~Chapter 23~
The Owner of the Empty Seat
I couldn’t help but be amazed.
Nora appeared confidently, wearing the stolen hat and receiving a warm welcome from her friends. It was truly shocking.
‘I can’t believe she actually wore that.’
I had briefly considered this possibility, but I didn’t think it would actually happen. The situation was so impressive that it brought an involuntary smile to my face.
Nora looked down at her with a smug expression. Meanwhile, Arlo seemed surprised to see Eleanor there, as if he hadn’t expected her.
‘Why did you come? You don’t even like these kinds of gatherings.’
Arlo wasn’t completely free from guilt. While he usually felt anger more than guilt, seeing Eleanor isolated like a crow among white doves made him uncomfortable. It reminded him of how she had run away crying at the masquerade.
However, that discomfort remained only in his heart and didn’t lead to any action.
“Your Highness, it seems our seats are over there,” Nora said, linking her arm with Arlo’s and subtly pressing her ample chest against his arm. Her lovely smile and sensual figure naturally drew attention.
To be honest, Eleanor was more beautiful. But Nora had other advantages: a curvaceous figure, a fashionable appearance, and a playful yet obedient personality when necessary. She was very different from Eleanor, who didn’t know how to dress up and reacted overly sensitively to even the smallest touch.
Arlo gazed at Nora affectionately and said, “Yes. You sit down first, Eleanor.”
The impact of that one name was no small matter. This was a gathering of young, promising nobles who were influential in society, so the name carried weight.
Those who had been looking down on Eleanor just moments ago were now even more certain of their thoughts.
Eleanor Astria, who had lost her family and fiancé, was no longer one of them.
No, she was no longer “Eleanor Astria.” She was just a lowly, out-of-place woman who had dared to steal someone’s seat and pretend to be a noble.
“Oh! Your Highness, you should call me Nora here,” Nora quickly exclaimed, nervously glancing at Eleanor.
Vanessa tilted her head and interrupted, “Huh? Why? Lady Nora is Eleanor, isn’t she?”
“Well… it’s not certain yet. And Eleanor has used that name for so long. At least in front of her, it’s better not to use that name…”
“You’re so kind-hearted, Lady Nora,” Viscount Cunningham said with a pleased smile, praising Nora. Unlike when he had addressed Kiara earlier, his smile seemed genuinely sincere.
Sensing the situation wasn’t in her favor, Kiara quickly changed the subject.
“But Lady Nora, how did you get permission to go out? I thought you hadn’t made your debut in society yet… Did His Highness come with you, and Duke Astria granted special permission because of that?”
It was interesting how she deliberately emphasized that Nora’s fiancé had accompanied her.
Eleanor, also curious, sipped her overflowing champagne and listened carefully.
“Yes, that’s right. I was given special permission,” Nora replied.
“As expected. So, you’ll make your official debut at the upcoming debutante ball?” Kiara asked.
“Oh, no. My father, being so overprotective, said he didn’t want me debuting with other ladies after finally finding his daughter. He said it wouldn’t feel right,” Nora explained with a bashful smile.
Kiara clapped her hands in delight. Nora shyly nodded.
“Yes, he’s decided to hold a special debutante ball just for me. You all must come!”
Hosting a private debutante ball costs a lot of money. Unless you were a very wealthy noble, you wouldn’t throw a separate party to announce your daughter’s debut.
The Astria family had enough wealth to afford it. However, the Duke of Astria disliked unnecessary expenses, so there must have been a significant reason behind his decision.
‘No wonder the royal family suddenly gave permission after delaying it for so long.’
There must have been an agreement between Arlo and my father. In exchange for granting permission, someone must have been acknowledged.
Suddenly, Eleanor remembered her father’s excited expression before she left the mansion.
It seemed he had finally made up his mind. He must have concluded that choosing Nora as his daughter would bring greater benefits.
If promoting a new product effectively meant spending money on a debutante ball, he was willing to make that investment.
‘Typical of my father not to give me any hint even though the decision was already made,’ Eleanor thought, sipping more champagne with a mocking smile.
Eleanor chuckled at the consistency of Duke Astria as she continued sipping her champagne.
The nobles were still chatting excitedly about Nora. Kiara seemed slightly uncomfortable, but since everyone’s attention was on Nora, she didn’t attract much notice.
“By the way, Nora, your hat today seems a bit different from your usual style,” someone commented.
“Oh, yes. I received it as a gift from someone I’m not very close with… To be honest, it’s not really my taste. They’re a bit old-fashioned. But I decided to wear it out of respect for their gesture,” Nora explained.
“Oh my, how thoughtful of you! It’s so kind of you to be considerate like that. You truly are the empire’s one and only princess,” they replied.
A gift?
Eleanor couldn’t help but laugh silently at that. Noticing her reaction, Nora shot a glare at her.
‘What? I thought she’d show up with some dusty old hat.’
Nora’s lips twisted in irritation.
She had expected Eleanor to arrive in some ridiculous outfit, wearing the old accessories that had been gathering dust in the dressing room, making her an easy comparison to Nora’s own glamorous appearance.
But contrary to her expectations, Eleanor was elegantly dressed. Her soft beige shawl and golden accessories matched well with her dress.
Even the hat on the hat rack, although of poor quality, was adorned with bright marigold flowers, making it look quite pretty.
The thought of Arlo staring at Eleanor, dumbstruck when they first arrived made Nora seethe with anger. Her eyes, filled with frustration, fell on Eleanor’s dangling earrings.
“Those are…!” Nora thought in disbelief.
Kiara, noticing the same thing, let out a mocking laugh.
“Someone else here has an old-fashioned taste, too. My goodness, Ellie. When did you buy those earrings? I haven’t seen a design like that in ages,” Kiara said, clicking her tongue as if the earrings were the worst accessory she had ever seen.
Despite the simple and timeless design of the earrings, Kiara spoke as if they were outdated and unsightly.
Eleanor looked at her calmly and replied, “My father gave them to me as a birthday gift. I heard they were once cherished by the late Empress.”
“Oh, well… I suppose that’s why they’re so beautiful. You just don’t see such classic elegance these days,” Kiara hastily corrected herself, realizing she had almost insulted both Duke Astria and the royal family.
Eleanor let out a small laugh, and Kiara’s face flushed with anger.
But Kiara wasn’t the only one fuming. Nora, too, clenched her teeth in frustration.
‘Did she wear those earrings on purpose to show off?’ Nora thought.
Eleanor, of course, couldn’t have predicted Nora’s attendance and thus wouldn’t have worn the earrings to provoke her. Still, Nora was irritated nonetheless.
“Ellie, that hat on the rack is yours, right? Where did you buy it? It looks so unique,” Nora asked, trying to stir things up.
There was no way Eleanor could have bought a new hat in time. Nora had made sure to pressure every famous boutique using Arlo and Damian’s influence. Wherever the hat came from, it certainly couldn’t have been from a reputable source.
Sensing an opportunity, the other nobles chimed in.
“Yeah, now that I look closely, it does look kind of… cheap?”
“Wearing such nice earrings with a cheap hat. Pfft. Didn’t Duke Astria buy you a new hat?”
Normally, criticizing Eleanor’s appearance wouldn’t have embarrassed her. If it had, she wouldn’t have dared to walk around in mismatched dresses all this time.
Yet, for some reason, this time it stung. As Eleanor thought of Hilda carefully placing the flowers on the hat, an angry fire burned in her chest.
She had intended to just observe the situation and leave, but now her thoughts had changed.
It was common for nobles to use their words to ruin someone they disliked. That was part of the reason Eleanor could never be true friends with them.
But whether one enjoyed it or not, using your words and wit to bring someone down was something Eleanor excelled at. By analyzing each person’s position and situation, it wasn’t difficult to destroy someone’s life with a few choice words.
Eleanor’s lips curled into a soft smile.
However, just as she was about to act, someone else beat her to it.
“Lady Kiara, there’s a guest at the door,” a servant from the Earl of Portsmouth’s household announced with a pale, anxious expression.
“What do you mean? There’s no one else coming…” Kiara’s eyebrows furrowed in irritation before suddenly rising in surprise.
There was, in fact, one empty seat left. She had assumed the person wouldn’t come and had placed Eleanor next to the empty spot to isolate her.
Kiara quickly glanced at Arlo, her eyes widening in panic. Arlo, confused by her sudden attention, raised an eyebrow.
“I… I only sent the invitation as a formality. I didn’t expect them to actually come! I heard they weren’t even in Cardiff. Your Highness, I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Kiara stammered, trying to explain.
“Who has arrived?” Arlo asked, his curiosity piqued.
Kiara was too flustered to answer. Instead, the servant, standing by the door, announced in a trembling voice, “The Duke of Royster has arrived!”
Everyone in the room—Lord Cunningham, who had been sneakily watching Nora while downing champagne; Vanessa, who had been laughing at Eleanor earlier; Kiara, who had organized the event; and even Nora, the supposed star of the evening—fell silent as they watched the door open.
All movement ceased.
Even Eleanor, her eyes wide with surprise, stared at the final guest.
