Chapter 49
One hour earlier, in front of the Mingsen Count’s mansion.
“It’s not about being the one asking for information—you’ll be the one giving it.”
“…What? Me? Giving it?”
At the cryptic words, Liriana tilted her head in confusion.
In her previous life, Helene had read The Completed Proposal. Naturally, she knew exactly what kind of dress Lady Angelina would wear to the debutante ball.
No—she knew more than that. She knew every single thing that would happen on that day.
Helene nodded leisurely and said,
“I already know what kind of dress Lady Angelina will wear.”
“H-how could you possibly know that, Stepmother?”
Even Liriana, as Angelina’s chief maid, had no way of knowing.
The debutante gown was a top-secret matter—known only to Lady Angelina herself, the maids she brought with her, and the designers.
“Well… I can’t tell you in detail, but I happened to learn about it. It’s solid information, so all you need to do is trust me and follow what I say.”
Helene brushed it off vaguely.
“Yes, I’ll do as you say.”
Liriana was curious, but she assumed her stepmother had her own reasons. She decided not to pry further.
“Alright then—good luck!”
Helene called out as Liriana once again prepared to head toward the Mingsen estate.
Though she acted as if nothing was wrong in front of Liriana, Helene herself couldn’t help but worry whether this strategy would truly work.
After all, the entire plan depended on just how well Liriana could win people’s hearts.
“Is that really true?”
Cecilia asked again, her eyes filled with doubt.
If those words were true, she would no longer have to suffer the nightmare of wearing the same dress as Angelina.
“…Yes, of course.”
Liriana replied without hesitation. She had come to fully trust Helene, and thus answered confidently.
“Then… could you tell me? If there’s something you want in return, I’ll reward you generously.”
Cecilia knew all about Liriana—how she was the daughter of a fallen count’s house.
Even though Liriana had become Lady Angelina’s chief maid, Cecilia still considered her beneath her.
For that very reason, her pride made it difficult to ask her for anything. A part of her even suspected that Liriana had come here to sell the information.
“N-no, I don’t want anything like that.”
Liriana waved her hands in refusal.
“And it’s not fake information or anything like that! I just… I sincerely want Lady Cecilia’s debutante ball to go smoothly, that’s all.”
Realizing that giving away information for nothing might invite suspicion, Liriana hurriedly explained herself.
Cecilia’s face remained unreadable.
She had heard plenty about how the capital’s social world was full of schemes and tricks.
Could she be making fun of me just because I’m from the countryside?
Cecilia remained doubtful.
But Liriana didn’t falter in the face of Cecilia’s cold demeanor. She continued calmly,
“We’re peers, making our debut at the same ball. I don’t want to see you caught in some misfortune…”
“…I wouldn’t back down for just any lady, but… Lady Angelina is troublesome indeed…”
Cecilia studied Liriana carefully.
Those clear green eyes didn’t look like they belonged to someone lying. Deciding she might as well take the gamble, Cecilia nodded.
“…Fine. Then tell me.”
At Cecilia’s request, Liriana leaned closer and whispered the color of Angelina’s gown.
“…How bold. A daring choice indeed…”
Cecilia let out a quiet murmur of admiration.
It was a completely different color from her own, which was a relief. But to choose something so striking—it was just as the rumors said: Lady Angelina was no ordinary girl.
“Isn’t it? I never would’ve imagined she’d choose that color.”
“But I won’t be outdone either! For my gown, I’ve already ordered two hundred carats of sapphire to match it perfectly!”
Realizing what she’d just blurted out, Cecilia gasped and covered her mouth.
Relieved that Angelina’s gown wouldn’t clash with hers, she had carelessly revealed her own color.
“…Blue, then? I think it’ll suit you beautifully, Lady Cecilia!”
Liriana’s pure admiration made Cecilia blush.
“…T-thank you. If you’d like, I could even show you the completed gown once it’s ready.”
Buoyed by Liriana’s reaction, Cecilia couldn’t resist the urge to show off.
“Ah… I’d really love that, but unfortunately I have an appointment today. Could you invite me again another time, Lady Cecilia?”
Liriana’s genuine disappointment showed clearly on her face.
And so, Cecilia felt no offense at all.
The two arranged to meet again soon. Cecilia even resolved that, when Liriana next visited, she would make sure to serve her the specialty scones of the Mingsen family’s head chef.
“Stepmother!!”
As soon as Liriana stepped through the gates of Count Emeldia’s mansion, she eagerly called out for Helene.
Just as Helene had said, she had managed to find out the other girls’ dress colors.
At first, she had planned only to mention Angelina’s gown, so others could avoid clashing with it. But captivated by Liriana’s charm, the young ladies themselves had willingly confessed their colors—sometimes even sharing their worries with her.
At this rate, she might learn every single girl’s dress color before the week was out.
And more than that—she had unexpectedly built friendships with the debutantes who would be standing alongside her.
The thought of attending the ball together with them filled her with delight.
“You’re back. So, did everything go well?”
“Yes! Just as you said, the young ladies listened to me so easily—it’s like magic! And I think I’ve even made a friend.”
“That’s wonderful to hear.”
At that moment, a distant memory surfaced in Liriana’s mind.
When her mother had still been alive, young Liriana used to chatter daily about everything that had happened.
The warm gaze of Rebecca, her mother, was so very much like Helene’s now.
“By the way, isn’t it time you start preparing for your own debutante ball? The Grand Duchess suggested that I should serve as your chaperone and oversee your preparations.”
“You’ll prepare my debutante ball, Stepmother?”
“…Why, would you dislike that?”
Worried, Helene asked cautiously.
The role of chaperone was entrusted only to the person one trusted most.
If Jayna had been here, she would have done it. Helene feared that Liriana might not be pleased with her taking on the role.
“No, it’s not that… I’m glad, actually…”
But contrary to her words, tears welled in Liriana’s eyes.
“What I mean is—it’s such a relief that you’re here for me, Stepmother.”
The happiness of making her debut was shadowed by the sorrow that she could not share the news with Jayna and April.
The vast mansion felt unbearably empty and lonely with only Helene and herself inside.
Her mother and father had died young, but Jayna and April had always been there by her side.
Now, their absence left a painful void.
The only reason she could bear it was because Helene was here.
“…Don’t worry. Jayna and April are doing well, I’m sure.”
Helene finally understood why Liriana had looked so sad.
And she felt the same.
If Jayna and April had heard the news, they would have been overjoyed.
But… were they truly well? Helene couldn’t help but worry about her two daughters.
Jayna, the Crown Prince, and their knights had now passed through a village and entered the dense forests of Ikellang.
It was the place where Phemos had last been sighted—meaning it was also the last place from which anyone had returned alive.
The deeper they ventured, the stronger the tremors they felt through the ground. The knights exchanged wary glances, tightening their grip on their weapons.
The vibrations in the earth grew heavier.
The sound of trees snapping rang unnaturally loud.
And then, beyond the thicket, a towering wall seemed to block out the sky.
“…That’s…”
Even from afar, the giant Phemos could not conceal his enormous body.
His skin was dark and scaly like a serpent’s—hardened, reddish, and rough. Though he stood on two legs like a man, he was no human.
His nose was squashed, his nostrils flaring.
His jaundiced eyes gleamed like those of a snake.
His mouth, far too wide, was filled with sharp teeth that reeked of rot, as if soaked in the stench of carrion.
The soldiers, struck dumb with terror, could only stare.
Phemos looked around, plucking animals from the underbrush as casually as one might snatch cookies from a jar.
This time, he seized a wild boar, crunching it whole between his teeth.
Fur, hide, and blood clung to his jagged fangs like tattered rags.
They had known he was a monster, but never imagined something so vast, so horrifying.
“H-how are we supposed to kill that…?”
At the very back, the youngest soldier, Merland, stumbled backward in fear.
Sensing his master’s terror, even his horse began to whinny in panic.
“W-we’re all going to die!”
Overcome by dread, Merland pulled hard on his reins.
The horse’s shrill cry split the air.
Hearing it, Phemos turned his head.
Spotting the humans, the giant monster began lumbering toward them with earth-shaking steps.
Ruihardt’s instincts screamed at him—
If he hesitated for even a moment, the consequences would be irreversible.
