There is no happy ending

‘……What family did that princess belong to?’

‘I don’t know, she didn’t have a last name.’

‘You mean a commoner?’

Bianca had a good ear, and perhaps her sensitive nature was honed…… even further by her good ear. There is no such thing as an aristocratic young lady who is socially adept but gentle. However, the opposite is certainly possible.

The socialites exchanged stories about Bianca, Bliss, and Odette. It’s a touchy subject, and the voices are louder than before. Bianca stood and narrowed her eyes.

‘My goodness, the rumors of His Royal Highness Duke Winston meeting a commoner were true.’

‘I thought it was just a rumor…….’

‘And that’s why you and Princess Moening parted ways?’

‘Don’t you know it when you see it?’

Bianca had never suffered such shame in her life.

Moening’s name had always brought her nothing but honor. Everyone envied the path she walked, and the choices she made, and rightly so. She loved that she was the object of other people’s envy.

She knew it would always be that way. She wanted to live that way.

But then, then…….

‘You’re so smug…….’

‘You can’t achieve everything in a morning.’

Moening’s values., which Bianca loved, cherished and was so proud of, were denigrated.

Everything Bianca has achieved, her arrogance is mocked. Not by Bianca…… but through others…….

Truly, it was an unbelievable story.

Bianca’s hand tightened on her partner’s arm. Her partner couldn’t pull her hand away from his, which seemed to dig into his flesh through his clothes.

Bianca was truly furious. Not irritated, not annoyed, but angry.

Somehow…… thought she heard Eris’s giggling laughter in Bianca’s ear. I won’t say whether It was Eris laughing, or whether Bianca heard something.

Bianca controlled her breathing as best she could. I can’t be disheveled, I can’t be disheveled.

I can’t let anyone misinterpret the way I look right now as grieving.

Bianca called out to her partner, keeping her emotions in check as best she could.

‘……McDowell Confucius.’

‘Yes, sir?’

‘Thank you for being my partner today.’

Bianca said, looking straight at Bliss, who in turn was looking at her, unsure what to think. Their eyes met.

Bianca’s face was twitching, but Bliss’s face was calm. Rather,…… it was like looking at something nostalgic.

It was the same face that everyone loved as always, but no longer loved Bianca.

Once, when Bliss’s eyes had caught the light and glowed ethereally, Bianca had thought she wanted to kiss them. She realized it very late, but she did.

Deciding something inside, Bianca let go of McDowell’s arm. Bliss’s seemingly unchanging face changed for a moment.

McDowell had no idea what was happening now. Bianca spoke up.

‘I should probably get back.’

‘What? Moening Princess. Wait, what does that mean…….’

‘It means exactly what it says. The party is…… Well, if Confucius wants to stay, he’s welcome to stay, and I’ll send for Morning’s carriage after I get back.’

Bianca walked away. The men discussing Bianca, Bliss, and Odette fell silent and looked at the three of them.

Bianca felt like she was walking on a razor’s edge, but she didn’t care if she was walking on a razor’s edge or hellfire. She walked straight, with a straight back, more like a morning…… than anyone else.

One step and Bliss and Bianca were closer. Odette wanted to step back in fear, but she couldn’t because Bliss stood as still as if nailed.

Two steps and Bliss opened her mouth like she had something to say. Bianca’s face went cold.

Five steps and the server passing out wine on the way to the bar stood stiffly, his eyes darting from one to the other, unable to do anything but watch.

It was a good situation, Bianca thought. It would be a shame to leave those who had humiliated her in front of everyone alone.

It’s not about fulfilling people’s expectations. What kind of a man would stand still after being beaten?

Trashing Bliss’s parlor wasn’t revenge, not by any stretch of the imagination; it was simply venting.

Bianca smiled and accepted a glass of wine from the server, then took a few more steps to…… Bianca, smiling, stood before them.

‘It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, Duke Winston, and Miss Odette.’

A flawless, soulless smile, as flawless as her own, filled Bianca’s full face. Odette could do nothing but squirm at Bliss’s side.

Even if Odette, for her part, seemed to want to avoid Bianca.

‘……Good night, Bianca.’

‘Good night, Joe. Miss.’

Bianca thought this was the worst night ever, yet Bliss and Odette wished her a good night.

There was a lot of space between the worst night and the best night. There were more blemishes on Bianca’s name than there were on theirs.

Bianca didn’t reply, still smiling, but her face was lifeless.

Even when Bianca and Bliss ended, they often ended neatly…… and without any noise. There were plenty of ways for Bliss to honor Bianca, even if there was a lot of noise at the end of their relationship. Bliss didn’t choose anything.

It’s understandable. Bliss may have loved Odette and wanted to bring his lover to the ball.

But why the lack of consideration for Bianca, why the desire to bring her nothing but shame?

It was a strange thing. I’m not angry with Odette, but I’m so angry with Bliss. It wasn’t that Bianca had a crush on Odette. It’s impossible to have a crush on someone who stole Bliss from me and deceived her in the same way.

Instead, the issue was love. Bianca’s passion for Bliss is now gone. A love that has been plaguing me since the day Bianca and Bliss divorced.

Maybe it’s because she still has feelings for Bliss. But sometimes it’s better to keep things under wraps. Knowing the truth would only make me feel worse.

Her voice was eerily cold. Bianca’s face was still in a perfect smile.

‘I’ve never been so insulted in my life.’

‘What?’

‘So I thought it would be satisfying to humiliate you, too.’

Bliss didn’t immediately understand what Bianca was saying. So there was nothing he could do to stop Bianca’s behavior.

Bianca poured the wine in her hand over Odette’s watery dress. The dark red wine stained her ugly. Odette’s lips twitched, unable to breathe at what had happened.

Bliss, catching up to the situation, grabbed Bianca’s wrist as she held the glass.

‘What the hell!’

‘Ah…….’

Bianca let out a small moan as her wrist was grabbed. Compared to Bianca’s slender and weak wrist, Bliss’s hand…… was large, thick, and strong.

Bliss was startled by Bianca’s moan, but she didn’t let go of her wrist.

Bianca glared at her gripped wrist and Bliss’s face with a fierce expression.

‘Bianca, what the hell is wrong?’

The problem was, she didn’t know what the problem was. Had love blinded her when everyone here knew?

Love has deafened her ears when everyone here knows it. Why can’t Bliss Winston see it?

The bloodsuckers…… laugh like ghosts. And.

Bam!

Bianca slapped Bliss across the cheek with her free hand. It was her left hand, with a new palm print. Everyone in the hall held their breath. There was no longer a smile on Bianca’s face.

Bianca turned to Bliss and asked.

‘You call that a question?’

It was a sharp slap, but it didn’t do much damage to Bliss. Bliss straightened up.

His face was colored with embarrassment. Not anger, but bewilderment.

‘What?’

‘Don’t you know why I’m angry? Are you some love-blinded idiot? A man should have some sense.’

Bianca glared at Bliss. Bliss’s grip on Bianca’s wrist loosened.

Bianca didn’t miss the opportunity to pull away.

‘Does it satisfy you to make me a laughing stock, Duke Winston?’

In her heart, she wanted to break the wine glass and plunge …… its cross-section into Bliss, to stab her again and again, to kill her. As much as she loved him, she hated him even more.

Even putting that aside, it would be the least he could do to repay her for the disgrace and humiliation he felt.

Bianca’s shoulders heaved. Her breathing picked up. Bliss’s gaze fell on Bianca’s thin shoulders, which trembled slightly.

It landed on Bianca’s face, stained with anger and hurt. At first glance, she looked angry, but the scars looked just like anger.

Bliss knew then that she had made a mistake. He couldn’t fathom what had caused it, but he knew he had hurt Bianca.

‘Wait, are you…….’

Bliss opened her mouth in panic, her green eyes trembling, her face feigning anger but looking like she could burst into tears at any moment.

At the same time, Bliss reached out her hand.

Sometimes you get a feeling like that. It’s a vague feeling. Things that are elusive, ungraspable, unformed, and all it takes is for them to do one thing…….

And then it will become clear. Such is the case now.

Bliss felt like she had to grab both cheeks and turn to face Bianca. If she looked into Bianca’s eyes like that, she would feel the same unknowable.