Chapter 1 - The Social Scene
It was the night of a perfectly ordinary ball. The host was Count Holloway. The count's daughter, Opal, who had only just made her social debut, felt a bit overwhelmed by the crowd and stepped out into the garden she knew so well. The garden of the Count's residence in the Royal Capital, a place she had visited countless times since she was a little girl, had been a perfect playground for the tomboyish Opal, so even the dim light was more than enough for her. But on the night of a ball, the garden became a completely different world.
Suddenly, Opal was seized from behind. Before she knew it, she had been pushed down onto the lawn and was being kissed. A slimy sensation fell upon her lips, and it was so disgusting that she clawed at her attacker's face. As the man groaned in pain and pulled away, Opal seized the opportunity to scream. She knew there were guards in the garden. She called for help, never imagining that the commotion would be a fatal blow to an unmarried woman's reputation.
The sound of the guards' footsteps running toward them was a signal for the man to flee, leaving Opal alone, her dress and her pinned up hair in a complete mess. It was not only the guards who surrounded the stunned, seated Opal, but many of the party's guests as well. The gazes of the guests were filled not with pity, but with a burning curiosity.
She did not remember much of what happened after that. Opal's personal maidservant came rushing over, led her back to her room, and drew her a bath. Afterward, she got into bed and fell into a confused sleep, for Opal had not yet realized the gravity of the situation she had fallen into.
The next morning, she awoke to a message from her father, summoning her to his study. Opal got ready and headed to the study without even eating breakfast. She knocked. A response came immediately, and upon entering, Opal found her father, Count Holloway, seated in his office chair, his face a mask of displeasure.
"Good morning, Father. I was told you sent for me..."
"What are you doing greeting me so casually? Do you have any idea what you have done?"
"It is true that I caused a disturbance at the wonderful ball last night, and for that I am truly sorry. But nothing happened to me, I..."
"What happened is not the issue. The issue is that you were seen by everyone in such a state."
Opal's shoulders trembled at the anger in her father's voice. There was no word of concern for her wellbeing, nor did he even try to ask her properly what had happened last night. She had known it, of course, but a rebellious spirit began to stir within her against her heartless father.
"I did nothing wrong! The one at fault is that man!"
"Do you know who this man is?"
"I do not. He ran away when I fought back and screamed."
She had intended to show off her strength, as if to say, "See?", but her father only heaved a deep sigh.
"That was the problem. If you had not made such a scene, it would not have become public knowledge..."
"But if I had not made a scene, something much worse would have happened to me."
"If you had only managed to protect your reputation, we could have found you a better match, whether you were damaged goods or not. But now, the news that you are damaged goods has likely spread with incredible speed. Our options are now limited. Still, that little brat who came this morning is out of the question."
"...A brat?"
Opal wanted to deny that she was damaged goods, but she was so shocked that he had not a shred of concern for her that she forgot to protest. She only focused on his last words and asked him to repeat them.
"A brat who came forward, claiming he was the one you were having a tryst with last night. He asked for my permission to marry you to take responsibility."
"He came forward himself? Even though he ran away last night? And he assaulted me, but calls it a tryst?"
"To that brat, you wandering into the garden alone must have looked like a golden opportunity. He is the second son of a poor viscount's family, after all. He said he ran because you made a scene. Honestly, I was a fool to invite such a brat to our home."
"A poor viscount's family..."
Opal murmured, stunned, as she recalled a young man who had been pestering her lately. Opal had a considerable dowry, and she had become the perfect prey for those who had somehow learned of it. However, Opal's guard had been firm.
Her mother had passed away early, her father was too absorbed in increasing his assets to pay her any mind, and her brother, two years her senior, had gone off to boarding school. With no family around, she had grown up alone in the estate on the count's fief. The servants at the estate were kind, of course. Still, she envied families that were close, and she had always dreamed of building a warm home of her own.
That was why she wanted to marry someone she could love, someone who would love her for herself, not for her money. She had a close childhood friend in her fief, but he was unfortunately the third son of a Baron's family, and her father would never approve. Besides, what they had between them was only friendship. And in the Royal Capital, where she had come with such expectations, she had not yet met a man who captured her heart.
(No, there was one person...)
Opal remembered a man she had danced with just once. He was a young duke who had only just graduated from university and apparently rarely showed his face at balls. On top of that, his ducal status made him the subject of a fierce battle among the young ladies, making him a difficult person to even approach. Still, when her father introduced them, he had asked her for a single, perfunctory dance. He was a man of few words, but his hand on hers was very gentle, and the occasional smile he showed still had a trace of boyishness. She had imagined then that spending time with him would surely be pleasant.
"Listen, you can no longer hope for a good match. That is the long and short of it. Still, someone who needs your dowry will appear. I will vet them and decide on a husband for you, so until then, you are not to cause any more trouble. Understood?"
"...Yes, Father."
Opal answered demurely, but she had been lost in thought and had not been listening carefully. The Count, seemingly satisfied for the time being, waved a hand, dismissing her. Opal, who was feeling hungry, obediently withdrew and headed for the breakfast room.
That night, Opal was attending a ball hosted by a certain marquis. It was there that she first understood what her father had meant. The young ladies who had been so friendly just yesterday now ignored her. The young men who used to flock to her the moment she entered the hall were nowhere to be seen. There were a few men, but a quick glance at their clothes told her they were likely not tailored this year. Furthermore, the women known as ladies of society shot her looks of contempt and whispered behind their hands.
A normal young lady might have fled in such a situation, but the strong willed Opal held her head high and remained where she was. She had done nothing wrong. If anything, the one who should be blamed was the man who had assaulted a helpless woman, yet that viscount's second son was not present. Perhaps her sharp nails had scratched his face, and he would be unable to show himself in public for some time.
In the carriage on the way home, her chaperone complained about how much shame she had suffered, but Opal ignored her. If the woman disliked the job, she could simply quit. Opal had no mother, nor any suitable older female relatives, so she was paying this woman for her services. In the end, it seemed the chaperone could not give up her high salary, and she was forced to continue accompanying Opal in society.
No matter how vicious the rumors became, Opal always carried herself with dignity, but it was still difficult to fend off the fortune hunters and profligates who were only interested in playing games. This, in turn, made her seem experienced, which only made the rumors worse. By now, she had no friends left, and the number of invitations she received had dwindled. She was only invited when it was a formal necessity to include the daughter of a count with a vast fortune. And when the season finally came to an end, Opal breathed a sigh of relief.
Now she could return to her beloved fief, to the estate. As the carriage swayed, Opal thought about her future. Her father was as busy as ever increasing his fortune and had ignored her ever since that day. Her brother, it seemed, intended to spend his long university vacation at a friend's house and had no plans to return to the fief.
(By next season, everyone will have surely forgotten about me, right? New scandals are born every day, after all.)
The optimistic Opal thought this, still dreaming of marriage as she spent her time in the fief, acting as the lady of the house in place of her deceased mother. Of course, she did so while displaying her tomboyish nature, enjoying horseback riding and even tree climbing. The neighbors, though they must have heard the rumors, treated her just as they always had. When she went to see the people of the fief, they paid her respect and consulted her with their troubles. The childhood friend she mentioned, Claude Artrey, also returned for his long university vacation and accompanied her on long rides and fishing trips. Claude was a year older than her brother, so he lamented that he still had two more years until graduation. She encouraged him and saw him off to university once more. Having spent her days in such a fulfilling way, Opal fully regained her spirits and greeted the next season, only to be shown just how naive her thinking had been.