Celebrity Lady - Chapter 43

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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 43
* * *
Second floor of the Villa, Grace Hall.
The Roland Troupe, invited for tonight’s party, was in the midst of performing a play called “The Death of Helga.”
I sat in the back, gazing at the front rows, and swallowed a laugh silently.
‘You’re shameless, you bastard.’
I could see the back of Ricky’s head, seated beside Lisbet.
Without needing to unfold it, the slip of paper he’d drawn bore Lucifer’s choice.
Ricky, who had been trying to get rid of Lisbet, found himself forced to be her partner for the entire party.
“Simon…! My sun!”
Meanwhile, the play reached its crescendo.
Sera’s voice, playing the heroine Helga, filled the quiet hall.
Captivated by her flawless performance, every nobleman in the audience held their breath, unable to tear their eyes away.
“Say, about the actresses’ costumes today—don’t you think they look a bit off?”
“I know what you mean. They were usually a bit more elaborate, weren’t they? These new gowns actually suit the mood of the play much better.”
Two young noble ladies sitting directly in front of me whispered to each other.
“Before she took the stage, didn’t Sera Vigo wear a dress with a similar design?”
“Oh, so you noticed Lady Sitten too?”
“I hadn’t seen that design before, so it caught my eye.”
“It’s such an elegant, mature style—I keep finding myself looking at it. And it really does make one look so… graceful, doesn’t it?”
The two whispering ladies glanced back at me, sitting behind them.
I was the only one in the dazzling sea of lace wearing a dress of the exact same design as Sera’s—naturally, they were curious.
I pretended not to notice their eagle-eyed scrutiny of my gown.
“Rubet.”
Just then, someone approached quietly and took the seat beside me.
It was Lilia.
“Are you insane? What on earth are you doing?”
“Shh.”
As she made to raise her voice, her face flushed with anger, I pressed my forefinger to my lips, silencing her.
“Mind your manners during the performance.”
“You…! Ugh!”
Unable to contain her frustration, Lilia ground her teeth, then finally leaned close to my ear and whispered urgently.
“What are you doing to our Ricky?”
“Oh? What am I doing to Ricky?”
“Don’t play dumb. You didn’t know Ricky deliberately didn’t want to invite Princess Lisbet?”
“Is that so? I had no idea.”
“How rich. You deliberately smuggled out one invitation to bring the princess here, then tried to send her away, and you even sabotaged that?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure about that…”
“Do you have a vendetta against Ricky?”
Without taking my eyes from the stage, I let out a soft laugh.
“I truly don’t know, but I can answer that unfunny question all the same.”
“What?”
“He’s obviously my enemy. Just thinking of everything you two have put me through, I wake up at night in a cold sweat.”
As I turned to meet her eyes with a fierce gaze, Lilia flinched. She blinked in confusion, then forced out a hollow laugh, pretending to be unaffected.
“So what, you’re getting revenge? How childish.”
“Childish?”
“You seem to be plotting something, so we’ve left you alone lately. Mother even told me not to quarrel with you needlessly. Just be satisfied with getting back at us once, and stop tormenting Ricky now.”
“Ha.”
This really is comedy.
With a sigh mixed into my laughter, I wiped my cheek.
“Listen.”
The moment I stopped smiling and hardened my expression, Lilia went rigid.
I leaned close to her and whispered in her ear.
“If you thought that was childish, I promise the next time I make you pay, it’ll be something far beyond kid’s games.”
“W-what?”
“And don’t comfort yourself thinking Ricky’s the only target. You’re included in who’s getting their comeuppance.”
“….”
I smiled sweetly at Lilia, who sat frozen and flabbergasted.
By now, she’d surely understood.
Whether I was still the fool who’d only suffered whenever bullied, or a mad dog who’d died and returned completely transformed.
My ambiguous stance up till now must have been confusing…
“Snap!”
“Eek!”
I thrust my chin forward to give her a fright, and Lilia reflexively jerked her neck back. Her ridiculous expression sent me into giggles, and I folded my arms again, turning my attention back to the stage.
Clap-clap-clap-clap!
“This woman is a mad dog.”
“Bravo!”
“Magnificent!”
Right on cue, the play reached its finale, and thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
Even in the dim light, Lilia’s face, flushed red with rage, was quite a sight.
When the stage, which had briefly gone dark, brightened again, I rose to my feet.
‘This is exhilarating.’
Sera, standing center stage to take her bow, spotted me and gave a little wink.
‘Flawless.’
My plan for tonight was a complete success.
I blew her a silent kiss in return, then made my graceful exit from the hall.
* * *
“Everyone couldn’t take their eyes off Sera Vigo!”
“Well, that must have felt thrilling.”
“It did! As I left the party, all eyes turned to me. The ones who’d frowned when I arrived, asking what on earth that dress was, were wide-eyed and watching my every move as I departed!”
“At this rate, won’t the young lady be setting fashion trends soon?”
“Ha. Maybe she will?”
Severn Street.
Running hard even at this late hour, I was accompanied on a jog by Lark—a rare outing for us both.
He was the sort of man who listened well to what others had to say and gave good responses besides. I was giddy, chattering at length about the events of tonight’s party.
“Ah, shall we take a break?”
“Sure. Here.”
Lark opened my Canteen, which he’d been carrying while we ran, and handed it to me.
“Thank you. And thank you too for the Hair Band you gave me earlier. It went perfectly with the dress I wore today.”
“My taste is pretty good, isn’t it?”
“It was perfect.”
Seeing me give him a thumbs-up, Lark burst into laughter.
“Thanks for looking after Ricky. The child isn’t used to that sort of thing, so it must have been hard to keep an eye on her constantly.”
“Not at all. Perhaps because she resembles you, her learning ability is remarkable. She adapted very well.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“And this.”
I handed Lark a small business card, barely suppressing a sly grin.
Blanc De Ruby
-Proprietress, Becky Whitman
-Runten Commercial District, Boutique Street 486
-By appointment only. Please visit directly to inquire.
“What is this?”
“Your chance to be a wonderful brother to your little sister!”
I added smoothly, like a skilled salesman.
“It’s a tailor’s shop I know well, and the waiting list has gotten so long that it takes about a full year just to commission a single dress.”
“Ah, is this the place where the young lady got that dress she wore today?”
“Exactly. I bet Princess Lisbet will soon be pestering you about it—wanting to have a dress made right away from this very shop.”
I added with a smile.
“When she does, just bring this card, and the proprietress will give you top priority for reservations. Please use it well. It’s my way of returning thanks for the gift you gave me today.”
Lark gazed between me and the card for a moment, then nodded.
“I see. Thanks.”
“Here. You drink too.”
I handed him the Canteen, and he drank from it with practiced ease.
Soon we picked up our pace and began running again. Though darkness had settled in, the moonlight was bright enough, which was fortunate.
After we’d been running for a while, Lark asked.
“By the way, did Prince Cedric come to the party today?”
“Cedric?”
Why the sudden mention of that asshole?
“Yes, he was there. Where the twins are, Cedric can’t be far behind.”
“I see. The young lady must have been happy to see Prince Cedric’s face.”
“I’m sorry?”
Suddenly, my stride faltered.
“Careful now.”
Snap!
Lark quickly caught my arm before I could stumble.
“Watch your step.”
“Why would I be happy to see Cedric’s face? What do you mean?”
Lark shrugged.
“Aren’t you in love with him?”
“What?”
“I heard you’ve been harboring an unrequited love for seven years.”
Ah, it was Victor.
I swallowed my anger at my loose-tongued older brother.
‘When the hell am I going to shake this unrequited love label?’
It was Rubet who’d followed Cedric around, not me.
‘But I am Rubet and Rubet is me, so I can’t exactly deny it.’
With a sigh, I spoke frankly.
“I did. But I’ve let it go now.”
“Really?”
“I was too embarrassed to mention it, but in that future I saw, I kept liking him right up until I died. So that’s forty-five years of my life.”
Lark’s eyes went wide. He stood frozen for a long moment, visibly shocked.
“I know it doesn’t make sense, right? It seems strange, doesn’t it? Chasing after someone I hated, my whole life long.”
“Hmm…”
“But I couldn’t help it. Every time I tried to let go of those feelings, do you know what Cedric would say to me?”
“What did he say?”
“Every now and then, I get excited around you. I don’t even know who I like myself. I think about you before I go to bed. I’m sorry for being harsh…”
That wasn’t Rubet’s delusion or fantasy—that was clearly Cedric’s deliberate emotional manipulation.
“Of course it was all lies. To Cedric, I was probably just some woman he didn’t want to keep but couldn’t bear to throw away. Someone who felt like a loss when she was out of sight.”
“That’s disgusting.”
Surprised by Lark’s blunt reaction, I burst out laughing.
“Anyway, after seeing that whole pathetic future, how could I not be tired of it? And besides, looking back now, he wasn’t even my type. I…”
I stretched my shoulders and added.
“…I’m more into the steady, reliable type.”
“I see.”
Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Lark nodded, then playfully flexed his chest at me.
“Ha-ha-ha…!”
Laughing, I gave his shoulder a light punch and spoke.
“You don’t need to show off. I can already tell you’re in good shape.”
“Not bad, right?”
“This is ridiculous…”
Thanks to Lark’s decent sense of humor, I was even tearing up from laughter, when he suddenly raised one eyebrow and asked.
“So have you truly let go of your feelings now?”
“Don’t even mention it. Just seeing his face now makes my blood boil.”
Cedric, Cedric, Cedric.
Thinking of that asshole’s memories, etched so vividly across forty-five years, I clenched my teeth.
“If I gathered all the tears I’ve shed because of him, I could probably fill Lake Gratia of Prague and have plenty left over.”
Even though time had been reversed, I found myself newly depressed, thinking how wasteful Rubet’s emotions spent on Cedric had been.
“Hmm?”
Just then, I felt Lark’s gaze. Gently, his hand came up and brushed beneath my left eye.
“…?”
Looking up, Lark’s expression, silhouetted against the moonlight, was strangely tender.
“You have a beauty mark under your eye. No wonder you’ve had so many reasons to cry.”
“Ah…”
As I touched the spot beneath my eye where his hand had lingered, something struck me.
‘What is this?’
I remembered that gentle voice from the Masquerade Festival—the one that had made me spend a lifetime chasing after Cedric.
“You have a beauty mark under your eye. So that’s why you cry so much.”
An inexplicable sense of déjà vu washed over me.
I looked up at Lark, startled.

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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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