Chapter 24

However, the two men had no idea of how wronged I felt.

I, who had become a mutual enemy of the two men, clenched Estelle’s hand while cowering my shoulders.

As if this petite hand of hers had reduced my lifespan.

────── 〔✿〕──────

Estelle took me to the lounge located on the side of the banquet hall.

There was no one present, so we sat comfortably, facing each other.

Estelle, whose eyes stared into mine, had her eyebrows lowered while saying,

“I’m sorry, Miss Nia. You were surprised why I brought you here all of a sudden, weren’t you?”

I didn’t feel surprised, rather, I felt like my life was threatened. I expressed my innermost thoughts with a gentle nod.

“Yes.”

Estelle’s face flushed at my answer.

“It was because I had a gift that I wanted to give you. It’s quite embarrassing for me to give it in that crowded place.”

“A gift?”

After a while, Estelle gave me a colorful butterfly-shaped pin. The silver beads gave out a little shimmer.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

I nodded vigorously at Estelle’s words.

“It’s totally my style. But why did you suddenly give me a gift?”

Estelle smiled as if showing how she felt fortunate while placing the pin on my hand and said, “I know everything. You wore that dress because of me, right?”

“!!”

At that moment, the pin that I hadn’t properly held fell to the floor.

I looked at Estelle with my widened eyes. She had a face that resembled a dewy silver-drop flower.

“I did not know at first as I wasn’t sensible enough to take notice. I didn’t realize it until I saw Miss Nia in the finished dress at the shop. Then I perceived that you had unilaterally adjusted the dress to a design that suits me well.”

I was embarrassed because I thought that Estelle wouldn’t be able to notice it until the end, seeing as she could be too dense at times.

“That’s…”

Estelle calmly continued talking to me, who couldn’t properly answer her.

“So I asked Miss Chanel to get a pin that would match well with Miss Nia’s dress. It pales in comparison with the consideration Miss Nia had given me, but I want to repay you even if it was only a little.”

Estelle picked up the hairpin that fell on the floor and put it over my blue-purple hair.

Then, she bent her eyes and smiled as if she were satisfied.

“It’s as expected. It looks gorgeous.”

…..Author, please change the genre of this novel.

I didn’t expect that there would be a moment in my life when my heart would pound over this female lead.

I answered her, desperately suppressing my excitement.

“Thank you. I’ll take care of it. But don’t be so apologetic or grateful to me anymore. I just did it out of my personal greed. I wanted to see Miss Estelle wear the dress that suits you best.”

“Yes, I will.”

The air that surrounded us instantly felt a bit sweet and warm.

I really liked this warm feeling.

However, the peace didn’t last for long.

“Oh, my. I thought there were a couple of rats hiding in here because of the rustling sound, but instead, it was you two.”

It was Erica and her group who appeared in a mean voice.

Erica, who came with several noble young ladies behind her, came to us while uttering her words loudly.

If this was a game, this narration would have come out.

<The banquet hall event begins. Beat the enemy’s harassment.> 

Estelle and I were seated, so we had to raise our head to see her.

Erica then looked down at us with her chin raised so high until her nostrils could be seen.

“What the?” (Note: The Korean word is literally an exclamation that’s used to sneer at others’ behavior for being pretentious or showing off. It could also be understood as “Woah!” or “Look at this punk.”)

It wasn’t too long ago when she volunteered to be my shoe rag (underling) hence I was left speechless by her sudden change of demeanor.

It seemed like the young ladies who were attached behind her back were also a little crazy.

“This is my first time knowing that you two were close enough to even match friendship dresses. What….” (Note: Like her train of thought was cut so she said that.)

Erica looked alternately between me and Estelle and made the most disgusted face in the world.

“Although a commoner and a Marquis’ young lady, whose family is on the verge of declining, really suit each other quite well.”

It’s that same pattern again.

As an extra, her attack route was pitifully simple and stupid.

Of course, Estelle and I were able to easily deliver a counterattack with no difficulty at those words.

I spoke to Estelle with an excited face.

“Take a look, Miss Estelle. I’m glad we matched our friendship dress, right? Now everyone knows we’re close friends.”

Estelle nodded with delight at my words.

“I’m sure of it.”

It seemed like a fly-like-lady was only blowing past Estelle and I in the cold lounge.

Erica’s face looking at us got perfectly distorted.

It was funny to see her nibbling her lips with an expression that she couldn’t see.

‘This is what happens when an extra villain picks a fight with the heroine without knowing anything.’ 

Originally, I was the one who was supposed to harass Estelle in Erica’s place.

Pernia would’ve pushed Estelle around more skillfully and viciously than Erica.

Pernia poured wine into Estelle’s dress pretending it to be a mistake, and said, “The dull dress has been dyed red, so now it’s worth looking at.” She’d spat out something like that with a smirk gracing her face.

But the timid Erica couldn’t go to that extent. The best she could do was start a petty squabble.

‘Erica, if you feel wronged, you should be born as the main villainess next time. It’s a shame that your villainous act is lacking, but you can still enjoy it quite a bit.’ 

I left my heartfelt advice unsaid.

But the harassment towards Estelle didn’t end there.

“I present to you the Empress Dowager.”

I gulped at the loud voice that echoed from the banquet hall.

The Empress Dowager, another villain to face tonight.

‘Let’s just sit tight and idle here in the lounge.’

I gave up on the idea the instant I thought of it.

It won’t matter if I wasn’t in the banquet hall, but in Estelle’s case, it would be a different story.

So if she stayed here all the time, she could be suspected as hiding from the Empress Dowager.

‘It’s a person you have to meet at least once anyway.’

Preparing my heart, I said to Estelle.

“Then shall we head back to the hall?”

Estelle nodded her head.

────── 〔✿〕──────

Unlike before, the atmosphere inside had turned solemn.

All because of the appearance of the Empress Dowager.

I looked at the Empress Dowager.

‘Indeed.’

Even at her age, her clear eyes and straight waist were telling us how powerful of a woman she was.

‘She looks like the mother-in-law of a chaebol family in a morning drama that my grandmother loved so much.’ (Note: Chaebol – rich business family)

To be precise, she was the Crown Prince’s grandmother, but since the Empress had died a long time ago, she is acting as the Empress right now.

And she despises Estelle.

This was because Estelle went in and out of the Imperial Palace as though it was her own house despite her status as a commoner.

Even though she was hailed as the Saintess by commoners and several aristocrats.

‘Of course, it’s not simply because of a mere jealousy. Later, the grandchild that she was so fond of would suddenly insist that he would never marry if not with Estelle. Thus, it may be a grandmother’s instinctive anger at the rejection.’

Still, it was too much to hold an innocent Estelle like a rat.

The Empress looked around, glaring her eyes like a black leopard who had found her prey.

Then she began to approach us with graceful steps.

I quickly looked around the hall.

As expected, Carlix and Lucian, the only ones who could prevent the Empress’ harassment, are nowhere to be found.

Why?

Because the author set it up like that.

It was a scene for the sake of the heroine.

Perhaps they will only return after Estelle has suffered enough.

‘It can’t be helped.’

I sighed and looked at Estelle. Estelle also looked nervous when she saw the Empress Dowager approaching.

It was only natural because she had never heard any nice words the entire time she had encountered the Empress Dowager.

The approaching Empress looked down at us with her chin raised arrogantly.

(I was surprised that she could even do that when in fact she’s shorter than us.)

She is indeed the grandmother of the male lead.

Even though she was only taking a gander, the same suffocating pressure that radiated from Carlix could also be felt from her presence.

Estelle and I managed our facial expressions and bowed politely.

“I see the noble Empress Dowager of the Empire. This is Pernia from Marquis Lilac.”

“I see the noble Empress Dowager of the Empire. This is the Saintess, Estelle.”

As I forced my lips together to say a polite greeting, there was no answer returned.

‘Looks like all the members in her family don’t like to talk. Must be a family trait.’

I stared at the Empress Dowager with my mouth quivering.

The Empress scanned us from head to toe and finally said a word.

“There is a person here who does not suit the position of giving blessings to the Crown Prince, the hope of the Empire.”

The loud voice was very aggressive.

I gulped down, recalling the lines from the original.

<Regardless of whether you are the Saintess, such an outfit is too much. Are you insulting the royal family now?>

…..Was it?

 ‘It’s okay. Today’s Estelle has nothing that could be picked on.’

I did research on the perfect dress that the Empress would like and even fixed the clumsy etiquette Estelle used to have.

However, while I was in the hopeful assumption that it would pass without a hitch, the Empress Dowager then continued.

“Pernia Lilac, it’s truly an embarrassment to catch a sight of you.”

……Eh?

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I blinked at my name that was unexpectedly mentioned.

But it was indeed me whom the Empress Dowager directed her criticism to.

Because her black eyes were staring right at me.

‘Did you just try to pick a fight with me?’