I spoke with a tone that resembled teaching a child.
“I have never intervened between Ares and you. Perhaps Ares feels distant because he’s behaving appropriately in those circumstances. Haven’t you heard rumors about Ares and you?”
“Rumors are just rumors. Besides, Ares and I have already clarified everything.”
“If it’s just verbal clarification, who would believe it? Ares wants to prove that those rumors are untrue, but you keep spreading them without understanding the situation, so he had to step in reluctantly.”
Leia looked somewhat shocked.
With a slightly angry tone, I continued.
“So, understand how difficult you’ve made it for Ares because of you. I never wanted him to distance himself from his friends just because I’m his lover. But you’ve made it inevitable.”
“Ares and I were originally such innocent friends!”
“Maybe you were innocent, but you lacked consideration.”
“The same goes for Young lady. She could have been generous to ensure the friendship between Ares and me remains!”
I smiled wryly at her.
“I can’t be generous when it comes to other women hanging around my man.”
“Hanging around… that wasn’t my intention!”
Leia exclaimed, clearly feeling unjust.
It seems she might feel a bit unfairly treated. Perhaps she really did want to help Ares. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love him.
Anyway, the attention we were getting from people seemed sufficient. At this point, I felt it was alright to let others hear why I was confronting Leia, making sure to cover my lips with the fan to amplify my voice.
“Would you care to explain then? Knowing Ares and I were together, why did you secretly approach him late at night to ask to be his partner at the event?”
Revealing each detail of her missteps seemed worthwhile.
The surrounding people started murmuring in surprise. They likely thought Leia had approached with malicious intent, not understanding the basic etiquette that one can attend a ball as a partner even without an invitation. It was hard to believe she didn’t know this, having debuted in high society for some time now.
As expected, Leia’s expression turned pale as people around us began to murmur loudly. She replied in a faltering voice,
“I really just wanted to help Ares…”
Somewhere nearby, Metis chuckled under her breath. Although her chuckle was a bit too loud.
“How can we trust that statement? What urgent business did you have to secretly visit Young Lord’s house late at night?”
Voices agreeing and adding fuel to the fire echoed around.
“It all makes sense now!”
“Exactly! Ho ho…”
Thanks to Leia’s slip, her “hidden intentions” spread among the crowd like wildfire.
Leia looked around with a bewildered expression.
“Leia.”
I called her calmly. She turned to me with a defiant look.
“I can no longer be friends with you. Please don’t address me in that way anymore.”
“…Alright, Lady Saturnos.”
I accepted her declaration of ending our friendship. At the same time, I realized.
This was the “pivot” of the novel. Just like in the original novel, the moment Leia, who had been my friend, now began to perceive me as a hostile “villain.”
Oh, Writer, this is the development you enjoy, isn’t it! It seems this novel is clearly heading towards being a “travesty” from Leia’s perspective.
You, Writer, said you like “travesties.” Could there be a more “travesty” romance from Leia’s perspective? She intercepts the man she loves from her friend and even goes so far as to prevent them from remaining friends. Our protagonist Leia is now clearly rolling under the influence of the “villain” called Bianca Uranos!
It’s not necessary for the events leading to the “pivot” in the novel to precisely match those in the original novel, as I learned definitively during last year’s cherry blossom festival.
What’s important is that the “pivot” eventually happens.
…And thus, the remaining time of my life’s clock has been shortened a bit.
As I was lost in thought for a moment, suddenly a loud announcement rang out.
“His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress, accompanied by Princess Ariel, have arrived!”
The music stopped, and everyone bowed respectfully towards the imperial family. Leia and I also bowed to greet them.
The Emperor briefly delivered a speech.
“I am pleased to inaugurate this year’s Spring Festival gala with grandeur. May everyone enjoy the festivities.”
As the music resumed and people returned to enjoying the gala, it was now time for me to meet Princess Ariel. However, there was no need for me to seek her out.
“Leia!”
Truly a tear-jerking friendship, isn’t it? Princess Ariel rushed towards Leia, who was visibly upset.
“I greet Princess Ariel.”
I politely bowed, offering my respects to her. Upon hearing my greeting, Princess Ariel did not respond.
Truly a classic move! Feeling embarrassed just by bowing slightly and bending my waist, I’m not that foolish. If this scene were described by the “Writer” in the original novel, perhaps the Writer needs to expand their imagination a bit.
“…Please rise, lady Uranos.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
After a while, Princess Ariel reluctantly acknowledged my greeting. I responded with a faint smile and a composed expression.
She immediately attended to her friend.
“Leia, were you crying?”
“No, no, I wasn’t. I didn’t cry much…”
Leia’s eyes reddened as she responded like that. It was a clear sign to anyone that she had been crying.
Tsk tsk. They say if you want to hold back tears, you actually have to open your eyes wider, Leia Saturinos.
Princess Ariel turned towards me. Now, the person I was facing had changed from Leia to the princess.
“Lady Uranos. I’d like to ask what exactly happened.”
“If you’re curious, are you asking why someone like me, who didn’t even receive an invitation, attended this reception?”
Before she could pull Leia into the conversation, I swiftly brought up the main topic. Before discussing Leia, there were matters we needed to resolve first. I had made up my mind to dress up like this today just to discuss that matter, so it would be disappointing if you didn’t listen.
Princess Ariel seemed momentarily tongue-tied. However, she soon composed herself and responded, more experienced than Leia, promptly opening her mouth.
“Still, seeing you attend like this, it seems Lord Stanley took good care of you.”
“I almost had my partner taken away by Leia Saturinos, but thankfully he considered my situation and declined.”
Hundreds of question marks seemed to appear on the princess’s face.
Haha, it’s hard when close friends don’t see eye to eye like this. She was unaware of the trouble Leia had caused! Hmm, with this revelation, things might just resolve themselves more easily.
Not missing the princess’s bewildered expression, I chuckled and continued, feigning surprise,
“Oh, Your Highness, it seems you were unaware of the slight Leia Saturnos committed against both me and Lord Stanley! Upon learning that Your Highness had not ‘mistakenly’ sent me an invitation, Leia promptly requested Lord Stanley to be her partner before Your Highness could correct this ‘mistake.'”
Our surroundings buzzed with renewed gossip.
Somewhere, Métis was clearly stirring up public opinion again. Well done, Métis!
Princess Ariel barely managed to compose her expression and cleared her throat.
“I… see. While Leia Saturnos has a high reputation in society, it seems her discretion doesn’t match her fame. It’s quite a spectacle to see her pressuring a newly debuted figure like this.”
I smiled warmly and bowed slightly to her.
“So you wanted to blame my lack of discretion. That’s why you deliberately sent an invitation to our family…”
Before the discussion could shift towards Leia’s issues, I reminded the princess of the invitation matter that needed resolution between us.
It would be wise for you, Princess Ariel, not to dream of using Leia to distort this battle.
“Unaware of that, until today’s banquet, my parents and I waited for a letter with the royal seal in case you were late in sending the invitation. If I had known it, I would have immediately visited Your Highness and apologized for any wrongdoing.”
I tried to infuse as much earnestness into my voice as possible about waiting for the invitation, but I’m not sure if it was taken seriously.
Princess Ariel seemed to be struggling with how to respond. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke.
“If Young lady realizes her mistake, that’s enough.”
Before Princess Ariel could wrongly accuse me, I quickly interjected,
“I was not as generous as Your highness would have liked, so I could not just ignore the young lady Saturnos who asked my lover to be her partner, but I warned her. I should have been more tolerant and tolerated whatever rudeness she committed….”
“….”
Princess Ariel shut her mouth for a moment.
It seems she’s considering how she can save Leia while also justifying herself.
I wanted to burst into laughter. Princess Ariel must have thought she would encounter me at this party and prepared herself accordingly. However, there was one hole she didn’t anticipate—her close friend, Leia Saturnos.
Surely Princess Ariel had no idea that Leia had requested a partner from Ares. But as I continued to linger on this issue, any strategy I had carefully planned would have been wasted. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a reason to hesitate in the presence of such prey.
Eventually, Princess Ariel made up her mind and spoke to me in a dignified tone.
“Understood. Then, I will convey to our parents that Your Highness wishes to extend ‘special’ leniency towards Viscount Saturnos. Once they understand Your Highness’s intentions, they will surely comply.”
“I just wanted to point out that the Lady of Uranus seems to be demanding too much etiquette from the Lady of Saturnos, who has just entered the social world. If you realize the meaning of my not sending you an invitation, I hope you will refrain from doing so in the future.”
I responded in a meaningful tone. It wasn’t just me that the princess didn’t invite, it was our entire family.
Then, the surrounding nobles who understood the meaning of my words began to stir. If the Marquis Uranus family, who paid enormous taxes to the imperial family and exercised considerable influence, had to bow to the Viscount Saturnus family, who were from a mere local lord, then it goes without saying that other families with lesser power than ours would also have to do so.
