I had briefly imagined such a scenario, but I never truly believed it would happen. Overwhelmed with admiration, my lips involuntarily curled up, and my mouth fell open.
Lizzy looked down at me with a confident expression. Meanwhile, Aaron seemed flustered, perhaps not expecting Ariella to be here.
‘What is she doing here? She doesn’t like these kinds of gatherings.’
That said, he wasn’t someone who felt no guilt. While he often felt anger more than remorse, seeing Ariella, who looked so out of place among the swans, made my heart uneasy.
It reminded me of the image of her running out of the masquerade ball in tears.
However, the discomfort in my heart remained just that—an emotion that didn’t translate into action.
“Your Highness, I believe our seats are over there.”
Lizzy linked her arm with Aaron’s, subtly pressing her ample bosom against his arm. The combination of her charming smile and voluptuous figure naturally drew attention.
To be honest, Ariella was more beautiful. But Lizzy had the advantage of a curvy figure, fashionable attire, and a personality that was both playful and obedient when necessary.
Unlike Ariella, who couldn’t dress herself and reacted overly sensitively to even the slightest contact.
Aaron gazed at Lizzy with a look of fondness and said, “Yes. Please, sit first, Ariella.”
The impact of just her name was significant. Given that this was a gathering of young, promising nobles who could be said to lead the social scene, it was even more so.
Those who had just looked down on and ignored Ariella gained further conviction from his words.
Ariella Bedford, stripped of her family and fiancé, was no longer one of us.
No, that woman is no longer ‘Ariella Bedford.’ She is merely a lowly, ungrateful girl who dared to steal someone else’s place and pretend to be a noble.
“Oh my! Your Highness, you should call me Lizzy here.”
Lizzy exclaimed, startled, glancing nervously at Ariella. Then Loveth tilted her head and interjected.
“Why? Lady Lizzy is Ariella, right?”
“Well, yes, but… it’s still not certain. And it’s a name that Arrie has used for a long time. I thought it would be better not to use that name in front of Arrie…”
“Lady Lizzy, you have such a kind heart.”
Lord Wrexham smiled contentedly as he praised Lizzy. Unlike the genuine smile he had shown Catalina a moment ago, this one was filled with sincerity.
Catalina, sensing something was off, quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, Lady Lizzy, how did you get permission to go out? I thought you hadn’t had your debutante ball yet… Did the Duke of Bedford give special permission since your fiancé, His Highness, is here with you?”
Emphasizing that her fiancé was present was quite striking.
Since this was something I had been curious about, I sipped my overflowing champagne and kept my ears open.
“Yes, that’s right. He gave me special permission.”
“I see. So, you’ll be officially debuting at this debutante ball?”
“Oh, not really. My father is a bit of a doting father, so he feels uneasy about debuting his daughter in the same setting as other young ladies…”
“Oh, that means…”
Catalina clapped her hands in delight. Lizzy smiled shyly and nodded.
“Yes, he’s decided to hold a separate debut stage for me. You all must come, okay?”
Holding a separate debutante ball costs a lot of money. Therefore, unless one is a very wealthy noble, they wouldn’t throw a separate party to announce their daughter’s debut.
The Bedford family could afford that much, but the Duke was someone who was very reluctant to spend unnecessarily, and there must be a significant background behind his decision.
‘No wonder the royal family suddenly granted permission after a long wait.’
There must have been some sort of agreement between Aaron and his father. In exchange for granting permission, they would recognize someone.
Suddenly, I recalled the excited expression on my father’s face before we left the Duke’s residence.
It seemed my father had finally gained confidence. Confidence that he could decide on his daughter as Lizzy, and that the benefits would outweigh the costs.
If he could effectively promote a new product, he would surely consider the costs of hosting a debutante ball worth it.
‘Even though the conclusion has already been reached, my father didn’t give me any hint today. How typical of him.’
Ariella scoffed at the Duke of Bedford’s consistency and continued to drink her champagne.
The nobles were still excitedly chatting about Lizzy. Catalina’s complexion seemed subtly uncomfortable, but everyone’s attention was focused on Lizzy, so she didn’t attract any notice.
“By the way, Lizzy, that hat you’re wearing seems different from what you usually wear.”
“Oh, yes. I received it as a gift from someone I’m not very close to… To be honest, it’s not really my style. It’s a bit old-fashioned. But I wore it out of consideration for the gift.”
“My goodness, how kind of you! To think you would even consider that. Truly, you are the only princess in the empire.”
