Chapter 119 Invitation, Dress, and Dread
The invitation letter lay on my desk, its cover thick and embossed with the royal family's golden seal. Its contents were short and clear: in three days, it would be the Emperor's Grand Ball. Every noble in the empire was required to attend, no exceptions.
My mind immediately spiraled into all the worst possibilities.
If I went to that party, my name would be the hottest gossip in the capital.
I would become the target of the nobles still upset over last week's dancing incident with Duke Claus and Prince Kurt.
No, I would rather hide than throw myself into such a difficult situation.
I threw the letter to the floor, then pulled my thick blanket over my head.
Honestly, I just wanted to live peacefully in this novel.
Yesterday, I lost my temper after witnessing Claus and Kurt's argument in the library.
In my mind, Anna, the Public Relations staff, was always trying to strategize, but this time I was completely lost.
I tried closing my eyes to the fact that my life was truly a mess right now.
"I don't want to go," I muttered into my pillow, annoyed. "Let them call me a coward. I'd rather be seen as a coward than risk facing Claus's fanatics."
I had barely begun to enjoy this false sense of calm when my door was pounded from the outside. Whoever it was, they were truly impatient, almost possessed.
Bang!
"Ilse! Open the door. Don't run from your problems now!" Gisella's voice rang out from behind the door.
Before I could get up from bed to lock the door, she was already inside, using a spare key she must have gotten from Hans. Gisella's face was bright, with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. Her aura was completely different from my own disheveled state.
"You're too late if you want to complain with me, Gisella," I said lazily, still hugging my pillow and putting on a sad face. "I've decided to stop dealing with everyone. I just want to stay in my room."
Gisella ignored my complaints. She pulled up a chair and sat in front of me, grinning widely.
"Today, Julian took me to the northern harbor. He showed me the new port being built from scratch, and told me it was all a dowry to propose to my father. He's really working hard to prove how serious he is."
I turned away. "Yeah, yeah, congrats on the harbor proposal. But what does that have to do with my suffering? I still don't want to go to the Emperor's birthday party."
"Of course it's related!" Gisella yanked my blanket, making me jump. "You can't keep hiding from this scandal. Exactly because your name is being talked about, you need to show up and face them all. Don't let those people feel satisfied seeing you hiding at home."
"No way!" I protested, moving away from her. "I don't even have anything suitable to wear for an event at the palace."
Gisella's smile grew even wider. Clearly, she was planning something. She stood up, pulled out a large box containing an extravagant dress from behind her back, and placed it proudly on my bed.
"Who said you didn't have anything?" Gisella said confidently. "I've prepared everything. Don't worry, I'll make sure you're dressed up perfectly that night."
I looked at the box in horror. "What is this dress? Don't tell me you bought me something weird."
Gisella opened and closed the box. Inside was a long evening gown made of luxurious dark emerald velvet. Its cut looked unusual. The dress was extremely tight, form-fitting, with a high slit on the side of the skirt and a low neckline that would reveal every curve of my body.
I was shocked. "Gisella, do you really want to embarrass me? This dress is so tight. If I wear it to the palace hall, I won't be able to breathe and might faint in front of everyone."
"That's the point!" Gisella replied without hesitation. "So Claus will be surprised. No refusals, Ilse Varannes. In three days, I'll make sure you're the most striking woman in the entire empire. You'll wear this dress, get properly made up, and together we'll leave every noble speechless."
I held the emerald dress, then looked at Gisella, whose eyes were still sparkling with wild ambition. Honestly, having such an overactive friend really made me want to faint right then and there.