So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 37

Chapter 37

No way—a ball?!

Oh my god. This is so romance fantasy.

I mean… it literally is. Still!

The second something actually interesting came up, my eyes went wide as I stared at the young ladies in front of me.

And wow—each of them was serving a completely different kind of beauty.

First, Lady Lilian.

Platinum-blonde hair and clear green eyes—she had that pure, lily-like vibe. Elegant and delicate.

Next, Lady Julie.

Curly brown hair, freckles everywhere—cute in a “poodle puppy” kind of way. Adorable, bright, and charming.

Then Lady Serena.

Slightly upturned eyes, a small cherry-like mouth, and—most of all—a curvy, confident figure. The sexy type, unmistakably.

And topping it all off—Katharina Hugo, the final boss of gorgeousness. At this point, even saying she was pretty felt like stating the obvious.

I’d thought the spring festival was the biggest event in the world.

And then THIS falls into my lap?

Honestly, coming out with Katharina was the best decision I’ve made since waking up in this universe.

My eyes felt like they’d been blessed. Truly. Enlightenment.

If this is what “high society” is… I might want to socialize forever.

Ha. The tea goes down so smoothly when you’re surrounded by beauties.

I was grinning like some middle-aged uncle, basking in pure satisfaction… until their response snapped me back to reality.

“Lady Renée, you may not have had many chances to experience it, but during the social season in the capital, there are countless parties—large and small.”

“And now that you mention it… Grand Duchess, you haven’t had your debut yet, have you? I’ve never seen you at a ball.”

After Katharina’s gentle reply, Julie asked with wide eyes.

I tilted my head.

Wait… right. Did I have a debut?

I had absolutely no information about this body’s past, so cold sweat immediately started creeping down my back.

To cover it up, I hurriedly grabbed a more exciting word and tossed it into the air.

“Yes. I haven’t… um. Anyway—A DEBUT! So you all really had your debuts?”

Aaaah—this is so romance fantasy I can’t—

I forced myself not to squeal and asked with sparkling eyes.

“Y-yes. Like I said earlier, we had our debuts together. That’s how we became close friends.”

Julie blinked rapidly, looking a little startled, but managed to answer.

I could practically picture them, a bit younger, dressed up for their debut—like it was right in front of me.

I should’ve been there.

I should’ve witnessed the hot debut era of these precious women with my own eyes!

I almost wanted to bite a handkerchief in regret.

“Ugh… the fact that I wasn’t there will haunt me forever. If I’d been present, I would’ve asked all of you for the first dance.”

“Oh my… Grand Duchess, you’re good at jokes!”

Joke?

As I kept a dead-serious face, Lilian’s smile slowly stiffened—like she was about to ask, Wait… are you serious?

I nodded solemnly.

“I’m not joking. Why do they act like women can’t dance together? Beauty has no gender. Anyway, I really wish I could’ve been there. You’re all stunning now—so how gorgeous were you at your debut?”

A laugh bubbled up again, and I hurriedly ducked my head and covered my mouth.

I didn’t want to look like a total creep, grinning at them like that.

But then—

“…”

“…”

“…”

Maybe trying too hard to hold it in made my expression even weirder.

For a moment, the table went quiet, like everyone had collectively blue-screened.

Uh… what? Did I mess up?

The “I must entertain” instinct surged up in me.

“S-so… should we talk more about balls? I want to know the most recent one you attended! Was it in the capital—maybe?!”

Why did my tone get so awkward?

Even I wanted to punch myself.

But thankfully, these beautiful ladies also had beautiful hearts, because they smoothly rescued the conversation.

“Usually the social season begins in spring, so there haven’t been any major parties recently.”

“I see…”

Right—makes sense. I possessed this body in the dead of winter.

That also explained why I hadn’t attended a single event until now.

I mean—Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are a big deal. You’d expect invitations everywhere.

But now it’s fully spring… does that mean I might get to go soon?!

My heart started fluttering.

Of course, that would require Xavier Celeste’s permission…

And will that stingy little—actually let me?

The thought instantly cooled my mood.

Honestly, every time I tried to leave the estate—spring festival included—he acted like I’d committed a felony.

Even today!

He’d interfered nonstop and kept throwing snide comments over a simple outing.

If I said I wanted to go to a ball, he’d flip out.

Just thinking about him made a fresh wave of irritation rise in my chest.

Whatever. Why am I letting him ruin my mood? I came out here to feel better.

I forced my lips into a neutral line.

That’s when Serena spoke, fluttering her long lashes.

“The last time all of us attended together… was probably His Highness the Second Prince’s birthday celebration, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right. It was held at the imperial palace in late autumn.”

“It was incredible! The palace ballroom is truly dazzling.”

“Grand Duchess—have you ever been invited to a palace banquet?”

They all chimed in like little songbirds, one after another.

I was happy again immediately. Every word was interesting!

“The imperial palace?! What’s it like—gold everywhere or something?”

“Oh my. Exactly.”

“Huh? Seriously?!”

I’d been joking—why was it literally true?!

Julie laughed softly at my reaction and explained.

“It’s already decorated with only the finest marble, but for His Highness the Second Prince’s birthday banquet, it was even more extravagant. From the main pillars to the tableware, everything was done in a golden hue—just like the prince’s hair.”

“I heard it was all real gold.”

“It’s a display of the Rembrandt Empire’s power, after all.”

“And more than anything, the person who shone brightest there was…”

Just remembering it made their cheeks turn pink.

A sharp intuition pinged in my head.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, then casually tossed bait toward Julie, who looked the most dreamy.

“So even in all that splendor, someone still stood out the most? Who was it—the lucky person who stole your heart, Julie?”

“O-oh my! N-no—absolutely not!”

“Was it the star of the evening, then? Hehe. Golden hair… sounds like he’d suit you.”

I teased her, playful on purpose.

Julie, red as a tomato, practically sprang out of her seat.

“E-excuse me! I-I—I never thought anything like that! His Highness the Second Prince hasn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet!”

“But he’s handsome, right?”

“!”

Oh. I guessed and hit.

Julie’s face somehow got even redder.

Hehe. A perfect match, honestly.

She was so flustered she was unbearably cute.

And come on—if you’re a prince in a romance fantasy, being gorgeous is basically a legal requirement.

The girls’ talk that started with “ball” was even more fun than I’d imagined.

“So nice… young love is—”

Ahhh, youth~

I fought the urge to cackle and just let my lips twitch.

Is this what being a married woman does to you? Suddenly other people’s romances are entertainment?

Also—

Second Prince… then there’s probably a Crown Prince too, right?

This is getting dangerously romance fantasy.

One of them is probably the real male lead.

I should see their faces at least once.

Beauty transcends gender, time, and place. That’s just science.

I was thinking that with absolutely no deeper meaning when—

“That’s not it!”

Julie suddenly jumped to her feet, like she’d made up her mind, and shouted.