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Chapter 34
Charlie made her usual sweet and innocent face as she glanced back at the young noblewomen standing behind her. They giggled like they found the situation funny.
‘Seriously? This is like a typical high school mean girl move. Bringing her clique just to show off and make someone uncomfortable.’
“Oh, Charlie?”
I looked her up and down. Charlie, dressed to impress as always. But she had range—around Leo, she could switch to a fragile, pure type in an instant.
‘Fake, much?’
And now she had the nerve to show up in a bright, almost white dress—on my birthday.
So I asked her straight out.
“Charlie, your dress is really bright. If someone didn’t know, they might think it’s your birthday today.”
“Oh, it just turned out this way! But don’t worry—it’s ivory, not white. They’re totally different.”
If you looked closely, maybe. But from a distance? It looked completely white.
‘Ugh, this sneaky little fox. Fine. Go ahead and be the main character if you want.’
I didn’t feel like wasting energy trying to compete with someone like her.
Clip clop. Clip clop.
Just then, I heard the sound of horse hooves. Another carriage had stopped in front of the mansion. Everyone, including Charlie and her crew, turned toward the entrance.
It was the Marbo family’s carriage—Leo had arrived.
The noble girls behind Charlie squealed in excitement.
“Charlie…! Leo’s here!”
“Wow, Charlie! He showed up right after you. It must be fate!”
Fate, huh? Of course. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. The two “main characters” arriving like it’s scripted.
I let out a small laugh. I’d already half given up on today.
Charlie held her head high, pretending to look shy, her cheeks slightly blushing.
That look—she was sure Leo was coming for her.
‘Yeah, you two can go be the stars. Have fun.’
Leo stepped out of the carriage.
With his long legs, he quickly walked up the stairs. He was wearing a deep blue formal suit, and of course—it looked great on him.
I admired his appearance for a moment, then gave him a small nod and turned away.
‘Let the main characters have their moment. Just leave me out of it.’
Behind me, I heard Charlie and her girls whispering and giggling.
I ignored them and walked toward the center staircase.
Then I heard someone call my name.
“Delphine!”
It was Leo.
‘No way. That can’t be right. Leo would never call me when Charlie’s right in front of him.’
I didn’t turn around and kept walking toward the mermaid fountain in the middle of the hall.
“Delphine!”
He called again.
‘Wait… that wasn’t my imagination?’
I turned around—and saw Leo walking toward me. I also caught a glimpse of Charlie’s face, looking furious.
What was happening?
Leo stood in front of me, smiling brightly.
“Delphine! Happy birthday. Today’s your big day, right? I came here just to see you.”
He was so sweet and kind, just like the version of him that Delphine originally fell for in the novel—the one she couldn’t forget.
I didn’t quite understand what was going on. Leo didn’t even glance at Charlie.
“Oh… um. Thanks.”
“Your mom told me everything. She said the food and dessert were all my favorites. Thank you, Delphine. You’re always so thoughtful.”
“……”
I gave a weak smile. It all felt strange and confusing.
“Well then, I’ll go say hello to your mother.”
Leo said cheerfully, then turned and walked up the central stairs.
From the small stage at the top, he and my mom had a quiet, private conversation.
Behind me, I heard Charlie’s girls whispering again.
“Charlie, are you okay? Leo didn’t even say hi to you—he went straight to her.”
“Yeah… that was weird. Leo never acts like that.”
“He must be busy. I’m fine.”
Charlie tried to sound calm, but her voice shook.
‘Ugh. I’m so tired of this. It’s like some cheesy drama.’
Honestly, I wanted to kick them all out—Charlie, her gang, and Leo. I didn’t want to be part of their mess. They were just here to stir up drama, and I wasn’t interested.
Thankfully, other guests started to arrive.
When Carolina walked in, she turned heads. She wasn’t wearing a fancy dress—just a clean, tailored suit.
I gave her a little thumbs-up. Carolina made a face like she thought everyone’s reactions were hilarious.
Toot!
A short trumpet sound signaled the official start of the party.
A band began playing soft classical music, and maids moved around serving food, desserts, and cocktails.
Soon, there were more unfamiliar faces than familiar ones in the hall. For once, I actually felt thankful for the guests my family invited.
I was kept busy greeting people and playing the host. But deep down, something kept bothering me.
‘Frederic… he’s probably seeing Charlie for the first time in years today.’
My eyes kept drifting toward the entrance. Just then, the music stopped and my mom gave me a signal.
It was time for the speeches.
‘Ugh. This is the part I hate the most.’
In front of all these people, I had to stand next to my mom and give a thank-you speech.
I stepped onto the red carpet and slowly walked up the stairs. I was almost at the top when the door creaked open.
“……!”
Through the doorway, Frederic entered.
He was wearing the deep red velvet suit we had made at Gartiarre’s. It was an intense color—hard to pull off—but Frederic looked stunning.
Only then did I finally take a real breath. For the first time all day, I felt like I could breathe.
“……”
A small smile formed on my lips. Frederic seemed to be handling things well.
‘You made it, Frederic. After six years.’
I reached the top and stood next to my mom.
She flashed a big, rehearsed smile and began her speech.
“Welcome, everyone. Today is the birthday of my beloved daughter, Delphine.”
With a dignified voice, she looked around the hall. I followed her gaze.
Then my eyes locked on the entrance.
“……!”
The doors opened again—and Tiago stepped in.
My heart began to beat faster.
It was a completely different reaction from when I saw Frederic. Frederic’s presence calmed me. But Tiago’s… made me nervous.
“……”
I shook it off and tried to focus on Mom’s speech.
She started talking about the Flerain family’s history and our ancestors. Most of the guests looked like they were trying hard not to look bored.
‘Everyone’s wearing masks here.’
The party suddenly reminded me of a masquerade ball—everyone hiding their true selves.
I knew not many people were truly here to celebrate my birthday.
Leo was impossible to read. I looked at him—standing beside my mom with a perfect, fake smile like some kind of celebrity.
Mom, Dad, and even my little brother Toma’s guests were probably here just to collect gossip. Charlie’s intentions were clear: she was here for Leo and to be the center of attention.
As I scanned the room, wondering who might genuinely care about me, my eyes stopped.
‘Frederic… Tiago…’
I didn’t know what to think of them. Both of them had come into my life by chance. Both confusing, both unreadable.
‘Well, some things don’t need answers right away.’
I turned back toward Mom. She was deep into her speech, her face flushed from the effort.
“…And now, our Flerain family’s most precious jewel—our clever and bright Delphine…”
Just before she finished the sentence, something she said snapped me back into focus.
“Delphine is currently serving the Frederic family. But the rumors you’ve heard are false. The ones saying the Flerain family is in decline, or that we sent our daughter to work because we’re broke—those are lies.”
“……?”
‘What… is she talking about?’
Mom kept lying through her teeth without even blinking. The room went quiet with confusion. No one looked more shocked than Frederic.
I glanced at Mom and Leo, trying to signal her to stop. But she ignored me and kept going.
“The Frederic family personally requested our help. Their young master is emotionally unstable and needed support.”
“……!”
A total lie. Worse—Mom clearly didn’t realize Frederic was right here.
She would never say something like that if she knew.
I looked at Frederic. His whole body was stiff. Even though we were physically far apart, I could feel his emotional shock like it was happening right next to me.
‘Frederic…’
I bit my lip hard.
If I spoke up now, I’d embarrass our family in front of everyone. It would mean exposing Mom’s lies.
But I couldn’t just let it go. Frederic had finally stepped out into the world again after so long—I couldn’t let him be branded a social failure and pushed back into isolation.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward beside Mom.
“There’s something I need to correct.”
Mom tried to stop me, but I raised my hand to signal her to let me speak. Since it was my birthday, she gave in—just a little—and fell silent.
Leo watched the entire scene like he was enjoying it.
“……”
I stepped up to the front of the stage.
