The Ball Night
1561 Words
Chapter Three: The Ball Night
POV: Melissa / Mary
Crown Prince Ethan stood at the doorway, looking as perfect and terrifying as I remembered from the novel.
Golden hair.
Golden eyes.
Cold expression.
And absolutely zero warmth in his gaze.
I forced myself to stay calm while Tiffany and the other maids bowed immediately.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Ethan stepped inside without another word. His sharp eyes landed on me, studying me carefully.
“You nearly drowned,” he said flatly. “Yet you look energetic enough to scream across the mansion.”
My face burned in embarrassment.
Great.
So he heard me screaming earlier.
“I-I’m fine now,” I replied awkwardly.
He nodded once.
“Good.”
That was it.
No concern.
No affection.
Nothing.
Honestly… I preferred it that way.
Because this man was dangerous for my future survival.
In the novel, Melissa spent years chasing after him like a lovesick puppy while he slowly grew more irritated with her existence.
And then eventually—
Execution.
No thank you.
I liked being alive.
Ethan glanced at the untouched dishes on the table before looking back at me.
“You’re eating properly for once.”
Tiffany gasped softly beside me.
Apparently even the Crown Prince knew about Melissa’s ridiculous dieting habits.
How tragic.
“Yes,” I answered proudly while holding a piece of bread. “Food is important.”
For the first time, Ethan looked slightly surprised.
“You sound different.”
Danger.
Danger!
I laughed nervously.
“Almost dying changes people?”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
For a moment, the room became silent.
Then suddenly—
“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!”
Another voice echoed from outside.
A young knight entered and bowed respectfully.
“Your Highness, preparations for tonight’s royal ball are complete.”
Ball?
Wait.
BALL?!
My soul nearly left my body.
I remembered this part.
Tonight’s ball was one of the major events in the novel.
And it was also—
The night Crown Prince Ethan publicly humiliated Melissa.
In the original story, Melissa confessed her love in front of everyone during the ball after causing a huge scene out of jealousy toward the heroine.
Ethan rejected her coldly.
The nobles laughed at her.
And Melissa became even more obsessed afterward.
Which eventually led to her destruction.
My face turned pale.
No.
Absolutely not.
I was NOT letting that happen to me.
Ethan noticed my expression immediately.
“You look unwell again.”
“I just remembered something terrifying,” I muttered honestly.
His brows furrowed slightly.
“The ball?”
I nodded weakly.
“Yes… the ball.”
He stared at me for a few seconds before speaking again.
“You don’t have to attend if your condition worsens.”
My eyes widened.
Wait.
Was he… concerned?
No.
Impossible.
Maybe he simply didn’t want drama tonight.
Honestly, understandable.
“I’ll attend,” I said quickly.
Because if I skipped it, the story might change unpredictably.
And right now, the only advantage I had was knowing the plot.
Ethan nodded once more.
“Then prepare yourself.”
After saying that, he turned and left the room.
The second the door closed, I grabbed Tiffany dramatically.
“Tiffany.”
“Yes, My Lady?”
“I need information immediately.”
She blinked.
“…About?”
“The Crown Prince.”
Her eyes sparkled instantly.
“My Lady, your memories may be gone, but your love remains strong—”
“No!” I interrupted quickly. “Not like that!”
Tiffany looked confused.
I took a deep breath.
“How close am I to the Crown Prince right now?”
She hesitated awkwardly.
“…Very close.”
My heart sank.
“How close?”
“Well…” Tiffany coughed nervously. “You once chased his carriage through the rain.”
I covered my face in horror.
“What else?”
“You secretly learned sword dancing because he said he admired talented women.”
“…Anything else?”
“You wrote him over three hundred letters.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then—
“Melissa,” I whispered to myself. “Girl… what were you doing?”
Tiffany looked worried.
“My Lady?”
I grabbed her shoulders seriously.
“Listen carefully. From now on, I am changing.”
Her eyes widened.
“No more chasing men.”
“…What?”
“No more embarrassing confessions.”
“My Lady—”
“And most importantly,” I declared dramatically, “I am ending this obsession before it destroys my life!”
Tiffany looked like she might faint again.
“But… you’ve loved the Crown Prince for years!”
“Yes,” I replied firmly. “And now I love peace.”
That evening, the entire mansion became chaotic preparing for the royal ball.
Maids rushed everywhere carrying dresses, jewelry, shoes, and perfumes.
Meanwhile, I sat in front of the mirror looking emotionally exhausted.
Tiffany carefully brushed my long red hair.
“You seem nervous.”
“I am nervous,” I admitted.
Tonight was important.
Very important.
Because in the original novel, this ball marked the official beginning of Melissa’s downfall.
But this time—
I would change everything.
Tiffany suddenly smiled softly.
“You really do seem different.”
I froze slightly.
“…In a bad way?”
“No.” She shook her head gently. “You seem happier.”
Her words caught me off guard.
Happier?
Was the original Melissa really that miserable?
Before I could think further, the maids suddenly gasped in admiration.
“My Lady looks stunning!”
I turned toward the mirror.
And honestly…
Even I was shocked.
The dark-skinned woman staring back at me looked breathtaking.
The silver dress shimmered beautifully against my skin.
My red hair flowed down my back like fire.
Silver eyes sparkled under the candlelight.
No wonder Melissa was considered one of the most beautiful women in the empire.
Too bad her personality scared everyone away.
“Well,” I muttered while standing up nervously. “Time to avoid public humiliation.”
The royal palace was even more magnificent than I imagined.
Huge crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead while nobles danced elegantly across the ballroom.
Music filled the air.
People laughed softly while servants carried trays of expensive drinks.
The moment I entered the ballroom, countless eyes turned toward me.
Whispers immediately spread through the crowd.
“Lady Melissa is here.”
“She recovered already?”
“She must be here for the Crown Prince.”
I pretended not to hear anything.
Stay calm, Mary.
Survive the night.
That’s all you need to do.
As I walked further into the ballroom, I finally spotted them.
The main characters.
Crown Prince Ethan stood near the center of the ballroom wearing a black royal uniform with golden details.
Beside him stood a beautiful young woman with soft pink hair and gentle pink eyes.
Aria Valentine.
The heroine.
The future female lead.
And the girl Melissa originally hated the most.
The moment I saw her, one thought crossed my mind.
She’s adorable.
No wonder the entire fandom loved her.
Then suddenly—
Aria noticed me approaching.
Her expression immediately became nervous.
Ah.
Right.
Original Melissa used to bully her constantly.
Everyone in the ballroom seemed to tense up, waiting for drama to happen.
Even Ethan’s expression turned colder.
Probably expecting me to embarrass myself again.
But instead—
I stopped in front of them politely.
Then I bowed slightly.
“Good evening, Your Highness. Lady Aria.”
The entire ballroom became silent.
Aria blinked in shock.
Ethan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“…Melissa?”
I smiled calmly.
“I simply came to apologize.”
More silence.
You could probably hear people breathing.
Aria looked completely stunned.
“Apologize?”
“Yes.” I nodded sincerely. “For my past behavior.”
Ethan stared at me intensely as if trying to figure out whether I had gone insane.
Honestly, fair enough.
“I acted immaturely,” I continued. “And I caused unnecessary trouble.”
The nobles around us looked horrified.
Probably because the villainess apologizing was more shocking than war.
Then I took a deep breath.
And said the words that changed everything.
“Your Highness, I will no longer pursue you romantically.”
Gasps echoed across the ballroom.
Someone even dropped a glass.
Ethan’s eyes widened slightly for the first time since I met him.
Aria looked ready to faint.
“I wish you both happiness,” I finished calmly.
Then I smiled politely.
“And now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to enjoy the ball peacefully.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned around and walked away gracefully.
The entire ballroom exploded into whispers behind me.
But for the first time since arriving in this world—
I felt free.
Far away from the crowd, I grabbed a random drink from a servant’s tray and drank it dramatically.
“Oh my gosh,” I whispered. “I actually survived.”
“Survived what exactly?”
I nearly choked.
A familiar amused voice spoke behind me.
I slowly turned around.
And immediately froze.
A tall young man with silver hair and sea-blue eyes stood there smiling slightly.
Wait.
No way.
That face—
That hair—
That smile—
My eyes widened in horror.
Why was HE here already?!
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