NMRJKM Chapter 107

 

“By the way, what are you doing?”

The noblewomen fanned themselves gently and smiled at me.

“What do you mean?”

When I asked, they replied.

“Isn’t it basic etiquette to greet someone of higher rank? Have you forgotten all social manners after spending so long as a sinner?”

Ah, I see.

So that’s why they came. They came to torment me.

“Oh dear, I almost forgot.”

I lifted the hem of my dress and gave a casual bow. A customary greeting.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

And I tried to leave nonchalantly. The flustered noblewomen grabbed me.

“Oh, no. Wait a moment, Ariadeline!”

Just as I was hurriedly passing by, a hand gripped my arm.

Whoa, I stumbled for a moment.

Thud.

I fell and sat down. The noblewoman who had grabbed my arm looked momentarily flustered, then quickly put on a smug smile.

“Oh my, I didn’t expect you to greet me this way.”

“Well…”

“Since you’re a sinner, even worse than a commoner, it’s only natural for you to kneel.”

I looked up at them and fell into thought for a moment. It seems you all have accumulated quite a bit while enduring Ariadeline’s temper.

I chuckled inwardly and gazed at the distance for a moment. How did you live, Ariadeline?

As I reminisced about myself, or rather, Ariadeline’s past, I suddenly heard the sound of clicking heels approaching.

“Oh my, what rudeness is this?”

“Ah, I’m sorry, I was just…”

Thinking I was blocking the way, I hurriedly tried to get up. But the hems of the surrounding dresses held me back.

“To pull someone down and then laugh instead of apologizing?”

Huh, I recognized that voice from somewhere.

When I looked up, there they were.

‘Dorothy?’

“Indeed. I’ve never seen anyone so rude until now.”

“Ariadeline, are you okay? Oh no, did you hurt your knees?”

“My goodness, you’re leaving wounds on others’ bodies so nonchalantly. You’re quite frightening.”

Dorothy and her friends!

I gaped and looked up at them. One of Dorothy’s friends, a girl with red hair, helped me up.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Huh? Oh, thank you.”

Dorothy stood at the front, facing the noblewomen. She held her shoulders back confidently, fanning herself while wearing a mocking smile.

“How strange, I thought I recognized that face. Aren’t you quite close with Miss Ariadeline?”

“Surely you haven’t forgotten that just because her status has fallen?”

Dorothy smiled brightly and snapped her fan shut.

“You must have had grievances for a while, huh?”

“Oh dear, I thought you were close to Miss Ariadeline, but it seems not.”

“When she was the Duchess, there were benefits to be had, but not anymore, right? I can understand the change in attitude.”

They elegantly blocked my path, laughing with a refined, girlish “ho ho ho.”

“It’s just so unsophisticated, don’t you think?”

The noblewomen hesitated for a moment under their attack. It seemed they didn’t expect anyone to come to my defense, especially not Dorothy’s group.

One of the noblewomen, trying to hide her embarrassment, spoke up.

“I thought you were close to Her Highness, Princess Dorothea. Why are you siding with Ariadeline…?”

“Oh my, madam, it seems you’re sensitive to rumors. Considering you’re involved in high society.”

Dorothy continued.

“Our Her Highness, the Crown Princess Dorothea, forgave Lady Ariadelin and formed a friendship with her. How could you still say such things?”

At her words, the people around began to murmur. The rumors about Carlothian had been confirmed by Carlothian herself, and the rumors related to Dorothea were essentially validated right here by Dorothy and her friends.

“Ah, I see. We were just trying to greet her out of friendliness.”

“Excuse me.”

As the noblewomen tried to leave, Dorothy said with a wide smile.

“Aren’t you forgetting to apologize for knocking her over?”

The noblewomen gritted their teeth invisibly and then lifted the hem of my dress to apologize.

“I’m sorry. I got too excited to see you.”

“Well then, we’ll be on our way.”

They hurriedly disappeared as if they had been humiliated, and I watched them with a dazed expression before saying,

“Th-thank you.”

“Hmph.”

However, Dorothy scoffed at my words of thanks and left with her friends. Oh, so that’s what it is? Tsundere?

I brushed off my dress and slowly began to walk. Fortunately, people around were watching me, but they didn’t approach. It seemed that Carlothian and Dorothy’s group had caused quite a stir.

Because of that, I was able to wander around alone and check for anything unusual. I went out to the terrace and hallway, inspecting everything thoroughly.

‘Why is there nothing of note?’

Well, anything could be a medium for a curse. From the necklace that Dorothea received to the doll I got.

Suddenly, I encountered a man walking from the end of the hallway. It was Sir Maicher!

“Sir!”

“Miss Ariadeline.”

“Did you find anything suspicious?”

At my question, he shook his head. It wouldn’t be easy to find something like that.

“It can’t be helped. You should go inside the hall and be prepared for anything that might happen.”

“Understood.”

“What about Carlothian?”

“He’s searching the upper floors, but it seems there’s nothing of note.”

I bit my thumbnail at that. I hadn’t expected we wouldn’t find anything at all.

“Then I’ll go back into the hall for now.”

“Understood.”

I left Sir Maicher behind and returned to the hall. The dance was in full swing. Watching the smoothly flowing music from the orchestra and the dresses of the women, puffed up like petals, it really felt like nothing was going to happen.

It was truly a typical party. There was nothing suspicious to be found.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind, and my eyes widened.

‘What if it’s something so obvious that it wouldn’t even stand out?’

Something essential for this party. I hurriedly looked around.

The drinks being carried by the attendants, the finger foods arranged here and there, the extravagant floral decorations.

Then, I suddenly locked eyes with a portrait of a woman hanging on the wall. Was there always something like this in the Diamond Hall?

I surveyed the surroundings. Now that I looked, there were unfamiliar paintings lined up on every wall, filling the space.

Each one had a peculiar atmosphere. Especially the eyes in the portraits seemed almost alive.

“Miss Ariadeline.”

“Ah!”

Oh, I was startled. Someone was standing right behind me. With beautiful wheat-colored hair and kind green eyes. Ah, it was that man.

“Marquis Dolorante?”

“I’ve been looking for you for quite a while, Miss Ariadeline.”

“For me?”

“Yes.”

He naturally pulled me in, wrapping his arms around my waist, and we flowed onto the dance floor like water. I was so flustered that I had no choice but to follow his lead.

“Wait a moment. I have something to do.”

“Surely you can spare a dance for a man who has been rejected as a partner?”

“Ah, no. For now…”

Eek!

He lifted me by the waist and spun around once. I clung to him as my feet left the floor. He smiled as he set me down and shamelessly started dancing to the music. I awkwardly tried to match my feet to his.

“So, I’m busy, you know?”

“That’s why I thought if I didn’t insist now, you wouldn’t join me at all.”

“Hah.”

Why are both this man and that man so self-willed when it comes to Ariadeline?

“Okay. So, is it just this dance that I need to do?”

“Of course. You seem busy with other matters anyway.”

He smiled kindly but suspiciously. Everyone else sees him as just being kind, but I don’t know why he looks so suspicious to me.

“Fine. Just one song. Only one.”