your skill?”
When Solenu understood the reason, her eyes lit up.
“I will make it more beautiful and perfected than her dress, absolutely!”
She volunteered to work through three nights, and her boast became reality.
Annie smirked at the enraged Evangeline.
‘She tried to insult our Lady with this dress, and now she’s the one humiliated. What a sight.’
Even though it was nearly the same design, Annie’s dress was clearly more beautiful than Evangeline’s.
She couldn’t help but feel proud.
Annie also held her head high, wanting to enjoy the sight of Evangeline’s furious expression.
Evangeline shouted fiercely.
“Step aside at once! Or punish that insolent maid yourself!”
“I am simply following my master’s orders.”
The faithful knight stood firm.
Annie leisurely watched Evangeline’s tantrum and produced an invitation from her pouch, gold-embossed with a pink ribbon.
Madame Philern immediately recognized it.
“An… invitation?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Annie waved the invitation brightly.
“Looks like your uninvited guest might need this, doesn’t it?”
Gritting her teeth, Evangeline snapped back.
“Your master ordered you to give it? Then hand it over and disappear before I tear that dress to pieces!”
Annie gasped in mock fear.
“Oh my, how frightening. But our Lady didn’t actually give any orders about the invitation. It’s just too scary. Should I be on my way?”
She spun around without hesitation.
At that moment, Evangeline couldn’t restrain herself.
“Can’t you stay there?!”
Annie chuckled and turned.
“Why do you ask, Lady Ruth? Do you need something?”
“….”
Evangeline’s pride wouldn’t allow her to beg a mere maid.
But she had to get inside Artanus Hall.
And to enter, the invitation was indispensable.
Especially now, with Madame Philern as the perfect witness.
‘I have to get in to tarnish Hillia’s face in front of Arpad.’
She glared at Madame Philern with a murderous stare.
Though slightly embarrassed, Madame Philern slowly approached Annie.
“You… remember me, right?”
Annie’s expression turned ice-cold.
“Of course. The opportunist who fawned beside our Lady and suddenly attached herself to Lady Ruth overnight.”
Madame Philern’s face turned ashen from being insulted by a maid.
But she couldn’t back down now.
“The invitation… will you give it to me?”
“Oh, but haven’t you already taken several?”
“That… well…”
She couldn’t admit that she had intended from the start to tear them all up.
“Oh, did you just forget to bring it?”
“Y-yes.”
“Oh dear, I didn’t expect your memory to be so poor. What a problem.”
Annie chattered on, feigning concern, then accidentally dropped the invitation.
It fluttered to the ground right in front of Sir Beltaine.
“!”
Annie smiled brightly and turned away.
“Now that the invitation is given, I’ll take my leave.”
With Annie gone, Madame Philern gritted her teeth but had no choice but to kneel slightly.
Evangeline snatched the invitation roughly from her hands and strode toward Sir Beltaine.
“Here, your precious invitation. Step aside at once.”
Sir Beltaine, having seen Annie tease and then hand over the invitation, remained stiff and impassive.
Only after thoroughly checking every detail of the invitation did he move.
He was a true stickler for rules.
Clang!
Finally, the spear blocking the doorway was removed.
Evangeline glared at Sir Beltaine.
“Remember this face.”
“Do as you wish.”
He did not care at all.
Evangeline tried to brush past him by bumping his shoulder, but the armored knight didn’t budge.
‘Tch!’
Her frustration boiled over as her plans kept failing.
It felt as if the world itself were mocking her.
At that moment, the attendants waiting at the entrance began to call out with enthusiasm.
“Countess of Kessling. Countess of Morel. Viscountess Philern. Lady Isilia….”
They paused deliberately before calling the last name.
“…And Lady Ruth, daughter of the Marquis. Entrance!”
“……!”
Evangeline glared at the attendant, her face burning with shame.
The announcement seemed like a mockery, or a proclamation of her defeat.
Evangeline composed herself.
‘It’s fine. Still fine. I haven’t lost. I can recover.’
She still held many cards.
‘I’ll ruin this banquet by making a fuss about the dress!’
And before that, she could mock the entire atmosphere of the banquet.
Hillia would never pull off a proper banquet.
‘Besides, the hall must be empty anyway.’
All invitations distributed through Madame Philern had been burned in her fireplace.
The key figures of the capital’s social circle were now attending the Empress’s ball.
Of course, Artanus Hall would be empty.
Even if that thing in the sky earlier was a real dragon, that fact didn’t change…
The moment the doors opened, Evangeline’s eyes widened in shock.
“What… what is this?”
The hall was bustling with people.
