~Chapter 76~
If the fools in the East avoided him, then the Count had no choice but to go where people wouldn’t avoid him.
So the Count visited Marquis Radon, the man who knew the capital’s society best among the eastern nobles.
The Marquis, who always laughed while taking any drink or gold handed to him, said,
“What? You want me to get you into the capital’s society? Isn’t the eastern society good enough? Why go all the way there?”
He dodged the request with excuses, then finally said,
“You’re foolish. If I had the power to influence the capital’s society, why would I have come down here to the East?”
The Count had wasted what little fortune he had to impress him, so it drove him mad.
“You ate and drank everything I gave you, and now you spout nonsense!”
The Countess tried to comfort her husband gently, as usual.
“Still, isn’t it lucky? At least we didn’t marry Charlotte off to such a braggart.”
“What? Did you just say that?”
Bang!
The Countess shrank back. She couldn’t deny she was guilty, since she had helped cover Charlotte’s secret vice instead of correcting it.
Fortunately, something soon lifted her shoulders again.
It was an invitation from Marquis Blansia—famous across the Empire.
“Husband, we must go.”
“I know.”
Whether he sent it by mistake or on a whim didn’t matter. Opportunities to enter the capital’s society didn’t come often.
“…Let’s prepare right away.”
The capital was overflowing with nobles gathered for the Founding Festival.
Since it was rare for nobles from all over the Empire to meet, anyone with the means tried to attend.
Each region’s society had slightly different cultures and fashions. Since this was her first entry into the capital’s society, the Countess wanted proper clothes, but sighed.
“What kind of price is this…?”
Every boutique asked for outrageous amounts. Even tailoring one dress wasn’t easy.
In the end, she had to settle for altering her old dress—though the cost was still many times more than in the East. Tears welled in her eyes.
‘Once we enter and gain a place, things like clothes won’t matter…’
Suppressing her resentment, she barely managed to enter the Imperial ballroom.
But compared to the nobles in splendid clothes, she and her husband looked shabby.
Even the Count, who normally didn’t care much for clothes, felt embarrassed.
Still, he came to his senses faster than his wife.
“Don’t just stand there. Find the Marquis. This is the time to greet him.”
“Y-yes, you’re right.”
Even if the Marquis planned to use them, they could use him too.
But the ballroom was so crowded they couldn’t find him. They didn’t even know his face.
Time slipped away until—
“The glorious sun of the Empire, the true ruler of Arzantium, His Majesty the Emperor enters!”
The chamberlain announced the Emperor’s arrival.
At Imperial events, nobles had to stop everything and greet him.
Everyone stepped aside to clear the central path. The Count and Countess followed quickly.
Between the bowed nobles, the Emperor strode in.
He wore ceremonial robes instead of party clothes—yet still dazzling.
He went straight to the dais and looked down at the nobles.
“Thank you for attending.”
The nobles bowed and turned their heads toward him.
“As you know, the Founding Festival honors Emperor Aklaus’s achievements. But repeating the same history every year is boring, so I’ll skip it. No one here is ignorant of our history.”
Laughter rippled through the hall.
Emperor Isabel was young and disliked stiff traditions, which made him popular among the younger nobles.
“I think it’s more valuable to honor the living than the dead. History is still being made. So I cannot forget to praise a loyal subject’s achievements. Grand Duke Armin, come forward.”
Armin stepped out and bowed before the Emperor.
“The Grand Duke destroyed the Pakule tribe who seized Mount Aule, won victory against the Kingdom of Fernian, and freed Marmunsen from useless royals…”
His military accomplishments never ended.
“For your service, you are awarded 100,000 gold coins, the Karlorum mine in the West, Lake Arzitem, and the Marmunsen territory. Continue to serve the Empire.”
The rewards were enormous.
Armin gave a short thanks, looking almost indifferent.
But the Emperor wasn’t finished.
“And now, I must also share joyful news. The Grand Duke has found a partner to spend his life with. As sovereign, I must celebrate this.”
The curtain on the dais’s left side was drawn.
A young lady in a white dress appeared, like a debutante.
Her face wasn’t clear yet, but Armin’s wide smile was. He looked utterly happy, a man drunk on love.
“As you may know from the palace incident two weeks ago—or perhaps some of you don’t—I introduce her now.”
With Armin’s escort, the young lady descended the dais.
Her fine dress and diamond necklace sparkled under the chandeliers.
The Count and Countess gasped.
They expected a noble young lady of the capital, someone they didn’t know. But instead—
“Her name is Bella Rohiltern. Soon, she will take the Imperial family’s name.”
Why?
“Why is it you…!”
How could Bella appear there?
In front of unfamiliar nobles, my nerves vanished quickly.
Because among the crowd, I saw two very familiar faces.
‘Did I see wrong?’
Why would the Count and Countess of Rohiltern be here? They had no place in the capital’s society.
But I checked again during my waltz with Armin. The slow steps let me glance around.
‘…They’re really here.’
Both of them, glaring at me with faces twisted in malice. They clearly had business with me.
I thought they would cause a scene like before, but they stayed still.
‘Ah… they’re scared of Armin, aren’t they?’
Truly people who bullied the weak and feared the strong. They hadn’t changed in two years.
Their clothes looked poor. The Countess wore old jewelry I had seen in the East, and her dress was obviously patched with lace.
So they hadn’t been destroyed as in the future I saw, but they weren’t living well either.
“Are you alright, Bella?”
Armin’s voice pulled me back—I hadn’t noticed the music had ended.
“Yes, I’m fine… no, I feel a little dizzy.”
The Count and Countess clearly wanted to meet me. Whether they came all this way for me, or changed their target after seeing me, they wanted to confront me alone.
‘Then I must settle it here.’
I didn’t want them near the Grand Duke’s house, so I laid a trap.
When Armin brought me to the balcony to rest—
“Could you bring me something to drink? I’ll feel better with a sip.”
I sent him away with a harmless excuse.
“…Bella?”
In less than a minute, the Count and Countess appeared.
“Ha, I couldn’t believe it—but it’s true!”
“You dare to reach for a place beyond your station, just like your mother!”
Their faces twisted with jealousy as soon as our eyes met.
So I answered in kind.
“Hmm, who are you again?”
