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The debut that Roseanne had been waiting for was the worst. Even when the posters were damaged and publicized, she tried hard not to take them down. The false rumor that the wicked woman, Philomel, was not really a sinner!
‘Who would believe that!’
Despite believing so, Roseanne’s mood was extremely low. Worse still, she couldn’t find a partner to take her to her Debut. Through the introduction of her cousin, the daughter of the Duchess, Princess Muriel, Roseanne came to get to know some young aristocrats to choose her partner from. But none of them were far enough to satisfy her. After rejecting the partner or being rejected, she ended up here alone. And when she saw that woman standing tall in the banquet hall, Roseanne fumed with rage.
The rumors that she had been denying were true. Roseanne was not a criminal herself, but she had beaten a guest of the imperial family. She desperately hid from Philomel after the announcement.
The ring she took from that woman was her answer to the question of “How can I make up for my mistake?”
The red and beautiful ring. It was an enchanting jewel that the more she looked at it, the more she wanted to own it rather than tell it to the imperial family. The ring was currently stored in a jewelry box in her room. She wanted to keep it there, but…
Roseanne decided to hold back her greed and give the ring to the new princess. So when her dance was over, she approached the princess. She intended to win her favor with the ring, and to ask for protection from Philomel. For now, she would bring up the topic of the ring first, make an appointment, and hand over the ring later to the Princess. But the reality was not so rosy.
The young ladies who had gathered beside the princess fiercely pushed Roseanne away. It was because, as she had tried to squeeze between them, Roseanne stepped on their feet and shoved them on the shoulder. All of them were daughters of high-ranking aristocratic families that were said to have a long-standing relationship with the Imperial family.
“Oh, this is a face I haven’t seen before. Who is this?”
“Why, the daughter of a local viscount family who is called Mano or Mono…”
“She’s Princess Muriel’s cousin, and she has been chasing after her ever since she came to the capital, poor Princess who had to deal with her.”
“I think it would be better for Princess Muril to stay away from her inferior relatives.”
The face of her cousin Sasha Muriel, who was next to Roseanne, turned red.
“You, don’t pretend to know me from now on!”
Upon hearing her cousin’s words, Roseanne almost burst into tears with resentment. Why did she have to be treated this way?
‘They are proud of being born to good parents!‘
Then the Imperial Princess appeared in front of her like her savior. The Princess looked at Roseanne and softly greeted her.
“Hello young lady, what’s wrong?”
“Your Highness the Princess!”
Roseanne hurriedly raised the Princess’s hand and squeezed it. Ellencia’s face stiffened for a moment, then returned to normal.
“Your Highness, please listen to me.”
“Do you have anything you want to tell me?”
“There is a story I want to tell only to Your Highness! It’s a very important story!”
“Hmm. But what should I do? I have a prior appointment with the other young ladies. You have to follow the order…”
“I don’t have time! Your Highness, please…”
Ellencia resolutely pushed Roseanne away.
“Keep order.”
Roseanne looked around her. The ladies who surrounded the Imperial Princess were all descendants of high-ranking aristocratic families. The children of families similar in rank to Roseanne’s family were just watching from a distance. Here, she was a loach that unknowingly muddy her waters. Laughter broke out among them over Rosanne.
“…then, excuse me!”
She left as if to run away. Rosanne, who was walking around the dark hallway, shouted.
“No, why should I be shaking like this! What did I do wrong!”
Rosanne’s shame turned to anger and she headed for Philomel. Even if she was a state guest, in conclusion, she was a commoner. A commoner that Roseanne could trample on! It was all because of Philomel that she suffered this humiliation after all.
Just then, the woman she wanted to trample on appeared in front of Roseanne, who was full of hatred.
Philomel narrowed her eyes and said in a cold voice.
“We meet again.”
“P-Philomel…”
“Lady Manon, do you have anything to say to me right now? It’s not too late to apologize.“
“Apologize… have you gone mad? There’s nothing I need to apologize for, not to you of all people! Do you know what happened to me just because of you?”
“Whatever it is that has happened to you, I assume it’s not as bad as getting forcefully imprisoned. Anyway, you said you won’t apologize.”
Philomel held out her hand.
“Give me the ring.”
“No! Why do I have to give it to you? It’s the Royal family’s treasure.”
After hearing that, Philomel withdrew her hand.
“As you wish, it doesn’t matter if you don’t give it to me. I had no intention of having it again. But if you don’t return it to the Imperial Family, I will accuse you of theft.”
“What theft?!”
“His Majesty the Emperor, had entrusted the ring to me, how can I describe you, who took it away from me forcefully, other than a thief? If you don’t return it by the end of this banquet in five days, I will file a complaint to His Majesty.”
Philomel continued when she saw Roseanne was still holding her head high.
“Besides that. How are you going to explain to his Majesty, why you have the ring he had entrusted to me? If he asks me, I’ll have no choice but to tell him the truth. Every single detail.
Philomel heavily stressed her last sentence.
“…Can I just give you the ring?”
It was humiliating, couldn’t risk enraging his Majesty. If she returned the ring to Philomel, she would no longer have a problem with Roseanne.
“I’m glad we could settle this matter, Lady Manon. You have five days to return the ring to me.”
A glimmer of hope shone in Roseanne’s heart, however that glimmer of hope shattered at Philomel’s next words.
“However, returning the ring is one matter and being slapped in the cheek is an entirely different matter. It’s only fair to return the favor”
Philomel smiled as she held her right shoulder in place with the help of her left hand and started to move her right arm in a circle. It was as if Philomel was doing a warm-up before a workout.
Roseanne’s expression crumpled mercilessly as she realized what Philomel wanted to do.
“What did that woman just say! Are you planning on hitting me? How dare you, a commoner, hit me?”
It was a fatal humiliation for Roseanne to get beaten by a commoner. Not even her father, the Viscount, had ever slashed his precious daughter.
Philomel chuckled.
“Then should I tell everyone what the Viscount’s daughter has done to me, the Empire’s savior?”
Roseanne chewed her lips until she bled. She wanted to say that from her heart, but she thought of her family. The family of Viscount Manon just moved to the Capital, this was a very important time. Both her father and older brothers were working hard to establish their family in the Capital. If, at a time like this, the other families turn their backs to them, the pillars of the Viscount’s family would crumble. Besides, if the emperor’s wrath were to be aroused…
Roseanne let out a scream-like shout out of desperation.
“This isn’t fair! You’re just lucky!”
Philomel’s eyebrows curled.
“I beg your pardon?”
“That’s right! You were lucky enough to be born at the same time as the Princess and then your mother even swapped you with the Princess, so you lived leisurely as the Imperial Princess!”
Roseanne poured out her words like a rapid-fire cannon.
“You were lucky again that the Emperor liked you! I don’t believe what they say about you being the savior of the Empire! The Emperor is trying to cover your sins! I’m sure you did all sorts of tricks to please the Emperor! So? Is it good to live like that by acting cute and flattery-“
Roseanne, said any and everything she could think of was suddenly silenced by Philomel’s piercing voice.
“You talk as if you know about me.”
Philomel looked down at Roseanne expressionlessly. Roseanne was taller than her, but she strangely felt smaller in Philomel’s presence.
“…”
Only one word from Philomel, and a cold glance, made Roseanne frightened. But she soon felt ashamed of the fact that she was intimidated by a commoner woman like this. Roseanne, overcoming her fear, presented her face to Philomel.
“Hit me! Try hitting me! Even if you hit me, I’m…”
In an instant, Rosanne’s left cheek felt as if it were on fire, and a great excruciating pain arose. It was the first pain she had ever experienced in her life. Roseanne’s body seemed to float in the air for a moment, then she collapsed onto the floor. Her limbs trembled. It hurted. She was in so much pain that she wanted to cry.
* * *
Philomel looked down at Roseanne, who had fallen and could not get up. She was secretly worried about her.
“Did I hit you too hard…?”
If it caused even irreparable damage, it was a crime without any excuse. Philomel gently touched Roseanne’s face. It didn’t look like her bones were broken, and it didn’t look like her teeth were out.  If this was the case, even if Roseanne accused her later, she would be able to get away with saying that she just paid back what she had endured that day.
The logic of ‘an eye for an eye’ was used to some extent in imperial law, so Philomel won’t be in any trouble.
Philomel squeezed her right hand, she could still vividly feel the feeling of hitting Roseanne’s cheek. To be honest, it shouldn’t feel good to hit anyone, no matter how much one hated the other person, but it surprisingly felt good. Maybe Philomel didn’t know that this was her own nature. She wondered if the child who would have become the vicious ‘Philomel’ in the book could have become who she was now thanks to her constant vigilance.
‘If I don’t want to become a criminal, I have to consciously live a good life…’
She thought so, but Philomel’s hand went through Roseanne’s handbag like a thief. However, the ring of red flame was not there. It seemed that Roseanne had not brought the ring to this occasion. Reluctantly, Philomel rose from the floor.
“Bring the ring back on your own. The deadline is five days. Five days.”
Philomel felt she’s repeating herself way too many times but she had to make sure Roseanne heard her.
Leaving the fallen noble girl alone, Philomel left the debutante Ball. She had accomplished her original purpose, so it was time for her to go back and live.