CH 15

Red flowing wavy hair.

Amber eyes that sparkle with clarity.

A woman who’s not satisfied until she gets her hands on whatever she wants.

Diana Kellus.

The social world begins with her breath and ends with her smile.

“You can’t just call someone like Princess Kellus.”

“She is the one and only Princess of the Empire.”

The young ladies scoffed at my origin.

Obviously, Flotty was a princess, too, so to speak to me like that was demeaning.

How ridiculous I must have been in their eyes.

“Tell me who I am.”

“…….”

“Yeah, you. Why don’t you tell me?”

At best, a ducal lady is held in higher esteem than I am.

The castle of Bevenia is long gone from me.

My life of trash has been wiped clean since I met Grand Duke Noctis.

“Who do I look like?”

The women exchanged glances.

Probably saying to themselves.

‘She’s not only stupid, she’s also got a dirty temper, right?’

‘Yeah, well, she’s dirty, and she’s seduced the Grand Duke with her dirty body.’

I could feel the coldness in her ugly rat-colored eyes again.

The ugly underbelly of things that love to look down on others and trample them underfoot.

‘What would you do if the likes of you were the Grand Duchess?’

‘You’ll be worse than Princess Kellus.’

I almost chuckle at the childishness of it all.

“Bevenia…….”

“No.”

“…….”

“Say it again. Who am I?”

“…You are the Grand Duchess of Noctis.”

“If you understand, bring me Princess Kellus. This is your last chance.”

I had neither the time nor the heart to deal with these nuisances.

All I wanted was to give them a warning to stop bothering me.

The reason I came to the capital was not to deal with these sissies.

“You asked for me, Grand Duchess.”

One of the loud-mouthed women in front of me brought Princess Kellus.

The princess exuded confidence as she strutted up the stairs.

‘What if you were the Grand Duchess?’

Her set jaw seemed to say.

“You are the Princess of Kellus?”

“Diana of House Kellus.”

A regal, cultured tone.

But she never bows her head.

Her posture is perfectly haughty and arrogant, from her straight back to the way she stares down at her opponent.

‘Look at that bitch’s personality. Arrogant.’

I didn’t need to see it to know.

That she wasn’t going to bow down nor apologize to me for anything.

“I don’t know why you’ve summoned me out of the blue, because I have nothing to say to you.”

Princess Kellus was shameless, like someone who had come to enjoy the banquet only to have it ruined.

Why did I call you?

I called you because you’re the leader of these nuisances.

“Ha.”

I laughed, making a deflating sound, and the women who thought I’d lost to the princess began to giggle.

“I was just wondering who would put in the effort for something so childish and time-wasting.”

I stood in front of the princess, stepping on the wine that soaked the floor.

She was unnervingly nonchalant, and somehow I didn’t want to let her get away with it.

“I’m afraid that some of you here have been rude to Your Highness, by the way.”

With a cheerful snap, the princess’s fan folded.

The feathery trim rustled with a graceful gesture.

“That is not the reason you have summoned me, Your Highness.”

“You have your eye on the crown princess position, Princess.”

“……W, what!”

“Alas, you’ve been trying. I don’t know if anyone here knows.”

“…….”

“Why doesn’t the child who danced with the crown prince last summer make an appearance?”

My ability, which I now had more freedom to use than before, showed me a gray scene again.

A grand imperial ball was held for the anniversary of the founding of the country.

The affectionate crown prince notices a young lady who hasn’t been asked to dance by anyone.

They danced, shared a laugh, made eye contact

“I’m sure you know why.”

That night, after a severe cut on her face, she refused to leave the house.

After the ball, the carriage returning to the manor overturned in the middle of the road, and a sharp dagger sliced across her face.

“Can this be the reason I called for you?”

“Your Highness, what the hell…….”

Princess Kellus’ face was a sight to behold.

I should have laughed this off before the banquet began.

But now that I’ve seen the ugly parts of her hidden from the rest, her teeth started chattering.

“Princess Diana Kellus.”

“…….”

“As long as you don’t bother me.”

I bent my upper body and leaned in close to her.

I kept my voice as low as I could, so the others wouldn’t hear.

“I won’t even tell anyone that your father beats you every day.”

The princess stroked the wound that lingered inside her fine dress.

Her hands trembled against her weary complexion.

She must have had a hard life under her conservative and vicious father, I thought with pity.

“Stop being a bad girl.”

I knew she had made it a goal for herself to be the crown princess to escape her father.

But enough with the pity.

Just because she’s had an unhappy life doesn’t give her the right to hurt others.

“Well, I look forward to seeing where you go from here.”

I walked past the princess, who stood there with her mouth open, unable to speak.

No one grabbed me.

There was no childish stamping of feet.

After all, these women are just like the handmaidens who follow Princess Kellus.

“They’re so childish, I can’t look at them.”

[Tsk tsk……. I don’t see any sane people around here].

“That’s not something you should say to me, old lady.”

You’re the one who made yourself look like a weirdo by sticking right next to a normal person.

[Don’t be too hard on that child just now.]

“What did you say? Didn’t you see what she almost did?”

I could have been soaked in wine from head to toe.

[Poor thing, being beaten and crawling all over because of her father.]

“So that’s what I’m supposed to do, get beaten up by my father, and then harm everyone else?”

[Whatever… not a word, this one].

I wanted her to shut up, so I gestured for her to go away.

“Now don’t talk to me. It’s annoying.”

[Hngh, do whatever you want!]

I hadn’t said anything wrong, but she walked away in a huff.

I felt angry and resentful.

I forgot all about sophistication and physical pain as I walked down the stairs in a huff.

“She must have stolen a fortune and seduced Grand Duke Noctis.”

“The same Princess Bevenia who was too ashamed to come out.”

“Otherwise, why else would that Grand Duke marry her?”

“Exactly, she survived on the possessions her family left behind in their hasty escape.”

“Goodness……. If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to step foot outside the mansion.”

Backstabbing and shameless.

I could hear the voices of the nobles, excited to talk about someone else.

It’s been only one day.

It’s my first time stepping into the social circle, my first time meeting nobles.

And yet, I’m already disgusted with the people in the room.

One down, one to go.

“I’m exhausted.

The banquet was about to begin, and I didn’t want to cause a scene.

Instead of running down the stairs, I leaned against the wall and waited for them to finish.

“Is it a hobby of yours to talk about others all the time?”

Until I heard a familiar man’s voice.

***

[Denver’s POV]

The chattering nobles reached Denver’s ears.

Though the Grand Duchess had never revealed that she was a Princess of Bevenia, everyone knew.

Her dark purple hair and graying silver eyelids made it clear that Floaty was the famous Bevenia’s disgrace.

‘Worthless humans.’

How noble were they born for them to degrade others?

Even as Denver left the palace, they were busy biting this way and tearing that.

‘A toothless lion, pushed aside in a pecking order.’

‘No wonder since he’s not the firstborn.’

‘The Empress Dowager’s son doesn’t seem to have any intention of leaving.’

It had never occurred to him to try to overtake his older brother, Entry, to become emperor.

They are good brothers and were too busy looking out for each other.

“Bastards.”

In Denver’s eyes, the chattering nobles were like insects.

As soon as Flotty was out of earshot, they began to talk as if they’d been waiting.

“He may have left the palace, but he is still a noble, that Grand Duke Noctis.”

“And what a beauty he is. Princess Bevenia does know a fountain when she sees one.”

“Who knows, maybe she was born cursed and survived by whimpering?”

“How horrible are those dreadful rat-colored eyes!”

“But at least she has a fair face, so I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.”

He thought of Flotty’s gleaming silver eyes.

Eyes that seemed so ordinary, yet shone brighter than anyone else’s when she used her mystical powers.

“Is it a hobby of yours to talk about others without even trying?”

Vapid, inadequate humans, he could just ignore them.

But why bother?

As Flotty descended the stairs with a tired face, she stopped and leaned against the wall, sadness filling her shining silver orbs.

What could have caused her to step forward with such a different heart?

“Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”

“How have you been?”

To a bunch of insignificant humans, he could only shake his head in disbelief.

He wondered why he even bothered.

“I see you have nothing to discuss but spreading rumors.”

Denver’s gravelly voice froze the air around them.

The nobles couldn’t understand for the moment.

Surely, they thought, there must be some sort of deal between Denver and Flotty.

“Your Majesty, it’s not like that…….”

“If that’s not the case, I’d like to know why you’ve been badmouthing my wife.”

“…….”

The loudmouthed nobles shut up, as if premeditated.

So be it.

Why bother with anything but this?

Denver smiled coldly and turned to the poor woman hiding at the bottom of the stairs.

“Flotty.”

He couldn’t see her face, but her hand gripping the railing trembled slightly.

“Come here.”

His voice was gentle, but there was a hint of exhaustion in it.

“Where have you been, I’ve missed you.”

Denver’s eyes curved into half moons as he welcomed her.