Episode 79

With her transformed appearance, it was almost easy not to recognize her at first, but seeing her up close left no room for doubt.

‘The girl I saw in the south was definitely Jenna.’

Gone was the defiant, fierce glint in her eyes; she now seemed like a naive girl unfamiliar with the social scene.

Jenna’s steps faltered slightly, and Duke Selber, noticing her change in expression, looked at her with concern.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? I told you not to overexert yourself…”

“No, Father, I’m fine,” she replied, her expression returning to a cheerful smile as if nothing had happened, masking the brief flicker that had crossed her face when she’d glanced at me.

With that, she resumed walking, the crowd’s gaze glued to her every step. She possessed an undeniable charm that captured attention effortlessly.

But her steps eventually halted in front of one person—me.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from my brother, Lady Drenihan. We’re of the same age, and since I’ve heard your name in this unfamiliar place, I’m delighted to finally meet you.”

Jenna offered me a bright smile as she extended her hand.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Jenna Selber. I look forward to getting to know you.”

She clearly recognized me and remembered our encounter in the south. I’d seen the slight tremor in her eyes during those brief moments our gazes met. But her emphasis on “meeting for the first time” suggested…

‘She’s choosing to pretend our encounter in the south never happened.’

There could be several reasons for that. Perhaps she wanted to erase memories of her impoverished past, or perhaps she was hiding that mysterious man’s identity.

Whatever her reasons, I was just a supporting character in the first chapter of Jenna’s original tale, so I merely took her hand without comment.

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Selber. I hope we’ll have the chance to greet each other often.”

Her hand was rough, hardly what one would expect from a noble lady, a testament to the hardships she had endured.

And I knew what would happen next.

With all eyes on her after her stunning entrance, Prince Theodore would approach and ask Jenna for a dance. Rumors about the Crown Prince’s health problems would emerge around this time, and in an effort to capitalize on the uncertainty, Theodore was making swift moves. Asking Jenna to dance was part of his attempt to gain Duke Selber’s favor.

Sure enough, Theodore, standing beside me, placed a hand over his chest and addressed Jenna.

“Good evening, Lady Selber. I am Theodore von Terium.”

“Oh, forgive me for not recognizing Your Highness right away…” Jenna stammered, flustered, but Theodore waved it off.

“No need to apologize. I imagine it’s a bit overwhelming, adjusting to the social scene after so long. I’d be happy to introduce you to some of the nobles here.”

Jenna looked to Duke Selber for permission, and he nodded approvingly.

“I’d be most grateful if you could,” she replied.

With that, she took Theodore’s extended hand, disappearing into the crowd eager to meet her.

In reality, Jenna didn’t even realize that Theodore’s invitation was a formal gesture to be her partner. She accepted his offer as a simple act of goodwill, and later that evening, she would end up accepting an invitation from the Crown Prince himself for her first dance.

To dance with another man after being offered a partnership was seen as a public slight and a display of disrespect. Duke Selber would rush to defend Jenna, insisting she didn’t know better, but Theodore would still feel publicly undermined, and resentment would begin between him and Jenna from that very moment.

“Sierra.”

At the sound of my name, I turned to find Arzen, who had reappeared from the crowd. His resemblance to Jenna was uncanny.

“Arzen, so you were hiding such a surprise from me,” I said, feigning ignorance even though I’d known about it before anyone.

He laughed. “You have to understand, Jenna was very particular about making sure no word got out before the New Year’s Gala. I could hardly contain myself.”

The twins of Selber—that’s what people had called Arzen and Jenna in the past. They had been so close as children that they called each other their “other half,” and their household had been full of joy until Jenna’s sudden disappearance.

For as long as I could remember, Arzen had refused to speak of her, the memory of her absence too painful. Jenna’s disappearance had been a deep wound for him. Now that she was back, standing before me, I could see the genuine happiness radiating from him.

For the first time, I realized just how bright his smile could be.

“When did Lady Selber return?” I asked.

“Only about two weeks ago. She’s still not fully recovered, and I suggested she rest more, but she insisted on attending today.”

Despite his tone, he couldn’t hide the affection in his eyes. It was only natural, given the miraculous return of his twin sister, his other half.

“After seeing so many false claims from people insisting they were the missing Lady Selber, I thought it was another ruse this time too. At least until I saw her myself.”

He reminisced quietly, his gaze soft.

“Her appearance was… rough, to say the least. But her face—I knew instantly it was Jenna.”

“When she arrived, was she alone?”

“Yes, she made her way from the distant south without a penny to her name. It’s almost unbelievable.”

So, it seemed that mysterious man had not accompanied her. Perhaps he’d merely helped her temporarily before parting ways.

“I’m a bit worried Jenna might make some mistakes with the formalities, given her lack of practice. I’ll check in on her, Sierra.”

“Of course.”

As Arzen went to check on Jenna, I was lost in thought, but the blare of trumpets signaling the royal family’s arrival broke my reverie.

“Presenting His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince!”

The chamberlain’s voice resounded through the hall, and everyone turned to pay their respects.

The Emperor strode down the carpet, majestic and imposing, before taking his seat upon the throne.

“I understand the vigor that fills everyone with the joy of a new year, but today feels unusually lively. Has something happened?”

At the Emperor’s question, everyone turned to look in one direction—at Jenna, whose hand was still clasped in Theodore’s.

Seeing Jenna tremble slightly with nervousness, Duke Selber stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, if I may, my long-lost daughter has returned to our family.”

“What? Your daughter has returned?” The Emperor’s eyes lit up with a mix of surprise and amusement.

“After all the years you searched so tirelessly, it seems fate indeed brings family together. Congratulations, Duke.”

“I am deeply grateful, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, what a joy for the New Year.”

Rising from his throne, the Emperor raised a celebratory glass and gave a brief opening speech to signal the start of the gala.

“Let us all enjoy this celebration in the spirit of remembering the heroes who once fought against the dark dragon and in welcoming the new year. For the blessing of Terium!”

“For the blessing of Terium!”

As voices filled the hall, the orchestra began to play, marking the start of the ball.

The Crown Prince, Lucion, descended from the platform and walked directly toward Jenna, pointedly ignoring Theodore as he extended his hand to her.

“Lady Selber, may I have the honor of the first dance?”

Theodore’s expression darkened as he glared at Lucion, his disdain clear. It was the height of rudeness to extend his hand to someone already partnered.

Just as Theodore seemed about to speak, Jenna beat him to it.

“I’d be delighted, though I’m a bit worried about my lackluster skills,” she said sweetly, taking Lucion’s hand with a charming smile.

Theodore’s expression turned blank with shock.

‘Seeing it in person, this is even worse than I imagined.’

In the original story, I could never quite grasp why such lasting animosity began over something as trivial as the first dance. But witnessing it firsthand, I understood perfectly.

As the two moved to the dance floor, Theodore stood there, a lone figure, looking rather crestfallen. Just then, a familiar low voice spoke beside me.

“Are you concerned about His Highness?”

“Ludwig?”

I’d heard he’d arrived, but the hall was so expansive that I hadn’t expected to run into him unless we sought each other out. Given the embarrassing rumors swirling around, I hadn’t thought he would come looking for me either…

“It’s our first meeting since you returned from the south. Have you been well?”

Ugh, even I could hear how stiff my voice sounded.

“Not at all. I haven’t been able to sleep properly for the past week.”

Wait, what?

His answer seemed strangely out of place for such a formal question.

Ludwig’s gaze held an almost forlorn quality, reminiscent of a large, abandoned dog. It was an odd way to describe it, but there was no other word that fit.

“A week ago…”

It was the day Ludwig had asked me to be his partner, and I had declined.

…Was he seriously sulking over my refusal?