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Chapter 07
“Young lady, you just came back to the mansion a little while ago, and now you’re going out again?”
“Yep. To have some fun.”
“At this late hour, alone?”
“Jane, you know the fun stuff always happens at night. That’s why going to bed early is a huge loss.”
After rejecting Rai’s proposal and returning to the mansion, Eva called Jane to get dressed up all over again.
She threw off the peasant look and flaunted her glamour with a green velvet dress, a gold necklace, and pearl earrings.
“Are you really going out?”
“Yep. I want to get drunk tonight. Today’s the first day I’ve ever taken revenge.”
In three lifetimes, this was the first time she had turned Rai down. She had finally cut ties with him, something she had long wished for—there was no way she could just lie around idly.
A celebration drink was a must. Ignoring Jane’s worried expression, Eva headed straight for Madame Shane’s mansion.
Madame Shane, after losing her husband, held parties at her mansion every day. With no children, she claimed that spending money was her only joy and chased fun wherever she could find it—eventually becoming the host of her own endless parties.
She was a free spirit, but she was known for often being absent from her own events, instead attending other people’s parties.
Her parties became famous for having no host, but there was another reason for their popularity.
“What kind of mask would you like?”
“Hmm. I’ll go with a black cat mask.”
To enter, you had to wear a mask. Even if you could roughly guess which family someone was from, that was just speculation—if they denied it, you couldn’t press further.
Since the host was absent and everyone wore masks, people of all ages attended freely.
“I’ve always wanted to come here… and now I finally am.”
Eva firmly fastened the black cat mask that covered half her face and went inside. Most guests were already drunk, their eyes and bodies loose.
“They put on all these airs outside, but in here they’re a mess.”
After scanning the room and sizing up the atmosphere, Eva headed straight for the wine.
“I’m going to drink until I’m completely smashed.”
She grabbed wine from the catering table and downed it. The bitter alcohol filled her mouth.
She was enjoying the sharp taste and moving toward the finger food when—
“So you’re saying you saw those two together at the park?”
“I’m sure it was the brown stray dog and the red rose.”
A comment instantly caught her ear.
“The dog even covered the rose’s eyes with his hand.”
“What, to pluck them out?”
“No, so she wouldn’t be blinded by the sunlight.”
“What? That dog?”
They were speaking in code, but anyone could tell they meant Rai and Eva.
Messing with the villainess in the story? It’s fine to insult the character, but me? Not happening.
“Was there something between them at the debutante?”
“Haven’t you heard? The dog didn’t like the rose, so he roughly yanked her hand.”
“Typical uncultured types. Honestly, such an odd match. The spoiled rose and the scarred dog.”
“I think they suit each other—an impulsive rose and an emotionless dog.”
“Ha. More like a battered wooden puppet and a sly fox.”
Clang!
A wine glass shattered at the feet of the gossiping man and woman.
“Oh, sorry. My hand slipped.”
Eva’s tone was breezy, though it was obvious she had thrown it.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Careful, careful. You wouldn’t want to step on glass.”
The man flared up, but Eva deliberately lowered her head so her mask slipped slightly. The two froze when they recognized her through the gap.
“You wouldn’t want to get scarred, right? Such precious feet.”
“Ahem… it’s fine, just… please, move along.”
The fact that they were unconsciously speaking politely told her they were of lower rank. Eva suddenly straightened and stepped forward over the broken glass toward them.
“That story just now—quite amusing. Why don’t you tell it to me too?”
“P–pardon?”
“The one about the dog and the spoiled rose. Sounds like people I know very well.”
“Uh… well…”
The two exchanged uneasy glances without finishing their sentence. Eva spoke softly, almost kindly.
“From what I know, that red rose isn’t a sly fox. She’s a bulldozer.”
“B–bulldozer?”
“A bulldozer,” Eva explained sweetly, though her eyes behind the mask did not smile, “means she wouldn’t think twice about scarring your whole face—or tearing it down and rebuilding it completely.”
Crunch. Her shoe heel crushed a shard of glass. The splinters didn’t hit them, but skimmed past her own ankle—showing she didn’t care at all about injuring herself, unlike most nobles who treated their bodies as untouchable treasures.
“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear anything tonight. But if I hear that story outside…”
She stamped down again, hard enough to make the glass crack.
“Eek!”
Under her pressure, the pair fled without looking back.
“That’s what happens when you mess with the villainess, you idiots.”
Feeling satisfied from the little revenge, Eva craved more alcohol. With light steps, she approached a table lined end to end with wine and champagne.
You brought an empty glass to the wine you wanted, and the servant behind it would pour for you.
“This is basically an all-you-can-drink. I’m going to clean them out tonight.”
She started at the far left, and the servant filled her glass.
She admired the rich crimson color, then downed it in one go.
“Mmm, sweet. Nice.”
She moved to the next one, again and again. By the third, fifth, and eighth glass, her eyes were starting to blur slightly.
“What the—?!”
While moving sideways, she accidentally brushed the hand of a man wearing a wolf mask.
“Oh, sorry.”
Luckily, his glass was empty, so nothing spilled.
But the problem was that he was heavily drunk. His eyes behind the mask were glassy.
There’s no point arguing with drunks, so she apologized.
“Sorry, it was my mistake.”
“What if you’d spilled it on my clothes? Do you think you could afford these clothes?”
Fine. That’s strike two. She bit her teeth together and apologized again.
“Zssung-heeoo, zssung-hamneeda.” (Slurred: “Sorry, my apologies.”)
“Are you trying to pull something on me? Is this your way of getting my attention? Honestly, even with masks, women still find a way to flirt.”
Three strikes is enough.
Eva set her glass down on the table with a thunk, almost like she’d slammed her fist.
“Funny how all jerks say the exact same lines. Is there some kind of mind-link between garbage like you?”
“What did you just say? Garbage?!”
The wolf staggered toward her, jabbing a finger at her face.
“Do you even know who you’re talking to?!”
“You’re the one talking trash. Attention? My ass. Just get your drink and move on—can’t you see the people waiting behind you?”
Her deep-breath counterattack left him speechless—most people would have backed down by now.
But he just shouted louder.
“Whether I take my time or not?! This outfit is one of only five in the entire empire! What if wine had spilled on—”
“Let’s make it happen, then.”
Before he could finish, Eva obligingly poured wine onto him.
The wolf’s scream drew the attention of the entire room.
“Are you insane?! Do you know how much this costs?!”
“That has a price? Looks like you stole it off a beggar.”
“What?! A beggar?!”
“At least steal something in your size. That button’s about to pop—poor thing’s innocent.”
“Are you calling me a pig?! Comparing me to livestock?!”
“Oh, look at that, perfect comprehension. 1,000 out of 100 points.”
She even gave him a thumbs-up, provoking him further. He stomped toward her in rage.
“Do you know what kind of family I’m from, to talk to me like that?!”
“Ah, there it is! Now say the next part: ‘Do you know who my father is?’”
He actually had been about to say it, so he swallowed the words.
“It’s the same everywhere. Go on—what does your daddy do?”
“You—you dare speak of my father?!”
His filial piety boiling over, the wolf finally couldn’t hold back and raised his hand high.
Go ahead, hit me. Once my mask comes off and my identity is revealed, let’s see how you handle the fallout.
Eva clenched her teeth, glaring at him without flinching.
“Stop it.”
Suddenly, a man wearing a white tiger mask stepped in front of her, shielding her.
He wore a white ceremonial suit, with long golden hair brushing his shoulders.
Even with the mask, his pale skin, sharp jawline, and upright posture marked him as a high-ranking noble.
The onlookers shifted into full spectator mode at his appearance.
From behind him, Eva could only see the back of his golden head.
“And who are you?” the wolf asked.
“This is something the two of you could resolve with an apology, but you’re causing trouble for too many people.”
“Trouble for people? Look at my clothes and say that again!”
“You were the one who falsely accused the lady first.”
“Lady? Ladyyy?”
The wolf, still holding up the hand meant for Eva, now shoved the white tiger’s shoulder.
“What, you just stepped in because you wanted her attention, huh?”
What an arrogant jerk.
“I’m here to mediate, nothing more.”
“Who do you think you are, to meddle? Oh, the great hero comes to the rescue.”
He kept shoving the white tiger’s shoulder.
“How much is your outfit? I’ll pay for it.”
“You think this can be solved with money?”
“Then what do you want?”
“Kneel.”
Of course. People like him only know how to crush others.
“If you’re that desperate to impress her, then kneel.”
“Hey! That’s going too far!”
Kneeling power plays? Not on my watch.
Eva pushed down the white tiger’s arm and stepped forward.
The wolf’s face twisted into a sleazy grin as he swung his thick hand at her face—
He’d been aiming for her all along.
She knew instantly she was too slow to block. She squeezed her eyes shut, teeth clenched, praying the pain wouldn’t be too bad.
The white tiger reached out to stop him, but—
Whack!
He took the hit squarely.
The blow knocked his mask clean off.
“Gasp!”
“Oh my god!”
Everyone froze, hands over their mouths. Even the wolf went pale as a sheet.
Everyone—except Eva, who was still behind him and hadn’t seen his face.
