I Became the Heroine’s Stand-in - Chapter 78

Diana was well aware of the custom Ersivan was referring to.

It was none other than the host couple’s kiss performance, a tradition that usually followed immediately after their first dance.

Of course, it was merely a ceremonial gesture, not a mandatory act like in a wedding.

So, when Ersivan brought it up, she assumed it was nothing more than his playful mischief, merely seeking an innocent reaction from her. She was fairly certain he would opt not to go through with it.

That is, until their eyes met again.

Something about Ersivan felt strangely different. His demeanor remained impeccable, yet there was an underlying intensity in the air around him, something intangible yet undeniably present, seeping into the space between them.

He wouldn’t actually go through with it… would he?

If his goal was to win favor with the crowd, that would be understandable. But a blatant lie, once exposed, would only earn their contempt.

During the wedding, the veil had made it easier to deceive others. But here, in a brightly lit ballroom with eyes watching from every direction, pretending would be far more difficult.

And he was well aware of that fact.

So then, why was he pushing forward with this?

While Diana was still reeling from confusion, the music neared its end. Seizing the moment, Ersivan gently wrapped an arm around her back.

They had already been close, but now they were so near that their noses almost touched.

“Milady, this is my second vow.”

The silk gloves encasing her bare skin were as warm as his voice. His fingers, slowly trailing toward her nape, moved with deliberate precision, exuding an almost affectionate tenderness.

“…Will you accept it?”

Anyone with half a mind would know exactly what he meant.

Yet, Diana found herself bewildered. She had never once considered that he might actually go through with it.

If not for the hesitation in his gaze as he awaited her answer, she might never have realized his true intent.

Her face, betraying her shock, stiffened visibly. Her pupils wavered, flickering downward, then back to him, unable to settle anywhere.

“…Is this kiss necessary to help you, Evan?”

She whispered the question cautiously, and Ersivan nodded without hesitation.

What Diana had meant was “Do we need to do this to win the crowd’s favor?” Since that was one of the conditions in their contract, she was willing to comply if it was truly required.

But Ersivan, having interpreted it differently, simply nodded in agreement.

Neither had the luxury of clarifying the other’s true intent at that moment.

Diana steadied her racing heart, swallowing down the ticklish sensation crawling up her throat.

“If it helps, I won’t refuse. However…”

“……”

“You do realize that you’ll be my first kiss, don’t you?”

There was no real point in voicing such a childish sentiment. And yet, if he remained oblivious, she knew she would feel unjustly wronged.

After all, she was surrendering her first kiss to someone who did not love her.

At her words, Ersivan simply let out a soft chuckle.

A relief, really. If he had claimed otherwise, she might have been tempted to carve out the lips of that non-existent someone from existence.

“And you, my dear wife, should also know that you are my first kiss.”

A faint breath brushed against her face. Before she could even flinch, their lips met.

Ersivan’s lips barely grazed hers at first, skimming over the curve of her lips before slowly pressing down on her upper lip.

After a brief pause, his parted lips fully enclosed her trembling ones, gently deepening the contact.

Perhaps because the sensation was so unfamiliar, her eyelids fluttered involuntarily. She struggled to keep them shut, fearing that if they opened even slightly, their gazes might meet.

If he was watching me like last time…

If their eyes met, she might truly die of embarrassment.

Since longevity was her ultimate goal in life, Diana stubbornly kept her eyes shut—lest she meet an untimely death from sheer mortification.

Only when her breath became short did he finally pull away.

“Haa—”

Diana exhaled all at once, her breath coming in soft, uneven pants as she practically collapsed against Ersivan’s chest.

Applause erupted around them. The noise rang in her ears, making her instinctively shrink back.

Sensing her discomfort, Ersivan placed his large hand over her ear, shielding her from the deafening clamor. The warmth of his palm cooled the heat that had rushed to her ears, slowly grounding her.

With her eyes still shut, she quietly listened to the rhythmic thud of his heartbeat.

His heart was beating fast.

So, he gets nervous too.

The realization felt oddly fascinating.

***

Thanks to their performance, the banquet reached its peak, brimming with liveliness.

Countless guests approached them with exaggerated compliments, showering them with overly enthusiastic praise—some genuine, others mere flattery.

“What a perfect pair!”

“You two look absolutely stunning together!”

It was impossible to tell if they were sincere or simply indulging in empty pleasantries.

Regardless, Ersivan handled the social interactions with remarkable ease, far more adeptly than Diana. With an effortless charm, he deflected and engaged, skillfully navigating the crowd like a seasoned diplomat.

The night unfolded in a harmonious atmosphere—until that moment.

The tightly shut doors of the ballroom suddenly burst open.

A woman, having apparently forced her way in, stumbled forward the moment the doors swung wide.

The loud thud of her fall immediately drew the attention of the entire room, Diana included.

Even the fallen woman seemed to recognize the gravity of the moment, as she hesitated, unable to lift her head.

“…I told you, you can’t go in!”

A sharp voice followed as Kun rushed forward.

Several knights, including Kun, swiftly grabbed hold of the woman, lifting her upright with ease. Overpowered, she had no choice but to stand.

Diana, momentarily stunned, stared at the woman in silence.

Their eyes met.

And then—murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“Isn’t that the Countess of Filier’s daughter?”

“Wasn’t she dismissed from the imperial household for causing trouble…?”

“The palace never disclosed the reason, did they?”

“No. But I heard her family is on the brink of being branded traitors. What could she have done to warrant such a fate?”

Not only had she been dismissed from the imperial palace for causing trouble, but now her entire family was on the brink of being branded as traitors.

“And yet, the reason remains undisclosed?”

A figure suddenly flashed through Diana’s mind.

“It couldn’t be…”

On the day Ersivan and Diana visited the palace, an unexpected incident had occurred. An innocent person had been framed for attempting to poison the Empress.

Diana now remembered—the palace maid who had served tea that day was the daughter of Count Parlier’s household.

She had already intended to track down the maid, knowing that she had been severely punished.

If she could find the maid—if the girl was willing to overcome her fear and cooperate with them—they might finally have a chance to strike back at the Empress.

The selfish imperial family had covered up the entire incident. They had claimed to have caught the culprit and protected the victim, insisting that there was no need for the public to know. The media had been tightly controlled to suppress the truth.

Moreover, they had ensured that Duke Valencia’s household had no opportunity to interfere, making it impossible to challenge the imperial family directly.

However, if the wrongly accused victim were to publicly proclaim her innocence, the palace would be left with no means to silence the scandal.

“And yet, she came here on her own…?”

Even if the maid had wanted to claim her innocence, Diana had never expected her to seek help from the Duke’s estate.

Normally, she would have gone to the palace to present evidence proving her innocence. But in a place where the imperial family needed her to be the culprit, any proof she provided would be systematically erased.

Not only had she prevented the situation from growing more complicated, but she had also chosen to appear on a night when the hall was filled with countless witnesses.

This was an incredible turn of events—almost as if someone had meticulously planned for this exact moment.

Standing nearby, Kain and Epel were as pale as ghosts, their faces frozen in sheer disbelief.

Meanwhile, Ersivan remained utterly unbothered. Unlike Diana, who was brimming with excitement, and the rest of the nobles, who were drowning in confusion, he remained as composed as ever.

“Your Grace! My Lady! Please, hear me out!”

Maintaining his unreadable expression, he watched as the woman cried out.

“I swear—I never poisoned anyone in the palace!”

In the midst of the crowd’s collective shock, a faint, imperceptible smile flickered across his lips.

Then, returning to his usual composure, he stepped forward and issued a command to the knights.

“Let her go.”

“H-His Grace, but…”

“It’s fine. Release her.”

After a brief hesitation, Kun and the other knights reluctantly obeyed, letting the woman go.

She collapsed onto the floor as if her very strength had been drained, the sight of her trembling figure a pitiful one.

“…I am Rinnel Parlier, second daughter of Count Parlier.”

Yet, Rinnel showed no concern for her dignity. Instead, she prostrated herself completely, pressing her forehead to the floor in a desperate bow.

A noble house on the verge of ruin… If there was any chance of survival, she would lick the boots of a beggar if it meant staying alive.

A shadow loomed over her.

A large figure, broad enough to block the dazzling chandelier’s glow, gently helped her up.

Noticing how she trembled from the cold, he removed his outer coat and draped it over her shoulders.

Then, as he steadied her breathing with his own measured breaths, Ersivan spoke.

“Now, explain properly.”

“Ah…”

“You understand exactly what this means to me, don’t you?”

His voice was calm. His gaze, steadfast.

As Rinnel met his piercing crimson eyes, she instinctively tensed.

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed back a trembling breath.

That day… She remembered it vividly.

The day she had disgraced her family.

The day she had been given a chance she would never get again.

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