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Chapter 49
Corelia had hands that were delicate and refined, hardly the hands of a trained knight. It was hard to believe that someone like her could be a knight sent by the emperor.
Erin lifted the letter in her hand.
“That is…”
“Sir Ferdin sent it.”
[Sir Erin, if you don’t yet have a partner for the upcoming party, may I escort you?]
Erin held the letter and fell into thought.
Ferdin was the star of this party. Yet, he had chosen to be with her.
And someone worthy of the star of the party must have a partner who suits him.
Corelia still probably thought of her as the easy-to-underestimate, pitiful Erin Rithers.
Pretending to tremble in fear when facing Corelia had been nothing but a ploy to make her lower her guard.
Erin intended to prepare a small gift for Corelia, who had sent her the dress.
“There’s something I need you to help me with, Caron.”
Erin stared at Ferdin’s letter in her hand.
She could almost hear Corelia’s voice in her mind.
“Erin, no one will ever love you.”
Erin planned to prove her wrong at this party.
“Charlotte, how do I look?”
Corelia hummed a tune as she asked Charlotte.
“You are beautiful.”
And it was no lie.
Corelia was stunningly beautiful.
She was currently attending the party celebrating Ferdin’s achievements.
In the past few days, countless nobles had flocked to the academy. Some of the higher-ranking nobles, who were usually hard to pin down, were among them.
Since this was just a small academy gathering, they had no reason to be here.
The high-ranking nobles were here solely to show their support for Ferdin.
Corelia narrowed her eyes as she scanned the attending nobles.
‘Duke Asili, Count Ferditt, Viscount Liam…’
Duke Asili. How did that man get here? Wasn’t he busy fighting monsters on the front lines?
Corelia glared at him as he conversed with the princess.
No matter how much one tried to hide their power using dark magic, being in the same space as Duke Asili was dangerous.
Frowning for a moment, Corelia glanced to her side. Dietrion was seated next to her.
He muttered, bored.
“Boring.”
Then Dietrion’s eyes darted around, as if searching for someone.
‘Where is Erin Rithers?’
He couldn’t wait to see Erin’s reaction to meeting Corelia. But Erin had not yet arrived at the party.
Dietrion’s face twisted in frustration. Seeing this, Corelia smiled softly and reassured him.
“Something fun is about to happen.”
“Fun?”
“Yes. I sent Erin a truly ridiculous dress.”
Dietrion looked at her with interest.
Corelia was confident. She had never considered that Erin would refuse the dress she sent.
She recalled Erin from their recent meeting. Unlike Caron, Erin seemed unchanged.
Especially that terrified expression!
Surely, today as well, she would obey Corelia’s orders and arrive in that utterly ridiculous dress.
Dietrion was one of the few who knew that the tacky dress Erin would wear was Corelia’s doing.
But would Erin really comply with Corelia’s orders as she claimed? Corelia seemed oblivious to any changes in Erin.
Dietrion gripped the armrest of his chair tightly.
“I must say, I’m intrigued.”
Seeing his slightly tense expression, Corelia whispered softly into his ear.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. Ferdin Rexia will never be able to defeat you. Not by anything.”
Her words were full of absolute certainty.
While Corelia whispered into Dietrion’s ear, Ferdin met Erin outside the party hall.
“Sir Erin…”
After saying that, Ferdin lost his words.
Erin looked dazzling in a crimson dress that fit her well-toned body.
All eyes of the nobles heading toward the hall seemed to be fixed on them.
“Erin Rithers…”
“My goodness… has she always looked like that?”
“Absolutely luxurious. The fabric alone must have cost a fortune…”
Erin had asked Caron to bring Sara from the Rithers’ estate.
And through Sara’s name, had the tailor make the finest dress available.
The extra steps had been taken to ensure that Corelia wouldn’t detect what was about to unfold today.
Thanks to that, Erin looked elegant and glamorous rather than tacky.
‘Erin Rithers, lover of luxury.’
Perhaps, today at least, the title fit.
Erin smiled at Ferdin, and his cheeks flushed red.
Even knowing her smile carried no special meaning, he couldn’t stop his heart from racing.
In his eyes, no one else existed. It was as if only he and Erin were present.
Worried by Ferdin’s dazed expression, Erin stepped closer.
She examined his face closely and gently placed her hand on his arm.
“Sir Ferdin?”
The part of him that Erin touched felt incredibly warm. He spoke candidly without thinking.
“I’m sorry, Sir Erin… you are… so beautiful…”
Only after speaking did he realize what he had said.
At that moment, he recalled what the princess had said.
“Sir Erin finds this burdensome!”
Erin’s face reddened just like Ferdin’s. Her ripe, persimmon-like face seemed ready to burst.
An awkward atmosphere lingered around them, yet they didn’t dislike it.
Ferdin carefully held her hand.
Erin closed her eyes, savoring the warmth she felt from their clasped hands.
‘I wish… time would stop like this.’
But that would not happen. She was walking into hell of her own accord.
Opening her eyes again, the shy look from before had vanished.
Erin stared at the hall with the eyes of a seasoned warrior.
For him… and for herself… she had to face the demons inside.
A faint glint of steel appeared in her eyes.
Dietrion, bored, lifted his wine glass.
Ferdin was taking longer than expected.
In the Lexia Empire, it was traditional for the guest of honor to arrive last.
So it was natural for him to be late. Yet even knowing this, Dietrion’s mood soured.
When his patience was nearly exhausted, a knight approached and spoke.
“Your Highness Dietrion, it seems Sir Ferdin has arrived.”
Dietrion turned his gaze toward the hall’s entrance.
Corelia, perhaps hearing the knight, smiled faintly.
Her face showed anticipation for the upcoming events.
‘Tacky Erin Rithers.’
‘The foolish daughter, unlike the discerning marchioness.’
‘The marchioness must be frustrated. How could she find a suitable match with such poor taste?’
As always, people would compare her and Erin, offering her pitying words afterward.
‘Idiots.’
She was sick of these clueless people.
But knowing how this childish farce would corner Erin, she willingly took part…
Recently, however, Corelia was growing tired of this tedious game.
She wondered why she still spared the foolish marchioness, her child Caron, and Erin Rithers.
Looking around to avoid catching Duke Asili’s eye, Corelia saw a pair entering the party hall and could hardly believe her eyes.
‘Who are they?’
For a moment, time seemed to slow.
The first person she saw was Ferdin, radiant as ever. He had inherited the best features of his mother.
But… his partner Erin would not look so. She would appear in the ridiculous dress she had sent.
At least, that was what Corelia had expected.
Yet, just as previous events had defied her expectations, so too did this one…
