Favored by the Family That Will Become the Strongest! - Chapter 57

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

Diena nodded in acknowledgment after confirming his words.
‘Where is Uncle?’
Her eyes narrowed as she swept across the Banquet Hall. Balthasar was making contact with Ardin.
He shook hands with Ardin, wearing a pleasant smile. To others’ eyes it would go unnoticed, but Diena could see the dark aura emanating from his hand.
Her eyes gleamed. This was why she’d kept the people of House Cardian at a distance—to see this moment clearly.
‘Just as expected.’
Balthasar moved on naturally, heading toward where the heads of the Five Great Houses had gathered.
House Hartmann, House Bolkov, House Castleton, House Cardian, and House Rothwell. Around them, nobles crowded and jostled, all desperate to forge some connection.
That’s when Barcan caught her eye and waved briefly. Diena returned the gesture, but in doing so, her gaze collided with that of someone standing beside him—someone who’d been watching her intently.
Diena frowned. She’d known he’d been staring at her for a while now.
‘Dietrich.’
The heir of House Hartmann. A man with violet hair and crimson eyes.
When their eyes met, Dietrich visibly startled. His expression darkened, and he looked at her with contempt before turning his head away sharply.
‘Ridiculous. What does he think he’s so proud of?’
In another time, it might have stung. But Diena merely scoffed. Truth be told, she preferred Dietrich’s approach. It was easier when they simply pretended the other didn’t exist.
Then she felt the crowd’s energy shift again.
“My goodness, Lord Cassian.”
“He’s looking even more striking today.”
But what was truly inconvenient—
“Diena.”
—was this. Diena exhaled deeply. The one person she’d been dreading had appeared: Cassian Bolkov.
Her childhood friend. The one who, along with Dietrich, had been among the first to turn away from her when she was revealed to be a Non-Ability User.
As the second son of House Bolkov, he had the freedom to move about the banquet unobserved. By keeping House Cardian’s people at a distance to avoid drawing attention, she’d inadvertently created this opening for him.
She felt all eyes shift toward Cassian’s arrival.
‘Well, I’ve seen everything I needed to see anyway.’
Diena’s face twisted into a grimace as she watched Cassian approach.
His jet-black hair was swept back with meticulous precision, not a strand out of place. In his black formal coat, he cut an aristocratic figure—one so perfectly composed it was almost sterile.
Diena found Cassian far more tiresome than Dietrich. After they’d drifted apart in her past life, at least Dietrich had been consistently cold toward her.
But Cassian……
Cassian, being one of Balthasar’s inner circle, had learned of Diena’s awakening of the Purification Ability.
‘After that, he wanted to marry me.’
There were many other unpleasant memories beside that. Originally, Diena had held him in affection. Cassian felt the same, and their connection had been well-known.
But after everything that happened, drifting apart was inevitable. And it was all so long ago now that she felt nothing for him anymore.
It was clearly best for her peace of mind to avoid him entirely. Diena made that decision and moved to pass by.
But Cassian stepped into her path, blocking her way.
“Why are you staying with House Cardian?”
Without so much as a greeting, he launched straight into a question. Diena’s brow creased.
“Why would that concern you?”
“I hear you’re quite close with Barcan Cardian. Is that why you’re staying there?”
“Do I owe you an answer?”
Cassian’s brow furrowed. His displeased expression flickered, and he fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
“No, you don’t, actually.”
Diena slowly turned her head at his abrupt change of interest. Of course. Romie was standing nearby, listening to their conversation.
Cassian always did this—show interest in Diena, then shift to cold indifference the moment someone from House Rothwell appeared, as though he’d never cared at all.
Just then, Romie naturally hooked her arm through Cassian’s, asking playfully:
“What are you doing over here, Cassian?”
She tilted her head, seemingly puzzled.
“Saying hello to Diena after all this time? You two were close once, weren’t you? But perhaps it’s better to be careful. People’s eyes aren’t exactly kind toward her as it is.”
Romie’s mouth curved into a half-smile as she spoke.
“Everyone seems to think we’re bullying Diena. You saw it too, didn’t you? The moment we approached, all the people from House Cardian rushed to surround her.”
It was Diena who nodded in agreement to Romie’s insinuating tone.
“That’s right, Romie. Anyone looking would think you’re tormenting me right now.”
“……?”
“You should be more careful. Smiling like that in such a contemptuous way, speaking in that sardonic tone—how do you expect others not to notice you hate me?”
“What the—?”
Diena approached Romie and whispered, her expression so calm it seemed almost elegant.
“You’re like your uncle—you dislike that sort of thing. You care about image management, wanting to appear virtuous to others. Of course, your nature always seeps through despite your efforts to control it.”
“Hey, Diena.”
Diena spoke with genuine gravity.
“Maybe you should ask your uncle to teach you how to act.”
Romie’s expression crumpled involuntarily, and she looked around. There were quite a few people pretending not to watch them.
Romie quickly accepted Diena’s lesson. Her twisted expression smoothed away in an instant.
She smiled warmly and whispered softly to Diena.
“I heard you’re receiving special favor from Bianca Cardian? You’re acting on that, are you?”
The contrast between her face and her tone was stark. To onlookers, she appeared to be greeting a long-lost relative warmly. Trained by Balthasar, clearly, she was a step above Daniel in her craft.
“Bianca does favor me, yes.”
Romie’s lips hardened. Then she laughed briefly and slowly pointed with her finger to one spot.
“You trust her?”
Diena turned to look where Romie was gazing.
The center of the banquet hall.
Bianca stood there, her expression tense. Her face was rigid, her hands trembling visibly. She looked utterly fragile. Romie looked at Diena and spoke in a sharp voice:
“So she’s awakened an Innate Ability, has she? Hmph. I wonder how impressive an Ability User she’ll actually become. And even if she does…… that doesn’t change what you are, does it?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because even if Bianca Cardian’s circumstances change, your value doesn’t. You’re still a Non-Ability User. You’re still utterly useless.”

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