You’ll Regret Stealing Him from Me — My Sister Who Took My Fiancé and Celebrated Was a Fool - Chapter 12

My reputation grew day by day.

Thanks to the prestige of the Vandering ducal house, my position in high society became unshakable. The title of the duke’s fiancée was far more powerful than I had imagined. No one could oppose me. No one could ignore me.

The number of sycophants around me increased rapidly.

Noblewomen who had once paid me no attention now fawned over me. Countesses, viscountesses, baronesses—all desperate to curry my favor. They brought gifts, showered me with compliments, and hung on my every move.

Watching it all was truly delightful.

The same noblewomen who had once surrounded my sister now flocked to me. The same praises once directed at her were now lavished upon me.

This was how things should have been from the start.

I was the one who deserved to be at the center.

“Lady Isabella, I simply cannot wait for the party you’ll be hosting,” a noblewoman said one day in the salon. A marchioness, perhaps? I didn’t remember her name, not that it mattered. What mattered was that she was praising me.

“May I also receive an invitation? I’m so excited I can hardly sleep at night!”

“And I! A party crafted by Lady Isabella’s impeccable taste is sure to be magnificent!”

“Me as well! Please, Lady Isabella, might I have an invitation?”

Requests poured in one after another. Everyone wanted to attend my party. They longed to see the decorations I chose, taste the dishes I selected, and enjoy the entertainment I planned.

At last, I had stepped into the spotlight. The recognition that my sister had monopolized now rightfully belonged to me.

“I will certainly live up to your expectations,” I declared.

It was thrilling to watch my allies multiply while my sister’s dwindled.

“I will overwrite the false reputation Seraphina built—no, stole from me with my own genuine talent.”

Applause erupted around me.

“How wonderful, Lady Isabella!”

“We support you wholeheartedly!”

Praise rained down, each word music to my ears.

I wonder how my sister feels now.

She must be seething with envy, watching me claim everything she once had. No doubt she’s tossing and turning at night, consumed by bitterness.

The mere thought made me laugh uncontrollably.

One afternoon, as I was elegantly enjoying tea in the salon, one of my sycophants rushed in, breathless.

“Lady Isabella, Lady Isabella! Have you heard?”

Violet Hamilton my most devoted follower, always the first to bring me juicy gossip. She must have something interesting today.

“What is it? Must you be so loud?” I asked, gracefully sipping my tea.

“Lady Seraphina has become engaged again!”

“…Oh, really?”

I was slightly taken aback. The clink of my cup against the saucer was louder than intended.

I had hoped to watch her suffer a little longer. Disgraced, abandoned, with no one to turn to. Forced to endure loneliness as even her friends turned their backs.

What a shame. But no matter. Whoever took her in must be desperate or beneath her station.

“Her fiancé is none other than the House of Liebenfeld!”

Violet’s excitement only grew.

“Liebenfeld?”

The name sounded familiar. Ah, yes. A military family.

“Oh, the military family. Barbarians who never show their faces in high society.”

The moment I remembered, I couldn’t help but laugh covering my mouth daintily, though inside, I was roaring.

“How fitting for my dear sister.”

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. My sister, once the darling of high society, was now marrying into a family scorned by the elite. There was no greater fall from grace.

“Tell me more about the Liebenfelds,” I urged.

Violet and the others eagerly competed to share what they knew.

“The Liebenfeld marquessate is certainly renowned in military circles.”

“They have many battlefield achievements and the royal family’s trust.”

“They’ve received numerous medals.”

Hmm, impressive for soldiers. But…

“However, they’re hopeless in high society,” Violet whispered, lowering her voice.

“They rarely attend parties, and when they do, they just lurk in the corners. Awkward in conversation, lacking refined manners.”

“Compared to civil nobles, they’re said to be culturally uncultured,” another lady added.

“No knowledge of music or art, incapable of sophisticated conversation. Brutes who know nothing but swinging swords.”

In short, savages. Crude soldiers who belonged on the battlefield, not in the ballroom.

“In high society, they’re still looked down upon compared to civil nobles,” Violet continued, glancing around to ensure no one overheard.

“Some even whisper behind their backs ‘military barbarians,’ ‘beasts who know only the sword,’ ‘uncultured savages'”

“My, how dreadful.”

I feigned shock, covering my mouth and widening my eyes.

My sister, marrying into such a family? The former star of high society, now bound to a house despised by the elite? There was no greater humiliation.

“Such a family, hmm? How perfectly suited for my sister.”

I smiled elegantly. Silent, just a faint curve of my lips. But my expression must have radiated triumph.

“Truly, Lady Isabella,” Violet giggled.

“Those without merit. No, those without merit in high society. Deserve each other, don’t they?”

At my words, the others laughed too, hiding their smirks behind their fans. But the mockery was unmistakable.

“Lady Seraphina, exposed for who she really is, has lost her standing. And a military family with no social graces—what a perfect match.”

“I wonder what kind of parties they’ll host. Surely nothing worth attending.”

“They wouldn’t know the first thing about selecting dishes or arranging music.”

“No sense of decoration whatsoever. What can you expect from soldiers?”

“I wouldn’t want to go. It would be mortifying.”

“Not that we’d be invited anyway.”

The noblewomen hurled one biting remark after another, each one music to my ears.

I simply smiled, saying nothing. Words weren’t necessary, my victory was already clear.

My sister, cast out from our home. Her engagement broken, her reputation in ruins. And now, about to become the wife of a man scorned by high society.

And what of me?

The fiancée of the Vandering ducal house. The center of attention in high society. Surrounded by admirers, showered with praise, with everyone vying for my favor. And in the future, I would ascend to the highest rank, duchess.

We were in entirely different leagues.

My sister and I no longer inhabited the same world. The gap between us was as vast as heaven and earth.

I belonged among the stars, while she crawled in the dirt. Comparing us would be an insult.

“The party Lady Isabella hosts will be the truly magnificent one,” Violet said reverently, bowing deeply.

“Of course,” I replied, brimming with confidence.

“I plan to hold it next month, so look forward to it. It will be unlike anything seen before.”

I’d have to start preparations soon.

A bit tedious, but necessary to prove my worth. Anything my sister could do, I could do better. No, I could surpass her entirely.