The Crazy Prologue Never Ends

50. Luxurious Government, The Greatest Villainess

 

The first reception was held at the old Viscount’s mansion. Having long been separated from his wife with no children, he often invited young noble men and women to banquets to alleviate his loneliness.

 

The nobles glanced at me and Deon from time to time.

 

They didn’t approach us easily. It wasn’t because they feared or respected us. They seemed to want to approach us but hesitated, cautious of the royal gaze.

 

Sudden lotteries and ambiguous treatment. They were carefully weighing their actions under the watchful eyes of the royal family.

 

Then, a woman descended the stairs. It was Isella.

 

As she entered the hall, the surroundings quieted down. The violin melody being played sounded louder and more beautiful amidst the eerie silence. She truly seemed to be a woman who led high society.

 

Ironically, she seemed unaware of the uneasy atmosphere. Or perhaps, due to always experiencing such an atmosphere, she was naturally at ease.

 

She locked eyes with Deon, who was not easily approached by anyone, and confidently approached.

 

“Hello, Duke… No, Your Highness. We met last time, didn’t we?”

 

“Yes, Isella Snoa.”

 

She smiled faintly. Her smile resembled Elizabeth’s.

 

She no longer harbored enmity towards Deon. No, she had no reason to.

 

Because I’m still alive.

 

Because her nephew has not yet been born, and she has not been taken hostage to the Duke’s castle. There is no reason for her to betray the household and give that sword to Deon, nor is there a need to wield a knife against him.

 

Her eyes held the figure of a well-built man. Deon’s previously stern gaze had softened.

 

They truly made a well-suited pair.

 

If such a woman stood by Deon’s side, she wouldn’t look extravagant at all. Rather, she would seem fitting, as if she had gone to the right master. Without realizing it, I found myself clasping my necklace.

 

Isella was wearing a blue dress. It resembled the dress I had intended to wear for the first time. The color was different, but the overall design was similar. The transparent sleeves revealed lace patterns, fitting her as if it were tailored for her. The fit was impeccable. The madam at the dress shop would have marveled at her.

 

It was a mermaid dress that showcased her beautiful figure. She looked truly like a mermaid.

 

With each step, the hem of her dress fluttered, revealing one leg.

 

“It must be nice.”

 

To obtain such a beauty.

 

Unintentionally, my inner thoughts slipped out.

 

“What?”

 

He asked. I remained silent, keeping my mouth shut.

 

Perhaps because of Isella’s first step, greetings towards him poured in afterwards, as if waiting. After telling him that I would be elsewhere for a while, I left.

 

In one corner, there was plenty of food. I browsed the desserts and picked out some snacks to eat. As I picked up a biscuit I hadn’t seen before, I heard the voice of a stranger nearby.

 

“Hello. It’s our first meeting. What family do you belong to?”

 

I looked up. She might have been in her early twenties. She was a woman I had never seen before.

 

“I’m Leonie Sien.”

 

I put down my plate and answered.

 

“Sien….”

 

She mulled over my last name before turning her head towards another lady next to her.

 

“Sien… Where is this from? Do you know?”

 

“I don’t know. It’s the first time I’ve heard it.”

 

“I don’t know either.”

 

I could tell instinctively.

 

She knows me. There’s no way she doesn’t.

 

However, it’s just a tactic to lower the nose of an ignorant woman who resides in the Duke’s realm

 

Threats to life? Hardly. The most difficult thing this precious young lady has faced in her life is missing a reserved dress or catching a cold. She’s not worthy of being my opponent.

 

I smirked. She seemed even more smug, perhaps thinking she had no appropriate retort for my face that only smiled silently.

 

Seeing the edge of my sleeve as I reached for dessert, she scoffed. Then she spoke.

 

“A bracelet, huh. Hmm, quite…”

 

She opened her eyes narrow in her red dress. One corner of her mouth tilted up in a sneer.

 

“It’s vintage. Where did you get it? A commoner’s shop stall? Or an aristocrat’s hometown store? If not, did you go to the night market on a holiday?”

 

The young ladies around us struggled to contain their laughter at her words.

 

She’s even talking about her hometown. It seems she knows even where the Baron of Sien resides in the countryside.

 

Even the people around, who weren’t interested in the conversation, glanced at my bracelet curiously.

 

“I guess you didn’t buy me a bracelet. Well, that’s understandable. Giving and receiving bracelets among lovers in the empire is a promise of marriage. It may have faded now, but as a member of the esteemed Hwang family, you may still value such an antiquated tradition. Of course.”

 

She chuckled.

 

I understood her.

 

The second daughter of the Meridia family. One of the families that had sent a marriage proposal to Deon early on.

 

Was there such significance?

 

I understood why everyone was fixated on bracelets.

 

I looked at my bracelet. Perhaps because of the bright lights in the banquet hall, the worn-out parts stood out even more. Leonie barely managed to obtain this gem. She always carried around the necklace she had dismantled. It might be the only gem I have. The Baron of Sien was truly poor.

 

To live comfortably for a few more months, I needed to become more arrogant. It was better to become a wicked woman rather than a dignified woman suited to him.

 

Especially if fate would befall the blade.

 

“It’s a little… understandable. It looks like something a child made, doesn’t it?”

 

The lady next to me interjected.

 

“Did you receive it as a gift from your nephew?”

 

I couldn’t tell if her purpose was to cover up my weak and crude bracelet or to mock me further. Her expression behind the fan was difficult to read.

 

“No. My brother is still unmarried.”

 

I chuckled at them.

 

“Oh, really. He must be quite old to still be unmarried… Then did you really buy it at the night market, as Miss Meridia said?”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

I chuckled again and added.

 

“It was a gift from Deon. He made it himself. Personally.”

 

“Oh my.”

 

Sighs of amazement were heard everywhere. It seemed that more attention was focused on my bracelet than when I complained about it.

 

“It makes sense why it looks sloppy. I thought it was made by a novice who was trying to make something. So, Your Highness made it himself.”

 

“But why… did you use such low-quality gems? The transparency is too low.”

 

“Men who wield swords have poor taste. Were you deceived by a merchant? Our men at home do the same. They always get fooled by cheap jewelry. They always fall for exaggerated speeches about silk and jewels. Don’t they bring back three times the original price…?”

 

“Maybe he started with cheap gems to practice making bracelets. He’ll probably make a proper bracelet later.”

 

They chattered away, adding flesh to the bone and nodding their heads continuously.

 

“How romantic.”

 

“Can I take a closer look?”

 

I extended my wrist with the bracelet.

 

People quickly gathered around me. Even those who pretended not to be interested turned their heads to peek.

 

“It has the Baron’s emblem on it. So this is… probably the Sien Baron’s pattern, right?”

 

“Yes. That’s correct.”

 

“I almost made a mistake. I was about to call His Highness’s item a commoner’s item.”

 

“Some have already made mistakes.”

 

She murmured, glancing behind her. Meridia’s cheeks flushed.

 

I fidgeted with the bracelet. Then I sighed deeply, as if finding it difficult to recall that incident.

 

“It was so pitiful to see him make it. He’s someone who hasn’t even been stabbed by a sword on the battlefield, but seeing him get pricked by a needle was refreshing.”

 

“Really? I didn’t know he had such qualities.”

 

“He stayed up all night for me. Just to fulfill my request.”

 

“He stayed up all night?”

 

The lady fanned herself.

 

“Yes. That’s right.”

 

It was true that he stayed up all night because of me. I remembered Deon reading romance novels late into the night.