Chapter 65
A white dress, a pink hair ornament, golden accessories. A delicate heroine standing by the illuminated lakeside. I perfectly mimicked everything, not letting my guard down for even a second, listening intently.
The sound of footsteps on the cobblestones made my chest tighten with anticipation, and the heat of the gaze on my back made the corners of my lips rise involuntarily.
――Just a little longer.
When the footsteps stopped and I waited without making a move to be spoken to, the voice that called out was lower and colder than I imagined. I briefly thought (Huh...?), gently pressed my hair down, paused at the angle that made me look the cutest, and then fully turned around.
A simple event where I just had to smile at Ludweek, who looked at me with passionate eyes.
Yet, it was a crucial encounter event for capturing the Crown Prince.
It was something I absolutely had to succeed in, above all else.
――Why? What happened...? Why!?
Standing where Ludweek should have been was, for some reason, the villainess Celestia.
"......Tch"
Watched by a knight, I returned to the ballroom. Relieved that the knight went back without tattling to my foster father, I bit my beautifully manicured nails in frustration over the failed Crown Prince event.
She already has status, money, beauty, a wonderful fiancé—she could've spared a little for me, couldn't she...?
I searched my memory for any other event where I could recover, but there was nothing. As frustration and anger welled up, tears began to form.
"Mirabel......?"
Maybe because I was standing near the terrace by the entrance to cool my head, a familiar face—a daughter of a lower noble—called out to me. I frowned for a moment, but quickly smiled to hide it.
"Margot......"
"You looked so beautiful I thought I was mistaken, but it really was you, Mirabel! It's been so long!"
"It has been a while."
I had completely forgotten that high-ranking nobles gather at the back where the royal seats are, and lower-ranking nobles gather near the entrance.
Margot is the second daughter of a baron family, and the girls with her are of similar status. I had interacted with them a few times back when I was still part of a baron family, before I became the adopted daughter of a count family.
"Everyone's been wanting to see you, Mirabel."
"Is that so? I'm happy to hear that."
Even though we were never that close, they boldly approached me and spoke casually to me—the daughter of the Rotisch family, which holds status equal to high-ranking nobles. It's obvious they're looking down on me just because I'm an adopted daughter.
"Hey, you became the adopted daughter of the Rotisch family, right?"
"I heard too! That's amazing, Mirabel."
"To become the daughter of a family deeply trusted by His Majesty the King—I'm so jealous."
The scandals and failures of high-ranking nobles are entertainment for lower-ranking nobles. Even the smallest things get exaggerated and spread.
"My foster father cherishes me very much."
As Margot and the others listened to me with sparkling eyes, I added a sorrowful expression and said, "But..."
"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
Pretending to be concerned, they eagerly begged for more gossip.
"Maybe... it's my fault..."
I didn't deny it, but I didn't affirm it either. I just whispered with tearful eyes and a downcast gaze, hinting that something was wrong.
"Could it be... you're not getting along with anyone in the count family except the Count?"
"You mean... Lady Celestia?"
I just gave a troubled smile to Margot and the others who lowered their voices to ask, and they jumped to their own conclusions. So easy.
"It's okay, we're on your side, Mirabel."
"She seems like she has a bad personality."
"She's just jealous because Mirabel is so cute."
Even though they've barely seen Celestia's face, this is what you call the price of fame.
This is what lower nobles are like—always surrounded by jealousy and envy. They believe what they want without any proof and harbor malice.
So, to amplify that malice, I need to feed them more.
"It's no wonder my stepsister gets angry... because..."
The sudden appearance of a stepmother and adopted daughter, a biological father who favors his remarried family, a fiancé from the marquis family who dotes on the stepsister—and in a fit of rage, she ran away from home to get back at them.
I didn't tell a single lie. I just described Celestia from my point of view.
"That's awful. It's not your fault, Mirabel."
"To think she's that kind of person... does she think she's a princess just because she's from a count family?"
Margot and the others will spread this juicy gossip even further, and eventually it will reach the high-ranking nobles.
As the rumors swell larger and larger, by the time Celestia comes of age, they'll become something truly splendid.
As I smirked, imagining what people would say about that girl behind her back, I locked eyes with a boy standing a few steps ahead.
Chestnut hair, brown eyes, and a face that looked fairly average—if I'm being generous, he's slightly above average. Compared to the Crown Prince and the others, not even worth mentioning.
But his appearance was quite refined, and everything he wore, from clothing to accessories, looked expensive.
If he's here, he must be the son of a lower noble...
After giving him a polite smile and turning my face away, I concluded he wasn't worth my time.
I would never associate with a lower noble, even as a joke. As I pressed my cheeks with both hands, thinking being cute could be troublesome, the average-looking boy stood in front of me.
"Excuse me."
Tilting my head slightly, I looked up and blinked, playing the role of an oblivious girl.
Would he ask for my name? Invite me to chat a bit? As I pondered that, I glanced at Margot and the others, who had suddenly quieted down. They were all blushing and giddy.
"Um, you're Billy Hewton, right...?"
As I watched the boy frown and nod at Margot, I muttered "Hewton," and the girl beside me leaned in close to my ear and explained excitedly.
While many nobles struggle with the enormous costs of maintaining estates, mansions, and vacation homes, the baron family of Hewton is renowned as wealthy investors and entrepreneurs. Despite being lower nobles, they're sought after by high-ranking families for marriage. It's also well known that the entire family dotes on their youngest, Billy, making him the ideal marriage candidate. I nodded along as the girl explained with enthusiasm.
In short, he's a golden egg, a money tree, right?
If he's that rich, it might not be a bad idea to have him on my side. Just like I do with Floyd, I gently reached out to touch Billy's arm.
"The Celestia I've been hearing about—would that be Celestia Rotisch?"
The question came in a slightly displeased voice. I stopped my hand mid-reach and looked up at him.
I've never seen Celestia being friendly with lower nobles before.
No matter how rich the Hewton family is, they're still just a baron family's youngest son...
"Did you hear me?"
As Billy grew impatient with the silence, I pretended to be scared and let my gaze wander. Margot and the others, eager to talk to Billy, enthusiastically began telling stories about the wicked older sister bullying her stepsister.
Even I found it a little amusing how many new misdeeds were added to the tale.
"So that's definitely about Celestia, right...?"
After listening silently for several minutes, Billy turned to me and asked as if to confirm.
If I said yes, what would he do to Celestia?
"......It's my fault."
I nodded slightly, as if delivering the final blow, and Billy let out a deep sigh, then said with open disgust, "A woman consumed by jealousy is truly ugly..."
Now that the Crown Prince event has failed, I need to gather useful people before entering the academy. Even if he's a lower noble, the baron family's son is highly regarded, so his friends should be decent too.
I felt hope that I might be able to use their family's connections to improve my standing with the Crown Prince and Second Prince, and once again reached out my hand to Billy.
To make Billy mine—a pawn that moves solely for my sake.
It was supposed to be an easy victory...
――Smack.
My hand, which had touched Billy's arm, was struck down so hard it made a sound. As if he'd touched something filthy, he brushed off the sleeve of his suit...
As we stood dumbfounded, not understanding what had just happened, Billy looked around at us with a sneer.
"Don't touch me. Your ugliness might rub off."
He spat words I couldn't even comprehend.