Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 164

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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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Chapter 164
* * *
Unlike other Imperial Balls, the Harvest Thanksgiving Ball extended invitations to numerous nobles, making it the grandest gathering of the year. For those from relatively modest houses, it was a rare opportunity to witness the luminaries and Imperial Family members they’d only heard whispered about, along with the heads of prestigious families.
‘Look, there’s the Visconti House carriage!’
The moment the carriage bearing the Visconti seal appeared, the atmosphere shifted subtly, and the surrounding nobles murmured with animated faces.
The door opened, and the Empire’s youngest and most beautiful Duke—a rose in full bloom—descended from the carriage. The one who took his hand, clad in pristine white gloves, was Deborah Simour.
Her dreamlike violet hair was swept upward into an elegant high knot, making her appear sharp as a honed blade. Watching her cold expression, which contrasted starkly with Isidore’s gentle smile that even provincial lords found approachable, I inwardly clicked my tongue.
“Tch, that arrogance of hers never changes.”
“Mind your words, Count.”
“It’s just between us anyway. Would someone as lofty as the Simour Princess ever hear such gossip?”
When everyone spoke ill in unison, one more voice hardly stood out, so the Princess’s overbearing demeanor and extravagant ornaments became the subject of casual ridicule at every Harvest Thanksgiving Ball.
This year, however, her presence exuded something more neutral and cynical than ostentatious.
“The Simour wild child is a thing of the past now.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Princess’s standing has changed. She was the star of this year’s debutante ball, after all… though I suppose you wouldn’t have heard, given how busy your family has been.”
“Hmm, yes, there’s been much to attend to…”
“The Simour heirs reportedly dried the seeds of the grey fox to make the Princess the queen of the hunting tournament.”
“…”
“If you’re not careful with your tongue, your house could scatter like a fox’s tail, so keep your ears open.”
Though some nodded along and held their tongues, they privately wondered if the rumors were exaggerated. Deep-rooted prejudices are not easily shaken.
Yet a shocking sight unfolded as the Prime Minister and his wife entered the ballroom—they approached the Princess first. It was rare for an elderly, high-ranking official to initiate conversation with a young lady, so gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
“The, the Prime Minister seems delighted…”
“I heard the Prime Minister frequents the shop the Princess operates.”
As the usually stern Prime Minister conversed with the Princess and broke into a broad smile, a wave of murmurs swept through the hall. Soon, prominent officials surrounded the Princess, eager to cultivate connections with her, until even a glimpse of her violet hair became difficult.
And this was merely the beginning.
‘Hmm, the Imperial Orchestra’s selection tonight is rather complex. The tempo is far too quick.’
“My throat is parched. Shall we fetch some champagne?”
“Yes! L-let’s do that, my Lady.”
The Imperial Orchestra received arrangements from the year’s most renowned composer, but by mistake, sheet music containing high-difficulty dance pieces meant only for professional dancers had been mixed in, leaving even accomplished dancers bewildered.
Dancing in the center of the ballroom risked tangled steps or treading on hems—far too conspicuous—so the nobles gradually withdrew from the floor.
‘No, if everyone slips away like this, what will happen? His Majesty is watching from above…’
The Minister overseeing the ball grew alarmed at the prospect of an empty hall, but moments later, his jaw dropped at the spectacle before him.
Until now, Deborah Simour’s dancing prowess had remained largely unknown, as she lacked suitable partners to showcase her abilities. Her performance at the Spring Flower Festival had been overshadowed when the Duke of Visconti became the season’s sensation, so most present were discovering her exceptional skill for the first time tonight.
“My goodness.”
“Extraordinary…”
“So beautiful. It’s like watching a white swan and black swan move in perfect harmony.”
Of course, the black swan was the Princess.
With each rapid beat, the Princess executed disciplined, flowing steps while the Duke expertly led her, and the nobles forgot their conversations entirely, watching the spectacle as though entranced by a performance.
* * *
‘Wow… if I hadn’t practiced the dance beforehand, this could have been disastrous.’
The Dance Teacher proceeded with such enthusiasm, as if he didn’t know the meaning of the word “roughly,” so I had practiced this kind of fast circular dance multiple times. But no matter how good my athletic coordination was, if I hadn’t synchronized with Isidore beforehand, my steps would have tangled and creaked several times over.
“Phew.”
Indeed, an Imperial Ball. The class is high.
Apart from the difficulty of the dance, it was genuinely enjoyable. Lost in the subtle pleasure of matching the other person’s breathing, the warmth of the hand gripping mine, and the timing of our bodies moving in sync, I danced mindlessly until the music ended, then drew a deep breath. Isidore wrapped his arm around my waist and smiled with subtle charm.
“It seems all that practice paid off….”
At my murmur, Isidore’s eyes softened.
“Paid off? Everyone is watching you.”
“Hmm?”
Only then did I realize there weren’t many people in the center of the Hall. It felt as though Isidore and I had performed a solo act.
‘What, what is this….’
“Bravo!”
“You two are truly perfect together. The synchronization was fantastic.”
After a brief silence, the nobles around me suddenly began applauding loudly. Some even whistled and cheered, and I felt my neck burning with embarrassment.
“Why are they doing this?”
Why were the two of us standing alone in the center like attention-seekers? As I muttered this question, Isidore shrugged.
“Fast and complex pieces aren’t something everyone can handle, so many people avoid them. If you stumble while dancing, there’s no greater humiliation.”
“They’re playing a piece that not everyone can handle at a ball with so many attendees?”
“Exactly. Thanks to that, more annoying flies are bound to swarm around.”
Isidore deliberately kissed my cheek lightly, and I gently rubbed the back of his hand.
“I have absolutely no desire to dance with people I’m not close to.”
Monopolizing one partner and refusing to dance with other men wasn’t exactly proper etiquette, but I was never particularly burdened with great manners anyway.
“Hmm. So I’m someone you’re not close to.”
Just then, the Crown Prince and the Fifth Princess approached nearby, and I startled.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, it is an honor.”
“I enjoyed watching your dance with Duke Visconti.”
“It was like watching a butterfly fluttering across the night sky.”
I felt embarrassed because the Fifth Princess beside him was chiming in and flattering me.
“I would like to request a dance from the lady, but since my friendship is also important, I’ll simply keep this memory and take my leave.”
He spoke kindly, then walked toward where the Senate members were standing. Before the next song began, the Crown Prince unexpectedly asked Miya Binoshu for a dance, and I made eye contact with the Third Prince, who had been escorting Miya.
‘The Third Prince. He came to rescue Miya when monsters appeared in the Sky Forest.’
It seemed the Third Prince was the person who appeared in the later parts of the discontinued novel.
‘Unlike the other love interests who became dead weight, are things going well between those two?’
Without realizing it, I was facing the Third Prince when my view was suddenly blocked by Isidore.
“Would you like to go out to the Terrace and get some fresh air?”
“Yes, Duke.”
I glanced briefly toward where Miya Binoshu and the Crown Prince were, then moved my steps toward the Terrace.
* * *
To Miya’s eyes, Deborah Simour’s dance was so dazzling that she couldn’t look away, and her mood grew increasingly worse.
‘Being a lady of Simour, she must have had all the best Dance Teachers since childhood. Unlike me, a fallen noble….’
Miya, who had been intoxicated with elation while surrounded by those who praised her as a saint, felt herself endlessly pushed downward once again.
‘I should have practiced dancing more. Etiquette doesn’t show as obviously.’
As I nervously bit my lip, Young-sik and his acquaintances who were close to Thierry approached her.
“Lady Miya. We have heard much of your noble sacred power.”
“Thank you.”
“How humble. But I am curious about something. When monsters appeared in the Sky Forest and that black fog was repelled, why did you not display that power?”
Miya gripped her fan with a pale face.
She had poured sacred blood into her wound and absorbed the power from before Lucifer’s fall, healing the injury by placing her hand on the affected area. And since most Priests wielded their sacred power in such a manner, she had never been suspected until now.
“That… that power is not the kind that can be released so frequently.”
“I see.”
“After all, she hardly seems like a saint, as Lord Thierry said.”
“Are the rumors exaggerated?”
I could hear them whispering behind me. I had hoped the Third Prince would help me from beside me, but he was absorbed in watching Deborah Simour’s dance, and after seeing it, he had been showing a lukewarm attitude.
That was when the Crown Prince approached and asked Miya to dance.

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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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