I, Who Was Betrayed By The People I Loved Most - Chapter 14

It was at the royal ball that I first realized—it had all been an illusion.

This was my public debut as the Duchess of Rubert.

I remembered attending a ball in the past, walking beside Aunt Leticia—
How people would gather around her like butterflies drawn to a flower.
Everyone wanted to speak with her, to be near her, naturally forming a circle of admiration.

Back then, I was proud to see her at the center of it all.

Never did I imagine that, even after assuming the same title, I would be treated with such cold disdain.

As I walked, the flow of people gently parted in front of me— Not out of deference, but avoidance.

No one met my eyes.
Their gazes passed through me as if I were something that should not be there.

“Oh my! She really showed up—the ‘niece,’ was it?
I thought those rumors had been exaggerated… but they were right on the mark.”

“Leticia really is too kind.
To give up her position and divorce for that girl’s sake—even if it was for the baby.”

“I could never bear it… Having someone like that in the family?
The thought alone makes me sick.”

“No, no. To call her Leticia’s ‘family’ is an insult.
She’s just a girl with a hint of Oxley bl00d—certainly not someone worthy of the name.”

Their whispers floated around me—soft, but unmistakably clear.

The story of my birth was spreading like wildfire.

I was the daughter of a woman born from the Earl of Oxley and a mere maidservant— A woman who had eloped with a commoner and bore me in disgrace.

To them, someone like me had no right to claim the title of “noble” to begin with.

Laughter rang out, sharp as blades.

“A traitor.”
“Such nerve…”
“She smeared mud on Leticia’s name and still dares to show her face…”

Every word I heard sought to disgrace me, belittle me, laugh at me.

I glanced around and saw many familiar faces— The very nobles who once smiled warmly at Aunt Leticia, treating her with respect and admiration.

Leticia had been kind, gracious, always thinking of others before herself.
That’s why she was so beloved, so deeply trusted.

And I had lived under her protection— Enjoyed comfort and “happiness” only because she had sheltered me.

Only now, did I finally realize that truth.
But it was far too late.

By leaving Rubert House without a word of blame, without retaliation, Aunt Leticia had unintentionally incited their wrath—And now, they all turned their fangs on me.

“That ignorant, presumptuous girl… she doesn’t even understand how great Lady Leticia was.”
“This is what they mean by ‘biting the hand that feeds you.’”

No one looked at me.

As the elegant music flowed, as skirts swirled and laughter rang across the ballroom—
I stood there like someone who didn’t belong.

A shadow of shame.
Acknowledged by no one.

Even Uncle Oswald was no exception.

None of the noble lords acknowledged him.
Whenever he tried to speak, they passed him by as if he were invisible.

He, too, was completely isolated—lost in the same cold air that surrounded me.

And this…
This was only the beginning of my descent into hell.