“I had to accept it reluctantly because he was so persistent. What’s so good about him? Our Regina could have met a much better match.”
Priscilla grumbled, displeased that Regina had rejected Prince Boloniko because Dreycoop had requested an escort first.
The Count didn’t even glance at his wife and ignored Regina, who also looked displeased, as he peered out the opposite window.
“Are you looking for crows?”
Regina said, looking straight at her father with her arms folded.
“Seeing you look around like it’s your first time here, even though we come to the Imperial Palace all the time, I thought you might be looking for those crows.”
“You. Don’t you dare mention crows or such things in front of Yuan.”
The Count scolded more harshly than usual.
This time, Priscilla straightened up like a fighting cock and glared at him.
He alternated looking at his daughter and wife as he warned them very sternly.
“If Yuan ever returns home, don’t you dare utter such words again. The moment you do, I absolutely won’t tolerate it.”
Priscilla was stunned to see her husband openly defending Yuan, then began to grow furious.
“Return home? With what nerve? Nonsense! Maybe in the past, but now she’d have to return the dowry if she came back! Absolutely not! Don’t even think about it!”
Regina also felt a surge of anger, wanting to shout that how dare he take the side of a girl who had already left home, but she quickly composed herself and examined her face with a hand mirror.
Snorting that there was no way she’d come back, anyway.
She was confident that no matter how much her father defended Yuan now, the moment he saw that gloomy sight receiving only shame and pity beside the monster, he would reject his niece just like before.
“Wow-.”
It was then.
When a strange silence followed by low exclamations erupted outside.
When Regina, leaving her parents growling at each other as if about to fight, finally took the reluctantly offered hand of Dreycoop Trelloni who had appeared at the open carriage door and stepped outside.
The exclamations grew louder until finally cries of “Oh my-” echoed around like a round song.
Regina cast a bored glance towards the source of the exclamations, thinking perhaps some bizarrely overdone carriage was passing by.
“They said she was a monster, but not at all!”
At the end of a familiar young lady’s voice.
Yuan Peliesse, who should have been gloomy darkness incarnate, appeared with a man so beautiful it made one’s heart flutter for a moment.
“What is this.”
As if she were the true protagonist of this ball.
[This is the timeline separator]The mask of former Crown Prince Clard Yufris remained the same. Except for a few decorations added to the half-black mask.
But the parts of pitch-black skin and bloodshot eyes that couldn’t be hidden even when covered were nowhere to be seen.
“Lady Regina. This is completely different from what Lady Regina said?”
“Didn’t you say ‘hideously unconcealable’?”
“And a gloomy cousin? Such a bright and beautiful person?”
Some young ladies who had been thoroughly primed because they couldn’t be Boloniko’s partner, and who firmly believed they were on her side, whispered while glancing sideways at her.
But now Regina couldn’t even hear the voices of those petty young ladies.
The sparkling dress Yuan wore as she entered like the protagonist, drawing everyone’s attention.
The cute little shoes peeking out with each step.
The amethyst necklace perfectly adorning her exposed collarbone.
The beautiful and mysterious former Crown Prince faithfully performing his role as partner, quietly looking down at Yuan as she smiled awkwardly.
And First Prince Boloniko welcoming Yuan with open arms from the entrance as if he had been waiting.
This was the Imperial Palace debut Regina had dreamed of since she was very young.
Dressed so beautifully, flaunting connections that everyone would envy, standing at the center as people parted like the Red Sea and stared with mouths agape.
That was one of the top items on Regina Peliesse’s bucket list for her life!
“Lady Regina. Say something.”
“Did you really see the former Crown Prince before?”
“And did you really attend that wedding party at Rocksenhart where only the Emperor’s close associates were present?”
The young ladies around Regina, unable to approach where the high-ranking people were gathered, began to badger her as they followed behind the crowd moving forward.
“I’m in trouble because of you too, Lady Regina. I repeated what you told me at the tea party where the noble ladies were gathered – what will they think if they see this sight now?”
“Me too. I told my family and fiancé. My fiancé will surely think I’m a frivolous woman who spreads baseless rumors.”
Regina wanted to shake off these petty young ladies immediately, but she froze when she spotted a group laughing at her from afar for not coming with Boloniko.
It was Princess Celestina’s group.
She had deliberately invited some of her minions to the last tea party, so they must have heard Regina’s statements as well.
Regina’s eyes darted quickly.
‘Oh no.’
Especially Tasha Gimpri, whom she had hoped to befriend, had a look of contempt on her face.
‘I knew it.’
‘I knew it was a lie.’
Her lips began to move busily, clearly saying such things.
Beautiful eyes curving maliciously, centered around Princess Celestina, stabbed Regina’s face like knives.
Regina gritted her teeth as she alternated looking at the former Crown Prince couple heading towards the Emperor’s high seat and Dreycoop Trelloni, whom she had briefly parted from at the entrance.
“How unpleasant.”
“Pardon?”
“Was your trust in this Regina Peliesse only to this extent?”
There was no trust to speak of.
The halo of being from the Peliesse Count family.
The curiosity of being Boloniko the First Prince’s hidden lover.
The intrigue of providing gossip about the former Crown Prince’s appearance that no one knew.
What else did Regina Peliesse have besides that?
Beautiful looks that anyone would turn to look at might be an advantage, but if asked whether there was no one else who could replace her, that wasn’t the case either.
Right now in the Empire, there was the supreme beauty Grand Duchess Ariesta.
Empress Marylin was also famous as a beauty second to none, and the young ladies of the great noble families were overflowing with those who shone beautifully in proportion to the money and effort invested.
Therefore, the girls who had been clinging to Regina quickly realized that the halo of the Peliesse Count family was not only on Regina but also on the former Crown Prince’s wife ascending to the high seat.
Moreover, First Prince Boloniko was not by Regina’s side now, and the rumored former Crown Prince was already before their eyes, so there was nothing interesting left to hear from Regina.
In short, they had nothing to lose in their current position.
“It’s Lady Regina who betrayed our trust!”
“You were so excited to gossip about the former Crown Prince, but now you’re angry because it’s different from the facts?”
“That’s right. If you feel wronged, prove it.”
These nobodies with nothing but loose tongues…!
Regina seethed quietly as she heard voices whispering while openly staring at the former Crown Prince couple who had already headed to the high seat.
“My goodness, are there such monsters in this world? I really can’t trust the newspapers these days.”
“They’re probably just being cautious out of fear of the Imperial family. Trembling in fear of having their heads chopped off as traitors for praising a runaway member of the Imperial family. What cowards.”
“Did you say she was the Peliesse Count’s daughter? That Gerret Peliesse’s…? Ah, the previous generation. I see.”
“If you mean the previous Philip Peliesse, I knew him very well. He was a respectable man.”
“She looks beautiful and modest. They make a well-matched pair.”
“Where is Gerret Peliesse’s daughter?”
“Over there. In the back. I saw her arrive earlier with the third son of the Trelloni Count family-”
“Trelloni? Ah. That horse-head Count family-”
“Shh! They’ll hear us. Hehe.”
Regina clenched her trembling fists tightly. She couldn’t bear the filthy feeling of Yuan and her fates being switched.
“Are you listening, Lady Regina? If you have a mouth, try making some excuses.”
“I’ll prove it, so watch closely.”
Princess Celestine, who had always looked down on her, gave a twisted smile from afar as if goading her trembling figure. It was the last straw.
“I’ll prove that my words weren’t lies. Be prepared to kneel before me and apologize when I do.”
“What? Kneel? How could you say such-”
-Thud!
Regina, who had pushed through forcefully hitting the young ladies’ shoulders, headed towards where the former Crown Prince couple had just finished greeting the Emperor and were standing.
[This is the timeline separator]The Emperor looked down at the former Crown Prince couple whom Boloniko had personally invited.
On either side were women with their chests half-exposed, shamelessly in a space filled with young girls.
The former Crown Prince’s wife, who seemed not to know where to look as she quickly lowered her gaze, and Clard with his emotionless face bowed their heads before him.
Emperor Igor’s eyes showed interest at the appearance of former Crown Prince Clard, but he soon turned his gaze to his son who had guided and brought them.
Boloniko’s arrogant and beautiful face sent a persistent gaze as if gauging the Emperor’s reaction.
The Emperor smiled as if indulging a cute puppy’s antics and shifted his gaze to Clard standing straight beside Boloniko.
“You’ve come home after a long time, why don’t you at least pretend to look around?”
“…Home? Absolutely not.”
“It must be my darling Boloniko unable to distinguish between public and private affairs, throwing a tantrum. He’s followed his cousin around since childhood after all.”
The Emperor’s darling son frowned deeply.
At that, the Emperor laughed deeply and turned his gaze to the former Crown Prince’s wife who had come for her belated debutante.
Unspeakable lewd remarks poured out from among the women accompanying the Emperor.
“My, how adorable.”
“I can see why His Majesty sang about the former Crown Prince’s wife-. The former Crown Prince’s wife-. My word. Her skin looks so soft and tender, like if you bit it-”
As Yuan’s face turned bright red with shame, they grew more excited and raised their voices.
It wasn’t rudeness directed only at Yuan. It was rudeness inflicted on all the young ladies who had greeted the Emperor to make their presence known.
Yuan had briefly overheard such talk while waiting her turn, so she tried to think of other things, just waiting for this time to pass quickly.
“I’ve come a long way and am not feeling well. May I withdraw first?”
Just as that verbal torture was reaching its peak.
Clard Yufris asked, looking straight at the Emperor.
______
In This Life, I Won’t Be Foolish To Lose You Again (Female-dominant)
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
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