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Translator: uly
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: A Stunning Debut
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"Lady Diorus has arrived!"
The doors to the imperial ballroom swung open amid the Debutante Ball, the grand stage where young noble heirs and ladies made their high-society debut.
Dazzling lights poured down from ornate chandeliers, illuminating windows adorned with gold and jewels, and luxurious tapestries.
As I strode confidently into that opulent hall, every eye turned to me.
"Gasp..."
"What? Who's that?"
Just as expected, shocked expressions all around.
"Isn't there two Lady Dioruses? Which one do they mean?"
"Look over there. Lillia Diorus is already here. They must mean Rubettria Diorus."
"No, the attendants must've made a mistake. Rubettria Diorus is supposed to be that enormously fat girl with red hair."
"The red hair matches, though?"
"Nah, no way that beautiful lady is her?"
"Is that really Rubettria Diorus?"
Whispers of disbelief rippled through the crowd, failing to recognize me.
I flashed a bright smile at the noble boys blushing outright as they stared, and soon they were bickering among themselves about who I'd smiled at.
Ah, this feels amazing.
I took a deep breath and surveyed the ballroom further. A few faces who recognized the new me caught my eye.
Their expressions were priceless.
Lillia Diorus and her clique, eyes bulging as if they might pop out at any moment.
My halfwit friends gaping dumbly with flushed faces, and among them, Riki Diorus with his jaw dropped in shock.
Even 5th Princess Lizbet, who gave me an intrigued look before raising her wine glass slightly in greeting...
These stares piercing through me like time itself had frozen—pure bliss.
This was the life of a celeb, short for celebrity, a famous person!
"L-Lillia. Is that really Rubettria?"
"N-No way... It can't be, right?"
"Impossible."
Lillia and her group kept murmuring frantically.
Click, click, click.
I deliberately headed straight for them first. The sharp click of my high heels—shoes I'd never dared wear when I was overweight for fear of twisting an ankle—rang out cheerfully.
"Hello, Lillia."
Standing before the trembling Lillia, I beamed as brightly as I could.
'Bet that stings, huh? You must be fuming.'
The ducal family's ugly duckling and whipping girl she'd tormented freely had returned utterly transformed. How could she not be boiling with rage?
Feeling smug, I lifted my chin arrogantly, snapped open my fan to cover my mouth, and smirked with just my eyes.
"Uh, are you perhaps Duchess Rubettria?"
"That's right, Lady Pelkan. It's me, Rubettria. Last time I saw you was two years ago, wasn't it? At the dessert shop buying macarons—what was it you said again?"
The daughter of the Pelkan baron family standing beside Lillia flushed bright red, vaguely recalling the incident.
"Oh my, you're always at dessert shops every time I see you, Duchess. No wonder you stuff your cheeks until they're bursting—you've piled on that blubber."
She was the girl who'd dared make such a rude remark to me, a duke's lady, relying on her friendship with Lillia.
The timid old Rubettria hadn't said a word back then...
'But I'm different.'
The soul now inside Rubettria had lived a lifetime of glamour and never been slighted by anyone—arrogant and haughty to a fault.
"I don't really remember—it's been so long. Nice to see you again. Let's have tea sometime."
"Ah, uh... yes. Sure. Th-thank you."
Ever gracious, I smoothly glossed over Lady Pelkan's past blunder, and she nodded, blushing in embarrassment.
These girls, barely fifteen or sixteen, quickly gazed at my transformed, confident self with admiration.
"Ru-Rubettria Duchess. That dress you're wearing..."
"Oh, yes. You recognized it. When they heard I was making a late debutante, Madam Becky personally made and sent this dress."
"Really?"
"Oh my god..."
The noble girls gasped in envy, while Lillia froze in shock beside them. I barely stifled a laugh at her expression.
The black evening gown I wore was a custom piece from Madam Becky, the capital's renowned tailor.
This proud dressmaker, who crafted clothes according to her own principles, made even the imperial princesses wait a full year for a gown.
'I know how badly you wanted one of Becky's dresses.'
I knew Lillia had tried ordering multiple times and been turned away.
For the likes of me to wear one now—her jealousy must be eating her alive.
"You've slimmed down a lot since I last saw you, Rubettria."
"Hmm, well? Less slimmed down and more like I've finally reached a healthy state. All thanks to you. I appreciate it."
More precisely, thanks to my desperate efforts to avoid a lifetime of torment from you and your mother.
"No need to thank me. Haha... You look much, much better now..."
At my brazen gratitude, Lillia's lips quivered as she forced a smile.
[Humans are truly terrifying. Do they always spout such insincere nonsense with a smile?]
Right on cue, a now-familiar voice echoed in my mind.
It was Wishit, Rubettria's Familial Spirit—the root of all this and now my dear friend.
[You just sit back with your soda and watch. This is the moment Rubettria always dreamed of.]
Wishit chuckled contentedly at my mental reply.
"But Rubettria, couldn't you find a partner? You didn't come to your once-in-a-lifetime Debutante Ball alone, did you?"
Of course. Lillia wouldn't just take it lying down.
She'd already plastered on a smug smile, shrugging as if to taunt me.
Perfect timing—a tall figure with dark brown hair and striking blue eyes approached Lillia. Cedric Raizer, the Sub-Duke.
The man Rubettria had been head-over-heels for since she was a gap-toothed eight-year-old, trailing after him like a puppy.
"Oh, Sub-Duke Cedric. How have you been?"
"...It's been a while."
Cedric, too, stared at my changed appearance as if entranced.
Lillia swiftly hooked her arm through his, pressing her cheek lightly against his shoulder.
"How could you come here alone? Why not ask Riki to be your partner?"
Riki Diorus. Lillia's twin brother, and my uncle.
No, why on earth would I pair with that dimwit?
I let out a disbelieving snort and snapped my fan shut.
"Riki? He's hardly suitable to stand at my side. Doesn't he look too shabby?"
"W-what did you say? What was that?"
"Lillia, thanks for your concern, but I didn't come alone. My partner's position made it impossible to enter together, so we agreed to arrive separately."
"Impossible to enter together?"
Lady Pelkan jumped in with the question.
"Oh, imperial etiquette forbids the party host from using the guests' entrance."
"The party host?"
"What?"
Bewilderment spread across the girls' faces as they tilted their heads.
Lillia narrowed her eyes, mulling over my words.
"You mean the Debutante Ball host? That would be..."
"Crown Prince Lark van Rashumah Decard, Your Highness, has arrived!"
Just then, an attendant announced someone's entrance.
A grand door opposite the guests' entrance swung open—the one reserved strictly for the Decard Empire's imperial family, hosts of palace parties.
Lillia's face had drained of color.
"Crown Prince!"
"We pay respects to the empire's little sun!"
Lark van Rashumah Decard, the crown prince and current most powerful figure in the Decard Empire, waved casually at the nobles rushing to greet him, then scanned the room.
Spotting me, he smirked and strode over.
The crowd parted before him like the Red Sea, and he stopped right in front of me.
The noble girls, seeing the rarely glimpsed crown prince up close, stared in awe.
'That's more like it—a man worthy of me.'
Silver hair swept back neatly framed his chiseled features. Noble sharpness filled his keen eyes, while his high nose and elegant lips seemed sculpted to perfection.
This picture-perfect man fixed his golden eyes solely on me with a radiant smile.
His lover-like gaze was Oscar-worthy!
'Perfect awareness, perfect timing, perfect acting. My ideal business partner.'
"W-we pay respects to Crown Prince, Your Highness!"
"W-we pay respects to Crown Prince, Your Highness!"
The noble girls and Cedric, lost in Lark's beauty, hurriedly bowed.
I alone stood straight, head held high—an egregious breach of etiquette. But Lark smiled warmly, unfazed, and offered his hand.
"Sorry for letting my partner enter alone."
"It's fine. I understand."
Placing my hand on his, I pouted playfully.
Lark chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand, eliciting gasps from everyone.
'Ah...'
Lillia, who'd tormented me endlessly my whole life.
The noble ladies who'd mocked me arrogantly under her wing.
Cedric Raizer, who'd toyed with my poor innocent crush.
And all the rest who'd chewed me up, spat me out, and feasted on the ducal ugly duckling...
Now, in this moment, they all stared at me with eyes brimming with jealousy, envy, or desire.
'Truly...'
I was the star of this place—no one else.
From today, Decard Empire's celeb!
Rubettria Diorus!
The beautiful swan at last, I smiled radiantly at the stunned fools.
'Feels amazing!'