“Yes, I am,” I said, spreading my glittering skirt out and placing one foot before the other to curtsy and greet all the prestigious nobles.

Teresa mimicked the gesture without failure, parting her tulle gown with an elegant demeanor. Our respectful display caused these debutants and nobles to have an uproar of astonishment. The ballroom buzzed with questions, all which ranged from: “Is she really Elisabeth?” to “Where’s the crown prince?”

I was a little startled that people didn’t recognize me. In what ways has the previous Elisabeth dressed up in that made her unidentifiable when wearing a golden gown like this? I’m sure I haven’t changed that much since Monday. Ah, are my eyes still swollen? Perhaps, Elisabeth doesn’t cry?

I groaned quietly to myself, wondering if I might have lost my mind from eating too many strawberries.

What am I thinking? No, of course, it’s not that!

I was still concerned that I hadn’t reduced the puffiness enough. Teresa was rubbing ice on it earlier, but that wasn’t too long ago. We were in a rush to travel to the debutante. A few minutes longer, and we’d be late. Before all the commotion could die down, everyone immediately started bowing and curtsying. They were attempting to show their utmost loyalty and inferiority. The scene happened too quickly for me to comprehend the purpose of such an endeavor. I was extremely perplexed as to why they were doing such a thing. Teresa turned around to see the reason. Upon catching sight of someone, she gasped. Following her motion to look at the top of the stairs, I widened my eyes.

Holy crap! Okay!

Two shadows appeared from the top of the stairway, looking down upon the guests with eminent power and amnesty. “His Highness, Prince Caydel Regulus Whitensen, the crown prince of Whitensen, has arrived! As well as his partner, Lady Viktoria Estella Lancaster, the first daughter of the Lancaster duchy, has arrived!” a butler announced with a booming voice.

Immediately, Teresa and I glanced towards each other and rushed to move to each side of the stairway. I snuck a look at the influential couple.

The crown prince wore a white outfit filled with regalia and a royal blue sash that crossed over his chest. Golden details decorated parts of his garments by the cuff, the chest area, and his collar, which was also a royal blue. His hair was styled as it usually was, hazelnut hair swept loosely on both sides of his face with the hair on the upper nape of his neck shaven off. His prominent and vibrant azure eyes glowered with intensity.

Shockingly, Lady Lancaster had a silvery ball gown quite similar to my style. However, it lacked the glistening glow that Duchess Carabell added to my dress. She paired the outfit with argent silk gloves and some shining silver jewelry. Her usually straight blonde hair was curled at the ends, and a braid ran around her head, secured at the back in a mini bun. Her makeup was gentle, but that only made her amethyst eyes more noticeable.

As soon as I saw the black dress shoes the prince wore, anger rose in me, and I gripped my gown tightly enough to feel my nails dig into my palms through the fabric. For a moment, I could have sworn he was looking at me with those blasted eyes of his.

What in the actual fuck? If you’re going to go with my opponent, shouldn’t you break off the engagement with me first?!

Teresa struggled to withhold her discomfort, so I could tell she wasn’t exactly pleased to bow down before the pair. Her expression was filled with scorn, and she bit down on her blushy lips to restrain herself from blurting out anything disrespectful.

I knew I wasn’t alone in this thinking, for a few of the nobles appeared to be questioning the entrance of the two as well. On the other hand, supporters of the Lancaster family were quite pleased. You could tell by how they remained silent and merely observed instead of whispering among their little groups.

The moment both of them made it to the ballroom floor, classical music began to play, and the mood of the audience changed drastically. The jubilance of the ball had arrived. Once the prince nodded to allow them to rise, everyone parted the way for him to the middle of the grand hall. Then, the dances began!

When I arose, I moved straight back to Teresa.

“My Lady, doesn’t this frustrate you?” she asked me, preparing her hands for battle. I found it amusing that she would fight the prince for me, but I appreciated the enthusiasm.

I bobbed my head. “Indeed, he should’ve broken up with me first. Maybe I should go and break it up myself,” I said with thought. The suggestion made Teresa grab my arm, refusing to let go of me.

“No! My Lady, why would you do that?” she questioned me, her head tilted to the side, and her eyebrows furrowed. “I thought you loved the crown prince!”

I narrowed my eyes. “The prince and I had a wonderful conversation the other day, and we mutually agreed that we’re both better off without each other. Don’t you think?” I passive-aggressively smiled after saying this to her.

Teresa was about to argue against that, but she was interrupted. “Ah, then if you’re doing that, why don’t you get with me?” a voice spoke from behind. “My sweet, Eli.”

Teresa and I turned around to see the person who spoke to me.

“Your Highness, Prince Patrick! Greetings,” Teresa said quickly but softly.

His blonde hair was barely fixed up, and he wore a servant’s uniform, which seemed to be stolen. However, his eyes remained distinctly blue, and his demeanor as lax as it always is. In one hand was a tray of red and white wine, and in the other was one of the glasses he sipped on. I was curious as to how people didn’t recognize him and apprehend him before he managed to sneak into the ball.

I chose not to bother. “Aw, is my Eli not going to say hello to her handsome prince? Since you’re planning on ditching my lame excuse of a brother, perhaps, you’ll be kind to give me a chance? I’m sure you won’t regret it, Lady Carabell.” The prince spoke flirtatiously and smirked.

“Aren’t you prohibited from academy grounds?” I reminded him. I had overheard students gossiping about this days ago. Eavesdropping others is very useful sometimes.

“Yes, of course, I am! Having beauty like this is a crime enough,” he laughed heartily. “And I’ve stolen plenty of hearts. I’ve yet to take yours, the true diamond in the rough.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere became thick with an ominous aura. ”Prince Patrick, you must have a death wish,” a familiar man’s voice thundered.

“Oh, you again. It’s funny how you’re always around when I’m with my dearest Eli,” the first prince told him without turning to look at who it was. “You know, I thought you would never come⎯”

Prince Patrick was, all of a sudden, yanked back by the man in knight’s uniform and eyes covered with black mesh. The poor prince was dangling from his collar. “Do you want to die?” Garrod questioned him angrily. I thought the Red Demon Knight was already very intimidating. However, I didn’t imagine that him in armor and eyes sheathed would make him even more frightening. “I was going to let you go this time, but your presence is just irritating. I’d rather you not hang around the princess of Whitensen.”

“Could you be a bit gentler for one of your kingdom’s princes?” Prince Patrick asked. “Could it be that you are still upset that I met Princess Talissa? We had a lovely conversation, dear knight.”

“You didn’t just meet her. You harassed her, bastard!” Garrod stated, gripping the prince by the collar of the servant’s uniform tighter. The prince gagged and coughed a bit. He seemed to be turning a bit blue.

Instantly, the crowd surrounding us identified the two men. “It’s the first prince and the Red Demon Knight!” they exclaimed.

The knight slung the prince over his shoulder and nodded towards me. “Princess. Teresa.” I returned the acknowledgment with a curtsy. Teresa was a bit shaken up by how quickly he correlated her name to her face. The motion made him frown, and he sauntered off with the sly man winking at me. I cringed at the sight of it.

Disgusting.

“My, what a scene,” others remarked.

A lady leaned in a man’s ear. “Don’t you think it’s admirable that the knight still refers to Carabell’s Lowlife as a princess?”

“It is! I would never refer to that witch as a princess. She was never the princess of our kingdom,” he returned with a chuckle. “Not even for my life.”

I sighed, struggling to breathe thanks to my tightly wound corset. The breasts Elisabeth had were ampler than my previous body on Earth, so I’m trying to become accustomed to having more assets. It’s highly uncomfortable wearing a corset and sweating under these useless balls of fat. They were a decent size, but the beauty of having an hourglass figure comes with a price.

People never stop talking about how evil or cruel or malicious Elisabeth is. I just wish they could find something else to talk about. It’s troublesome trying to stop oneself from attacking others when you’re continually being criticized.

Teresa pulled me aside behind one of the ballroom’s towering pillars.

“My Lady, please avoid Prince Patrick. It is not good for you to be seen with that man,” Teresa warned me.

“Ah, I know. The stereotypical man hoe,” I mumbled.

The prince reminded me of those overly confident, but pathetic, characters in the books I read on Earth. Having met a few of them on Earth, I know exactly how they behave. I have a suspicion Elisabeth may have contributed to his narcissistic behavior.

Teresa did her head and eyebrow thing again. “What does a gardening tool have to do with the prince, my lady?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Nevermind,” I said under my breath. If I could even breathe, that is. “You think you could loosen the strings a bit?” I’ve been dying ever since I had the dress on. If it had been done a little less restricting, I think I could be comfortable for the whole debutante. That, at least, would be amazing.

“I could, but it’ll have to stay tight. You need to look your best, my lady,” my maid reminded me. My shoulders slumped in disappointment.

As we walked by the dessert table, I snatched a macaron from one of the decorative plates. This, Teresa disapproved of. I couldn’t help it. They looked so delicious. The cookie part of the macaron was off-white. Additionally, the filling of it was a white buttercream and decorated with gold leaf and edible sugar pearls. The peaks of the macaron were perfect, and I treasured each bite, knowing she wouldn’t permit me to steal another. The initial crunch was satisfying, and the chewiness was superb.

At the Carabell Estate, I didn’t really enjoy a variety of desserts. It was unlike those stories where ladies enjoyed an assortment of small cakes and mousses. Teresa was usually strict about my diet, and if she pitied me, she would bring me a tray of butter cookies and jam, which happened daily. Meaning, she’s always pitying me.

We went into one of the lounge rooms near the ballroom, and I had Teresa redo the strings. When she finished, I went out to the balcony to feel the crisp and refreshing air.

It'll be the fall season in a few months, so I’ll enjoy the sight of the trees with vivid green leaves before they start foliating. The academy grounds were filled with tranquility outside, but the ballroom was boisterous and too crowded for me to truly enjoy anything. I didn’t want to be surrounded by people that didn’t like me either. I didn’t like the feeling of knowing Elisabeth’s fiancé is spending time with her ultimate rival. That’s a betrayal in its own sense, and because I am now Elisabeth, I’m going to be infuriated in her stead.

“My, my, isn’t that Viktoria’s gown?” a woman’s rich voice questioned us.

Teresa and I immediately jerked our heads around to look at who had entered the lounge. The mysterious lady wore a black cloak to cover her face and gown. She started to approach us, her heels clacking against the marble.

Who...who is she, and how did she know?