TVMBS 03

Chapter 3

By the time the sun had set and night had fallen, the light from the magnificent chandeliers softly illuminated the ballroom.

The ball was filled with nobles, making it rather lively.

The cheerful banquet, filled with the clinking of glasses and the sound of music, seemed to announce the beginning of autumn.

And among them sat Liziana alone, dignified despite having a higher status than any of the nobles present.

She looked around the ballroom with a bored expression.

No one approached her, as though there were an invisible wall between her and everyone else, but Liziana was used to it.

The moment one young lady noticed Liziana looking her way, she jumped in fright and hurried away.

“Did you hear? They say the Marquess of the Deriana family disappeared without anyone knowing.”

“Wasn’t he one of those who opposed the Crown Prince’s business ventures?”

“Perhaps the Crown Princess used her influence behind the scenes again.”

Everything was unfolding exactly as it had in the past.

The same music, the same atmosphere, and the nobles spreading rumors about her.

Just as before, Raiphin, who was supposed to escort her, was nowhere to be seen.

But that was actually better for her. Even she did not know what she might do if she saw his face.

Ignoring those who whispered about her, Liziana called over a passing servant and asked for a cocktail.

Holding the cocktail in her hand, Liziana simply waited for the ball to end.

‘It’s finally over. I won’t have to put up with this ridiculous nonsense much longer.’

The day she had planned was drawing near.

That was why Liziana could endure everything she had been forced to experience again after regressing.

But…

“Isn’t that Liziana?”

“Father.”

Liziana frowned as she watched her father approach from a distance.

Duke Filorencia—the man who had set her life on the path toward ruin, a man who did not deserve to be called her father.

Despite her obvious lack of welcome, Duke Filorencia stubbornly came and stood before Liziana.

Liziana felt an immediate urge to get away from him.

Before she could turn around, Duke Filorencia looked her up and down with displeasure and spoke.

“Why are you sitting here all alone, looking so miserable?”

“Miserable…?”

“I asked what you’re doing here alone without His Highness the Crown Prince. Don’t tell me you still haven’t managed to win His Highness’s heart?”

“That’s a rather harsh greeting for a daughter you haven’t seen in some time.”

Her father had always been like this.

Liziana sometimes wondered whether he truly considered her his own daughter. Instead of asking how she was doing, he was always calculating how much she could benefit the Filorencia family.

Liziana had no desire to speak with him any longer. She already knew exactly what he was going to say.

‘A useless girl who isn’t good for anything.’

Liziana was turning her head away when she suddenly glared at him.

Until now, she had done everything Duke Filorencia wanted. She had followed every order he gave her.

In the end, she had been the one who came to love Raiphin, but Duke Filorencia was the one who had pushed her around and manipulated her into becoming the Crown Princess.

Liziana clenched her teeth.

“Is the Filorencia family really so important that I should sacrifice everything I have for it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I asked what meaning there is in the Filorencia family, when all it does is commit dirty deeds behind the scenes and hoard wealth.”

Each word that slipped from Liziana’s mouth was more than enough to provoke the Duke.

He was the man who had harshly trained her since childhood.

His large frame still seemed overwhelmingly huge to Liziana, but she now understood that it was time for her to make herself bigger as well—to stand up for herself.

“You’ve finally gone mad, haven’t you? The moment you see your father, you start spouting ridiculous nonsense right to his face.”

The Duke narrowed his eyes at her before downing the champagne in his hand.

He clenched his teeth and coughed a few times afterward, as if his insides were burning with anger.

“Well, whether they’re ridiculous words or not, we’ll see in the end, won’t we?”

“I don’t know what gives you the confidence to talk like this, but if you don’t want to be taught another lesson by me, you’d better keep your mouth shut.”

This time, it was Liziana whose eyes trembled.

Education? Could that really be called education?

But the Duke had always called those harsh years of her life her education.

When she was young, he had personally trained Liziana at the estate so that she could make her debut in high society at an early age.

He brought in teachers for every subject and refused to let Liziana leave her room until she had mastered everything. And after each teacher left, she was required to receive another lesson from the Duke himself.

Most of all, he never hesitated to raise his hand against a child who dared to disobey him.

Forbidden from even leaving the mansion, Liziana had no choice but to obey him.

“You’re welcome to wait and see. I have nothing left to lose.”

“What are you planning to do that makes you suddenly say something like that?”

At Liziana’s words, the small wrinkles on the Duke’s forehead gathered together.

Of course, Liziana was still afraid of him, both as her father and as a person.

“But perhaps you should be begging me to spare you instead. I know every single disgusting crime the Filorencia family has committed.”

Yet strangely, tonight, at this ball, Liziana felt as though she could endure it.

“Which one should I expose first? Would you like to guess?”

Before her childish defiance could fade, Liziana continued.

“Ah, but if you’re thinking about trying to assassinate me, don’t bother. I’m not my mother. I won’t die so easily.”

“Liziana!”

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Duke Filorencia called her name and instinctively raised his hand.

‘The Liziana from the past… you just let him hit you.’

But the Liziana of now had no intention of simply taking another slap from the Duke.

Crash!

Instead, Liziana lightly dropped the champagne glass in her hand onto the floor.

The sound was much louder than she had expected, startling the Duke and immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

As luck would have it, the music ended at exactly the same moment, causing even more eyes to turn toward her.

“Did Her Highness the Crown Princess just throw her glass onto the floor?”

“I don’t think she dropped it by accident… How could she be so disrespectful to her father?”

“They really are quite a remarkable father and daughter. Just look at their eyes. They look like they’re filled with nothing but hatred for each other!”

As expected, people began whispering while looking back and forth between Liziana and the Duke.

The sudden attention was enough to keep the Duke from saying anything further.

“You…!”

The Duke glared at Liziana with a flushed face, but she simply smiled lightly and ignored his gaze.

“And please remember your manners in front of the Crown Princess, Your Grace.”

Liziana curled up one corner of her mouth into a smile. Her eyes curved with satisfaction as she stared at her father.

With his fists clenched, the Duke had no choice but to leave.

Thanks to that, she also gained the reputation of being a rude woman, but she kept smiling nonetheless.

That was the kind of position being the Crown Princess demanded.

“His Highness Raiphin, Crown Prince of the Avid Empire, and Lady Delisa Lupe Crodenne are entering!”

At the servant’s announcement, everyone’s attention quickly shifted from Liziana to the entrance of the ballroom.

Liziana knew why Raiphin had not appeared until now.

He had been late because he was spending a pleasant time with his lover, Delisa.

Seeing the affectionate pair standing arm in arm, Liziana had no choice but to empty another glass of cocktail.

But the more she drank, the colder and clearer her mind became.

“Oh my, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

Having spotted Liziana standing alone, Delisa pulled Raiphin by the arm and approached her.

Liziana frowned as she glared at the two people standing in front of her.

They were faces she truly did not want to see even for a moment.

Thinking of them as nothing more than a pair of cockroaches, Liziana could not hide her disgust.

Delisa pulled Raiphin closer to where Liziana stood by tugging on his arm. Even Raiphin did not seem particularly willing to come.

“Were you here all alone?”

Delisa looked Liziana up and down before letting out a small laugh.

Then, as if she had never laughed at her, she opened her eyes wide and spoke to her in a voice filled with concern.

If this had been the Liziana of the past, she would have been flustered by Raiphin appearing with Delisa.

But knowing the future already, Liziana found nothing surprising about it.

“It’s a night when I want to be alone. I don’t think Lady Crodenne needs to know why.”

“Oh, don’t be so cold, Your Highness. I really told him I was fine, but His Highness Raiphin was worried about me.”

Delisa rested her head affectionately against Raiphin’s shoulder and let out a soft laugh.

Under the shifting lights, Liziana could see Raiphin’s face turning red.

Watching the two of them like this made Liziana feel utterly empty.

‘All this time, what was I doing…? And how could I…?’

How had she endured living like this?

Had she really believed that the relationship between these two would eventually come to an easy end?

“His Highness Raiphin feels sorry too. Please apologize to Her Highness, Your Highness.”

“An apology? There’s no need.”

Before Raiphin could say anything, Liziana cut him off first.

An apology? It would not contain even a trace of sincerity, so why bother?

Liziana frowned as she looked at Delisa, who was dressed more extravagantly than ever.

Half of the ten fingers on her hands were covered with enormous gemstone rings.

Her dress was also embroidered with expensive-looking jewels and decorations.

Liziana did not need to ask to know that these were luxuries Delisa had obtained by acting sweet and charming toward Raiphin.

“Lady Delisa is sparkling again today.”

“What? What do you mean?”

Delisa pretended to be confused by the compliment.

“I was wondering where the imperial treasury, which should be used for the Empire, was leaking away. Now I know.”

Naturally, Delisa had no idea what Liziana meant, so she simply blinked.

Finally, Raiphin spoke.

“Luxury? I bought all of those for her, Liziana. Don’t speak carelessly about her.”

Unlike Delisa, he seemed to immediately understand what Liziana had meant. The slight furrow of his brows showed that he was angry.

“Then that makes it even more of a problem.”

“What does?”

“Isn’t the imperial treasury, which should be used for the security of the imperial family and for Your Highness, being spent elsewhere?”

“…It’s a ball. You know how a lady wants to look her most beautiful at a ball, don’t you?”

At his words, Liziana let out a hollow laugh and looked at Delisa, who had already hidden behind Raiphin.

A man who used his fiancée-to-be as a shield to protect his own power, and a woman who hid behind that man while indulging in luxuries.

They really suited each other perfectly.

“Now that I look at you two, you really are a perfect match. How did I never realize it before?”

Liziana elegantly lifted the hem of her dress and gave the two of them a bright smile.

“I sincerely hope you two remain together forever, no matter what hardships or adversity you face.”

“Oh my, thank you, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

“Liziana…?”

Delisa, failing to notice the sarcasm in Liziana’s words, twisted her lips into a smile and mocked her from behind Raiphin.

Raiphin, however, seemed bewildered by Liziana, who had been strangely cold toward him for the past few days.

But Liziana had no obligation to explain herself to him.

And yet, that was all it took for him to lose interest in her.

Before long, the two of them were standing together, laughing softly and clasping hands.

Seeing them like that, Liziana clenched her teeth and chose to leave the ballroom.

As she watched the two of them looking at each other exactly as they had when she drew her last breath, Liziana made a vow.

‘I’ll give you a truly agonizing revenge.’

Morning came.

Liziana rose from her bed and drew back the curtains covering the wide window.

Brilliant morning sunlight streamed through the window.

Liziana closed her eyes and basked in the warmth of the sunlight.

Because at last, the day had come.

The day Delisa Lupe Crodenne would be kidnapped.