“Shyte Honeyswald changed one day, a year after we got married.
As always, Shyte rarely came out of his room, while I was always out and about.
Although we lived under the same roof, I hardly ever ran into Shyte.
Even when the two of us were invited somewhere as a married couple, I usually went alone.
That day, too, the Duchess of Vutellen had invited the Baron and Baroness Honeyswald.
Shyte had locked himself in his room and didn’t even answer when I asked if he was coming with me.
As usual, I made up an excuse and attended the ball alone.
The moment I stepped inside, hundreds of pairs of eyes turned toward me.
“That’s Baroness Honeyswald.”
Starting with a whisper from somewhere, murmurs began to spread around me.
I gladly basked in all the attention.
I subtly checked my reflection in the pitch-black window.
‘Perfect as always.’
My carefully arranged light-blue hair curled beautifully without a single tangled strand, despite its natural curls.
A blue dress made from the finest silk, the kind even royalty had difficulty obtaining. A necklace made from diamonds of which only three existed in the entire world.
Snow-white skin, a small face, delicate features. I was satisfied with my gentle expression.
‘Though I’m not particularly fond of my drooping eyes…’
There was only one reason I disliked my drooping eyes.
“I heard she was admitted to the Imperial National University as the top student, but she looks rather stupid.”
“Hmph. She obviously bought her way in with money. She’s the only daughter of the famous Rothschild family, after all.”
Slander.
“I heard the head of the family and his wife died, and the family was passed down to their cousin. There must be a reason the only daughter wasn’t allowed to inherit the family business, don’t you think?”
“I heard she has quite the temper. Apparently even Baron Honeyswald is completely under her thumb.”
Open gossip.
“That lace decoration was something the designer refused to make because it was so labor-intensive!”
“You didn’t know? The Rothschild Bank sponsors that guild.”
“My goodness, I’m jealous. I suppose you really do need money to get anywhere in this world.”
Jealousy.
“To think the person who rejected me ended up with someone as rustic as Honeyswald.”
“He must be muscular underneath all that clothing, judging by appearances.”
“You’ve already checked? Honestly, the ones who look innocent are always the most shameless.”
Even vulgar harassment.
People with hostility toward me openly talked where everyone could hear them.
It was all because my drooping eyes made me look easy to pick on.
I glared at my reflection in the window for a moment before turning away.
Of course, I wasn’t affected by such remarks.
The brilliant golden Rothschilds.
A family that operated numerous businesses centered around banking and wielded enormous influence throughout the entire nation.
That was my family.
Thanks to them, I had been the center of attention since the day I was born.
Even when I was very young, countless rumors and wild speculations followed me.
There had always been people who disliked me for no reason, despite never having properly spoken to me or even met me.
The gossip spread by busybodies had been like a sibling who had accompanied me since I was in my cradle.
Even so, there were two things that never changed.
No one dared to disregard the influence of the ‘Rothschilds.’
And even after getting married, I was still treated as a ‘Rothschild.’
After all, people only slandered and insulted me because they were interested in me.
Compared to the admiration and affection directed at me, it was nothing.
Just like now, if I took one more step—
“Lady Amaranthis, you look absolutely beautiful today as well.”
“Baroness, your skin looks even better than before. It’s as white and soft as flour dough… How do you keep it completely free of blemishes?”
“Would you be able to attend the dinner party we’re hosting at our estate next time? It would truly be an honor beyond words.”
“Your hair is like silk. I have curls just like yours. How do you take care of them?”
There were so many people who loved me.
‘There’s no way baseless rumors could put even the slightest blemish on my perfect image.’
My lips naturally curved upward at all the praise pouring over me.
I’d had such a hard time with my hair today because it was especially curly due to the rain… Four hours of effort had definitely been worth it—
‘Splash!’
Almost.
I gasped in surprise.
The sharp, fragrant smell of wine filled my lungs.
My wine-soaked hair clung haphazardly to my face.
The beautiful blue dress I had loved was stained purple.
The surroundings also fell silent as though someone had poured cold water over the entire ballroom.
“Pfft!”
A distinct snicker broke the silence.
Only then did the commotion begin.
“Baroness! Are you all right?”
“Here, use my handkerchief!”
The Duchess of Vutellen, the hostess of the ball, hurried over as well.
“Amaranthis, I’ll have a room prepared for you. Change your clothes there. I’ll lend you one of my dresses.”
“Thank you for your concern, Duchess.”
I smiled calmly, but inside, I was boiling with rage.
‘How dare they…!’
I clenched my teeth and turned toward the person who had spilled the wine.
A woman who looked rather shabby for a noble was trembling.
Her clothes were also a mess from the wine. Tears quickly welled up in her orange eyes.
“I-I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I got swept up by the crowd and then…”
If she had done it on purpose, I wasn’t going to let her off…
But it really seemed like an accident, didn’t it?
Seeing how sorry and helpless she looked, my anger subsided.
However, the atmosphere around us remained hostile.
“Where was she looking while walking? Honestly…”
“Stop making excuses about getting swept up in the crowd and apologize properly.”
As the people aggressively pressured the woman, the onlookers’ eyes lit up.
Finally, they looked like bald eagles spotting rotten meat.
If I sided with them here, they would undoubtedly start excitedly gossiping about how terrible my character was, or how everything I had shown until now had merely been hypocrisy.
There was no reason to give such people an excuse.
I composed my expression and approached the woman.
“What’s your name?”
“Me-Mellis Haller, ma’am.”
“I see. Miss Haller, your clothes have been ruined too. How unfortunate. Come with me. Duchess, would that be all right?”
“If that is what Amaranthis wishes, of course.”
I approached the bewildered Mellis and took her hand, as though escorting her.
As I began walking, the people gathered around moved aside to make way, whispering among themselves.
“How kind of her.”
“Baroness Honeyswald has always been such an angel.”
“But who is that woman?”
“I heard she’s a country girl who only recently came to the capital.”
“She probably spilled the wine on purpose to get the Baroness’s attention.”
The color gradually drained from Mellis’s face.
She couldn’t hide her embarrassment, and her fingertips trembled.
Taking her side openly wouldn’t be good for either of us.
The best thing was to leave the scene, so I took her with me.
Following a servant’s directions, we entered the Duchess’s dressing room, and Mellis hurried after me, flustered.
“I’m sorry, Baroness. It was an accident, but your clothes are all wet. It must be very unpleasant. I’m truly sorry.”
Watching her whimper like a puppy that had done something wrong made me feel uncomfortable.
She said she hadn’t been in the capital for long, right?
I had been like that once, too.
Back when I had suddenly been thrown into the marriage market.
The nobles’ hostility and attempts to keep me in check had been more blatant than I expected. When I had been flustered, my cousin Arpedio had given me some advice.
“The nobles of the capital live lives that are so comfortable they’ve become boring. Perhaps that’s why they enjoy stimulating things, like hunting.”
Mellis tilted her head in confusion.
“What?”
“I mean that if you show weakness like you are right now, you’re likely to become a target for unpleasant people.”
“Ah…!”
A pale-yellow dress hanging on a rack caught my eye.
It was a color that suited Mellis’s skin tone, light-brown hair, and orange eyes perfectly without looking old-fashioned.
“So, you only need to give a sincere apology once.”
Mellis nodded with a flushed face.
I took her to stand in front of the mirror.
When I placed a hand against her hunched back, Mellis startled and immediately straightened.
“Open your chest and straighten your shoulders. No, don’t puff yourself up that much.”
I held the elegant pale-yellow dress beneath her chin, and the dowdy appearance I had seen earlier was nowhere to be found.
“Hmm. You look much better. What do you think of this dress?”
“It’s, it’s so pretty. For you to choose it yourself for me… I’m truly honored. I’ll wear it gratefully.”
“It isn’t mine, though. There’s no need to thank me. You should thank the Duchess.”
I rang the bell, and a maid entered.
“Take her with you and fix her hair. I’d like two of you to stay behind and help me.”
“Yes, Baroness.”
The maids took Mellis away.
With the help of the remaining maids, I washed myself and changed clothes.
I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment before giving the maids a gentle smile.
“I’d like to rest for a little while. Could you give me some privacy?”
“Of course, Baroness. Please call us whenever you need us.”
“Thank you.”
The maids bowed and left the room.
I stood there for a while, listening as their footsteps gradually faded away.
Then—
“Phew!”
I threw myself straight onto the sofa.
