“When will the Duke arrive? It would be nice if he arrives in time for the garden party.”
“That’s true. The nobles of the capital are also coming that day, so he might arrive around then?”
“Do you think Mother sent an invitation to the Duke?”
“She must have. You were pestering her so much. But poor Ariana.”
Victoria’s words caused Helena to frown.
“What’s so pitiful about her?”
“You know, she knows nothing about party manners… She might want to come to a party attended by His Highness the Duke, but she has no one to bring her. Well, even if she does come, she’ll only be humiliated.”
Helena, who had been scowling ever since Ariana’s name was mentioned, smirked after a moment, as if she had a thought.
“Shall we make Ariana attend the party? Let her be humiliated in front of His Highness the Duke.”
“Sister, Mother hates showing Ariana to other nobles.”
“But won’t she be pleased if the girl makes a fool of herself and gets humiliated? I heard Mother telling Aunt the other day that she feels good every time the girl acts stupid and gets mocked, as if the Duke himself is being ridiculed.”
“Even so….”
“That’s enough, you’re out. I’ll handle it myself.”
Looking at the triumphant Helena, Victoria smiled inwardly.
Even if Rachel enjoys Ariana being ridiculed, it’s only in front of family.
She wouldn’t want to show Ariana’s foolish appearance to other nobles. After all, Ariana is Rachel’s biological daughter, and a lady of the Bronthe family.
But Victoria had no intention of letting Helena know that fact.
The more foolish things Helena does, the more Rachel’s attention and affection will turn away from her.
+++
For a few days after encountering the Duke, Ariana spent quiet days. Her heavy heart had calmed down with the Duke’s appearance.
Considering that the Duke hasn’t appeared in recent days, he might have finished his business and gone back.
Ariana woke up feeling refreshed for the first time in a long time and opened the window.
A clear sky spread out beyond the large window.
During the vomiting incident, the Lady had ordered Rachel to change Ariana’s clothes, but Rachel had not done so. The Lady had also forgotten that she had given that order.
‘She probably forgot that such a thing happened.’
The Lady had only given her attention when in sight, and as soon as she turned around, she would have erased something like the family’s burden from her mind. She neither expected nor needed ongoing attention.
A cold wind penetrated through the thin and worn clothes, but Ariana did not close the window.
‘Is it finally tomorrow?’
Tomorrow, a garden party is being held at the Duke of Bronthe’s residence.
Though it’s called a garden party, the weather is cold, so it’s all about having a meal and tea inside the large greenhouse in the garden, admiring exotic flowers and trees.
The reason for holding a garden party in this weather was that Helena would make her debutante in a few months. Rachel wanted to introduce Helena to good families in the capital before her debutante.
By connecting with the capital’s nobles, they would support Helena at the party where she holds her debutante.
Rachel believed that if there were many people to cover for Helena’s mistake at the party, Helena’s reputation would rather rise.
And it was indeed so.
At the debutante party, Helena, wandering around in case the Duke had come, bumped into another man and spilled the glass she was holding.
Then, a noble lady from the capital said, laughing, “Oh my, how cute. It seems the young lady is very nervous,” and everyone found Helena’s mistake adorable.
“Do you know how many times I was called cute then?”
After returning from the party, Helena had come to Ariana and talked about that incident several times as if bragging.
‘I was quite envious at that time. Not even knowing that the word cute was a mockery.’
A bitter smile appeared and disappeared at the corners of Ariana’s mouth.
In her past life today, Ariana had been trapped in the attic and was released.
Excited about her newfound freedom, she went out to the garden and ran into Rachel, where she had once been slapped for wandering around carelessly.
Ariana intended to take a hit from Rachel again, this time even more brutally. She planned to leave clear evidence of abuse on her body.
After some time had passed, Ariana quietly slipped out of her room.
The servants wandering the corridors ignored Ariana when they saw her, but they would later tell Rachel that Ariana had sneaked out.
Ariana held her head high, as if in defiance, and slowly walked towards the back garden.
The garden spread out behind the mansion was still desolate from the cold, but come spring, beautiful flowers and trees would flaunt their splendor.
Walking along the gravel path, Ariana stopped in front of a small pond. The small pond beneath the large tree was frozen solid.
‘Just like my heart.’
Ariana’s heart was also frozen cold.
She dreamed nightmares when she slept.
No, it was not a dream. The reality that befell Ariana in her past life was repeated while she slept.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
