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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Taking a Stand
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Lellia spoke with Grace and listened intently as she detailed the misunderstanding she was caught in.
After hearing the whole story, Lellia pressed her lips into a thin line, lost in thought.
*Well, this is something.*
Just as she had expected, Miss Grace was in a truly unfair situation.
According to her story.
Apparently, Princess Yuriana’s ladies-in-waiting had all been recently replaced. This was because one of the young ladies had a major falling out with Yuriana.
The young lady had dared to shout and criticize the princess to her face, nearly earning herself severe punishment.
*Considering the notoriously overprotective Emperor Perseus found out, that’s hardly surprising...*
In any case, the young lady who caused the trouble was on the verge of being ostracized from high society, but Yuriana pleaded with the Emperor and spared her that fate.
It seemed, however, that the young lady had her own side of the story.
Being of a fiery temperament to begin with, she apparently couldn't stand how Yuriana kept interrupting or ignoring her.
Furious, she went around giving interviews to various newspapers, but she stopped, fearing the Emperor would annihilate her family.
Anyway. After that incident, the Emperor completely replaced all of Yuriana's ladies-in-waiting.
Miss Grace was one of the new ladies-in-waiting, and she had apparently visited the fiery-tempered young lady’s home a few days ago.
They had known each other since childhood, so she had gone to visit upon hearing she was ill.
But when Princess Yuriana’s other ladies-in-waiting found out, they raised an absolute storm.
Calling it a betrayal against Princess Yuriana.
Then, suddenly, a rumor began to spread that Miss Grace was Prince Damian’s stalker.
The supposed reason was that she had forgotten to return a handkerchief Prince Damian had lent her.
*This is so childish...*
Lellia sighed inwardly.
She was reminded of the factional squabbles that had erupted among the noble peers in the Superion territory when she was around fourteen or fifteen.
Of course, Lellia hadn't been in a position to get involved in such things (no one would associate with her), so she had only heard the rumors.
In any case, this was no different from the faction fights of those fourteen and fifteen-year-olds.
In this case, Miss Grace had become the biggest victim.
Because even Cedric and Prince Damian had stepped in at the claim that Grace had betrayed Princess Yuriana.
*The princes of the Empire, engaging in such childish bullying...*
Lellia found Cedric and Damian pathetic, but it was none of her business.
Whether the coddled royals were childish or not.
Since she needed to be on bad terms with Cedric and Damian anyway, Lellia decided to be even kinder to Grace.
“That must have been so difficult, Miss Grace. I’ve experienced a similar situation, so I think I know how you feel.”
“Really?”
Grace’s expression gradually softened at Lellia’s warm consolation. She spoke apologetically.
“By the way, I’m worried Sir Raymond will get into trouble because of me…”
As she spoke, Grace glanced toward where Cedric and Prince Damian were.
“As long as you’re all right, Miss Grace, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m not particularly fond of those two princes anyway.”
“But… those two become even more sensitive when it comes to Princess Yuriana. You might become their enemy.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.”
When Lellia said that, Grace burst into laughter.
The two continued to talk for a while longer, their conversation turning to brighter topics.
But perhaps because she had been standing with Grace for quite some time?
Lellia happened to turn her head and felt gazes on her from all around.
There were looks of goodwill and respect, but also expressions of shock and betrayal.
Damian and Cedric, in particular, were glaring at Lellia as if they wanted to kill her.
*Success.*
Lellia thought, glancing over at Lute. He was grinning from ear to ear.
*Pathetic fool.*
Lellia turned her head again.
But that group over there was a bit unexpected.
It was Princess Yuriana’s ladies-in-waiting. They were staring at Lellia as if she were a general who had sold secrets to the enemy.
Their faces, filled with a sense of betrayal as if their world had collapsed, were trembling.
It seemed they had considered Lellia one of them since they had attended a tea party together a few days ago.
Yuriana’s expression was rather strange.
She didn't look betrayed, but rather a little troubled.
It was surprising, as her face also seemed to hold a hint of ridicule toward Lellia.
*What is it?*
Lellia wondered what on earth Yuriana was thinking.
Just then, the song changed, and a beautiful mid-tempo melody began to play.
Lellia noticed that Miss Grace’s expression was much more relaxed than before and asked.
“May I have this dance, Miss Grace?”
“…I’d love to.”
Perhaps due to her newfound confidence, she readily took the hand Lellia offered.
While she might have seemed short next to her male friends, Lellia was on the taller side among women, and Miss Grace was about a handspan shorter than her.
Because of this, Lellia, dressed as a man, and Grace looked like a pair of lovers.
Lellia led Grace to the center of the floor, as if to put on a show.
The stares were a little intimidating, but no one seemed to suspect her gender.
*Like a playboy… like a playboy.*
Lellia chanted the mantra in her head as she began to dance with Grace.
Gasps of admiration rippled through the onlookers.
This was because Lellia's appearance was so elegant and beautiful that she looked as if she had stepped right out of Donatelli’s recently released painting, *The Handsome Dancer*.
“My…”
“So beautiful. I never imagined a man like that could truly exist…”
“Ah…”
The noblewomen let out rapturous sighs, drinking in the sight.
In contrast, the noblemen looked as if they had just chewed on rotten meat. Yet, they feigned indifference and sneered.
“I wonder if he can even perform his manly duties.”
“Perform? What’s there to perform? You can tell just by looking that he’s *this* small.”
They disparaged Sir Raymond with their crude jokes.
Just then, one of the noblemen spoke as if he had remembered something.
“Ah! Come to think of it, I heard Prince Romeo was seen with a man who looked just like the handsome man in that ‘Donatelli’ painting…”
“What do you mean by that?”
He blabbed the rumor he had heard.
Before long, the rumored ‘Sir Raymond’ had become involved in *that kind* of relationship with Prince Romeo.
It was a vulgar story, claiming that he wasn't a distant cousin but rather Prince Romeo’s male lover.
“And to think he’s laughing and chatting with a woman, pretending to be a proper man… Tsk, tsk.”
“How could two men do such a thing?”
They all clicked their tongues in disapproval.
