Rose’s POV
“I never thought my family would dare force me to attend this damn ball,” I muttered under my breath, my fists clenching at the thought. Even after cutting me off, they were still pulling strings, making me jump through hoops for them. I could’ve told them to fuck off, but they wouldn’t have let it go. They never did. Besides, I had my own reason for coming here tonight—Sesillian.
He was going to be at this party, and from what I’d heard from Leon, he wasn’t coming alone. He’d invited Charlotte Sierra to be his date. It was one thing for me to get an invite—even after being cut off from the family, I could still attend if they sent me an invite—but Charlotte Sierra had no connection to nobility anymore. Her father had been disgraced and stripped of his title when all his dirty secrets were dragged out into the open.
Anyway, the party was in the Capital City, where all the high-ranking nobles and officials lived, along with the royal family in the nearby castle. Weirdly, though, the royal family wouldn’t be attending. Word was, it was a precaution so none of them would risk getting assassinated. Since the castle walls were basically impenetrable, they preferred to stay locked up inside.
The venue was a massive manor, bigger than your typical large mansion. The place was packed with people, all dressed to the nines in formal wear. As for me? I didn’t bother. I wore a simple white blouse with long sleeves and black jeans. Dresses weren’t my thing anyway.
But the moment I arrived, I became the center of attention. Every set of eyes in the room locked onto me, glaring and boring into me from all directions.
“Isn’t that…?”
“Why is she wearing something like that to this event?”
“Isn’t she ashamed? Not only showing up looking like that, but also continuing to tarnish her family’s name?”
I ignored the whispers. My family had already cut me off, so their opinions weren’t my problem anymore. But, well, I expected this reaction. It was only natural, given the circumstances.
After a while, I made my way over to where my father stood, dressed as formal as the rest of them. His green hair had already started to fade into white, but there was still an air of authority around him. That same intimidating presence that used to make me hesitate to approach him when I was little.
But I wasn’t a little girl anymore. So, I walked straight up to him.
“What exactly are you wearing?” His voice was just as terrifying as the last time I’d heard it.
“Well, technically, I can wear whatever I want,” I replied, unfazed. “It’s not mandatory to wear formal clothes, right?”
“In occasions like this, yes, it’s mandatory, even if it’s unspoken,” he shot back, his tone sharp.
“Well, that’s news to me,” I shrugged, not really caring.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is why you’ve never fit in with our family. You’ve always been such a tomboy. I can’t believe I wasted my time trying to raise you into a proper lady. How did you turn out like this, when I raised you the same as your sister?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just who I am,” I said, meeting his glare without flinching. The old me would’ve shrunk under that stare, but not anymore.
My mother arrived then, accompanied by my sister, both of them dressed to perfection in their formal attire. “I can’t believe you’d show up dressed like that. Are you still stuck in your rebellious teenage phase, Rose? Why on earth did you come here in that outfit?” my mother snapped.
“I told you, it’s not a big deal. As long as I’m not breaking any rules, they can’t kick me out, right?”
That’s right. There weren’t any specific rules about what to wear here. The invitation didn’t say anything about formal attire being required, so I didn’t bother with it.
“How exactly do you plan on getting married when you keep acting like that?” My mother let out an annoyed sigh, her eyes narrowing in frustration.
She had been pushing this marriage crap on me for years. Always obsessing over when I’d finally “settle down.” But how could I? Every man she introduced me to was a scumbag, not worth a damn.
“And here I am, planning for you to meet a man who will give you the life you deserve,” she said, her tone dripping with disappointment. “And you’re wearing that?”
“So I was right, huh?” I said, crossing my arms. “You’re setting me up again. You brought me here just to push another marriage scheme on me.” I wasn’t surprised in the least. It was the same old story. They wanted to marry me off to some powerful family, using me as a pawn for their political and social connections, and tie our family—well, technically their family now, since I’d been cut off from it—to another one.
“You’re going to end up a lonely old woman if you keep this up, you know,” my sister chimed in, her voice just as irritating as it had always been. She was already in her forties but still flaunting her so-called perfection. She had the same green hair and sharp gaze as our mother, traits I had also inherited—though, if we’re being honest, I still won in the bust department, even after she popped out kids. “Look at me,” she continued, “I’m still as seductive as I was at seventeen, barely aged a day. I’m wearing the latest fashion from Leonamon, because my husband is so rich, he buys me anything I want. Meanwhile, you have to work just to afford a shitty car. And you don’t even have time to wear anything nice. I can’t believe you were ever my sister.”
Her smug tone made my blood boil. She’d been acting superior ever since we were kids, lording her “perfect” life over me every chance she got. The urge to punch her in the face was real.
“This is an order from your family, Rose,” my father suddenly cut in, his voice cold and commanding. “You will go with Sir Fier today, and you will do whatever it takes to bed him.”
Sir Fier? That asshole with seventeen wives? Like hell I’d ever be part of some harem.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I snapped back, glaring at him. “I’m not your daughter anymore, remember? I came here out of courtesy, just to say hello. Now, I’m done. I’m leaving.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked away.
“Rose, come back here!” my father shouted after me, his voice echoing in the grand hall. I didn’t even bother looking back.
