Chapter 1
Shite Hunniswald changed one day, exactly one year after our marriage.
As always, Shite rarely left his room, while I spent most of my time outside.
Though we lived under the same roof, we hardly ever saw each other.
Whenever a married couple was invited somewhere, I usually attended alone.
That day, the Duchess of Beutellen had invited Baron and Baroness Hunniswald to a ball.
Shite shut himself up in his room as usual and didn’t even answer when I asked if he planned to come with me.
So, accustomed to the situation, I made an excuse and attended the ball by myself.
The moment I entered, hundreds of eyes turned toward me.
“It’s Baroness Hunniswald.”
The whisper came from somewhere nearby, and soon murmurs spread through the crowd.
I gladly accepted the attention.
Glancing at my reflection in a dark window, I inspected myself.
Perfect as always.
My pale sky-blue hair had been carefully styled. Despite its natural curls, not a single strand was tangled.
A blue gown made from the finest silk—a fabric so rare that even royalty struggled to obtain it.
A necklace crafted with one of only three diamonds of its kind in the world.
Snow-white skin.
A small face.
Delicate, harmonious features.
My gentle expression pleased me.
Though I still don’t like how my eyes droop at the corners…
There was only one reason I disliked them.
Because they made people underestimate me.
“I heard she entered the Imperial National University at the top of her class, but she looks much dumber than I expected.”
“Hmph. She probably bought her way in with money. Isn’t she the only daughter of the famous Rootshild family?”
Slander.
“I heard her parents died and the family leadership passed to her cousin. There must be a reason the only daughter couldn’t inherit the family business.”
“I’ve heard she’s got quite the temper. They say Baron Hunniswald is completely under her thumb.”
Malicious gossip.
“That lace design was something the designer refused because it required too much work!”
“Didn’t you know? The guild is sponsored by Rootshild Bank.”
“My goodness, I’m so jealous. Money really does make life easier.”
Jealousy.
“The woman who rejected me ended up marrying a country bumpkin like Hunniswald?”
“Maybe he’s more muscular than he looks.”
“Already checked, have you? The innocent-looking ones are always the most shameless.”
Even vulgar mockery.
People spoke openly, making sure I could hear every word.
This is all because my eyes make me look too soft.
I glared at my reflection for a moment before looking away.
Of course, none of those comments truly bothered me.
The glorious House of Rootshild.
A family that operated a bank and countless businesses, wielding immense influence throughout the kingdom.
That was my birthplace.
Because of that, I had been the center of attention since the day I was born.
Even as a child, rumors and speculation followed me everywhere.
There had always been people who disliked me despite never speaking to me or even meeting me.
Idle gossip had accompanied me for so long that it felt like a sibling raised alongside me from the cradle.
Even so, two facts never changed.
No one dared ignore the influence of Rootshild.
And even after marriage, I was still treated as a Rootshild.
The criticism and insults only proved that people cared.
Compared to the admiration and affection directed toward me, such comments were insignificant.
After all, if I took only a single step forward—
“Lady Amarantis, you’re beautiful as always today.”
“Baroness, your skin looks even better than before. It’s so white and smooth… How can it be completely flawless?”
“Would you honor us by attending the banquet at our estate next time? It would truly be our greatest pleasure.”
“Your hair looks like silk. My hair is curly too—how do you take care of it?”
There were this many people who adored me.
Baseless rumors could never tarnish my perfect image.
The endless praise naturally brought a smile to my face.
The rainy weather had made my hair especially difficult to manage today.
Still, spending four whole hours styling it had been worth—
Splash!
—or so I thought.
I gasped in surprise.
The sharp, sweet scent of wine filled my lungs.
Wine-soaked hair clung messily to my face.
My beloved blue dress was quickly stained purple.
The surroundings fell silent, as though cold water had been poured over everyone.
“Pfft!”
Someone’s unmistakable snicker shattered the silence.
Only then did the commotion begin.
“Baroness! Are you alright?”
“Here, use my handkerchief!”
The Duchess of Beutellen, host of the ball, rushed over immediately.
“Amarantis, I’ll have a room prepared. Change your clothes there. You can borrow one of my dresses.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Duchess.”
I smiled gracefully, but inside I was seething.
Who dares—?!
Grinding my teeth, I turned toward the source of the wine.
A poorly dressed young woman, shabby by noble standards, stood trembling.
Her clothes were soaked with wine as well.
Tears quickly gathered in her orange eyes.
“I-I’m sorry! I’m really, really sorry! I got pushed by the crowd and—”
If she’d done it on purpose, I would never have let her off.
But…
It really seemed to have been an accident.
Seeing how distressed she looked, my anger faded.
Unfortunately, everyone else’s hostility remained.
“Honestly, where was she looking while walking?”
“Stop making excuses and apologize properly.”
As people aggressively cornered the woman, spectators watched with gleaming eyes.
Like vultures spotting fresh carrion.
If I joined in, people would undoubtedly start saying things like:
“See? That’s what she’s really like.”
“Everything she’s shown until now was just hypocrisy.”
There was no reason to give such people ammunition.
Composing my expression, I approached the woman.
“What’s your name?”
“M-Melis Heller, my lady.”
“I see. Miss Heller. Your clothes are ruined too. How unfortunate. Come with me. Duchess, would that be alright?”
“If that’s what you want, Amarantis, then of course.”
I approached the bewildered Melis and gently took her hand as though escorting her.
As I walked, the crowd parted and whispered among themselves.
“My goodness, she’s so kind.”
“The Baroness has always been an angel.”
“But who is that woman?”
“I heard she’s some country girl who only recently came to the capital.”
“She probably spilled the wine on purpose to get the Baroness’s attention.”
The color steadily drained from Melis’s face.
Unable to hide her distress, her fingertips trembled.
Openly taking sides wouldn’t benefit either of us.
Leaving the scene was the wiser choice.
Following a servant’s guidance, we entered the Duchess’s dressing room.
Melis hurried after me nervously.
“I’m sorry, Baroness. It was really an accident. You’re all wet, so it must be terribly uncomfortable. I’m truly sorry.”
Watching her fidget like a puppy that had accidentally caused trouble made me uncomfortable.
She said she’d only recently arrived in the capital, hadn’t she?
I had once been in a similar position.
Back when I’d first been thrown into the marriage market.
The hostility and competition among nobles had been far more blatant than I’d expected.
At the time, my cousin Arfedio had given me some advice.
“The nobles of the capital live lives so comfortable they’re practically bored. Maybe that’s why they enjoy exciting things like hunting.”
Melis tilted her head.
“Pardon?”
“It means that if you show weakness like you did just now, you’ll easily become a target for unpleasant people.”
“Ah…!”
A pale yellow dress hanging nearby caught my eye.
The color would suit Melis’s skin tone, light-brown hair, and orange eyes beautifully while still looking elegant.
“So apologizing sincerely once is enough.”
Melis nodded, her face reddening.
I led her to a mirror.
The moment I placed a hand on her hunched back, she jumped and immediately straightened.
“Lift your chest and straighten your shoulders. No, not that stiff.”
Holding the elegant pale-yellow dress against her, the country girl I’d seen earlier seemed to disappear.
“Hm. Much better. What do you think of this dress?”
“I-it’s beautiful. The fact that you chose it for me yourself is such an honor. Thank you so much. I’ll treasure it.”
“It’s not even mine. You should thank the Duchess instead.”
When I rang a bell, a maid entered.
“Take her and fix her hair. I’d like two of you to stay and help me.”
“Yes, Baroness.”
The maids led Melis away.
With the help of the remaining attendants, I washed up and changed clothes.
Afterward, I stared into the mirror for a moment before smiling gently at them.
“I’d like some time alone. Could you leave for a while?”
“Of course, my lady. Please call us whenever you need us.”
“Thank you.”
The maids bowed and left the room.
I stood there quietly for a while, listening to their footsteps fade into the distance.
Then—
“Fwah!”
I threw myself onto the sofa.
