CHAPTER 80

"I'm just going to wear this ruby necklace with a dress that we made today."

"Are you really going to do that? I understand that you don't care about others, but I'm sure someone will pick a fight."

"Then i'll say that i always carry a piece of my husband's heart around my neck. What treasure could there be more precious than this?"

Killian's face immediately turned red.

"I'm not ashamed to say that. . . . ."

Hmm, it's not convincing at all if you say that while giving a pleasant look as it is. Killian turned his gaze around and muttered a little, coughing in vain.

"Let's call the jeweler sometime before we go down to the manor, then you can buy whatever you want."

All i want from Killian is leave my head safely before the bail comes out. But now I just nodded to keep the mood alive. It's not a bad day. It was a pretty good day.

***

"Lizzy! long time no see"

"It's been a while, Princess."

Lizzy was facing Princess Catherine of Iberia in the sunny drawing room of the imperial palace where preparations for the founding festival were in full swing. Catherine, who has had a crush on Cliff since her childhood, is jealous that Lizzy loved Cliff, and she even tried to hurt Lizzy at once. However, at some point, influenced by Lizzy pure and kind personality, she came to love Lizzy as she did now and became jealous of Cliff.

"Did Cliff, i mean did that fool guy treat you well?"

"Everyone in the Ludwig family is kind to me. As I said before, the day I come to the Duke's house is like a dream."

"You deserve more than that. If you don't like it, you can come to the palace and live as my maid."

However, Lizzy shook her head with an embarrassing smile.

"I do not want to leave the side of Duke Ludwig and his wife. Those are like parents to me."

"Hmmm. . . . I can't beat that since the Duke Ludwig saved you."

Lizzy was the most beautiful and kind person Catherine had ever seen. A person who warmly embraced herself for insulting her with a twisted heart. If it weren't for Lizzy, Catherine would still be living as a troublemaker in the Imperial Palace.

'I won't let the things that bother me without recognizing such an angel.'

The starting point for fulfilling that promise was the Count of Sinclair. Count Sinclair, created an illegitimate child, by recklessly made fun of his lower body part only to have it listed in the family register, and also mocked her or the Countess and her children who bullied Lizzy by saying that they couldn't recognized her as family. Catherine always intended to scold them. And she had planned to do that at the day of the founding festival.

"How is the Sinclair family doing these day?"

"They been quiet these day."

Lizzy said with an embarrassing smile.

"Brother Damian seems to be helping our father with the Heirs work, and sister Layla is. . . . . "

"Who asked you about that? isn't she doing something weird to you?"

"Oh, no! no such thing. . . . . "

". . . . . Lizzy?"

Catherine's narrowed at Lizzy, who had been waving her hands in denial, suddenly stopped and stuttered.

"Something happened. right?"

"Oh, that's, that's. . . . . no, nothing. "

But Catherine is not someone who will pretend not to know.

"Lizzy. What's going on? Are you going to make me worry like this?"

Catherine persuaded Lizzy by even acting cute that she wouldn't do in front of other people. Lizzy chewed her lips carefully before opening her mouth.

"I still don't know who did it. . . . .Actually, there's a reason I couldn't accept Her Highness' invitation last time."

"What? What happened?"

"That. . . . . someone. . . . . poisoned my embroidery thread."

"What?"

Catherine's eyes widened and then began to burn with anger.

"Isn't Duke Ludwig incompetent? how can someone get poisoned and still not be able to find the culprit?"

"There, there was no evidence anywhere."

"No! i'll listen and judge based on it. Tell me exactly what happened, from the start to the end."

Lizzy sighed heavily and then explained out the whole story of the incident as if she were unwilling. After hearing the story, Catherine clenched her teeth.

"Did Cliff and Killian become idiots? it's obviously Edith Riegelhoff!"

"Everyone thought so at first. But Edith has no reason to do that, and Edith itself strongly insisted of her innocence, and there was no clear evidence. . . . ."

"The maid who said she saw the woman apply poison to the embroidery threads was found dead? of course, she killed her, right?"

"But it's unfair to accuse Edith of being the culprit based on that opinion alone. . . . ."

Catherine grabbed the back of my neck and let out a rough breath.

"You're so nice, Lizzy. There are people like beasts in this world that can't be covered with they good heart!"

Lizzy smiled bitterly.

"If you live thinking that way, you'll only be suspicious by people and scared people around you. I don't believe that Sinclair's brothers or Edith did such a horrible thing."

"What a frustration!?"

Catherine looked at Lizzy, who was smiling wickedly again, and slapped her on the chest.

'Lizzy can't stand the fact that someone will be punished for her. I have to punish them without her knowing!'

As Lizzy said, it is impossible to kill someone when there is no clear evidence. But there are plenty of opportunities to flatten their noses.

'I'll take this opportunity to teach them clearly that they have to bow their heads under Lizzy's feet.'

Catherine smiled calmly at Lizzy, but deep inside her head, she was making a list of people that she needed to look after at the founding festival that would be held soon. Edith Riegelhoff was newly added to the top of her list, but she didn't bother telling Lizzy that.

***

The day of the long-awaited founding day has dawned. I was so excited that I could finally see romance novel ball in person that I couldn't sleep the day before. In addition, I loved the dress that arrived three days ago. My dress was pretty, but Killian's banquet suit was absolutely stunning. No. the coat is also really cool.

"Let's go down when you're ready."

Killian, who came to escort me, held out his arm to me with a nice smile. I felt like a princess in a fairy tale as I put my hand on his arm and held my hem skirt as we walked down to the first floor lobby.

"Wow. . . . !"

"You are so beautiful, miss!"

In the meantime, some maids covered their mouths and admired them.

'I can't believe you had the presence of mind to compliment me and not Killian, i have to do a great social life.'

I smiled at them, nodded slightly, and stood in front of the porch waiting for the rest of the family. Cliff and Lizzy came down after us.

"Oh, Edith! You're so beautiful!"

. . . . .when she is also the most beautiful woman in the world, give me compliments. I looked back at her, and my mouth opened with the visual shock I felt after a while.

"Oh my gosh. . . . .! Lizzy, you are so beautiful that i can't express it with words."

It was undeniable that she was beautiful, regardless of what she thought of Lizzy. The dresses made by the expensive clothing store were worth the price. The hem of the light blue dress was gently embroidered with silver thread and diamonds, so it sparkled like a star whenever it caught the light, and the sleeves that started from the top of the shoulder were made of sky material that shine inside, which looked romantic. In addition, the necklace 'Lorraine Light' stood out even more by revealing the white and thin neck with a natural up-do hair style.

"Someone will think you have a crush on Lizzy."

As I stared blankly at Lizzy, Killian whispered, closing my mouth. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't drool. But the best dressers of the day I chose were neither Killian nor Lizzy, but the Duchess.

"Everyone is so beautiful and wonderful today!"

The duchess, who appeared with the Duke of Ludwig, gave Cliff, Lizzy, Killian, and I the same amount of gaze and spoke proudly. And I was surprised by the dress she wore.

"Uh? That is. . . . !"

It was the same dress that I picked for her from the ruyal clothing store that came before. The brown silk and dark purple underdress looked splendid, heavy, and elegant.

"As i thought that dress really suit mother well!"

I clapped my hands at the figure that looked much better than I imagined.

"Thanks to you, I was able to wear a dress like this. Thank you, Edith."

The duchess also smiled pleasantly, as if she liked the look of herself in the dress. But it was me who was grateful. She was wearing the dress I chose for the most important event, not just an important event, but at the national foundation festival, it was unexpected in the original.

"Did you choose it?"

Killian asked in my ear.

"Yes. It was design I chose for Mother when the Ruyal clothing store came here before."

she answered carefully, fearing that he would grumble about her taste, but he nodded with a face like a parent with a first-class child in the entire school.

"Hmm. . . . . The eye itself is not bad."

Oh my goodness, to hear from someone who has been called me vulgar, said that i have good eyes. I think i have been successful in my life. Killian even gave me a sideways glance and spoke in an indifferent tone.

"You quite beautiful today, too, though not as beautiful as my mother."

Lizzy is right in front of you, and you even give me a compliment like that! I hadn't even set my foot in the banquet hall yet, but I already felt like I was at the top of the sky. Of course, from an objective point of view, Lizzy is the most beautiful, that is, how it was explained in the original, and Lizzy is the main character here. But 'when she appeared, not only Killian but also the Duke was mesmerized by her beautiful appearance'. Compared to what was described as that, the spotlight on Lizzy certainly seemed to have weakened a lot. To the extent, Duke Ludwig, who was only friendly toward Lizzy, gave a compliment for my beauty, too.