So that was it!
The reason why, on the very first day that Seraphina and I debuted in high society, my fiancé Gregory had shared the opening dance with her instead of me.
“Lari, we're best friends. You'll understand, right?”
The reason why Seraphina had always ordered me around without so much as a single apology.
Wow. This is seriously infuriating.
My hands trembled with anger.
And what made my vision nearly go red with rage was something else entirely.
What is this?
Seraphina’s shoelaces were perfectly tied.
She definitely said they were undone.
I stared dumbfounded at the neat ribbon knot before slowly lifting my head.
At that moment, Seraphina, who had been chatting happily with Gregory, glanced down at me with a smile lingering in her eyes.
A gaze that clearly looked down on me.
Ah... I get it now.
In that instant, it felt as though a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head.
The shoelaces were just an excuse. She simply wanted me kneeling at her feet.
The way she had recommended outdated dresses that didn't even fit me, claiming they suited me.
The way she had personally applied blotchy, unflattering makeup to my face.
The way she always dragged me along beside her to every picnic and banquet.
The way she made sure everyone saw how submissive I was around her.
Just as stars shine brighter against darkness, and flowers appear lovelier because of their petals...
That was what I had been to Seraphina.
A prop.
A role that existed solely to make her look better.
So that's how it was.
I clenched my teeth.
I'd always felt something was off.
As though I had forced my way into a world that revolved entirely around Seraphina.
Until now, I'd desperately struggled not to be cast out of it.
My closest friend.
My fiancé, chosen through our families' arrangement.
Those two people were my entire social world.
That's why I had been terrified of earning their hatred.
But now—
Why should I care anymore?!
I reached out and yanked hard on Seraphina's ankle.
“Kyah!”
Her shrill scream cut through the air.
And then—
Crash!
Chair and all, Seraphina toppled backward.
She lay there staring blankly at the sky.
The sight reminded me of a frog flipped onto its back after being struck by a stone.
It was a ridiculous image, completely at odds with the graceful, pure persona she usually maintained.
“My goodness, Lady Lopes... pfft.”
“Are you all right, Lady— hah...”
People rushed to ask after her, but many couldn't suppress their laughter.
Seraphina's face turned as red as a ripe tomato.
“Larit!”
Gregory shot to his feet in alarm.
Remarkably, while everyone else struggled not to laugh, Gregory wasn't laughing at all.
Was that what true love looked like?
Honestly, it was laughable.
“What do you think you're doing?!”
Eyes blazing, Gregory carefully helped Seraphina to her feet.
The look he gave her was full of tenderness.
“Sera! Are you okay?!”
“Ah...”
Supported by Gregory, Seraphina shakily rose.
Like a newborn fawn, she trembled and leaned against his chest.
Then, with moist eyes, she murmured loud enough for everyone to hear,
“Goodness, Gregor... I'm so startled...”
My eyebrow twitched.
Even now, she was carefully preserving her delicate, fragile image.
And it wasn't as if I had pulled her that hard.
“I feel dizzy... My heart is beating so fast...”
“A doctor! Someone call a doctor!”
Gregory immediately panicked.
“No, it's all right. I can't ruin the atmosphere of the picnic because of me.”
Lowering her eyes pitifully, Seraphina shook her head.
“Larit, how are you going to take responsibility for this?!”
Gregory looked at Seraphina with concern before pointing accusingly at me.
“What if Sera had been seriously hurt? Huh?!”
Even now, he called her by the affectionate nickname Sera, while addressing his own fiancée by her full name.
Honestly, I almost admired the consistency.
“The... the situation isn't quite that serious, Young Lord Gusto.”
Countess Johansson finally interjected with an uncomfortable expression.
“I made every preparation to ensure none of my guests would be injured—”
“Every preparation? With nothing more than a carpet?!”
Gregory snapped.
“Sera has a weak constitution! Even a small shock could seriously injure her!”
Silence fell instantly.
Wow.
Did he really just say that?
I stared in disbelief.
Does Gregory have absolutely no sense of tact?
Today's picnic was hosted by Countess Johansson.
And she had gone to extraordinary lengths to prepare it.
The carefully maintained lawn was as soft as a feather mattress, with thick carpets laid over it.
And on top of that—
“Isn't this a bit excessive?”
One noblewoman muttered disapprovingly.
“Lady Lopes has cushions piled up behind her.”
“Exactly. Young Lord Gusto took all the cushions so nobody else could use them.”
“She couldn't get hurt even if she tried.”
They were right.
Seraphina was currently surrounded by enough cushions to build a fortress.
Honestly, with that many cushions, she could probably fall from the second floor and walk away unharmed.
As I clicked my tongue inwardly, I glanced at Countess Johansson.
If word spreads that a guest was injured at her event, it reflects poorly on the host as well.
Of course, I had been the one who knocked Seraphina over, so the first wave of criticism would be aimed at me.
But rumors would still circulate.
“Did you hear? Lady Lopes was injured at Countess Johansson's picnic.”
“Shouldn't the Countess have managed the event more carefully?”
That sort of thing.
Yet Gregory, utterly oblivious, looked ready to carry Seraphina off to find a doctor immediately.
Meanwhile, Countess Johansson's face was cycling through shades of red and blue.
In that case—
I'll do the exact opposite of Gregory.
I bowed politely to the Countess.
“I'm very sorry, Countess Johansson. My hand slipped due to my own carelessness, and I've caused you concern.”
First, I offered my sincere apology to the unfortunate hostess who had been dragged into this.
Then I turned to Seraphina, arranging a remorseful expression on my face.
“And I'm sorry to you too, Seraphina. I never expected you to fall like that.”
“If you were only tying her shoelaces, why would she fall?!”
Gregory continued shouting.
Oh, thank you for that one.
I covered my mouth as if startled.
“Ah, well... that's because her shoelaces were already tied.”
At once, people began looking back and forth between Seraphina and me suspiciously.
“Hmm... Didn't Lady Lopes say earlier that her shoelaces had come undone?”
“That's what I heard too.”
Countess Johansson, already irritated by the entire incident, immediately seized on the point.
“Lady Lopes, are you saying you deliberately made Lady Ansi kneel?”
At the Countess's sharp question, several guests hurriedly waved their hands.
“Oh, surely not.”
“There must be some misunderstanding.”
Most people clearly weren't ready to believe me.
But honestly?
I was already satisfied.
Seraphina had spent years cultivating the image of a kind, lovable young lady.
For someone to even suggest that she had intentionally forced her friend to kneel before her—
That alone was enough for now.