Celebrity Lady - Chapter 78

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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 78
Nora Pelcan had likely instructed Evelyn to follow Lilia’s words like a dog when sending her to this party.
And it seemed Evelyn had some circumstance that made her unable to defy Nora Pelcan.
Looking at this timid child who trembled while willingly becoming Nora Pelcan’s errand girl, I wondered what on earth her reason could be…….

I passed by Wisht, who was trying to stop me, and pushed myself directly into the wardrobe.

I spoke to Evelyn, whose face had gone rigid with shock, from inside the wardrobe.
“Aren’t you going to close the door? If you don’t lock me in, Lilia will throw a fit, won’t she? Then you’ll be scolded by Nora?”
Evelyn’s eyes wavered at my words.
“Tell me later. What circumstances you’re in.”
Evelyn hesitated, holding back tears for a long moment, then finally approached with resolve.
I watched her expressionlessly, my hand on the wardrobe door.
Her trembling hands fumbled for a moment, then she squeezed her eyes shut and—bang—slammed the door closed.
‘……?’
Just before that, something crinkled—a folded piece of paper fell from Evelyn’s sleeve, but in the absolute darkness of the wardrobe, I couldn’t see what it was.
Click—the wardrobe lock engaged, and Evelyn’s small voice filtered through.
“I’m sorry…….”
* * *
The Crown Prince’s Office.
Lark was satisfied, looking at the “birthday gift” that had been completed by afternoon.
The anonymous customer who had ordered a full set of Grade A Diamond Accessories from the Blanc de Rubis jewelry shop was none other than him.
“Nice.”
Lark, who had been gazing at the gleaming jewelry box with contentment, stood up. He had a meeting at two.
“Your Highness, this is Paul Raimon, investigator from Reubon.”
“Hmm?”
Just then, Lark was startled by a voice before the door even opened.
Paul—an investigator Lark had planted there to keep watch over Rubetria’s convenience.
‘Why is Paul, who should be in Reubon right now, here?’
The moment Lark opened the door, Paul, with an uncomfortable expression, immediately bowed deeply.
“Your Highness, at around eleven this morning, several nobles visited Reubon. The Emperor’s Personal Knights accompanied them. The Young Lady’s birthday party is currently underway in Reubon, but it appears to be something Your Highness did not authorize. I’ve come to report urgently.”
“What?”
Lark’s mouth fell open. Soon he frowned, looking flustered, and muttered.
“Ah, Count Diolus.”
A few days ago, he had asked Lark if he could allow Rubetria to hold a birthday party in Reubon, saying she wanted to see the twins.
That oblivious older brother.
Knowing full well how much Rubetria despised the twins and how she loathed them, Lark had tactfully refused.
‘He must have given up and asked Father directly.’
Lark sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
“The Young Lady must be uncomfortable. I should go quickly…….”
Just then, Len approached from a distance.
“You’re late, Your Highness. The meeting is about to start?”
……Damn.
Lark bit his lip, caught between a rock and a hard place.
* * *

A narrow wardrobe where barely one person could crouch. A pitch-black field of vision with not a trace of light.
All I heard was Wisht’s worried telepathy.

Rustle—a folded piece of paper brushed against my fingertips.
I picked up the one Evelyn had accidentally dropped earlier and kept it, thinking to myself.
‘I need to find out what kind of leash has been placed on Evelyn Torso.’

For some reason, Wisht kept getting anxious despite my reassurances.

As I spoke, my breath caught sharply.
“Huh?”
Rubetria had claustrophobia, likely because she had been frequently locked in closets as a victim of bullying in the past.
I knew that fact, but it wasn’t supposed to be a problem for me. I wouldn’t suffocate or feel dizzy just from being trapped in a wardrobe.
So I had planned to play along with the twins’ mischief and then leave…….
“Gasp. Haa…….”
Suddenly I couldn’t breathe properly, and cold sweat broke out like a lie. Though I couldn’t see ahead, my vision seemed to spin dizzily.
“Shit…….”
It was exactly the same symptom of claustrophobia that Rubetria felt every time she was trapped.
‘No, the software is different but the hardware is the same, so I get the same illness too? This is ridiculous…….’
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, I immediately stood up and pounded on the wardrobe door—bang bang bang.
“This won’t do! I’m dizzy and I can’t breathe! Please open the door!”
Bang bang bang!
“No one’s there!”

“I’m, I’m going crazy…….”

Thud.

My strength gave out, my body wavered, and I collided with the wall—thud—then slowly sank downward.
“Haa, haa…….”
Because my vision was already dark, I couldn’t tell if it was just that I couldn’t see ahead, or if I was losing consciousness and my eyes were closing.

Wisht’s voice grew faint like a volume being turned down, and the fuse in my head snapped.
* * *
Six in the evening, as the sun was setting.
It was strange how the servants the twins had brought from the Diolus Duchy Mansion were pretending to be friendly with everyone.
Rebecca, who had been stuck in the kitchen all day because of them, finally came out to the front yard and looked around.
‘Where is the Young Lady?’
Rubetria was nowhere to be found. Only the twins’ group, busy laughing and chattering with the remaining guests, were visible.
“Miss Lilia, where is our Young Lady?”
Rebecca approached the table and, with surprising courage, asked Lilia.
The tone was bold for a servant—as if demanding to know where Rubetria had been hidden. Everyone at the table was startled.
“How should I know?”
Lilia pretended to be flustered and pouted.
“Now that you mention it, she hasn’t been seen since earlier. Where did she go?”
“That’s right. She’s been gone since we started playing hide-and-seek.”
The two noble girls present tilted their heads in confusion.
“H-hide-and-seek?”
Rebecca felt an uneasy premonition and stiffened. She’d been trapped in the kitchen and hadn’t realized…….
‘What have they done to our Young Lady this time!’
The twins’ innocent expression—’I know nothing’—was unbearably infuriating.
Not content with bullying her at the Duke’s mansion, they’d followed her all the way to Reubon and were at it again with Rubetria…….
“Tell me where the Young Lady is right now!”
Rebecca’s shout startled all the young nobles’ eyes wide open.
A noble girl with pigtails placed her small hand on her chest in shock and spoke.
“Hey, hey? What is this rudeness? There are knights swarming outside. The Young Lady is probably somewhere in the villa—where else would she be?”
“Miss Lilia! Master Ricky! Please tell me where our Young Lady is!”
“Oh my, oh my……. This, this maid has lost her mind…….”
“W-what on earth is wrong with her? So presumptuous?”
Among the bewildered nobles, Lilia spoke with a gloomy expression.
“You all were shocked, weren’t you? I’m sorry. That girl is a maid our Rubetria is fond of……. Since Rubetria indulges her no matter what she does, she often behaves disrespectfully like that.”
“My goodness. Even so, there are limits.”
“Hey, why don’t you apologize quickly?”
Rebecca, trembling violently, spun around. She had decided to search the villa immediately.
“Ah…”
But it wouldn’t be so easy. The moment she turned, Lilia’s two servant women were standing firmly in her way.
“Miss Lilia, shall we search for Miss Rubetria together with Rebecca?”
“Let’s go, Rebecca.”
“Mm, you two, thanks~.”
When Lilia laughed as if worried, the two servants grabbed Rebecca’s arms forcefully.
“Hey! Let go! Won’t you let go?!”
Watching Rebecca struggle, the bewildered young noble guests clicked their tongues.
And then.
“We greet the Empire’s little sun!”
“We greet the Crown Prince!”
From afar, near the villa’s entrance, a thunderous salute from the knights echoed.
Lilia and Ricky were startled, exchanging glances with each other.
“The, the Crown Prince?”
“Did I hear that right?”
Before the noble children could tilt their heads, someone strode across the front yard of the villa.
“Huh!”
“Oh my…….”
It was truly the Crown Prince, Lark.
He crossed the wide front yard in one stride and approached, brushing his disheveled hair back with a smile.
“Hello, everyone. I was invited to the Young Lady’s birthday party today as well.”
“The, the Crown Prince! We greet you!”
“We greet the Empire’s little sun…….”
“No, no. That’s enough with the greetings.”
Lark waved off the nobles’ salutes, and his eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.
The twins, who looked uncomfortable, Cedric Lyser, who was deliberately avoiding his gaze, and…….
“Let go of her, you idiots!”
A familiar voice shrieking from afar. It was Rubetria’s maid, Rebecca.
Spotting the visibly agitated Rebecca, Lark immediately sensed something was wrong.
“But…… the main guest is nowhere to be seen.”
Lark scanned each person carefully, then asked in a low voice.
“Where is the Young Lady?”

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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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