Defying Fate, The Forgotten Lady, Rebirth Of The Villainess

Chapter 2 – The Banquet

The Rosewood estate blazed with lanterns and laughter. Servants hurried along the marble corridors, carrying trays of wine and delicacies, while musicians tuned their zithers and flutes in the courtyard. Tonight was not only Lady Eleanor’s mother’s birthday celebration, but also a chance for the Rosewood family to flaunt their wealth and connections.

Vivian Rosewood stood before her bronze mirror as Anna fastened the final clasp of her gown. The pale lavender silk shimmered faintly under the lamplight, embroidered with silver threads that caught her every movement. A delicate veil framed her face, accentuating her porcelain features.

“Miss, you look beautiful,” Anna whispered with awe.

Vivian smiled faintly. Beautiful or not, tonight I must be more than that.

She straightened her back. Gone was the fragile, timid girl everyone expected. Tonight, she would no longer be the burden of the Rosewood family—she would be their storm.

---

The banquet hall was already filled with noblemen and ladies, their laughter like silver bells, their words dripping with honeyed malice. When Vivian entered, escorted by Anna, heads turned. Murmurs rose almost immediately.

“Isn’t that the Rosewood girl who fell into the pond?”

“They said she tried to drown herself to escape the engagement…”

“How shameful. Imagine bringing such a girl into the Lancaster family.”

Vivian heard every whisper, but her expression remained calm, even serene. She walked with measured steps, each one steady and graceful, until she reached her seat near the front.

Lady Eleanor sat nearby, draped in gold silk, her smile sweet as poison. At her side was her daughter, Isabella Rosewood, Vivian’s stepsister—elegant, dazzling, and brimming with smug satisfaction.

“Oh my, Sister Vivian,” Isabella said with mock concern, loud enough for the surrounding guests to hear. “You’ve recovered so quickly. We were all so worried when you… fell into the pond. I’m relieved to see you alive.”

Laughter rippled through the hall. Vivian’s lips curved slightly. She leaned forward, her voice clear and steady.

“Thank you for your concern, Sister. But you seem mistaken.” Her gaze swept the hall, resting on each curious face. “I did not fall. Someone pushed me.”

The room fell silent.

Isabella’s smile froze. Lady Eleanor’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

Vivian let the silence stretch before she continued, her tone sharp as steel beneath velvet. “I remember the perfume—jasmine, strong enough to linger even in water. There are not many in this household who favor that scent.”

A murmur of shock spread through the guests. Isabella’s face paled, her hands clenching the fabric of her gown.

“Y-you dare slander me?” she stammered.

Vivian tilted her head, her expression calm. “Slander? Then perhaps I was mistaken. But if I were to fall again in such an unfortunate way, I wonder how many will believe it was truly an accident.”

The atmosphere grew tense. The whispers now turned against Isabella.

Lady Eleanor’s smile did not waver, but her voice carried a subtle edge. “Vivian, you speak recklessly. Such words could damage the family’s reputation.”

Vivian met her gaze fearlessly. “And what damages our reputation more, Madam? The truth—or the rumors of a cowardly suicide?”

Gasps rippled across the hall. Lady Eleanor’s hand tightened around her wine cup, but she could not openly refute without making matters worse.

Vivian allowed herself a small, victorious smile. For the first time, she felt the weight of her new life shifting in her favor.

---

Just then, the herald announced loudly:

“Now arriving—Lord Adrian Lancaster, heir to the Lancaster family!”

Every head turned.

A tall young man strode into the hall, clad in dark embroidered robes. His hair was tied neatly, his posture commanding, his presence sharp as a blade. Adrian Lancaster—the fiancé of Vivian Rosewood.

Vivian’s heart skipped a beat. Though she had never met him before, fragments of Vivian’s inherited memories stirred uneasily. Adrian was known as cold, distant, and ruthless in court. He had never cared for his betrothed.

The young lord’s gaze swept the hall with detached indifference, until it landed on her. For a moment, his expression flickered—something between surprise and curiosity.

Vivian lowered her eyes gracefully, but inside, her mind raced. So this is the man tied to my fate…

---

Throughout the evening, the banquet continued with music, wine, and endless chatter. Yet whispers followed Vivian wherever she went. Some pitied her, others mocked her, but all kept glancing toward Adrian, waiting to see his reaction.

Finally, during the toast, Lady Eleanor spoke sweetly:

“We are most honored to soon unite our family with the Lancasters through Vivian’s engagement. Though she has been… frail, we trust Lord Adrian’s strength will protect her.”

The implication was clear: Vivian was weak, unworthy, a burden.

Vivian rose slowly, cup in hand, her smile unshaken.

“My gratitude, Madam,” she said, voice carrying through the hall. “But I must correct one thing. I am not frail, nor will I hide behind another’s strength. If fate placed me in the Rosewood family, then I will prove I am a daughter worthy of its name.”

Gasps filled the hall again. No one expected timid Vivian to speak so boldly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Vivian caught Adrian’s faint smirk—the first c***k in his mask of indifference.

And in that moment, she knew: the game had just begun.