FWTR Chapter 45

Chapter 45: The Fallen Chandelier

“I should have worn a wig like you, Lady Estelle. I was so focused on picking out an elaborate mask for the masquerade that I didn’t even think about it.”

Lady Brantz, the daughter of a viscount, removed her mask, sounding regretful as she admired Estelle’s wig.

“Lady Brantz, your hair color is already beautiful. It’s a warm green, like a summer forest.”

Estelle responded kindly, gazing at her green hair while secretly feeling relieved that she hadn’t chosen a green wig.

“Thank you for the compliment…”

Lady Brantz, despite having started the conversation, blushed with pleasure.

“Even though it’s a wig, it looks completely natural.”

“I agree. It goes perfectly with your blue eyes.”

Encouraged by these words, more people began approaching Estelle.

“Come to think of it, doesn’t the Duchess of Winchester also have platinum blonde hair?”

Liliana, realizing the slip, quickly jabbed Lady Brantz in the side to stop her from speaking further.

“I’m so sorry, Lady Estelle…”

“It’s fine. I chose this wig deliberately because it resembles my mother’s hair. No need to apologize. And thank you, Liliana.”

Estelle responded smoothly so that neither of them would feel awkward. Besides, Anna had already mentioned it, and she actually liked hearing that she resembled her mother.

“Your Grace, the Margrave.”

A soft yet composed voice broke through the murmurs.

Lady Charel, who had been watching with a gentle smile, finally spoke up.

When she addressed Estelle as *”Your Grace, the Margrave of Luenbien,”* the surrounding ladies gasped in surprise.

‘So they don’t know yet that I’ve inherited Luenbien…’

The Charel family owned a prestigious merchant guild, influential enough to supply goods to the imperial palace.

‘Considering Lady Charel is the heir to that guild, it’s not surprising that she already knows.’

However, Estelle could tell from the look in her eyes—Lady Charel was trying to win her favor because she wanted something from her.

This was something she had anticipated, so she wasn’t flustered, but she wasn’t pleased either.

“Since the masquerade has officially begun, let’s save the formalities for another time. Tonight, please address me as ‘Lady Winchester’ instead of the ‘Margrave of Luenbien’.”

Had she drawn a strict line, it would have dampened the mood, so Estelle kept her tone polite but firm.

“Understood, Lady Winchester.”

Lady Charel placed a hand on her chest in a graceful bow.

‘Great. I had just managed to get them to relax around me, and now she’s going to be all formal again.’

Estelle glanced at Liliana for help, and thankfully, Liliana understood immediately. She clapped her hands and threw open the curtain.

“Shall we head out and enjoy the ball? Everyone, let’s go!”

Just then, the deep notes of a cello filled the hall, signaling the start of the masquerade.

When Estelle whispered a soft “Thank you,” Liliana winked at her.

“No more ‘thank yous,’ Estelle. Just relax. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

They were already calling each other by their first names and thinking of each other as friends.

‘Friends…’

So Liliana felt the same way.

Estelle didn’t say it out loud, but she gently grasped Liliana’s sleeve as she linked arms with her.

Just then—

“Lilly!”

“Ah, Bibi! This masquerade is at least twice as fun as usual!”

Olivia approached, greeting Liliana cheerfully. However, when she saw Liliana linking arms with Estelle, her face stiffened—just for a brief moment.

It was so fleeting that only Estelle noticed.

‘Olivia must dislike me because of Michael.’

Estelle had seen the way Olivia looked at Michael on the train. It was the unmistakable gaze of someone in love.

“Lady Winchester, thank you for coming. I apologize for not greeting you sooner—I didn’t recognize you with the wig.”

Olivia’s excuse was unnecessary; it was clear she had recognized Estelle right away.

“Not at all. Thank you for inviting me. I’m having a wonderful time.”

Once she married Michael, she would be seeing Olivia more often. There was no need to create unnecessary tension—it would only make things more exhausting.

‘She’s also Liliana’s cousin, and Michael has close ties with the Marquis of Aslan.’

Suddenly, Olivia called over all the sorority members who had been scattered around the room.

‘What is she doing?’

Curious, Estelle watched in silence as Olivia gathered the group.

Once everyone was assembled, Olivia began discussing the acquisition of a religious estate.

“I want to invest in the Miher Mine. What do you all think?”

“It’s not a bad choice. But I think the Eod Mine is a good option too. I just have a good feeling about it.”

“Last time you said you had a good feeling, we all invested together and ended up with nothing but losses.”

Olivia, who had been smiling throughout the conversation, subtly glanced at Estelle. When she saw Estelle’s calm expression, her eyebrow twitched slightly, as if finding it strange.

‘Bringing this up so suddenly… Is she trying to make me feel left out?’

Estelle had known from the start that these kinds of discussions were common in this sorority—it was why she had joined in the first place, to build her personal wealth.

Liliana, unaware of this, had once explained to Estelle that the group casually invested in mines as a hobby.

‘Which mine was the one where diamonds were discovered…?’

To her recollection, neither the Miher Mine nor the Eod Mine yielded anything valuable.

‘Tarshan Mine. That was it.’

The group had suffered heavy losses from the first two mines, only to strike gold—no, blue diamonds—when they finally invested in the Tarshan Mine.

“So, are we going with the Eod Mine?”

“Isn’t the Miher Mine a better choice?”

Even now, Estelle hadn’t completely blended into the sorority.

‘But if I suddenly insist on investing in the Tarshan Mine just because I ‘know’ the future, no one will listen to me.’

No one would follow a claim without evidence.

‘Then I’ll just have to prove it through results—without letting them take any losses.’

Estelle leaned toward Liliana and whispered, asking her to act surprised.

“Is that really true?”

Even without knowing why, Liliana played along perfectly.

“Why? What’s wrong, Liliana?”

“What did Lady Winchester say…?”

The ladies, who had been debating their own opinions, all turned to Estelle.

“Well, I’m not sure if I should say anything… I don’t know if it’s my place.”

“Of course, you can! You’re part of the sorority too, Lady Winchester.”

“You should invest with us, too! So, what’s your opinion?”

When Estelle deliberately hesitated, curiosity flickered in their eyes.

“I think we should invest in the Tarshan Mine instead.”

“Lady Winchester, even though we do this as a hobby, we don’t want to lose money.”

Olivia subtly pressured Estelle to stay silent.

“I simply shared my opinion like everyone else.”

Estelle wasn’t looking for a fight, but Olivia’s attitude was beginning to test her patience.

“…Of course, you have every right to voice your opinion as a member of this group. But since it’s your first time, I meant that perhaps you should observe before contributing next time.”

Olivia added with a cool smile.

“Is that so? It just sounded as if you were saying that my choice—the Tarshan Mine—was a guaranteed loss.”

Estelle mirrored Olivia’s expression with a similarly composed smile.

“Why are you acting like that, Olivia? It’s not like we’ve never taken losses before.”

“Exactly. No one can predict what kind of gems will be found in which mine.”

Liliana and the other ladies stepped in to diffuse the tension.

“If that’s the concern, then I’ll take full responsibility for the investment in the Tarshan Mine. That way, no one else has to worry about any losses. But if anything valuable is discovered, we’ll split the profits equally.”

The prospect of a risk-free gain made the ladies perk up their ears.

‘The blue diamonds will be mined there anyway.’

And considering the wealth Estelle had inherited from Count Madel, it wasn’t even a risky move for her.

“And if the mine requires further maintenance afterward, we can share those costs together.”

“We all know you’re a Winchester, Lady Estelle, but isn’t this a bit much?”

Olivia pretended to be concerned, but her words carried a hint of condescension.

“No need to worry about me, Lady Aslan. Before being ‘the Lady of Winchester,’ I am ‘the Margrave of Luenbien.’”

“Well, since you’re willing to shoulder the losses yourself, I suppose there’s no reason to object. Who’s still interested in investing in the Miher Mine with me?”

Olivia turned to the ladies who had initially expressed interest in Miher.

“I’m feeling thirsty, so I’m going to grab some wine.”

Lady Charel, who had never seemed particularly invested in the Miher Mine, used thirst as an excuse to slip away toward the refreshment table.

On that table sat a three-tiered cake.

‘How did my older brother know about this?’

Perplexed, Estelle kept her eyes on the scene.

That’s when she noticed it—the chandelier above Lady Charel was shaking.

“Move!”

Without thinking, Estelle bolted forward and pushed Lady Charel aside.

“!”

The chandelier barely grazed Estelle before crashing onto the floor.

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