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Thud. Thud. Thud.  

Since my body had been readjusted, my heart hadn’t pounded like this in front of the Duke.  

It had been a long time since I felt my heart beat so strongly that I could actually sense it.  

When my heart beats like this, my vision narrows, and my thoughts simplify.  

And what came out of my mouth in that state was…  

“Ah, Father!”  

It was a shout I had never uttered before in my life.  

‘Gasp!’  

I was so startled by my own words that I covered my mouth with both hands.  

When I looked at the Duke with wide eyes, I saw that he had frozen in place, his hand still on the door handle as he was about to leave.  

He slowly turned his head with a creak, and his face was filled with surprise.  

There was no sign of displeasure, only astonishment.  

I clenched my fists tightly and mustered a bit more courage.  

“Um… Is it alright if I call you Father?”  

“…”

The Duke was silent for a moment before he nodded slightly.  

“If you don’t call me that, then what am I to you?”  

Without waiting for my response, the Duke left the sapphire room.  

‘So, what he meant by that last comment was…’  

He wants me to call him Father!  

As soon as I realized that, my eyes started to sting inexplicably.  

In this life, I had always been Reshia Elpinard, but now, it finally felt like I was truly Reshia Elpinard.  

‘I also…’  

I also have a father now!  

Shouting that in my mind, I abandoned all the pride of being (almost) an adult and burst into tears like a child.

* * *

The next morning.  

The day of the debutante had dawned.  

“Oh my, how could this happen…?”  

Lily trembled as she looked at my puffy eyes.  

“Did the Duke scold you yesterday? It’s the day of your debutante, he shouldn’t have made you cry like this!”  

She was so agitated that it was hard to believe she was the same person who usually feared the Duke.  

“You’re supposed to be the most beautiful today…!”  

“Everyone will be watching you…!”  

Rose and Daisy were equally agitated.  

But I didn’t care at all about the debutante.  

‘Because…’  

I have a father now!  

Well, I had one before, but…  

Anyway, now I truly, really have a father, so the debutante didn’t matter at all.  

“Lily, don’t be mad. Yesterday, Father gave me this… I cried because I was so touched.”

I showed the necklace that the Duke had given me yesterday to the trio of flower names. As soon as they saw it, all three of them jumped in unison. They were now excited in a completely different way from before, chattering about things I had no clue about.

“This is the Elpinard Galaxy!”  

“It’s a treasure among treasures, made from 600 of the finest diamonds!”  

“It’s practically the symbol of the Elpinard family!”

I was startled by their explanations. Of course, the necklace had looked impressive, but I hadn’t realized it held such a significant meaning.  

‘And why does this family love diamonds so much?’  

They’d adorned my dress with diamonds, and now they had given me this extraordinary necklace made from 600 top-grade diamonds!  

“To think that he gave you this to wear at the debutante…”  

“Everyone in the Empire will know how precious you are to the Duke!”  

Rose and Daisy, who had just been criticizing the Duke, were now clapping like seals and marveling.  

“With such an amazing necklace, you can skip the earrings, bracelets, and rings altogether.”  

“And the hair accessories too!”  

Lily nodded in agreement with them.  

“Right. We’ll focus on the necklace and the dress, and keep the makeup as transparent as possible…”  

Lily looked a bit troubled as she glanced at my puffy eyes, but only for a moment. She clapped her hands together and commanded Rose and Daisy,  

“Alright, first things first—bring an ice pack! We need to reduce the swelling!”

* * *

The Imperial Palace, where the debutante was held, was bustling and lively.  

It was the day to meet the new faces of the social world.  

The grand banquet hall, open to everyone listed in the noble registry, was as crowded as a marketplace.  

At the highest seat sat the young Emperor and Empress, with a circular space cleared in front of them.  

The child whose name was called would step forward to greet the imperial couple and make an impression on the surrounding nobles.  

“Anna Haite!”  

A steward standing beside the Emperor called out the names busily from the list.  

Five at a time.  

The children whose names were called, in alphabetical order, came forward with flushed faces to greet the Emperor and Empress.  

The Empress took the lead in setting the mood.  

“You must be the daughter of Count Haite. The Countess has told me much about you.”  

The soft and kind voice of the Empress left the nervous young boys and girls almost in tears of emotion.  

After several rounds of unremarkable introductions,  

“Reshia Elpinard!”  

The most anticipated name at this debutante was called.  

The moderately buzzing banquet hall suddenly became chaotic.  

“Isn’t she the Saint that the Duke of Elpinard adopted?”

“I thought she was a fake, but it turns out she’s a real Saint. They say she completely cured His Holiness the Pope’s illness.”  

“That’s right. Everyone was shocked to see His Holiness leading mass in perfect health.”  

“Rumor has it she entered the Ivory Tower at the age of four! And with a perfect score, no less.”  

“My goodness. She’s a genius!”

Amid the excited crowd, a girl with silver hair shining like moonlight stepped forward.  

Her skin was as pale and translucent as her hair.  

With her beautiful features and mysterious lavender eyes, she looked like a delicate flower, elegant and graceful as she stood before the Emperor and Empress.  

This was Reshia Elpinard.  

Although four other boys and girls stood beside her, all eyes were on Reshia.

“Could that necklace be the Elpinard Galaxy?”  

“I can’t believe the Duke let her wear that!”  

“The rumor that he treats her like his own daughter must be true! To give such a precious necklace to an adopted daughter instead of a daughter-in-law…”  

“And that dress… It’s dazzling. Could it be adorned with diamonds?”  

A magnificent dress, and an even more magnificent necklace.  

Reshia Elpinard was like a walking fortress.  

It was almost astonishing that her face didn’t get overshadowed by such extravagant attire; rather, it highlighted how striking her features were.

While Reshia was receiving everyone’s attention…  

‘Ouch, my feet hurt!’  

She was inwardly crying her eyes out as her toes were being pinched by her new shoes.

* * *

‘I shouldn’t have worn new shoes!’  

Or at least, if they were new, they shouldn’t have been such high heels!  

‘Who in their right mind makes shoes like this?’  

They looked stunning when they were just sitting there.  

Even when she first put them on, they only pinched a little, and it didn’t hurt that much.  

But that feeling lasted only for 30 minutes.  

After getting out of the carriage with the Duke’s escort and walking around the grand banquet hall for just 30 minutes, her feet were done for.  

Yes, done for!  

There was no other way to describe the situation.

Names were being called in alphabetical order for those who were to greet the Emperor and Empress, and unfortunately, Reshia’s “R” put her toward the back, meaning she couldn’t just kick off the cursed shoes.  

By the time her name was called and she stepped in front of the imperial couple, she was halfway out of her mind.  

It was then that the Empress’s voice reached her ears.  

“Should we call you Saint, or Lady Elpinard?”  

It was a question directed at her.  

Without hesitation, Reshia bowed her head.  

“Of course, I am Lady Elpinard, Your Majesty.”  

The Empress smiled in satisfaction at her response.