I Became the Heroine’s Stand-in - Chapter 76

The ball officially began after the opening speech.

Lively music filled the air, inviting guests onto the dance floor. A lavish buffet stood ready for those who wished to indulge, while the outdoor terrace offered a quiet escape for private conversations.

As the host, Diana knew she should remain composed, but excitement bubbled inside her, difficult to suppress.

She had enjoyed herself so much that her energy was nearly drained. Leaning against a pillar to catch her breath, she gazed absentmindedly ahead.

Most attendees had already paired off.

The hall was filled with people who couldn’t suppress their bright smiles, their eyes sparkling with the excitement of a dance.

Watching them, Diana felt a small pang of emptiness—and then, she realized why.

There was someone missing at her side.

Standing on tiptoe, she scanned the crowd. Soon, she spotted Ersivan, surrounded by a group of nobles, his expression polite and engaging as they eagerly spoke to him.

“He’s handling it well.”

Since this was Valencia’s first formal event, it was also Ersivan’s first public appearance as duke.

It was an opportunity that might never come again.

Those who had waited years for a chance to form a connection with Valencia swarmed him, eager to make an impression.

Ersivan handled them with ease, listening patiently, answering with grace.

The once-stiff nobles gradually relaxed, their conversation becoming lively.

But Diana saw what others could not.

To anyone else, he appeared composed, effortless.

Yet she could see the subtle impatience beneath his exterior.

His left fingers twitched periodically at his waist—a sign of restlessness.

For someone who despised insincerity, he certainly knew how to use it skillfully.

Diana let out a quiet, amused breath at the contrast.

As the song ended, the room fell momentarily silent.

Then, snippets of conversation drifted toward her.

“If only we had established ties with Valencia sooner!”

“I’m rather incompetent at such things,” Ersivan replied smoothly, lifting a glass of champagne. “It is thanks to my wife that this opportunity came to pass.”

As he turned slightly to take a sip, his eyes met hers across the hall.

Her violet gaze had been watching him all along.

A faint smile curved his lips.

“I’ll come to you soon.”

Understanding his unspoken words, Diana nodded slightly.

Reassured, Ersivan returned to the conversation.

“Ah, my lady. Here you are.”

The dazzling glow of the chandeliers had disappeared from her view.

Instead, a shadow stretched before her, blocking the light.

Lifting her head, she found herself staring at golden hair—a shade even brighter than her own.

And cool, ocean-blue eyes that shimmered with amusement.

Standing before her was Kynes Demonhart, Crown Prince of the Empire—and Ersivan’s half-brother.

Her relaxed posture stiffened immediately.

Quickly regaining her composure, Diana bowed.

“…It is an honor to greet the empire’s second sun.”

“There’s no need for such formality, my lady,” Kynes said, though his pleased smile betrayed his words.

“I merely came for a casual conversation.”

He claimed formality was unnecessary, yet his eyes gleamed with satisfaction at her proper greeting.

“You look much better than before. Have you been well?”

Their last meeting had been at the imperial palace.

That day, his brother lay dying—and yet, Kynes asked if she had been well.

“Even pleasantries should be chosen wisely.”

“With the imperial family’s ever-watchful care, how could I be anything but well? Your concern sustains me.”

Though her tone remained gentle, her words dripped with sarcasm.

Kynes coughed lightly, feigning sheepishness, before raising a brow.

“I was deeply saddened by my brother’s passing.”

His sigh was heavy with false regret.

He even let out a few theatrical sighs, as though truly mourning.

Diana’s fists clenched at her sides.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

Regardless of his true nature, he was still imperial blood.

Ersivan himself avoided direct confrontation with Kynes whenever possible.

For whatever reason, he had chosen to let Kynes be.

Following his lead would be the rational choice.

But was it the right one?

Could she really turn a blind eye to the man who now mocked her husband and his people?

“And now, I have someone to protect. She does not need to bear my disgrace as well.”

A memory surfaced—Ersivan, standing before the imperial court.

Even if only she had understood his words that day, he had returned her lost honor in front of everyone.

“I don’t need to bear your disgrace?”

“You’re wrong.”

Diana spoke silently in the place where Ersivan could not.

“We will overcome disgrace together.”

Her violet eyes sharpened, glinting like polished amethyst.

“A lowly hand cannot block the sun,” she said softly, meeting his gaze.

“But it seems the sun—when high enough—can block anything at will. Whether it be the sky… or the truth.”

It didn’t matter who he was.

She would stand against him.

Even if, in the end, the one she had to fight most was the family she had once longed for.

“My lady, you are generous to many,” Kynes mused, his expression slipping for just a moment.

“But you are always so cold to us.”

Compared to her family, Kynes and the imperial court were nothing more than insignificant pawns.

Diana briefly considered her response.

Then, suddenly recalling Ersivan’s earlier smile, she imitated it.

That polite yet deeply irritated expression.

That subtle look of utter boredom.

Kynes’ gaze darkened immediately.

“…I don’t know if you did that on purpose,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes.

“But you are terrible at hiding your emotions, my lady.”

He was a man who had spent years reading the faces of the nobility.

And there was no mistaking what Diana’s expression had just conveyed.

For the first time in their conversation, his voice betrayed his irritation.

“Oh… my apologies. I hadn’t meant to let it show.”

Diana feigned regret, as if her earlier mockery had been a mere slip of control.

She had been wondering how best to get under Kain’s skin, and now, she had found the perfect method—pretending it was all an accident.

“I was simply trying to be polite, but you were so tiresome that I lost control of my expression.”

She hadn’t openly insulted him, which only made it more maddening.

“I’ll be more careful next time.”

Then, she smiled sweetly, an expression as fresh and serene as dawn’s first light.

And to add further insult, she apologized in the most delicate, graceful manner possible.

Diana had a rare gift—the ability to provoke with elegance.

“Your acting may be lacking, but you are quite skilled at deception,” Kain muttered, his expression darkening.

“If nothing else, you won’t have trouble navigating the world.”

With no concrete evidence to accuse her outright, he had lost his leverage.

But his annoyance remained, and so he shifted tactics.

“Lies?”

Feigning confusion, Diana tilted her head slightly, forcing him to scoff in disbelief.

His crooked smirk exposed a glimpse of his teeth, making him look more petulant than intimidating.

“Did you not once insist that there was nothing between you and my brother?”

He gestured vaguely.

“But can you truly deny it now?”

“Whether I deny it or not, why does it matter?”

Her voice remained calm, unshaken.

“As you well know, we are bound by law. Whatever exists between us is none of your concern.”

Their marriage was legitimate.

And whatever unspoken tension had developed between her and Ersivan—it was not something an outsider had the right to meddle in.

Besides, it was hardly uncommon for married couples to experience such things.

She had anticipated a more cunning rebuttal, but Kain appeared momentarily thrown off.

He recovered quickly, shifting into a carefully crafted mask of indifference.

“You misunderstand. I simply meant to express sympathy for the woman doomed to spend her life tied to a man too weak to even protect himself.”

“A weak man?”

Diana’s voice was soft, but her fingers curled slightly at her side.

“No matter how distant your relationship, is he not still your brother?”

She lowered her gaze for a moment, then met his eyes again—steadily, unwaveringly.

“And if I may speak as his wife—”

She smiled.

“I don’t particularly enjoy hearing others mock my husband.”

A deliberate pause.

“Surely, a man of your refined upbringing would understand that much?”

Kain let out a low chuckle, but there was a flicker of annoyance in his expression.

“My, my. Does the Mernard family consider truth to be an insult?”

Diana’s lips parted slightly—as if considering his words.

“Perhaps.”

Her shoulders lifted slightly in an elegant shrug.

“But cultures differ. Would you indulge me by respecting my own?”

“The laws of the empire are dictated by its people. If you wish to remain here, you would do well to adapt.”

Kain’s tone had shifted.

Gone was the lazy amusement—instead, his voice had hardened, sharp and cold.

His expression followed suit, darkening considerably.

Diana realized then—she had actually struck a nerve.

For a fleeting moment, she considered continuing the argument.

But she knew that no matter what she said, he would twist it into his own logic.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure.

Draped in jewels and a lavish gown, graceful yet restless, pacing the ballroom in search of someone.

Epel Cordelia.

She had been abandoned.

It was clear now—Ersivan had drawn so much of Kain’s attention that he had completely disregarded his fiancée.

Epel searched anxiously, her dignified composure barely masking her irritation.

Diana turned back to Kain, her expression smooth, unreadable.

“Very well. I will acknowledge your wisdom.”

She nodded in mock deference.

“Perhaps my husband truly is weak.”

“At last, you begin to understand.”

“But tell me…”

Diana’s violet gaze flickered, as if considering something.

“What of you, Your Highness?”

His brows furrowed.

She then deliberately shifted her head, directing his gaze toward Epel Cordelia.

Predictably, Kain’s eyes followed.

“Between a man who would drink poison for me…”

Her voice was soft, deceptively innocent.

“…And a man who abandons his one and only fiancée to pursue petty provocations…”

She tilted her head slightly, her expression poised, unbothered.

“Which of the two is truly the weaker man?”

Her words struck deep.

She could see it—the way his expression froze for a moment, the way his lips pressed tightly together.

Diana lifted a delicate fan, hiding her mouth just enough to make her true expression unreadable.

No one but her knew whether she was smirking, smiling, or simply neutral.

That very fact only made him angrier.

“You—!”

His composure cracked.

“Nothing but a worthless pawn of a disgraced house—!”

Gone was the smooth, untouchable crown prince.

He had lost control.

His refined mask shattered, and his face twisted in fury.

And then, His hand flew upward.

Support I Became the Heroine’s Stand-in