I Was a Supporting Character

Since then, discussions about Leah Saturanos and Ares Stanley continued without interruption at the parties and salons I attended for the next few days. From their first encounter, the two of them caused quite a sensation, and given Ares Stanley’s cleanliness in matters related to women, the couple quickly became the talk of the town.

However, what surprised me was that there was more jealousy towards Leah Saturanos than I had anticipated. Honestly, I thought that as the female lead, she would be disliked only by the villainess, her romantic rival.

However, the ‘author’ of this novel was not meticulous enough, and characters like Metis—sorry, the minor characters who were not meticulously designed by her—had the freedom to express their emotions and thoughts. They consistently expressed that Ares Stanley getting involved with Leah Saturanos was overly extravagant.

Rumors suggest that the two spent quite a few days together, not unlike the day they first met. There were accounts of them taking a walk in the forest, sharing skewers affectionately at the market, and even tying ribbons with wishes written on them to a tree side by side.

Isn’t it truly astonishing? Being able to confidently experience all the romance that is essentially every woman’s fantasy, the blessings of the protagonist couple were undeniable.

As the invitation to the party hosted by Lord Saturanos approached the next day, I found myself in a dilemma. Should I attend or not?

A few days ago, when I met Leah Saturanos at the dress shop and she gave me the invitation, Ares Stanley, the gentleman, would undoubtedly appear as her partner.

However, setting aside my boiling emotions for the time being, when I considered whether there would be many guests at Lord Saturanos’s party, the possibility seemed unlikely. There was nothing as pitiful as a lightly attended aristocratic gathering.

I pondered the responsibility I, as the undisputed number one lady of society, should have. If there were troubled families present, I should at least step forward to preserve some dignity.

Furthermore, I hadn’t explicitly declined the invitation yet. If that were the case, I would implicitly be counted among the anticipated guests.

Yet, if I didn’t attend, I would overtly reveal enmity toward her and her family, much like the villainess in a novel.

I took a deep breath.

I am not a villainess. I will not die as a villainess. I will live as the epitome of elegance and grace in high society until the very end and gracefully fade away.

Even though I might witness Prince Stanley in front of me, standing affectionately by Lady Saturanos, like I watched in agony, I will not be swayed by the emotions fabricated by the ‘author.’ I will endure with dignity.

＊ ＊ ＊

The next day, I arrived at the Saturanos mansion a little earlier than the scheduled evening party as a guest.

A splendid carriage adorned with the crest of the Uranos Viscount stopped in front of the modest mansion of the Saturanos. I gracefully descended from the carriage, more lavishly adorned than ever.

Ah, my partner did not accompany me today.

Women of my social standing could attend a few gatherings without a partner without much consequence. Hehe, even so, I am an admired lady in high society.

As I entered the venue, to my surprise, the gazes of some people who had been in the rather dull gathering compared to other noble family events were all directed towards me.

They must have been astonished. They would wonder what connection I had with Lady Saturanos to attend such an event.

While exchanging brief greetings with familiar faces who looked pleased and surprised to see me, I located Lea Saturanos, the host of today’s gathering.

She was wearing the dress I had ordered from Madame Nix’s dress shop. Indeed, the combination of my taste and Madame Nix’s discernment produced quite a decent piece.

And, inevitably, Ares Stanley stood dazzlingly by her side.

I made an effort to hide the stiffening expression on my face with a sociable smile and greeted Lady Saturanos.

“Miss Saturanos, I appreciate your invitation to Count Saturanos’s anniversary party today.”

Leah Saturanos twinkled her eyes, clasped her hands tightly together, and exclaimed as if moved, “Truly, to have Lady Uranos grace us with her presence! Thanks to you, this event has become even more radiant! My father will be greatly pleased!”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” I responded briefly and greeted Ares, who stood next to her.

“It seems Prince Ares has also come. Thanks to you, the elegance of this event seems to have risen a notch,” I said with a simple greeting.

He smiled gently and nodded, “Is there such a thing as the elegance rising just because I’m here? However, ever since Miss Uranos appeared, the atmosphere in the hall has become quite lively.”

Ah, I hope that ceremonial compliment was sincere.

I felt a momentary twist in my stomach, but I didn’t show it outwardly.

Even with the appearance of Count Saturanos and his wife, the hosts of the party, the guests in the hall barely reached a hundred. It seemed that it would take more time for me to establish a proper position in the capital social scene.

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

Nevertheless, perhaps due to Lea Saturanos’s diligent distribution of invitations, there were quite a few young ladies and gentlemen of my age present.

…No, it seemed more likely that they were here to see Prince Ares Stanley. How did I know? Well, because all the young ladies’ gazes were fixed on Prince Stanley.

Furthermore, all the young gentlemen’s gazes were entirely directed towards me. Hmph.

While the party was in full swing, the inevitable initiation ceremony for those aspiring to enter the social circle had now come for Leah Saturanos as well.

The young ladies gathered around Prince Stanley and separated him, heading towards Leah Saturanos, who was standing alone.

I decided to observe the situation from a distance, holding a wine glass.

“You seem to have put more effort than I expected, Miss Saturanos. I thought the place would be completely empty.”

“For an invitation that lacks sophistication, the party is somewhat bearable.”

“W-Well…!”

As I anticipated, Leah Saturanos couldn’t properly respond to this kind of sharp comment.

The social circle was truly a battlefield without gunfire.

When a seemingly easy prey was thrown into the mix, there were many eagers to tear it apart, satisfying their twisted sense of superiority. There were even baseless malice and jealousy. It was common to see people harboring envy and resentment towards those who surpassed them.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t intervene here to help Saturanos.