Celebrity Lady - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Chapter 103
Rubetria Diolus hesitated for a moment, then pushed away Biego as he pulled her closer.
“Fine. I’ll accept your apology, but please stop now.”
A soft whimper escaped him.
When she pulled back, she could see Biego’s reddened eyes. His handsome face remained unchanged, but those swollen eyes suggested he hadn’t merely cried for a day or two.
With a resigned sigh, Rubetria brushed away the tears from around his eyes and spoke.
“I’ve come back safely.”
* * *
At that very moment.
The Imperial Palace, Ebian Hall.
The ballroom on the eve of the Debutante Ball was nothing short of the pinnacle of splendor.
Young noble ladies and gentlemen were dressed beautifully, exchanging subtle glances with one another as they showed themselves off.
“Is she the Swan of Diolus? She’s truly as beautiful as the rumors say.”
Of course, the most talked-about figures were the Swan of Diolus, Lilia, and Molga beside her.
“A Chaperone
(a woman who accompanies and looks after a young lady when she goes out into society)
who is none other than the Duchess of Diolus herself.”
“How envious. The Duchess doesn’t seem to age. I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful.”
“It’s no wonder Lilia is called the Swan of Diolus. She looks just like her mother.”
The noble ladies murmured quietly behind their fans.
The mother and daughter, who seemed to have drawn all the light in the ballroom to themselves, were bathed in an endless stream of gazes.
“M-Molga Diolus, Duchess of Diolus. I am Evan Colon of the Colon Family. Would you grant me the honor of dancing with your daughter?”
“Oh, young Master Colon. How lovely to see you. But I’m afraid that won’t be possible…….”
Molga offered an apologetic smile to the nervous young gentleman and pointed to Lilia’s wrist beside her.
“Our Lilia’s Dance Card is already completely filled.”
Lilia, too, smiled apologetically and lifted her wrist slightly to show.
All the noble ladies in the ballroom were wearing a small Dance Card on their wrists.
After dancing with one’s first partner, it was customary to dance with each gentleman whose name was written on the Dance Card in order.
Before the ball began, young gentlemen would approach the Chaperone of the lady they wished to dance with and ask if they could write their names on her card.
“I-I suppose it can’t be helped. Then perhaps I’ll have the chance to meet you later.”
Molga watched the young gentleman turn away with slumped shoulders, then whispered quietly so only Lilia could hear.
“A mere baron’s son presumes to overstep his place.”
“Mother, my wrist is heavy.”
Lilia held up her three Dance Cards and complained.
In this entire ballroom, Lilia was the only one who had received two extra cards due to the overwhelming number of dance requests.
“My dear, just bear with it a little longer. We selected carefully, and this is still what we have.”
“Hmph.”
Lilia held her cheeks and affected tired exasperation.
Then.
“Dammit, I’m swamped with work and now I have to run around?”
“Your Highness Shane, please lower your voice and adopt a more formal tone. You must maintain the dignity of the royal family.”
A strikingly handsome man with brilliant white hair tied high, accompanied by an elderly butler looking flustered as he attended to him.
Everyone’s attention turned to him.
“Is that white hair the Master of the Magic Tower?”
“I think so. They say his temperament is difficult, and it seems to be true. His speech is so crude for someone of royal blood.”
“Well, he’s that handsome—who cares if his manner is a bit uncouth?”
Shane van Rashmah Deccard.
At the appearance of the Lord of Millen and Master of the Magic Tower, the young ladies flushed and whispered among themselves.
“Butler, that bastard Lark kept pestering me at the Magic Tower for a whole month, so I decorated the whole place with sparkling lights just as he asked.”
Shane ground his teeth as he gestured broadly around the ballroom.
Indeed, Ebian Hall today was resplendent with decorations more elaborate than ever before and light so dazzling it almost hurt the eyes.
“Is that all I did? I even had a sign made for him.”
A massive specially-crafted visual display board towered above the dais of the hall.
“Y-Your Highness, please. Lower your voice, I beg you. After all, you came to this ball of your own accord, did you not?”
“That bastard whined so much, so I came. I told you I had absolutely no intention of coming.”
“Yes, yes, of course. But now that you’re here at the ballroom, you should dance. Do you see a young lady who catches your interest?”
Shane’s butler asked casually, having been briefed by Lark beforehand.
Lark had specifically invited Shane hoping that he might finally meet some women, trapped as he was in the Magic Tower day in and day out.
“No.”
“Hmm, you’ve come all this way only to stand stiffly and leave without dancing?”
Shane, who had been standing at an angle with his arms crossed and grinding his teeth, suddenly turned his head slightly toward something.
The elderly butler’s sharp eyes gleamed.
“Ah. The Diolus lady.”
The butler, who had been about to approach Molga as Shane’s Chaperone, stopped in surprise.
What was this? Shane was walking toward Molga and Lilia of his own accord.
“Mother, Mother. That’s the Master of the Magic Tower.”
“Yes, Mother sees.”
“Is there still space left on the card?”
“Of course. I saved two spots. What do you take Mother for?”
A quiet laugh.
As Shane approached with hurried steps, Lilia looked away with an aloof expression, pretending not to notice.
His frown was less than ideal, but it somehow only enhanced his remarkable handsomeness, and with his lustrous white hair and pristine black tuxedo, Shane was a rare gem of a man.
“I greet Your Highness Shane van Rashmah Deccard.”
“Yeah.”
Molga bowed, and Shane casually raised his hand to acknowledge, then hesitated awkwardly.
‘Cute.’
Molga hid her amusement and spoke.
“Have you come to request a dance?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Your family’s young lady.”
A soft laugh.
Lilia extended her arm, and Molga loosened the Dance Card tied to her wrist.
“Wait.”
Shane stopped her.
“Yes?”
“Not that one. The other one.”
“……I beg your pardon?”
“You know, the one who looks like a squirrel that just woke up from hibernation. The one with the chubby cheeks like this.”
Shane furrowed his brow and demonstrated with both hands cupped beside his cheeks.
Molga and Lilia were equally startled.
“Rubetria?”
“Rubetria Diolus?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
Molga, who had gone blank with shock, blinked several times before laughing awkwardly.
“I do have Rubetria’s Dance Card…….”
But her expression quickly darkened.
“Your Highness, have you not heard? Rubetria has met with an unfortunate incident and likely won’t be attending the ball today.”
“Ah, hmm. Is that so?”
Shane, who seemed indifferent to whether she came or not, scratched at his ear and gestured toward the Dance Card in Molga’s hand.
“If she can’t come, it can’t be helped. Just write my name on it anyway.”
“But Your Highness, how do you know our Rubetria?”
“……? Do I have to explain that?”
“Ah, no. Of course not.”
“Just write it already.”
“…….”
“What? Are you refusing?”
“No, understood.”
In the end, Molga wrote Shane’s name on Rubetria’s empty Dance Card.
When she looked up, Shane had already wandered off into the distance.
“What on earth? Is he insane? Why would he want to dance with that pudgy girl instead of me?”
“Tell me about it. What kind of brute is he?”
“His taste is really something else, truly.”
Lilia, clearly upset, muttered complaints while Molga tried to comfort her.
Then.
A Guard from the Duchy rushed into the ballroom and whispered something to Molga.
“What? What did you say?”
Molga’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What’s the matter, Mother?”
“Rubetria has returned safely?”
“What?!”
Molga and Lilia’s faces brightened noticeably.
Normally they would have cared little whether Rubetria returned safely or not, but this time things were different.
Lilia leaned close to Molga’s ear and whispered.
“So Ricky and I can go sign the contract now, right?”
“Of course, of course. Phew. Now I can finally breathe easy.”
They smiled and chattered with relief, and at that moment, the Imperial Palace musicians’ gentle accompaniment suddenly ceased.
A new melody with a softer tone began to play—the music that announced the formal beginning of the ball.
“Our beautiful daughter, enjoy yourself.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Lilia kissed Molga’s cheek and stepped toward the left side of the center of the ballroom.
The noble ladies, freed from their Chaperones, gathered around Lilia as if they had been waiting for this moment.
‘Good grief…….’
Lilia laughed inwardly and shook her head.
Before the formal dance music began.
The noble ladies took their places on the left side of the ballroom and the gentlemen on the right—this was the moment when everyone’s ‘fame’ was truly measured.
“Lady Lilia, you look especially beautiful today.”
“Goodness, I thought an angel had descended.”
“Thank you all.”
A young lady standing alone, shifting nervously, knowing not a soul.
Others, having received no dance requests at all, sat huddled against the wall without even rising.
And here I am, living in an entirely different world from those ‘failures’……!
Lilia savored the moment, basking in universal praise, her happiness complete.
“I have good news. They say our Rubetria returned safely this morning.”
“Really?”
“My goodness. What a relief.”
The plight of a homebody, ungainly lady was hardly a matter of concern to the noble ladies.
“We were so startled when we heard just now that Mother and I nearly wept.”
“Your kindness is as beautiful as your face, my lady.”
“But do be careful not to cry—your makeup will run.”
They dutifully catered to Lilia’s vanity.
On the far side of the ballroom, to the right, Ricky’s corner was as lively as ever.
Lilia, the Swan of Diolus, and Ricky, known as the Incarnation of the Archangel Michael.
This beautiful pair were virtually the symbols of the Duchy itself.
Had there ever been a stage where these two were not the leads?
Today would be no different.
Perhaps……?
“Lady Diolus enters!”
Then.
At the doorkeeper attendant’s loud announcement, Lilia was startled.
‘Rubetria is here?’
The mouths of the young ladies before her fell open in unison. It was an undignified response that came almost reflexively, despite their awareness of it.
‘What?’
Lilia spun around.
‘……?’
If time could stop, this was what it would feel like.
The chatter that had been filling the soft melody suddenly ceased as if by silent agreement.
Silence.
All eyes were simply drawn endlessly to the mysterious woman who had appeared out of nowhere.
“Gasp…….”
A sharp intake of breath broke the quiet.
“What? Who is that?”
A bewildered voice.
A mysterious woman appearing late, as though she were the protagonist itself.
She was, quite simply, shockingly brilliant and beautiful.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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