Mystic Dark Veil

Congratulate the mistress?

Have you ever thought about experiencing the romantic story of someone else, being the main side character? Well, that's what I am going through right now. However, more than a romantic novel, it feels like I am in a crime thriller. Anyway, that's what little Jennifer also thinks-she believes she is witnessing a romance between two popular people. Could I blame her for her naivety and insensitivity to the issue? No, because I am a person who doesn't have the energy to argue over little things. This was the reason I first decided to ignore the unwanted question.

As the question was directed towards Clivat, I believed she would give a sensible answer, considering my presence in the gathering. But, to my disappointment, the girl with whom my ex-fiancé cheated on me was blushing. Her cheeks flushed red, her ears turned rosy, and her lips parted to say, "Ummm... I do not know. I love a person, and I know that he loves me back too. So maybe things would move forward later," Clivat spoke, twirling and twisting her fingers, all shy, as if she never considered how the real Helen would feel. Since I never had any feelings towards the Crown Prince, I didn't feel any bit of sadness listening to her words. The only emotion I felt towards Clivat was anger at her lack of consideration for the ex-fiancé present in her party. I still managed to hold in my temper as I did not want to create a scene because of the trash I threw away. This was until Clivat spoke once again, silencing all the whispers of other ladies who were talking about how much the Crown Prince loved the daughter of Marquess Selgae.

"Though I do not know how much I deserve, I am happy that my prince chose me over everything and everyone else," Clivat announced. I could blindly tell that Clivat was directly pointing her words towards me, showing that she had a higher position in the Crown Prince's heart. But is it really worth fighting for? Before I could think more, everyone started speaking and supporting Clivat. "Yes, Miss Clivat. The Crown Prince is also lucky to find you after going through a lot of useless people." Well, now I could no more hold back. Why should I hold back in the first place? Being the Duke's daughter, I had the highest authority among everyone present there. I was and would never be ready to let others put me down. As the noble ladies were giggling and teasing the blushing Clivat, Jennifer once again spoke, "My Lady, are you still angry at Miss Clivat for loving your ex-fiance? Wasn't your engagement just a political arrangement?" Jennifer was new to the place and didn't know how deeply Helen loved the Crown Prince.

Instead of correcting the young girl, everyone started giggling as an insult pointed towards me. Instead of explaining the situation, Clivat playfully with a smile asked me, "Miss Helen, are you still upset with me? Is there anything I can do so that you would not feel replaced by me?"

I was at the last of my patience scale. I couldn't take any more of the absurdity that was happening. They must have forgotten what happened at the Queen's tea party. They must have forgotten that it was not the Crown Prince but me who annulled the engagement.

I sipped onto the hot tea and with a smile stared right into Clivat's eyes, "Are you asking me to congratulate a person with whom my fiance cheated on me?" This was indeed a direct accusation of adultery pointed towards Clivat. "But they are in love? Can't you see how much Miss Clivat loves the Crown Prince?" a lady in her late twenties answered. She was the wife of a count who worked under Marquess Selgae. It was evident that the people attending the tea party were close acquaintances of Clivat, supporting and trusting her blindly.

"So, do you mean if your husband and another maiden have an affair with each other, it's not cheating but the purest form of love?" I questioned, glaring at her.

"What... what do you mean? That's different," the lady stuttered. It's always fun for people when there is drama in other people's lives, and I did not want to be the fun matter in someone's conversation. I did not want to be named as a dumped fiancée. Before others could place their opinions, I continued, "Even though you may name your affair with the Crown Prince as the purest form of love to ever exist, weren't you both just having a cheating affair when he was engaged to me by the king's order? And now you want me to congratulate you with all my heart?" I asked, glancing towards Clivat, who was now visibly uncomfortable with how the matter was progressing.

As always, instead of giving a justification or apologizing directly to me, Clivat started shedding tears, once again gaining the sympathy of others and portraying me as the villainess who bullies her. She muttered in a low voice, "It's all my fault. I should have never fallen in love. I am wrong, my lady. Forgive me." But her apology made me look more and more like a cruel-hearted villain, making the host of a tea party cry.

There must have been a day when Clivat came and apologized to me, but that was never in front of others. Her private apologies never granted me freedom from the villainess title. I never wished to be called a heroine or a good person, but it irritated me when Clivat tried her best in acting as a naive girl and portraying me as an evil noble who separates two lovers. I could see ladies who attended the party being concerned for the crying Clivat. their faces showed anger towards me, before the matter could escalate, I cleared my throat attracting attention,

and called Lily, who was waiting on me, "Lily, please bring me the biggest pie that you can find." Everyone present, including Clivat, was surprised by my sudden request for pie. They were confused on how I could ask for a pie when the host is crying and apologizing to me. Seeing their confused faces made me smile. It was fun to watch inarticulate people who never had their own opinions being used as puppets by Clivat the innocent looking mistress.

As I was enjoying their dumbfound faces Lily brought the biggest grape pie without wasting any time and placed it right before me. I smiled at the confused guests and, taking the knife, cut the pie into small pieces and one large piece. It was evidently divided unfairly.

Glancing towards the confused ladies, I spoke, "I would like to share this piece of pie with all of you and today's party host, Miss Clivat. You all may be confused about why the daughter of a duke is doing such silly work by herself instead of asking a maid to serve the pie, but i am doing this to show my true appreciation towards each of you." They were all speechless, still not understanding what I was doing. I placed each piece of pie on a plate while the servants of each lady gave it to their mistresses. Finally, it was the largest pie, and now it was time to give this to the only person that was left-the sniffling host of the tea party, Miss Clivat. I placed the largest piece of pie on a plate and put it in front of her myself. Including Clivat, everyone was shocked to see me place the largest piece in front of the person who was just crying and apologizing to me the villain in her life.

The ladies started to mutter as now they had a new topic to gossip, two of them gained my attention; "Is Lady Helen doing this to show us that she is good and kind?" A lady muttered to another while the other lady scoffed and answered, "Does she think we are fools to believe that her kindness is true and not an act?"

Obviously, they knew I could hear them, but they never valued me. The Helen they knew was always a villain who only attacked ladies in love with the Crown Prince-a girl who never knew social etiquette, her only way of expressing anger was violence and gruesome verbal abuse to prove her point. She was someone who had no true power and only lived to marry the Crown Prince. They couldn't accept the changed Helen, and thus it was the start of their family's downfall.