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Chapter 44
Most noble ladies attend this banquet, so if she were the only one absent, not only would she have nothing to say at future gatherings with them—
Just imagining rumors like “Was she not invited because she’s merely a baron’s daughter?” made her blood boil with pride.
That’s why Elise wanted to attend even more confidently—on purpose.
But…
“His Grace said you must be tired, so he told me to let you rest comfortably at home today.”
While Elise was getting ready, Faydan passed the message through the butler and left for the Imperial Palace alone.
Fuming with indignation, Elise had rushed out toward the palace—but in her hurry, she’d forgotten the invitation.
She hadn’t thought that would be a problem.
“There’s no time to go back to the mansion now.”
Growing increasingly anxious as time passed, Elise desperately pleaded with the guards.
“Please, just let me in this once. I’m not here to cause trouble—I swear. Just this once, and I’ll make it up to you. Please?”
“Hmm…”
But despite her pleading, the guards exchanged awkward glances, clearly unwilling to let her through.
“If Faydan were here, would they have dared block me over a silly piece of paper?”
No way.
Faydan was a duke of the empire—of course, everyone knew his face. That would never have happened.
“Without Faydan… I’m nothing…”
Crushed by overwhelming helplessness and rage, Elise bit her lip hard.
Just then, she heard a carriage come to a halt—followed by approaching footsteps.
“Open the gate. I will vouch for the Baron’s daughter’s identity.”
Elise’s eyes widened at the sight of the man who’d spoken.
“You’re…!”
Finally, the music ended.
After exchanging the final bow with Idris, I was able to breathe a little.
“No mistakes… That actually went pretty well, didn’t it?”
If it had been clumsy, I might have been unsure—but when it goes well, you know it yourself.
There was no need to rely on others’ reactions.
I was basking in that small sense of pride when I heard Idris speak beside me.
“You were so worried, but it turns out you had nothing to worry about.”
“All thanks to my wonderful partner for leading me.”
It wasn’t flattery—it was true.
Whenever the gazes of others started to feel like too much, I danced while looking into his eyes.
And every time our eyes met, his gaze told me:
“You’re doing great.”
“Everyone was so busy staring at you, I felt a little jealous, to be honest.”
At his teasing tone, I let out a soft laugh.
Seeing him joke around like that made it sink in—I really had done well.
Newfound confidence in hand, I finally glanced around to see people’s reactions.
Some gazes held discomfort, others admiration, but one thing was clear:
Unlike my previous life, no one pitied me or looked at me with sympathy.
And there was one person—staring at me with a very different emotion in his eyes.
“How does it feel, Faydan, to have your little scheme fall apart?”
I glanced at Faydan trembling in anger from the corner and gave him a small, victorious smile.
Apparently, he’d left Elise behind, hoping to paint me as a villain while fishing for sympathy.
“That must be bruising his pride.”
After all, sympathy doesn’t offer real support—it’s just gossip material.
“Shall we head over there for a drink?”
“Sounds good.”
Having completed my successful debut as a villainess, I was about to retreat to a quieter corner of the hall with Idris, when—
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, the entrance of the ballroom erupted into a commotion.
“Oh my, isn’t that Lady Elise Fran? I thought she wasn’t coming since the Duke of Farnese arrived alone.”
“Exactly. I thought she’d at least lay low after the scandal.”
I instinctively turned toward the entrance—and saw Elise entering the ballroom.
But more than Elise’s arrival, someone else caught my attention far more strongly.
“…Deon Zahir?”
The Second Prince. Idris’s half-brother.
Grand Duke Deon Zahir was escorting Elise as they entered the ballroom.
“I was late due to other matters. Don’t tell me I missed the climax of the banquet?”
He played the part of a kind soul, saying he’d escorted Lady Fran because she was in trouble.
But that wasn’t why I couldn’t take my eyes off Deon.
It wasn’t just the surprise of his sudden appearance with Elise.
“What… is this?”
Deon was glowing.
Just like Idris had been when I first went to propose a deal to him.
“Does this mean… Deon is someone who could benefit me?”
Why?
This was the same man who flirted relentlessly—even after I married Faydan.
I was still confused about the meaning of the glowing effect, when Idris noticed the shift in my mood and spoke.
“Leticia?”
“Ah… It’s nothing. Let’s just—”
I was about to pull Idris toward a quiet spot when I saw his face—and froze.
Because…
“…What is this?”
Unlike the glowing Deon, Idris was beginning to turn dark.
That effect… was unmistakable.
Just like Elise’s fake necklace had looked black, this meant—he held no value.
Or worse…
“It might not be just that he’s worthless… He might actually bring me harm.”
“But why now?”
I was sure Idris had been glowing when we first met.
As I reeled from the sudden change, a forgotten memory from my past life suddenly resurfaced.
Back when I was wandering the streets—before I was dragged to prison—I had once glimpsed the imperial procession from afar.
As I slowly pieced the memory together, the once-blurry image of the man in the emperor’s carriage became clear.
Back then, the emperor wasn’t Azef…
“It was Deon…!”
As the memory hit me, my mouth fell open in shock.
“How could I have forgotten this?”
“Half a year from now, His Majesty the Emperor dies.”
A sudden accident—or possibly poisoning.
Wild rumors would spread, but in the end, the throne would pass to Deon.
An extensive investigation into the emperor’s death would follow.
And suspicion would fall squarely on Idris, due to his infamous reputation.
“Eventually, Idris is imprisoned for treason.”
Why had I never remembered such a crucial event until now?
But as I reflected on the past, I realized why.
“Because back then, my own life was falling apart.”
At the time, I’d been falsely accused of causing Elise’s miscarriage and cast out into the freezing winter.
For someone barely surviving on scraps of bread, the emperor’s death was just a distant headline.
“Idris was eventually released before my death, cleared of all charges.”
But once doubt had taken root in the people, they couldn’t let it go.
Even I had believed he might have done it, since he was the original villain in the novel.
“But knowing what I do now about his relationship with the emperor… I doubt he poisoned him.”
As I weighed the possibilities, Idris spoke again.
“If you keep staring at me like that, I’ll start blushing.”
His familiar, warm voice made me bite the inside of my cheek.
He was far more playful, kind, and thoughtful than I had ever expected.
And yet… my old wounds still chained me in place.
“I swore not to trust anyone again.”
Can I truly say I know everything in his heart?
No—more importantly…
“Whether he’s guilty or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that everyone believes he is.”
Whether he committed the crime or not, staying by his side meant wading into dangerous waters.
“Could I really stake everything on someone accused of treason?”
Even if I don’t choose Deon, it would be wiser—not to choose Idris either.
Just as I stood frozen, unable to take Idris’s hand—
“Well, well. If it isn’t the Duchess of Farnese.”
Deon spotted me and strolled over with a knowing smile.
With that, all eyes shifted from Deon to me—and Idris.
It was obvious he’d used the title “Duchess of Farnese” on purpose, trying to spark resentment and stir public opinion against me.
