MTLNOVEL Chapter 32
At the woman’s words, Elsez’s expression turned indifferent.‘That name again.’She was already sick of hearing it. While she herself barely thought about it, people around her chanted it like a mantra, as if desperately wanting her to become the duchess. Just hearing it was enough to make her nauseous.The woman began lecturing her.“Even though you’re not officially married yet, you should still show proper manners. One mustn’t behave like this.”“Manners? Where, and for whom?”“For whom? The Marchioness of Brandy, of course. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten etiquette just because you haven’t attended banquets in a while?”Elsez glanced toward the group of noble ladies.Just as before, they were whispering among themselves while looking her way.At the center of them stood a woman, whom Elsez assumed to be the Marchioness of Brandy’s daughter.Her eyes narrowed.‘So, this is a power play?’Elsez might not have been well-versed in noble etiquette, but she had transferred schools countless times, experiencing firsthand the dynamics of cliques, exclusion, and hazing.It was obvious that the woman before her had been sent to fetch her at the Marchioness’s orders.The Brandy noblewoman wanted Elsez to come and greet her, displaying to others that she was of lower status.The reasoning behind it wasn’t hard to guess.‘She must hate the fact that a baron’s daughter is about to outrank her through marriage.’A woman of lower birth was on the verge of surpassing her in rank—of course, that would be infuriating.Just then, the noblewoman beside her urged Elsez once again.“You should go and greet her now.”Still feeling the uncomfortable gaze of Viscount Lort’s son, Elsez agreed without hesitation.“Alright, let’s go.”The two walked toward the group of noble ladies, who eyed Elsez with clear disapproval.Only the Marchioness’s daughter greeted her with a smile.Playing along, Elsez greeted her first.“Good evening, Lady Brandy.”“It’s been a while, Lady Rohan. Didn’t the Duke accompany you?”She spoke in a kind tone, but Elsez caught the underlying message.The woman had already seen for herself that Tezette wasn’t with her. Asking about his whereabouts again was simply to highlight that she had come to the banquet alone.Elsez effortlessly repeated the answer she had given many times before.“He’s been quite busy these days. It seems His Highness the Crown Prince frequently seeks his counsel.”As soon as she mentioned the Crown Prince, a few of the ladies who had been glaring at her visibly flinched, their expressions softening.They were suddenly reminded of Tezette’s high status as the Crown Prince’s closest confidant—and of Elsez’s position as his fiancée.Sensing the shift, Lady Brandy quickly changed the subject.“I was quite worried since you hadn’t attended any banquets in a while. You should’ve come to greet me first when you arrived. We could’ve had a pleasant chat.”“Oh, is that so? Then why didn’t you greet me first? I had no idea.”Elsez’s bright smile made Lady Brandy’s face subtly stiffen.One of the other noble ladies beside her interjected with a sharp tone.“Why would Lady Brandy come to you first? You should have been the one to seek her out!”“Why? If we’re friends, wouldn’t the one who’s happy to see me come over first? I heard she was very worried about me.”Elsez tilted her head as if genuinely confused before suddenly seeming to realize something.“Ohhh… I see. This is about hierarchy, isn’t it?”At her blunt remark, Lady Brandy and the other noblewomen flinched.They had no real counterargument.Elsez dropped her smile, her voice growing cold.“People who aren’t sure of their own position always seem obsessed with things like this. As if they need constant reassurance of their standing.”“…….”“Truly accomplished people don’t care about such things. They don’t need to struggle to show off—because everyone already knows their worth.”Her sharp gaze remained fixed on Lady Brandy.Having her insecurities laid bare, Lady Brandy bit her trembling lip.Another noblewoman beside her, catching up late, tried to argue back.“Lady Rohan, what exactly are you trying to say? We were only concerned for you, yet you twist our words like this…!”Before the dispute could escalate, Lady Brandy quickly composed herself and stepped in.“Lady Rohan has been through a difficult time recently. Her emotions must still be unsettled. Please, let’s be understanding.”She then turned to Elsez, gently taking her hand as if to console her.“I only called you over because I worried you might feel out of place after being away from banquets for so long. If I’ve made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”At first glance, it sounded like she was offering a considerate apology.But in truth, she was positioning herself as the gracious, understanding one—while making Elsez seem overly emotional and reactive.‘You won’t be able to refuse my apology now.’Lady Brandy was certain Elsez wouldn’t dare reject it.Turning down a public apology would only make Elsez look unreasonable.The Elsez she remembered wasn’t the type to risk being disliked just to stand her ground.‘In the end, you’ll have to bow to me.’That’s what she believed.But there was something she didn’t know—“Really? If you were truly concerned about me, the first thing you’d have done is offer condolences for my father, not immediately ask about the Duke. Instead of gossiping behind my back just because I didn’t play along with your ranking games.”Ruel’s nickname was “Mad Dog”—a title all four heroes carefully but seriously agreed upon.A mad dog that would sink its teeth in, either with words or force, until the opponent was in tatters, until they surrendered.As Elsez coolly mocked her with icy eyes, Lady Brandy unconsciously stepped back.A strong instinct told her that she couldn’t win against the woman before her.‘Is this… really that Elsez Rohan?’And it wasn’t just Lady Brandy who felt that way. The other noble ladies also hesitated, their momentum faltering.At that moment, a sudden voice interrupted.“Pardon me, but may I join your conversation?”It was Viscount Lort’s son.Elsez’s expression soured as if she had just seen a bug, while Lady Brandy instantly replaced her stiff expression with a bright smile.“You are always welcome, Viscount.”With that, the previously tense noble ladies swiftly relaxed and turned their attention to him.“Have you chosen your first dance partner yet, Viscount?”The host of a banquet had the privilege of selecting the most beautiful unmarried lady in attendance as their first dance partner.That woman would become the highlight of the evening—an honor every noblewoman coveted.Lady Brandy was certain she would be chosen. So were the other young ladies.“Of course, Lady Brandy—”But the Viscount’s hand extended toward Elsez, who made no effort to hide her disinterested expression.“Lady Rohan, would you do me the honor of being my first dance partner?”A hush fell over the group as everyone stared in shock, their eyes darting between Elsez and the Viscount.Lady Brandy’s expression slowly hardened as the honor she had believed to be hers was snatched away.However, the one who had just been granted the coveted position gave a completely unexpected response.“I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling well today.”Gasps of disbelief filled the air as everyone turned to stare at Elsez—even Lady Brandy.Forcing a composed expression, Lady Brandy spoke gently, as if advising a subordinate.“Lady Rohan, refusing the first dance at a banquet is quite improper. Even a single dance is a matter of courtesy.”Losing the role of the banquet’s leading lady was disappointing, but showing frustration would be beneath her.So, with the grace of an experienced noblewoman, Lady Brandy masked her emotions and pretended to be supportive.Elsez, who had been watching her intently, suddenly let out a small exclamation, as if she had just come up with a great idea.“In that case, why don’t you take my place, Lady Brandy?”“You’ve made a wise decision, Lady Rohan. Lady Brandy is truly the perfect choice for the first dance.”The other noble ladies chirped in agreement, but Lady Brandy’s face contorted in barely concealed frustration.‘She threw it away…’Elsez had cast aside an honor everyone desired—without a second thought.And she had tossed it to her.No, she had discarded it.As if the very thing Lady Brandy had longed for was trash.Elsez sealed the moment with a bright, piercing smile.“Since you are someone who values propriety, I trust you wouldn’t want to embarrass the Viscount, would you?”Her gaze cut straight through Lady Brandy, as if seeing through her every emotion.Lady Brandy clenched the fabric of her dress in her fists but, with great effort, restrained herself.She reached out and took the Viscount’s hand.Elsez watched as the two moved to the center of the hall and began their dance, her lips curling in satisfaction.‘Didn’t even have to lift a finger for this one.’She had already been annoyed by the viscount’s relentless stares.Now, she had rid herself of both him and Lady Brandy in one move.Slipping away from the group of noblewomen, Elsez paid no mind to the gossip she knew would follow.‘It doesn’t matter. I’ll be breaking off my engagement with Tezette soon, and I have no plans to return to noble society.’Feeling parched, Elsez beckoned a passing maid carrying a tray of wine and filled her glass.She had just raised it when—‘…Huh?’A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over her, blurring her vision.Quickly, she reached out and steadied herself against a nearby table.‘What’s going on? I barely drank anything…’As the haziness in her mind deepened, a shadow fell over her.“I didn’t expect to see you at this banquet.”It was a familiar voice—one she had heard before—but her mind wasn’t processing it properly.Elsez clung to the table for support and forced her gaze upward.Before her stood her aunt, Baroness Hervan.“Are you feeling better now, Elsez? You seemed quite unwell a few days ago—I was worried.”She needed to say something. To respond.But the more she tried, the more her consciousness wavered.In Elsez’s dimming vision, she caught a glimpse of the baroness’s own unfocused eyes.“Now then,” the woman murmured, “shall we finish the conversation we left unfinished?”A faint, sinister glow flickered across the black magic circle etched on the back of her neck.