It's Overwhelmingly Convenient That the Female Lead Has Darkened - Chapter 67

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

A blackhearted heroine is overwhelmingly convenient.
#67
“Miss, an invitation to a ball has arrived from Count Sablehart.”
“Let me see.”
Snap!
Lydia, who had been enjoying tea time in her new dress, snatched the invitation from the maid’s hands with a swift motion.
“Oh!”
The maid let out a sharp cry.
The invitation had cut her hand in the rush of the theft.
Lydia stared at the blood staining the invitation with disgust, then spoke.
“Butler.”
“Yes, miss.”
“Get rid of her.”
“Oh, miss! I’m so sorry! Forgive me!”
The maid, drained of all color, prostrated herself on the ground.
But Lydia did not even turn her head.
There was nothing so cheap as the knees of something worthless.
“You should have been more careful. Now there’s blood all over this.”
“My apologies, miss.”
The butler took the invitation and wiped away the bloodstain with his white sleeve before handing it back.
He then gestured to the other maids nearby.
“I’m sorry! Please, miss, forgive me just this once!”
As the maid on her knees was dragged away, Lydia scowled and spoke.
“Ugh, so noisy.”
“I shall ensure the others receive proper instruction, miss.”
“Do what you like.”
Lydia shrugged indifferently and opened the invitation.
“More formal than I expected.”
“I hear the number of guests is roughly twice what it usually is.”
“Really? What’s the occasion?”
Despite their vast wealth and renown, Count Sablehart’s household was known for rarely hosting balls.
Naturally so.
With invitations already piling up without lifting a finger, why bother holding one?
So they had always held only small gatherings when absolutely necessary—yet this time they had doubled the scale.
“Well, I’m not complaining.”
Lydia preferred grand, lavish affairs.
The more guests, the better.
After all, it would make her shine all the brighter.
Lydia smiled wickedly.
In the sunlight pouring into the Tea Room, her cotton-candy pink hair sparkled brilliantly.
And the best part was,
“Daisy came home, didn’t she?”
“Yes, we heard from the servants at Edelgard Hall.”
“Then she’ll have to show her face.”
With the ball’s scale expanded, Daisy would certainly attend.
Except for her birthday party each year, Daisy Sablehart had never once graced a formal dinner or ball.
Lydia thought it only natural.
How could anyone parade such an embarrassment before the guests?
She’d come down in some dreadful dress, make a pathetic spectacle of herself, and slink away.
But if an event of this scale were to be held—especially in Edelgard Hall—that wretched girl could hardly stay locked in her room.
“While I’m at it, I should see how Daisy’s doing academically. I wonder how pathetic it is?”
Oh, this will be fun!
As Lydia burst out laughing, the butler added,
“The Young Lord will also be attending this ball.”
“Really?!”
Lydia’s exclamation was loud, and her face flushed peach.
She had regretted missing him at the last ball, and at the Academy it was rare to catch sight of him, which only deepened that regret.
To see Kaerun’s face at last….
“Wait, this is no time to lose focus. Butler, call Madam Resheur so I can order a new dress.”
“But miss, there may not be enough time….”
“So?”
“Pardon?”
“So is there a problem with summoning Madam Resheur?”
“Oh, no, not at all. I’ll call for her right away.”
“Please don’t make me repeat myself. It’s exhausting.”
“My apologies.”
Lydia clicked her tongue and waved a dismissive hand, her gaze returning to the invitation.
Her lips, clear as cherries, curved into a radiant smile.
To think she’d get to see Daisy in such a pathetic state, and Kaerun besides.
This gathering was going to be absolutely magnificent.
Chapter 16. The Ball
‘The ball will begin soon, Young Lady. From head to toe, nothing less than ten gold. Wear the dress you had tailored last, the Teardrop Emerald Set, and don’t forget the Emerald Shoe Clip. Do you know how much trouble I went through to procure those? And furthermore…….’
Either ascetic or worldly—pick one, just one…….
Daisy trudged up to the second floor, barely able to withstand the torrent of greedy remarks pouring from Hugh Belcort’s mouth—a man who looked every inch the ascetic, yet spoke with unseemly covetousness.
‘I’ll go up early and have everything prepared, Young Lady!’
Once Dahlia too had disappeared in a brisk, controlled stride, quiet settled over the space.
It was a stark contrast to the bustling first floor, alive with final preparations.
And just as Daisy reached the second floor, she spotted a boy standing beside the staircase.
It was Chester Sablehart, arms crossed, leaning against the wall at an angle.
“…….”
“…….”
She slipped past.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t see me.”
Sharp-eyed little pest…….
Daisy stopped and let out a sigh, abandoning her attempt to walk by unnoticed.
Fine, go ahead and start something.
She turned to stare into the empty air, waiting for whatever nonsense Chester was about to spout.
“…….”
“……?”
But Chester said nothing.
When she tilted her head in confusion, Chester was gazing at her with an expression that seemed strangely complicated.
“…….”
“…….”
“This is driving me insane…….”
Chester muttered while roughly scrubbing his short hair, then abruptly turned on his heel and retreated into his room.
“……What was that?”
Daisy stared at the door as it swung shut with a bang, her bewilderment plain.
Some new form of harassment?
“That one certainly has creative ways of tormenting her.”
Tsk, tsk.
Daisy clicked her tongue and entered the room where Dahlia was waiting.
“Ugh!”
Behind the closed door, Chester was writhing in a storm of guilt, embarrassment, and frustration—a fact entirely lost on her.
* * *
“Lydia!”
“Over here!”
Mel and Fricia, waving their hands as Lydia entered the ballroom, gasped at the sight of her dress.
“My goodness, you’re radiant today!”
“Isn’t that a bit much for the guest of honor?”
“I hardly overdressed.”
Lydia laughed lightly and accepted their admiration with practiced ease.
Compliments of this caliber were second nature to her.
She tucked a strand of her waterfall of pink hair behind her ear, and her transparent, luminous face came into full view.
As her exquisite features caught the sparkle of the chandelier, appreciative murmurs rippled through the room.
“Did you see her just now?”
“The Young Lady Penmarche is simply flawless tonight!”
“Is that a Madam Resheur dress from last season?”
Lydia Penmarche was wearing a voluminous dress of sky-blue satin.
Studded with diamond ornaments, the dress threw off dazzling light with her every movement.
“Wow…….”
Mel and Fricia gasped in admiration, their mouths falling open.
‘It’s a dress so expensive that creatures like you wouldn’t even catch a glimpse of it.’
Lydia smirked to herself inwardly.
It had been worth begging her father relentlessly for nearly a month to acquire this dress.
Daisy would never wear anything like it in her entire life.
The Sablehart family was indeed one of the most affluent houses in the empire.
‘But what does it matter? They don’t spend a single coin on Daisy.’
The dresses she paraded in at every birthday party were absolutely laughable.
From head to toe, she wore nothing but rags that didn’t seem to have cost even a hundred gold pieces.
Lydia saw that as Daisy’s proper place.
The Count and her two brothers never bothered to come down and look; she would sit there in those shabby, threadbare dresses, graciously accepting the mocking gifts that children pressed upon her.
“It suits her so well! This dress was made for the Young Lady of Penmarche!”
“Still… you can’t really tell it’s from last season, can you? These days it’s all about lace rather than jewels.”
“Oh, that’s true. Have you seen this season’s dresses?”
“They were absolutely beautiful. I wonder who purchased one?”
“It doesn’t seem like the Young Lady of Penmarche, does it?”
Hearing these fragments of conversation, Lydia Penmarche kept smiling while gnawing at the inside of her lip.
‘Miss, Madam Resheur says she’s terribly sorry, but the orders are so backed up that she can’t fulfill yours this season.’
‘What? What orders exactly?! Are you telling me there’s someone in this vicinity who buys more dresses than I do, and she’s rejecting my order?’
‘It seems… there’s a customer who ordered all of this season’s dresses.’
‘All… of them?’
The dresses were so expensive that even she could only persuade her father to commission one at a time.
But to order every single dress of the season.
‘Who on earth could it be…!’
It was at that moment.
The ballroom suddenly stirred.
Kaerun, dressed impeccably in formal evening wear from head to toe, and Chester, wearing a jacket of a somewhat wild design, had made their entrance.
The two men, radiating completely contrasting charm, drew gasps of admiration from everyone at the gathering.
“My goodness, the two of them look as handsome as ever!”
“Of course—they have the Count’s blood, after all, don’t they!”
Lydia, spotting Kaerun, felt her cheeks flush.
She was just nudging her father when the Marquis Penmarche smiled knowingly and began moving toward Kaerun.
As the ballroom doors opened, the herald’s voice rang out loudly.
“Count Conrad Sablehart!”
“Ah, the host of the gathering finally appears.”
“As expected, the Young Lady of Sablehart isn’t coming tonight either…”
“And Miss Daisy Sablehart!”

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