Just seeing that face was worth the two weeks of trouble she had caused Mrs. Corcos.
Ariella blushed, her cheeks turning pink as she whispered silently.
‘That’s right. What you think is true.’
Yes, from the beginning, there were two dresses.
Ariella had requested that from Mrs. Corcos.
“Lady Ariella. I’ll confirm one last time. You need a total of two dresses, correct? You want them delivered with some time in between.”
“Yes, ma’am. One of them can be made just to match the occasion. There’s no need for expensive decorations like jewels or lace.”
“Will this fabric be sufficient for the dress meant for matching the occasion?”
“Yes. That’s perfect. Please make it as white as possible.”
So that the protagonist of the debutante ball could not bear it without tearing it apart.
She added this to Mrs. Corcos, who complied with all of Ariella’s requests.
Please deliver the white dress the day before the debutante ball. And send the other one just before the ball starts on the day of the debutante.
The result of her repeated requests was this very moment.
Lizzy tried to muster strength in her trembling limbs.
She desperately wished that everything happening now was just a nightmare, that if she closed her eyes and opened them again, it would be morning once more. But unfortunately, the gods did not grant her prayer.
Ariella, appearing in a golden dress, had a presence that could not be ignored by anyone, and Lizzy’s partner was staring at his former fiancée with a dazed expression.
Lizzy instinctively clutched Aaron’s arm tightly, fearing that he might lose his senses and approach Ariella like the other men.
However, despite her efforts, Ariella, walking down the stairs, headed straight toward where Lizzy and Aaron were.
The nobles, realizing where her feet were directed, discreetly parted to make way, allowing Ariella to proceed without obstruction.
Click, click. As the sound of her orderly footsteps grew louder, Lizzy’s face became increasingly pale.
And just as Ariella approached within a short distance, Catalina, noticing that Aaron was half out of his mind, seized the opportunity.
“Lady Arrie! Is it true that Calum sent a letter to Lizzy, and you stole that necklace to gift it to her as if it were your own?”
The rudeness of asking such a question without even a greeting shocked the surrounding nobles.
The issue, which had been momentarily forgotten due to Ariella’s beauty, resurfaced just as she intended.
Ariella tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what was being said.
“The necklace?”
“Yes! That ruby necklace sitting prominently on Lizzy’s chest.”
Catalina subtly criticized Lizzy’s vulgarity. The noblewomen who shared similar thoughts stifled their laughter.
“I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Liar!”
Lizzy screamed again.
“You’re lying! You’re making up stories to get me into trouble. Arrie, I know you dislike me, but how could you go this far!”
It was a similar repertoire to what she had claimed earlier.
As her voice, strained to the breaking point, echoed in their ears, the nobles frowned. It had been interesting at first, but after hearing it several times, it was starting to become tiresome.
Seeing the reactions around her, Ariella patted Lizzy’s shoulder as if soothing a child.
“It seems something significant has happened. But Lizzy, we’re at a party right now. It would be better to postpone the arguments to avoid being rude to the guests. If you have something to apologize for, do it quickly.”
“Why should I apologize? You should! It’s all your doing!”
Thwack! Lizzy roughly swatted Ariella’s hand away. Though it was an action born from familiarity, it came as a shock to the nobles, who emphasized decorum and propriety.
Regardless of who the true culprit was, an un-noble attitude was always the most despised.
“Oh dear,” someone muttered, shaking their head in dismay. Another clicked their tongue, revealing their displeasure. Even those who had stood by Lizzy until now reacted similarly.
As a cold silence swept through the ballroom, Lizzy finally realized that the situation had gone terribly wrong. But there was no way back.
“I’m… just upset. It hurts my heart to think you went to such lengths to ruin my party on purpose…”
She hurriedly lowered her voice, trying to elicit sympathy from the crowd.
Ariella let out a long sigh. Then, casting a glance as if looking at a family nuisance, she spoke.
“Ugh… If it must come to this, then fine. Do you have any evidence?”
“What?”
“Do you have any proof that I stole your letter and gifted it to you? If what you say is true, at least one of the servants must have seen me giving you the gift.”
There was no way there would be any evidence.
If there were to be any evidence, it would have to be found on Ariella’s side. Evidence that she had broken into her room, torn her dress, and stolen her jewelry.
