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Chapter : 52
· Anklet of Discord Diamond
An affordable anklet made from melted-down rings of a divorced couple and low-grade diamonds. It spreads discord among those nearby.
How painstakingly I had chosen each of these accessories!
Just like the golden apple thrown by Eris, the goddess of discord, who hadn’t been invited to the wedding.
I had come, decked out in every possible item, to throw that very golden apple into this battlefield disguised as peaceful society.
I closely observed the ever-shifting expression on Countess Müller’s daughter’s face.
Up until now, she must have stayed in the background, hiding her presence because Vanessa’s status was too firmly rooted.
But what if she started gaining her own support base? Then her attitude could change.
So I subtly let her know—it was time to build her own faction.
‘After all, the Spring Queen title is just a political tool dressed in flowery robes.’
To be honest… the reason I accepted this Spring Queen quest so readily wasn’t just because I thought the system’s quests might be related to the eventual “final objective,” but because the achievement conditions made sense.
[SYSTEM] A quest has arrived! As the greatest villainess of the Bregenz Empire, make a dazzling debut this season and demonstrate your influence in the <Spring Queen Contest>!
· Quest Completion Conditions
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Attend social gatherings (0/5)
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Prevent “Vanessa Nesselrode” from winning the Spring Queen title for the third consecutive year
· Rewards
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Dignity, Intelligence, and Charm +5
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A date ticket given upon winning the Spring Queen title
Even if I equipped top-tier items, there was a limit to how much I could raise my stats like charm or elegance, given my abysmal base values.
But the quest didn’t require me to win Spring Queen. It only required that Vanessa Nesselrode didn’t win it a third time.
So instead of aiming to become the queen, I chose to make one—a queen-maker.
And the first part of that plan was to plant the seeds of discord.
“……”
“……”
My intentions must have landed well, because silence enveloped the area.
But even so, Countess Müller’s daughter’s eyes were darting quickly around.
She seemed to be weighing whether my words were meant to mock her—or if they carried genuine potential.
“Why is it so quiet here?”
At that moment, Vanessa Nesselrode approached with a warm smile.
All the young ladies sitting nearby froze up and stared at her—but no one volunteered a response.
‘As expected.’
The “Glass Slippers of Desire” I was wearing were an item that fanned the flames of desire within a 10-meter radius.
Every lady seated here had the qualifications to become Spring Queen.
Until now, perhaps because Vanessa had won the title two years in a row, they hadn’t dared express their own ambitions… but I was sure none of them truly liked her from the bottom of their hearts.
Then I had stirred that repressed desire by suggesting that perhaps someone other than Vanessa could win this year.
Even Helene, who would’ve licked Vanessa’s shoes moments ago, had clamped her mouth shut. That said enough.
“Hold on.”
Vanessa, sensing something strange, swept her eyes around—and then fixed them on me.
“Now that I think about it, wasn’t there another daughter of the Ulmer Duke here? Is that why it’s so quiet?”
What the hell. Yes, I’d stirred the pot, but why was she calling me out?
As I stared at her incredulously, Vanessa furrowed her brows and made a sorrowful face.
“Lady Adelheid, I’m sorry, but this isn’t a place where you can act however you please like you may have elsewhere. And these ladies don’t deserve to be treated that way either.”
“What do you mean, ‘that way’?”
“I’ve heard the rumors. I don’t judge people based on gossip, but… I hope you’ll be more careful here.”
Got you.
I smiled faintly and answered.
“By ‘careful,’ do you mean I shouldn’t say anything that the Marchioness of Nesselrode wouldn’t like?”
“What… no, that’s not…”
Of course, Vanessa probably had no clue what had just been said before she arrived.
But if I framed it like this, the other young ladies were bound to feel conflicted.
“So you’ve always silenced opinions different from your own this way?”
“H-How rude! That’s not what I meant!”
“Then why bring up rumors about me and warn me to behave?”
Vanessa’s angelic expression cracked for a moment—she clearly hadn’t expected this kind of counterattack.
Still, she must have been no rookie to the social scene, because she quickly recovered and spoke again in the same gentle tone she had used when she first walked up.
“There must have been some misunderstanding, Lady Adelheid. I believe everyone here should feel welcome. That’s the only intention I had.”
“Then why…”
Just as I was about to refute her, Vanessa’s eyes welled up with transparent tears and she pleaded with me sorrowfully.
“So please don’t be upset. If there’s been a misunderstanding, I’ll apologize as many times as you need.”
I stared at her coldly.
Even when I first saw her, I had realized—this woman was no ordinary opponent.
‘She can even apologize and act the victim when needed, just to play the weaker party.’
You know that saying—“the poor man who’s been robbed”?
This was exactly that. Vanessa was playing the oppressed one in front of me, the actual outcast, and turning the whole situation in her favor.
But…
‘It doesn’t feel like this is the end.’
Honestly, if this was all she had, I’d be a little disappointed. She’s supposed to be the Spring Queen three years in a row in this game, after all.
And then, as if reading my mind, Vanessa turned and pointed to Paula.
“Lady Paula, would you mind helping me? I think Lady Adelheid is really upset…”
“Huh?”
Paula looked up in shock.
Just then, one of the sycophant noble girls who’d been buttering up Vanessa chimed in.
“Lady Paula is from the same background as that young lady. I mean, same social class, right?”
…What?
“Since you understand each other, maybe you could help calm her down?”
“That’s…”
But the most surprising thing was Paula’s reaction.
Even after being hit with the insult “same class” – which would’ve made her explode back at the Duke’s mansion – she just sat there, dazed and stammering.
“U-Um, I mean, it’s not like that, just…”
Paula looked between me and Vanessa, then lowered her head.
I could only stare in disbelief.
‘She’s just taking that?’
Once I realized how strange this was, I finally noticed Paula’s drooping shoulders and trembling eyes.
Her head kept bowing lower and lower. Unlike her usual snarky attitude toward me, she looked completely defeated.
Normally, anyone in her shoes would’ve protested or gotten angry—but she was just staying still?
Come to think of it, Paula had shown signs of being mentally fragile, especially after enduring the Duke of Ulmer’s verbal abuse.
And she seemed to be heavily influenced by what others thought of her.
Given the cutthroat nature of these noble young ladies, it wouldn’t be surprising if this social circle always needed a scapegoat to function.
Today, I was the newcomer—so I was the target.
But on regular days? Who was usually treated like that?
Now that I was observing more closely, I noticed Paula’s particularly worn-out dress and cheap-looking accessories.
A poor noble girl, always showing up in shabby outfits to gatherings that needed someone to ostracize.
‘No way.’
…No way. You too?
[SYSTEM] As the greatest villainess of the Bregenz Empire, you’ve demonstrated incredible insight! Intelligence +1
Yep. You too.
