(DISCONTINUED - New version available soon)
Antoinette Crawford's days are numbered. Being executed at 21, she reincarnates into her own body, 11 years ago.
Now, she has to find a way to survive her jealous ex-fiancé, with the help of the girl that...
It was customary for people in Dominizia to have their social debut at 16. While this might've been considered late in other countries, the sake of the event wasn't to introduce the person to the nobility, as this was already done at birthdays, banquets and other such formal parties.
The sake of the event was to prove that you were a worthy heir to your estate, to gain powerful associates, and to possibly find a fiancé.
As such, traditionally, the event was supposed to be entirely organized by the debutante themself, with a strict budget that was decided by the high court.
As such, I felt strange accepting the crown prince's offer of having my debut at the royal palace.
While this would drastically reduce costs, as he was logically in charge of decorations and such, it also meant that he had control over those aspects.
And that reduced the worth of my debut, as I wasn't putting in the work myself; it was handed to me on a silver platter.
And the prince knew that I couldn't reject his offer, as it was an almost criminal offense to refuse the royal family's gifts. It was reasonable to assume that he was planning something.
And now that I knew of the rumors of him wanting to ask for someone's hand in marriage, I was even more stressed.
What if he was going to ask me to be his fiancé?? It would only be a matter of time before he fell for Madeleine again, and then he would find some reason to get rid of me.
And what would I do then, if I even got out of it with my life? I wouldn't have many options open. Being divorced from the most influential man in the kingdom was proof that you were unworthy after all.
I groaned, rubbing my temples.
My thoughts had been running wild in the last three days, redirecting guests to the palace, hiring a bigger orchestra, and much more.
And now I was in an ornate carriage that the palace had sent for me, slowly approaching the giant building. I felt like there was a pit in my stomach.
"Antony." I flinched.
I'd completely forgotten Quinn was there.
Turning to look at him, I started fiddling my fingers. "What?"
"It'll be alright. Your parents will be there later, and if worst comes to worst, I'll distract Luca while you slip away." Quinn smiled.
"Distract? How?"
"Perhaps I'll ask him for a dance. Seems appropriate, does it not?"
I chuckled. "If you say so."
The carriage stopped.
We had arrived.
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I hadn't been in the palace often in this life, mostly because I was avoiding the prince, but I couldn't help being in awe whenever I saw the giant ballroom with its glittering chandeliers.
Other guests were beginning to arrive one by one, as Quinn led me to one of the seating areas.
"It'll be a bit until the first dances start. You should probably calm yourself down a little. You look like a nervous wreck." Quinn handed me a handkerchief.
I grumbled while wiping the sweat from my forehead. "I am a nervous wreck, Farraday."
"Yeah yeah. Listen, the prince normally arrives half an hour later than everyone else to make a dramatic appearance. Until then, calm down, talk to people, and have fun." He sat down across from me, leaning forward.
"Right." I sighed. It was easy for him to say. He didn't have a possibility of execution dangling above him.
"I have something for you." He started rummaging around in his pocket.
"For me?" He handed me a small box.
"Yeah. Happy birthday Antony." His usually deadpan expression turned into a genuine smile.
Inside the box was a pair of ruby earrings, shaped like droplets.
I couldn't help but stare. "Quinn.... weren't these expensive? Rubies are pretty valuable nowadays..."
He laughed heartily, waving his hand in a dismissive motion. "You underestimate my financial capabilities, Antony-"
"Excuse me- Erm, are you, Antoinette Crawford, by any chance?" A crystal-clear voice interrupted our conversation.
A voice I would recognize no matter what.
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I turned around, now facing Madeleine, grown, and accompanied by two men.
Why was my stomach feeling weird? Was I sick? Why was my entire body reacting so intensely to Madeleine?
I got up, curtsying at her. "Yes. I assume you are Madeleine Campbell?"
A bright smile graced her features. "So you remember! I always wanted to thank you for helping me back when those boys were bullying me! I truly appreciate it!"
She bowed deeply at me, her smile not faltering. "I assume we'll be working closely from now on, considering the nature of the duchies and all."
I smiled back, looking back at the men behind her. "And who are these gentlemen? I don't think I've had the pleasure yet."
"Ivan Andreyev. Cousin to this one." The taller one of the two poked Madeleine in the cheek.
"Vlad Andreyev. Elder brother to this fool." The long-haired one proceeded to flick Ivan in the nose.
"Please excuse my cousins, lady Crawford. They haven't had a lot of contact with high society yet." Madeleine chuckled, as she pulled both boys' ears at the same time, finally getting them to quiet down.
"It's no problem. My partner right here isn't too familiar with etiquette either." I looked back at Quinn, who was stuffing his face with as many macarons as humanly possible.
"Well, how about we leave the men to dwindle among themselves for a bit, and continue our conversation? It will be quite a bit still until the festivities truly start." I could feel my heart pound in my chest as I made the suggestion.
....
....
Was I developing a heart disease?
Madeleine briefly looked back at her cousins, who just gave her an affirming nod, immediately flopping down on the couches.
