Chapter 7

The cruel time passed by helplessly.

With less than two weeks left, all of my actions, which tried to avoid the debutante somehow, did not work with my mother at all.

〈 Mother, I don’t have a dress to wear to the debutante ball. What should I do? It’s a pity for this year, but next—! 〉

〈 Don’t worry. I’ve already prepared everything. 〉

〈 Mother, after the debutante, I wouldn’t be able to avoid marriage… though I want to spend more time with mother and father. 〉

〈 Lia, I want to see you meet, be loved and live with a good man. Besides, just because you’re married doesn’t mean you’re not my daughter anymore, doesn’t it? 〉

…My mother was like a shield that could never be penetrated. There was no change in her attitude, in spite of the fact that I had been pushing without skipping a day for two weeks.

Lily, who saw me coming into the room, trudgingly suggested after witnessing the constant rejection every day.

〈 If the Young Lady doesn’t want to do that, why don’t you pretend to be sick? If the Young Lady’s not feeling well, I think the Madam would delay your debut. 〉

To be honest, I also thought that if I pretended to be sick, my mother would delay my debutante without saying anything as well. Though when I remember her praying to God after touching my forehead every night for the past year, it was too much.

“There’s nothing I can do. Then, Plan B—to just sit quietly in the corner and leave first as soon as the ball is over.”

For that reason, I was forced to attend the debutante.

As I entered the venue where the ball was held, my eyes widened.

As if to comfort my heavy steps since I left the mansion, the ball at the Imperial Palace was more magnificent and splendid than any other party.

The melody of a beautiful stringed instrument tickled my ears, and colorful lights twinkled above my head. In the center, there was a fountain with cute little angels carved, along with finger food and sweet champagne were delighting the guests’ mouths throughout the venue.

The nobles, who stood around in groups, stared at each other with side eyes, boasting their own beauty.

I raised the corners of my lips as I watched these people.

If someone asked me what the life of an extra young lady was like, I could answer in one word—

—It was the life of Adelia Blaise.

Even if I attend the biggest party, the debutante dance, which was held in Lian as a young lady who was making a debut, it was still difficult to get a single glance.

“…Still, I’m completely satisfied.”

A life where no one cared whether I drank the third glass of champagne or not, or whether or not I get the fourth soft pudding from the banquet hall!

This is the life of an extra, Adelia…!

In the extremely satisfying situation, I hummed softly. Yes, maybe I have been overthinking my presence! How could my death be the beginning of the novel?

I sipped champagne while standing against the corner of a wall of the ballroom. With a slightly relaxed mind, I was waiting for the last ceremony of the party to arrive when I could suddenly hear a whispering voice from the side.

“Who will have the last dance of this debutante ball?”

“Isn’t it Evelyn? Evelyn had last year, and even the year before as well.

“Ha… If it’s Evelyn this year, too, is she going to have the last dance for all the three years she attends the debutante?”

I could hear the chattering of the unknown extras standing next to me.

At that, I shook my head at the sight of the women rolling their feet as if they were disappointed. I guess they had not realized how good an extra’s life was. After all, it was best to live a long and healthy life.

Lost in a train of thoughts, I swung around the empty glass and glanced at where Evelyn was.

Evelyn Black.

Rival in love with Irene. She was the daughter and young lady of Marquis Lautner Black, the final villain of the novel. Her moonlit, silver hair and obsidian-studded eyes were attractive enough to catch the attention of all the men at the ball.

It was a given…

“Dear Marquis Evelyn Black, will you please give me the honor to dance with you?”

It was already the fifth dance request.

“I’m sorry, Sir Graham. I am not feeling well today.”

And, it was the fifth rejection.

“As expected, their lives are already busy even though the novel hasn’t even begun yet because of the villain and the female protagonist’s connections…”

I already feel exhausted just by seeing the men gathered around her.

I gazed at Evelyn, who was suffering her hardship because of the author’s set value, and slowly placed an empty champagne glass down next to me.

“Well, shall we have one more drink?”

And so, I walked toward the table in the center of the ball, glancing at the people around me.

My hand, as I tried to pick one of the champagne glasses from the champagne tower, frozen at the unfamiliar face that had just entered the banquet hall.

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