Chapter 78
“Lord Abner!”
Marquis Howell shouted sharply, but Sharon Abner barely acknowledged him.
Then, with a flick of his fingers, he easily removed the two corsages pinned to my dress and tossed them to the floor by Bella’s feet.
“If you want to talk about manners, you should have taught your daughter properly first.”
His voice was icy cold, yet carried an immense authority.
“Or would you prefer I teach her myself?”
Marquis Howell’s face turned ashen.
It was only after the Empress Dowager lightly tapped his shoulder twice, as if to calm him, that Sharon Abner finally looked away from him.
Judging by his expression, he was still extremely angry.
The Empress Dowager turned her gaze to me and asked,
“Child, are you alright?”
I could feel Bella staring at me.
I gave her a quick glance and then replied,
“I’m fine.”
“You’re brave, not even crying.”
“Ria doesn’t cry when there’s no need to!”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes widened.
“No need to cry?”
“I may be a victim, but I’m smart and sensible, so I don’t cry. If anyone should cry, it’s Lady Bella.”
Feeling everyone’s eyes on me, I quickly continued.
“Lady Bella has a bad personality and isn’t smart, and now everyone’s seeing it, so it’s her who should cry.”
At that, Bella truly burst into tears.
“Wha—what?! Trash?! You’re calling me trash?!”
“Lady Bella, calm down.”
“How can I calm down! Not just anywhere, but at His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday celebration, I was insulted like that!”
Bella Howell wiped her tear-streaked face frantically.
Her eyes were red, her nose running, yet she couldn’t stop crying.
“Sniff… and what did I even say that was wrong? That lady really is of commoner birth! Not just a commoner, but an orphan whose parents are unknown!”
“Yes, but she’s Lady Abner now…”
“Why call her noble? If it were that easy, then why would nobility even matter, huh?!”
“Lady Bella…”
Bella blew her nose into a handkerchief.
“Honestly, how many ladies could actually accept that lady as noble?!”
“……”
“They say I have a bad personality and I’m not smart! In front of everyone! How can anyone treat someone who doesn’t act like a noble at all as a lady?!”
The Howell family was one of the most prestigious in the empire.
They only arranged marriages with other historically notable families and had produced several empresses in the past.
As proper nobles, as proper ladies.
Having grown up hearing “as befits your noble blood,” Bella could not accept what had just happened.
“And the corsage wasn’t even excessive! Did we spill juice on her? Step on her foot? We only teased her a little with a corsage!”
“That’s true…”
The other young ladies nodded hesitantly.
Bella had a point.
A commoner, an orphan from an orphanage, had suddenly become Lady Abner.
Any young noble in the empire would have dreamed of that position, and now a commoner had taken it overnight.
Thus, it was expected that Annelia’s first imperial social gathering would not be entirely peaceful.
Even if she was only five years old.
“It’s ridiculous that everyone is welcoming her! This is an initiation, an initiation! Waaaah…!”
Though young, Bella led her own group of peers.
She had learned deft social skills from her mother, and her grandmother before that, which made her a leader among her peers.
Consequently, any young lady in the Taranta Empire knew her and wanted to join her group.
Bella assumed Annelia would feel the same.
“I came to the social circle to teach her properly, as a noble of noble blood! Why is everyone—”
The other young ladies fidgeted and handed Bella handkerchiefs.
Yet no one could tell her to stop crying.
The insult she suffered in the hall was severe.
“Even the Empress Dowager and Lord Abner know what it means! They’ve been in society before, so they understand how humiliating this is…!”
Bella’s voice, filled with anger and grief, grew louder.
Being called trash by Lord Abner wasn’t enough—she had also been insulted as having a bad personality and being stupid.
And by a commoner-turned-lady she had previously looked down upon.
Her father, Marquis Howell, had not even tried to defend her, which was a huge blow to Bella’s pride.
She gripped her skirts tightly, feeling her fury burn like fire.
“Miss. Don’t cry.”
Suddenly, a young voice came from across the room.
Startled, she looked up and saw someone.
“…Lo-Longton Lady?”
Luscious pink hair and green eyes.
It was Hiana Longton, the youngest Lady of the Longton family, recently restored by Duke Longton, standing before them.
Bella felt her tears instantly subside and jumped to her feet.
‘Did she come here to worry about me?’
Hiana was still young, but she was a Longton lady.
Being a true noble, she clearly knew whom to be close to in society.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Bella lowered her eyebrows.
“Lady Hiana Longton… how could you…”
She quickly formulated a plan.
‘It would be good to get close to Lady Hiana. The Longton family doesn’t get along with the Abners, so if I can include her in my group…’
Bella sent a look to the other young ladies, signaling them to step aside.
Reluctantly, they moved out of the way.
Once they were gone, Bella spoke, her voice trembling with emotion.
“Don’t worry about what just happened. You didn’t know that corsage was meant for commoners, right?”
“……”
“They wanted the corsage, which caused a little chaos, but I forgave them. Honestly, I’m a little grateful that you care.”
However, as Bella looked at Hiana with a composed expression, she suddenly noticed something strange.
Hiana had an odd expression—smiling, yet somehow a little chilling.
Hiana then spoke.
“Hm, you think I came because I’m worried about you?”
Bella blinked, flustered.
“I am worried. If that squirrel dares to mess with you again, I’ll bury her myself.”
Bella’s mouth slowly opened.
“…What?”
Hiana was tall and slender for her age.
Her figure was the opposite of Annelia’s, and her expression carried a cold, chilling impression.
Bella instinctively stepped back.
Hiana softly repeated her warning.
“Don’t you understand what I’m saying?”
Bella couldn’t respond.
Something was wrong.
Hiana had been the little lady begging her brother for a corsage just moments ago.
‘Two pretty ones!’ she had said, so naturally. Now suddenly…
“If you bully that squirrel, I’ll bury you in this society.”
Bella’s legs gave out, and she staggered.
Hiana suddenly grabbed both of Bella’s wrists and pulled her.
Startled, Bella tried to pull away, but Hiana’s grip was too strong.
“Don’t bully the squirrel.”
“Wh-what…?”
“Don’t do anything to her, no initiation or anything.”
“Th-That’s not—!”
“If you keep doing this, who knows what I’ll do. I could make you unable to stay in society. I could make sure no one is left around you—it’s easy for me.”
Hiana smiled faintly and released Bella’s hands.
Then she added gently, “Got it? Stay away from that squirrel. Not a single strand of hair should be visible to your eyes.”
“Hhh…!”
The moment Hiana let go, Bella collapsed to the ground.
Hiana watched her for a moment before turning and walking away as if nothing had happened.
“W-what just…?”
Bella muttered to herself, trembling and clutching the grass.
She was completely alone.
Thanks to having the other young ladies removed, no one had witnessed this at all.
“She’s… only five?”
The returning Lady Longton had reportedly just turned five a few days ago.
Meaning she was barely half Bella’s age.
“And yet….”
Bella still shivered from the overwhelming, chilling pressure she had felt when looking at her.
Hiana Longton was strange.
She did not seem like a normal five-year-old.
Bella wanted to report this to her father, Marquis Howell, but froze in place, unable to take a step.
