"As you should." Liviane nodded, satisfied with Elaine's response.

"Thank you for your guidance, mother."

"No need for gratitude. I am simply looking out for you, child." Liviane turned and left.

Or for yourself. Elaine silently scoffed.

That night, she crashed on the bed, exhausted from the unending rehearsal. Tomorrow was the celebration, yet Elaine felt nothing but nervousness and apathy. The origin of her concern was two specific names on the guest list, the Lévis dukedom and the Third Prince. Would they attend? Elaine did not want to reunite with her blackmailer so soon. And apathy because, although outsiders might perceive the event celebrated her, Elaine knew its true purpose. From Gerard's perspective, all gatherings of nobles were opportunities for strengthening alliances or gaining new ones, even if it was his daughter's birthday. The extravagant and splendor displayed to the world were all pretenses to aid his political maneuvering. Estella understood it well, and now so did Elaine.

The next day, the maids pulled the still half-asleep Elaine out of bed in the early morning, forcing her to go through another gruesome fitting session.

"You look beautiful today, milady." Mariam complimented as she placed small gemstones on Elaine's hair.

"Do I not look beautiful on other days?"

The young maid's face turned pale, her hands trembling. "Forgive me, milady. I, I, I did not mean to offend you."

Elaine chuckled. "Ease your mind. I'm only jesting." Somehow, teasing Mariam became her favorite pastime.

"Y, Yes, milady." The young maid exhaled in relief and continued her task.

After Mariam dolled up Elaine's hair, she signaled another maid to open the wardrobe. The maid pulled out a brilliant white gown adorned with intricate flowers embroidery sewn together by thousands of tiny precious stones. Everyone's eyes glistened with admiration after seeing the dress.

"As expected of milady. You will outshine everyone tonight." Mariam chirped.

"Of course." Elaine chose the dress for that exact purpose. Though the original Estella had already performed most of the work, Elaine needed to continue her legacy, to establish herself as the cruel and arrogant Rose of Geris. To become an antagonist, she was required to act like one.

The entire preparation process took almost eight hours, and it was well into the afternoon when the maids finally released her. Then Elaine boarded a small carriage to prevent others from seeing her before the big debut and moved to the main manor, the celebration's central location. When she arrived, outside was full of servants, scurrying and shuffling, trying to complete the finishing touches. Besides the typical elegant decorations, numerous luminescent floating orbs embellished the manor exterior and nearby vicinity while kaleidoscopic flower petals paraded across the skies, creating a surreal atmosphere. Deceiving all those who stumbled upon the scene to believe they were in the middle of a fairy forest.

Elaine marveled at the fantastical setting, wondering how many small fortunes Gerard had spent on this celebration. From Estella's memories, all her previous birthdays were extravagant, but compared to today, they now seemed mediocre.

What is Gerard planning?

"Welcome, milady." Yusef greeted Elaine at one of the manor backdoors. "Please follow me." He then led her to a spacious waiting room on top of the grand staircase where she would stay for an hour until her debut.

"Thank you, Yusef."

"Please call on me if you need anything, Princess." Yusef bowed and dismissed himself.

Elaine sat on a large sofa in the middle of the room while Mariam poured her a cup of tea. The event had not started, yet she already felt uncomfortable in her clothing. Though she acknowledged its beauty, the tight corset the maids forced upon her under the gown made breathing an arduous task.

"Milady, are you alright?" Mariam noticed Elaine's fidgeting movement.

"I am fine. Just a bit tired." Elaine replied. It was no use complaining to the young maid about a problem she could not solve. Elaine then stood up and moved toward the window to take her mind off the discomfort, watching the guests slowly arrive.

Count Conrad and his eldest daughter, Amelia. Baron Lucas and his prostitute mistress Veronica.

Information about the incoming nobles flowed into Elaine's brain as if she was reading from a report. This knowledge originated from Estella's memories, or more precisely, intelligence drilled into her by Gerard.

"To maintain your position as the future Crown Princess, you must recognize your enemies and those you can control to aid your ascension," Elaine recalled one of the Duke's constant reminders to his daughter. It was a piece of sound advice, or at least the Estella in the book thought so. And she applied it up to her downfall.

While Elaine remained lost in thoughts, another carriage pulled up, and its owner's appearance froze her in place. From the carriage came a young man with flowing silver hair. His shining azure eyes and sculpted face complimented with a charming smile could melt the hearts of many young girls. And indeed, the young ladies ceased their chatters and turned to peek at the handsome newcomer, their faces red with admiration and shyness. The young man took no notice of the heated stares and strolled toward the manor's entrance. Then suddenly, he stopped and glanced up, as though he could see Elaine peeping through the dark curtains. His smile became brighter, causing a shiver to run through her spine.

What does this devil want now? Hasn't he caused enough trouble for me already?

"Your Highness?" A knight questioned his master's strange behavior.

"It's nothing. Let us go." The young man returned to his usual self and continued inside the manor.