"Bellonsa? Is it really that Bellonsa?"
All eyes in the banquet hall turned toward one woman.
In nature, poisonous creatures often display vibrant appearances, as if to dazzle their prey.
According to the rumors, Estelle was a toxic flower.
A poisonous beauty who killed the men who tried to pluck her simply because she was beautiful.
But now, she wore a stifling black dress that revealed not even a hint of skin.
Even the face that had supposedly bewitched so many men was obscured by a dark veil.
Yet, in a hall filled with vibrant colors, her monochrome attire made her stand out all the more.
"Out of the way! Let me see too!"
The veil she wore wasn't fully opaque—it didn't completely conceal her face.
As a result, plenty of men craned their necks, hoping to catch a glimpse of the face hidden just beneath the surface.
"She's never once shown her face at a social gathering before. What's going on?"
"Isn't it obvious? She's here to hunt for her next victim."
As a woman who had already buried three husbands, the stares directed at Estelle were far from kind.
"Every man who marries her ends up dead. So why are there still suitors lining up for her?"
"Men like that sort of thing."
"That sort of thing?"
A young noblewoman, who looked as if she hadn't debuted in society long ago, asked curiously.
Another noblewoman, glancing disdainfully at a young man standing on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of Estelle's face, replied with a scoff.
"A woman who provokes their competitive instinct. No man's ever had her, so of course it stirs their urge to conquer."
"And let's not forget the dowry. It's not a small sum. If you marry her and manage to survive, what better trophy could there be?"
Whatever the truth may have been, one thing was clear:
No one saw Estelle as a person—at least not as one of them.
***
Before stepping into the banquet hall, Estelle donned her black veil.
Mathias was no longer at her side.
Collapsed in the carriage, he wouldn't be showing up at the banquet tonight.
"My goodness."
"That Bellonsa woman..."
As Estelle entered the hall alone, a flood of sharp, piercing stares rained down on her.
Everywhere, people were whispering and gossiping about her in unison.
And yet, no one dared approach her to speak.
It was only natural—getting involved with her meant being dragged into scandalous rumors.
"Lady Bellonsa, this is the first time I've seen your face."
But there were always those who paid no mind to the whispers of others.
"Your Highness the Princess."
Alice Lawrence.
The imperial family's cherished jewel, currently nursing an ever-growing crush on Lennox.
"No, I suppose I can't really say I've seen it properly—your face is hidden behind that veil, after all."
Alice's gaze toward Estelle was far from kind.
'So I'm not the most beautiful woman in the Empire?'
That fact alone wounded Alice's pride.
"Unless you're hiding some injury, you do realize how incredibly rude it is to show up like that. Perhaps..."
Tap.
Alice closed her fan with a snap and lightly tapped the end of it against Estelle's veil.
It looked as if she might lift it at any moment.
"Do you have something to hide?"
Alice didn't believe the rumors circulating about Estelle.
How beautiful could a person really be?
It was obvious to her that the stories had been blown out of proportion by Estelle's tragic circumstances.
Once the veil came off, surely her bare face would be nothing more than a letdown—like air escaping from a balloon.
"Did I offend you?"
"....."
"Don't take it too personally. As a member of the royal family, I was merely making an appropriate observation."
"My apologies."
Without a word of protest, Estelle removed her veil.
With her gentle touch, pale skin was revealed.
When expectations are high, disappointment tends to come just as swiftly.
But the moment her face was fully revealed, the surrounding crowd fell silent.
"....."
Most had imagined a sultry, seductive face befitting her reputation as a man-eating temptress.
Instead, Estelle's face was unpainted—pure and clean, with no trace of heavy makeup.
Her calm, almost detached air combined with her serene beauty left a refreshing impression.
"O-oh, your veil..."
Thud.
Feigning an accident, Estelle let the veil fall from her hands and tilted her head slightly to the left.
"Kind sir, would you be so kind as to pick up my veil?"
She didn't specify who she was addressing.
She could've mentioned a distinct feature or locked eyes with someone directly, if she truly needed help.
But because she didn't—
All the men nearby stepped forward at once, each thinking her words were meant for them.
He realized it a moment too late, but his body had already moved on instinct.
In that brief instant, one young nobleman—quicker than the rest—rushed forward to retrieve the veil… and stepped right on the hem of Alice's dress.
Alice's brows knit in irritation.
But the young man, completely oblivious to the princess's displeasure, bent his knee gallantly and handed the veil back to Estelle.
"Thank you."
"Wait."
Alice's sharp voice cut through the air.
"I suppose you couldn't see what was beneath your feet?"
"Gasp!"
Only then did the young noble realize what he had stepped on, and his face turned pale.
"Your Highness, please don't be too harsh on him."
"He stepped on my dress and you expect me to overlook it?"
"It was an accident, caused only because the veil happened to fall nearby. Even if it was unpleasant, I ask that you show royal grace and forgive him."
"..."
"Helping a lady in distress is a gentleman's duty, after all."
Don't take it too personally.
Estelle had just returned Alice's words to her—word for word.
The moment the crowd realized this, the atmosphere in the hall went ice cold.
"Ah, and one more thing..."
While everyone else held their breath, Estelle spoke with perfect composure.
"I wore mourning colors to reflect my status as a widow, but I failed to consider that it might be seen as disrespectful. I apologize."
Her nerves were truly made of steel.
"…Very well. Lady Bellonsa. Just be more mindful in the future."
"Thank you. And if there's nothing more, I'll take my leave now."
She was polite, but never pitiful.
And yet they said she was born a commoner.
The princess had to grit her teeth in silence.
If she pressed the issue any further, she'd only come across as petty. She had no choice but to let Estelle go.
Leaving the princess behind, Estelle calmly stepped away from the center of the banquet and glanced around.
'Where is the Duke of Winterren?'
There was no way the guest of honor hadn't arrived by now.
'That man…'
Moving toward the windows, Estelle spotted a dark-haired man standing in the garden.
Lennox Winterren.
She had never seen him in person before, and all she knew was that he had black hair and red eyes—but somehow, she knew.
It was him.
Estelle turned urgently and made her way toward the garden.
Unbeknownst to her, a dark shadow silently followed behind.
"Lady Bellonsa! I'm Daniel Nultia, the eldest son of House Nultia. Did you come alone, by any chance?"
It was the same young man who had picked up her veil.
"I came with someone, but it seems we got separated along the way."
Before he could cling to her any further with clueless persistence, Estelle swiftly took the initiative.
"I'm heading to the powder room while I wait for my companion—where were you going, sir?"
"Ah… I-I was actually on my way to the lounge to meet someone!"
The powder room was off-limits to men.
Apparently, Daniel wasn't entirely clueless—he flushed red and quickly retreated in the opposite direction.
"Duke Winterren!"
Worried that someone might follow her, Estelle quickened her pace and called out to the man with black hair.
Thankfully, it seemed to be Lennox.
He turned at the sound of her voice.
And the moment their eyes met, Estelle knew for certain—it was him.
Those deep, sharp eyes.
The chiseled nose, the firm, unsmiling lips.
It wasn't just his tall, well-built frame; his presence stood out even from a distance.
There was no way that face belonged to a side character.
Even Estelle, who remained unimpressed by most handsome men, found herself momentarily caught off guard.
She quickly composed her expression and spoke.
"I heard you're looking for a woman to marry, Your Grace."
"I'll do it."
Becoming the Duke's wife was no different than exchanging one's life for money.
'In the original story, they didn't even last a full year before he lost his wife.'
In the source material, the duchess dies after coming into contact with miasma.
After losing his wife, Lennox meets Vera—that was the original flow of the story.
But Estelle was confident she wouldn't die, even if she became his wife.
"So please… propose to me."
She was just as confident that she wouldn't kill him, either.