SOWD Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Following Laszlo, Rinia descended the stairs, and the changed reactions were strikingly palpable.

“Wow!”
“Was Rinia Chrysus always this beautiful?”
“How old is she again? No rumors about engagements yet, right?”

She had always been the woman in rustic clothes, weighed down by oversized jewelry, with a timid face constantly gauging others’ reactions. That was the Rinia Chrysus everyone knew.

But today’s Rinia was unrecognizably confident and stunning.

Her straightened back and shoulders, slightly raised chin, a dress and accessories that weren’t overly extravagant but suited her perfectly, and those glowing teal eyes that paid no heed to others…

“This is shocking! Did the imperial family intervene?”

Edmund felt the urge to burst with frustration at the sight of the Chrysus siblings basking in everyone’s admiration.

His suspicions solidified when, just as the party officially began, a congratulatory letter from the Emperor arrived.

Amid a loud fanfare, the Emperor’s envoy appeared, kneeling before Laszlo, and read aloud the Emperor’s message:

“To celebrate the first party of my loyal Guard Captain, Count Laszlo Chrysus, I bestow a modest gift and ask that a flower be shared with each attendee. May this event be a grand success.”

At this, people watched as two men wheeled in a large basket filled with intricately crafted flowers made entirely of crystal.

“Wow! Crystal flowers?”
“I knew His Majesty valued Count Chrysus, but this…!”

This gesture made the Emperor’s intentions crystal clear.

“The next axis of power is Count Chrysus!”

The atmosphere in the ballroom shifted entirely. Even Edmund’s gaze changed.

“Damn it! This is cheating!”

A surge of helplessness and defeat consumed him. If the person who had so thoroughly ruined his plans was the Emperor himself, there was no way to oppose him.

At that moment, Edmund caught a glimpse of someone else.

“Huh? Isn’t that…?”

While everyone else was engrossed in the Emperor’s gift, Edmund noticed someone near the passage connecting the hall and the preparation room. She was observing the scene, and it was undoubtedly Idel. Her striking features were unmistakable, even from afar.

The surprising part was that she was dressed in a servant’s uniform—but not the typical attire of a maid.

Suddenly, Marsha’s words echoed in his mind.

“…She’s a woman blinded by ambition! When I was around, she was just a lowly maid, but I bet she holds even more power now than when I was ousted.”

Edmund let out a dry laugh.

“So, Marsha was telling the truth?”

Judging by how Idel was issuing instructions to someone who appeared to be the head maid, it seemed she had taken on the role of a steward.

“A female steward… Makes sense. Claiming to be a servant while actually keeping her closest to him—it’s the perfect position. I don’t know why he feels the need to disguise his mistress as a servant, though.”

Marsha had said that when Idel first entered the estate, she was assigned laundry duty “as per tradition.” But Idel had feigned illness, collapsing in a dramatic display that caught Laszlo’s attention.

Later, an incident occurred where royal knights tried to harass her, leaving Laszlo indebted to her. He quickly promoted her to a kitchen maid, and not long after, she became his sister’s personal maid.

“And now she’s a steward, not even a head maid. She truly knows how to climb the ladder of power.”

This made Edmund wonder if Marsha’s other claims were also true.

“If she sees you as more enticing than Count Chrysus, she’ll latch onto you immediately.”

If that happened, it would be a delightful turn of events. Edmund could use Idel to exploit Laszlo’s weaknesses, spread false information, or even plant assassins or spies in the household.

“And she doesn’t look bad for a mistress.”

Though it was a flaw that she’d been with an old man over sixty and a mercenary, her beauty was enough to overlook that.

Edmund decided to wait until the party was in full swing and Idel was alone. He never even considered the possibility that the person transforming the Chrysus household could be the “former Duchess.”

---

Idel, who had worried whether Rinia might be nervous, was, in truth, the one most terrified about hosting the party.

“People will recognize me. It’s not as if I can avoid entering the ballroom as the steward…”

Just imagining the situation made her throat dry and sent chills down her spine.

Lucille, whom she had encountered on Portrait Street, had treated her with disdain. So had Maia, who came to propose marriage to Laszlo. There were plenty who would insult or belittle Idel, whether out of resentment toward the Canyon Earldom or Lancaster Dukedom, lowly curiosity, or suppressed feelings of inferiority.

Though she tried to remain composed, she couldn’t be sure she’d still be able to smile if faced with ridicule in front of so many people.

 

“I’ll probably feel like dying…”

Despite her best efforts to prepare for the party, train the staff, and teach the Chrysus siblings the proper demeanor of hosts, Idel’s anxiety grew day by day.

But there was no escaping the situation. Idel repeatedly told herself, as though brainwashing her own mind:

“Just think of myself as dead. No matter what they say, I’m a dead person, so it doesn’t matter.”

It was while she was steeling her resolve that Laszlo, inspecting the final party preparations, made an offhand comment to Idel as she explained things to him.

“You can’t hide forever. There’ll be plenty of people who recognize you, but…”

“I’ll try to remain as inconspicuous as possible so as not to cause trouble for you and the young lady. Still, once the alcohol starts flowing, someone’s bound to target me… I’ll handle it as best as I can.”

Idel responded, carefully masking her inner turmoil. But Laszlo turned to her with an oddly displeased expression.

“You have a habit of misunderstanding what people say.”

“Pardon…?”

“When I tell you not to hide, why do you keep talking about hiding?”

Idel was momentarily at a loss for words.

How could she explain? That her role as a steward itself might tarnish his reputation? That she didn’t want him to witness her being mocked by people from her past? That he’d probably grow irritated if any trouble arose because of her?

None of those reasons seemed appropriate to voice aloud.

But then Laszlo lightly flicked her forehead, not enough to hurt, and spoke.

“Yes, there’ll be plenty who recognize you. But don’t be scared—stand tall. Anyone who dares to target the steward of the Chrysus household will be treating me with contempt, and I won’t let that slide.”

The faux-serious expression on his face completely disarmed Idel, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

She didn’t care if it was bravado. It was the first time someone had ever said, “I’ll protect you.”

For someone who had always shouldered everything alone, the feeling of having someone to rely on was overwhelming—so much so that it brought tears to her eyes.

Thanks to him, her anxiety melted away like snow.

“Thank you for saying that. I’ll do my best to prevent any issues, but if something does happen…”

“No, no. You still don’t get it. You’re not supposed to ‘do your best.’ If there’s a problem, come straight to me. That’s an order.”

Though his expression remained dissatisfied, Idel knew the warmth and care hidden behind it.

“You have this habit of attaching the word ‘order’ to anything you say for my sake.”

But for now, she decided to play along with him.

“Understood. Oh, and just to be thorough, I must remind you: no vulgar language inside the party hall. Or better yet, can you try to forget those words altogether? Since I can’t exactly take your brain out and scrub it clean…”

“See, that’s what I’m talking about! Calmly and precisely shutting someone down—that’s what you’re good at.”

At last, a faint smile appeared on Laszlo’s lips.

Idel nodded and smiled in return.

---

When the day of the party arrived, there was no time for nerves.

She was too busy checking every detail: ensuring the guests were being properly welcomed, confirming that none of the decorations had fallen or become crooked, overseeing the food preparation, making sure broken glasses were swiftly cleared, adjusting the volume of the music, attending to guests with discomfort, and ensuring Laszlo and Rinia made a perfect entrance. She was so preoccupied that she didn’t even notice someone approaching her.

“It’s been a while.”

A stranger’s voice at her side made her pause. Strangely, now that the moment she’d dreaded had arrived, her insides felt calm and steady.

“Ah, Sir Milton. Thank you for attending the party.”

“You know who I am?”

“How could I not? You were once hailed as one of the finest knights. We’ve crossed paths a few times at banquets.”

Though she claimed they’d met at banquets, Edmund had never formally spoken to Idel. At most, he’d stolen glances at her from a distance.

At the time, that distance had felt entirely natural.

“So, why go out of your way to mention remembering me? It must be because you’re trying to reel me in, right?”

It might’ve been a leap in logic, but it wasn’t an entirely unreasonable one either.