Chapter 31

Lumiere Academy.

A place where the best instructors and the highest investment in education are spared no expense, it was a place that anyone would yearn to spend their youth.

Jeremiah was a student of that academy.

As the dignified young lady of a family revered by the entire empire, she proudly enrolled there and, even within the academy, stood out, garnering attention from many and solidifying her position.

But did all of that truly have meaning?

For Jeremiah, who had lived according to her family’s wishes, the most important thing was, first, second, and last, to stand by her fiancé’s side.

To serve him, devote herself to him, and even feign love if necessary—that was the sole reason for her existence.

Firmly believing this, Jeremiah one day discovered her future partner flirting with someone else.

Plain hair color, a demeanor devoid of any grace, a face without a hint of makeup… A commoner girl who seemed far from the “ideal woman” in every way.

But there was happiness on her face.

Unlike herself. The girl, facing her fiancé, had something in her expression that Jeremiah could never grasp.

And it was the same for her fiancé, who was facing that girl…

Yes, he was smiling too.

A joy and affection he had never shown her was now being revealed to a commoner girl she had never even noticed.

“Ah, hello, um… Lady Jeremiah, right?”

She felt her insides twist.

The woman who had snatched away the smile she could never grasp.

And yet, the eyes staring back at her held no guilt—a detestable vixen.

“Um, I’ve heard about you. You’re the fiancée of the young master, right? Ah, I should introduce myself. My name is—”

-Smack!!

Before she could even hear the name, a slap struck the girl’s cheek.

It wasn’t an act of reason.

Emotion-driven impulse had spurred her, and by the time she regained her composure, her hand had already touched the girl’s cheek.

“Jeremiah!!”

But what might have ended there escalated when her fiancé intervened.

“What do you think you’re doing! She was just trying to greet you…!”

“…Why are you so angry?”

She couldn’t understand.

That he would show such unprecedented anger over a girl he had just met at the academy, whose cheek had been slapped.

“I’m your fiancée. So why are you having fun with this girl…?”

“I don’t want to see you anymore. Get out of my sight!”

But despite her reasonable doubts, he offered no explanation.

He simply left with the girl, who was sobbing from the slap, leaving Jeremiah alone, her insides twisting.

“Why…?”

Yes, it must have been from that moment.

The crack in her life, which had only followed a predetermined path, began to widen.

****

“…Miss. Lady Jeremiah?”

A voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Realizing she had been lost in reminiscence, Jeremiah quickly turned her head toward the person who had called her.

There stood a man in a butler’s uniform. The demon she had summoned for revenge.

“Sebastian?”

“If you suddenly stop in a place like this, you’ll get pushed around by the crowd.”

Beyond his shoulder, she could see countless people walking in different directions.

They were in the middle of the city. Realizing they had arrived, Jeremiah remembered that she had come out with him for a purpose.

Yes, she had come out to buy a dress and accessories for the ball.

To achieve the results her family desired at the very academy that had expelled her, where those who had expelled her would be…

“You’re sweating. Are you alright?”

The chill that came with that thought was something Jeremiah tried to ignore as she forced a smile at Sebastian.

“I-I’m fine. I guess I’m just nervous being in such a crowded place suddenly.”

She didn’t want to reveal it.

Her past mistakes…

The events of that time, which even she found disgraceful, she hoped her butler would never know.

“…Is that so?”

Facing her anxious self, he simply continued walking without another word.

Only casting a bitter glance her way.

‘…That’s enough. Sebastian doesn’t need to know.’

For now, that was enough. Jeremiah followed him through the market, eventually entering the planned store.

“Wow~ There are so many clothes!”

The maid who had come along marveled at the store’s display.

It was filled with luxurious clothes, so such a reaction was natural.

But even in a place any woman would admire, Jeremiah’s eyes only showed indifference.

Disgust… It felt like she was facing something she should never have faced, even feeling nauseous.

“Welcome, customers~ All the clothes here are handmade by the finest artisans of Herta Shi~ Do you have a specific artisan or design in mind?”

“I’ll look around first and decide.”

“Of course~ Just call if you need anything~”

As the employee left, silence fell.

Sebastian, walking beside her, spoke casually.

“Don’t worry about money. I’ve saved up for today.”

“……”

Silently, ignoring even her butler’s considerate demeanor, Jeremiah wandered the store.

As she did, she felt a growing sense of déjà vu.

Every dress she saw felt like something she had seen before.

‘Remember, you were born solely to be with him.’

Yes, her father had repeatedly emphasized it.

As the daughter of a swordsman, her value lay only in being loved by the man she was to marry.

Thus, her wardrobe was always filled with clothes made by the empire’s finest artisans, a testament to her family’s investment.

Perhaps that was why. Just by looking, she could tell which artisan or workshop had made each piece.

‘It’s meaningless.’

Such insight felt like a curse at that moment.

Whether she could discern the value of clothes and jewels, no matter how well she applied makeup or how eloquent she was, the world had never fulfilled her expectations.

‘All of this is meaningless.’

Resentment suddenly surged, and her hand gripping the dress tightened.

The dress bore deep marks from her grip.

Watching this, the butler sighed softly and, placing a hand on her back, led her out of the store.

“…Sebastian?”

“A short break might do you good. This way…”

After leaving the store, they headed to a bench in the square.

Sebastian sat Jeremiah down and handed his wallet to Angela, who had followed them.

“Angela. Could you buy some drinks from a nearby store?”

“Just drinks?”

Her eyes sparkled.

Reading her anticipation, Sebastian added with a wry smile.

“Some snacks too. Just enough not to ruin dinner.”

“I’ll be back!!”

Angela left with a lively smile.

Sebastian turned his gaze back to Jeremiah, who sat sullenly on the bench, and casually asked.

“Is it because the ball is at the academy?”

It would be strange not to notice.

She had clearly changed after receiving the invitation, and the location happened to be where her downfall began.

“It was only a year ago. When I was expelled.”

Her hands began to clench as she thought of that time.

Her delicate hands, which one could hardly believe capable of malice, clenched as if trying to express her frustration.

“Surely the academy students will attend the ball too. Many will recognize me…”

“You don’t want to face them?”

“You know I can’t avoid it.”

If she didn’t obey her family, they would surely pressure her even more than before.

So she had to endure.

She had to walk into the place that had given her nightmares.

“I’m scared. Facing their gazes there.”

Just imagining it made her tremble and her breath quicken.

“I’m afraid. Afraid to admit that I was wrong…”

She feared they would accuse her again.

She worried they would crush her last shred of self-respect, dissatisfied with her seeing herself as a victim.

“Miss.”

Facing Jeremiah, who was trembling with fear, Sebastian gently took her hand and whispered kindly.

“I happen to not know about the events of that time, so I can’t say much… But I can say this for sure.”

“Sebastian…”

“I will always be on your side. No matter who you make an enemy, no matter how many you make.”

His firm voice and resolute gaze.

As she looked at him, the anxiety she had felt began to subside.

Yes, she wasn’t alone now.

At least one person, an ally who would never betray her, existed.

“Really…”

“Kyaaah!”

But just as she was about to speak, a familiar scream interrupted.

Jeremiah and Sebastian turned their attention to the source of the sound.

There, they saw a dog running loose and Angela, holding snacks, running for her life.

“Ahh!! Se, Sebastian!!! The dog, the dog is chasing me, what do I do!!”

“…Take a short rest. I’ll handle this and be right back.”

“Ah, okay.”

Sebastian left to rescue Angela from the dog.

Watching him, Jeremiah smiled contentedly and listened to her now calm heartbeat.

‘If only…’

If only.

‘If only this daily life could continue.’

If only she could continue like this, free from her family and past.

“My, who do we have here? Lady Jeremiah? It is Lady Jeremiah, right?”

As she was lost in such simple thoughts, a sudden voice made her heart sink.

A familiar voice… No, not just familiar—a voice she could never forget.

After all, from the moment she first heard it, her life had begun to twist irreversibly.

“Lady Jeremiah. It’s so nice to see you like this. You remember me, right?”

A natural smile as the woman looked down at her sitting on the bench.

Meeting those pure eyes that showed no malice, Jeremiah, with a voice filled with resentment and fear, barely managed to utter her name.

“Nenya… Why are you here?”

Nenya Silvestain.

The central figure in her downfall, the one who could be called the root of all her troubles.