IDED | Chapter 106

Episode 106

Serena barely managed to suppress her laughter and shrugged her shoulders as she spoke.

“Calling your long-lost sister crazy? That’s quite a harsh way to talk.”

With that, she subtly opened a fan encrusted with jewels and waved it. It was a deliberate move to provoke Lydia, who was known for her vanity.

As expected, Lydia’s eyes filled with fury at the sight. The fan was among the priceless treasures that were so rare even the wealthy struggled to acquire them. It was no wonder Lydia’s anger flared.

The tiara especially annoyed her; it gave off the impression that Serina was the bride, making Lydia’s stomach churn.

“So, were you expecting me to greet you with laughter after seeing you like this?”

“And why shouldn’t you laugh?”

Even in worse situations, she managed to laugh just fine.

The more composed Serina remained, the more Lydia’s face contorted like a monster’s.

“A red dress for a wedding? Do you think this is some sort of ball?”

“I was considering wearing a white dress, but I held back.”

“What did you just say?”

Lydia trailed off as if she’d heard something utterly shocking. Noticing the curious stares of the other guests, her voice lowered.

However, she couldn’t completely hide the fiery tension in the air. Serena smiled slyly and asked,

“If you want, I can go change into it. I don’t mind doing that much.”

As Serena began to turn as if she would go change immediately, Lydia shouted in protest.

“No! Don’t you dare!”

As they continued their bickering, the announcement came.

“The ceremony is about to begin.”

Caught in a dilemma, Lydia clenched her dress in frustration and delivered one final warning before heading inside.

“If you dare change, you’ll regret it!”

‘The more she insists, the more I feel like doing it.’

Serina smirked in satisfaction, seeing Lydia’s frustration. At that moment, Azaid extended his hand, offering to escort her.

“My lady, allow me to guide you to your seat.”

His lips twitched as if suppressing a smile. Serena calmly placed her hand on his and replied,

“Alright, show me the way.”

Serena, now entirely accustomed to Azaid’s natural composure, casually walked to her designated seat and sat down. However, when she glanced at the seat next to her, she couldn’t entirely hide her surprise at the familiar face.

‘Why is Lady Greenwood here…?’

Even the seating arrangement seemed deliberate. It was evident they were trying to create a connection between her and Greenwood for show.

When their eyes met, Ophelia gave Serena a slight nod in greeting, though she looked somewhat drained. It seemed she, too, was dissatisfied with the seating arrangement.

Well, considering their complicated history, seating them together seemed inconsiderate, even if it was for the sake of formalities.

“Quite an extravagant entrance. It was entertaining amidst the monotony.”

“You arrived early, Lady Greenwood.”

Serina responded smoothly, and Ophelia shrugged. Azaid and Leonard, who were disguised as escort knights, watched Serena from a distance.

Though she maintained a bold front, the presence of a familiar face beside her and the remark about her entrance caused an internal ripple of awkwardness. After a brief silence, Ophelia broke the ice.

“You must not have been pleased. Judging by your outfit.”

Though Ophelia didn’t specify, it was clear who she was referring to. Her tone lacked mockery, but it carried a subtle curiosity. Serena shrugged and replied.

“I’ve endured enough. This is my way of letting it out.”

“Does it make you feel better?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Serena looked at Ophelia. Though Ophelia’s expression remained neutral, there was genuine curiosity in her gaze.

“Yes, it seems to have worked.”

Serena subtly glanced at the Baroness, who had gone pale. Ophelia continued speaking.

“Such acts of revenge are unbecoming of a noble.”

“But nothing clears a blocked heart quite like a bit of rebellion.”

When Serena retorted confidently, Ophelia hesitated. Was she stunned by Serena’s boldness, or was she at a loss for words? Judging by her expression, it was likely the latter.

Her face didn’t convey disdain for Serina’s actions but rather a mix of confusion and internal conflict.

‘Well, for someone like Ophelia, who’s spent her life catering to the Duke’s expectations, this must feel like an extraordinary breach of decorum.’

Serena recalled hearing that Ophelia had been the Duke’s pride and joy since childhood. Before the Prince’s Rebellion, she had even been engaged to the Crown Prince, who was destined to ascend the throne.

After her fiancé’s death and Azaid’s rise as emperor, Ophelia swiftly shifted her allegiance, courting him instead.

Her quick maneuvering gave the impression that without the title of Empress, her existence held no meaning.

Despite the whispers and criticisms, Ophelia remained the socialite darling of the aristocracy, primarily because of her Greenwood lineage.

But now that she seemed utterly adrift, what could Ophelia be thinking?

‘Does she hate me? Or does she feel like a ship lost at sea, drifting aimlessly without direction?’

Serena couldn’t fully grasp Ophelia’s emotions. It was even harder because she had never experienced the life of a noble.

“You must have an easy life, My Lady.”

Ophelia gave a self-deprecating laugh, as if her life had been nothing but a series of hardships.

However, Serena, who was enduring the repeated struggles of regression, couldn’t agree with that statement.

“Someone else’s life always looks like a comedy. But when you look closely, there’s no life that’s purely comedic.”

“Is there anything to be unhappy about when you get to do everything you want?”

“Happiness is something you have to claim for yourself. It doesn’t come for free unless you work for it.”

At Serena’s words, Ophelia’s eyes widened. A moment later, she bowed her head slightly, as if realizing she had misspoken.

“I misspoke. I apologize if I offended you.”

“I’ll accept your apology.”

When Serena smiled slightly, Ophelia responded with a matching smile. The soft expression was much more natural than her previously sharp demeanor.

‘Surprisingly, she’s someone I can have a conversation with.’

To be honest, Serena had thought of Ophelia as another spoiled noble lady like Lydia.

Her previous actions, including clinging to Azaid, had not left a good impression.

But in just a few days, Ophelia seemed to have changed—or maybe this was her true self all along. The Ophelia of today appeared subdued rather than obstinate.

‘She must be going through a lot.’

For some reason, Serena felt a little guilty as she stared at her for a while.

Her gaze naturally fell on Ophelia’s reticule placed on the table. It was a small handbag embroidered with a cat, a choice that seemed slightly out of character for Ophelia’s usual tastes.

“A cat…”

Unintentionally speaking aloud, Serena’s words made Ophelia instinctively cover the reticule with her hand. Her fidgeting fingers betrayed a hint of nervousness.

‘What’s with her?’

When Serena stared even more curiously, Ophelia opened the fan in her other hand and said,

“Stop looking at me like that. I know already.”

“Know what?”

“Well…”

Ophelia bit her lower lip, hesitating to continue. Serena blinked, confused, noticing something else that stood out.

‘Come to think of it, her style is a bit different today.’

Although Serena had only encountered Ophelia a few times, she had always thought Ophelia had a penchant for extravagant dresses.

Like a peacock flaunting its feathers during courtship, Ophelia always dressed in glamorous attire.

Serena still vividly remembered the balloon-like dress that caused a fiasco in Azaid’s study.

In contrast, today’s dress was not overly adorned with panniers, allowing Ophelia to sit and stand more comfortably. The pastel tones were calm rather than bold or flashy.

Compared to the other noble ladies attending the event, who had all dressed to impress in their own ways, Ophelia’s outfit was far less conspicuous.

‘Maybe she doesn’t feel the need to impress Azaid anymore?’

Although the glamorous dresses had suited her, the simpler outfit looked just as elegant.

In truth, apart from clinging to Azaid, Serena didn’t know much about Ophelia as a person.

Just then, Ophelia fiddled with her reticule and spoke bluntly.

“I know. Things like this don’t suit me.”

Huh?

Caught off guard, Serena quickly refuted with a puzzled expression.

“I never thought it didn’t suit you.”

In fact, it suited you so well that I couldn’t help but stare.

When Serena added this with a soft laugh, Ophelia’s eyes quivered faintly.

“You really just say whatever comes to mind, don’t you? Then and now.”

Though her tone was annoyed, she seemed more embarrassed than upset. Her face flushed, and she kept fanning herself while glancing sideways.

Finding this side of Ophelia unexpected, Serena casually threw out a question.

“Do you like cats?”

Reticules were typically decorative items for noble ladies, designed to match their tastes. Ophelia’s reticule, however, seemed to have put the most effort into the cat motif.

As the daughter of the Greenwood family, it was likely custom-made. Serena’s question stemmed from the assumption that only someone fond of cats would choose such a design.

However, Ophelia responded in a trembling voice, as if she had been caught off guard.

“N-not particularly. I just grabbed whatever was available.”

“You must have liked it enough to bring it.”

If it wasn’t to her liking, Ophelia would have likely discarded it.

“Well…”

Ophelia couldn’t come up with a rebuttal and trailed off. Seeing her discomfort, Serena murmured to herself,

“So, you do like cats.”