Capítulo 27: HUMILIATION

Eva is mistaken for Adelle since Eva and Adelle have not yet made their debut, and many aristocrats only know their names and not their faces. However, it appears that the majority of the audience simply recognizes the name 'Adelle.' Eva was oblivious to the talk going on around her.

She begins to feel enraged, but then she realizes Nathaniel is in front of her. The Marquess and Melissa are having a good time at the table with Duke Harrison and his wife and are completely unaware of the situation.

'All of you, I want to tell in front of your ugly faces that I'm not Adelle!' she said angrily into her head.

As Natasha made her way through the crowd towards Nathaniel and Eva, her eyes locked on her brother with a mischievous glint. With a playful smile, Natasha approached Nathaniel and reached out to grab his arms, her grip firm yet gentle.

"You haven't danced with me yet, you said you'd be my first dance." She shifted her gaze and looked at Eva with a disgusted expression. Eva notices that and tilts her head. Eva looks in Natasha's friend's direction and they all look away.

'What's happening?' she said in her mind.

"Who said I'm going to dance with others?" Nathaniel confusedly asked. Natasha looks at him also confused

"Aren't you just about to ask Eva to dance right now?" Natasha straightforwardly said.

When the name Eva was spoken, The crowd began to chatter once more.

"Oh, so her name is Eva?"

"Yeah, I heard it too."

"Is she a daughter of Marquess too?'

"I don't know, I haven't heard from him that he has a daughter named 'Eva'"

"Yeah, I only know that he has a daughter named 'Adelle'"

"Yeah, me too."

Eva heard all the gossip around her.

'Even here, everything came out of their mouths is Adelle,' she thought to herself.

Nathaniel stated coldly, "I don't want to dance with the THIEF." Everyone who can hear them gasps, and Eva's eyes widen.

"What do you mean brother?" Natasha curiously asks and looks at Eva.

"Exactly what I said...A thief," He replied coldly again different from his demeanor when he descended from the grand staircase.

Whispers spread like wildfire, as people turned to each other, their eyes wide with surprise. The news of Nathaniel's accusation quickly traveled from one person to another, causing a wave of chatter to ripple through the room.

"What? A thief?"

"Yeah, I heard it too"

"Do you mean Marquess Roman has a thief daughter?"

"Yeah, I heard it from the duke's son."

"What could she possibly steal?"

"I don't know either."

"It's such a shame—"

Amidst the growing chaos, Eva stood frozen, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and hurt. She had never expected such an accusation from Nathaniel, The weight of the crowd's judgment bore down on her, leaving her feeling vulnerable and exposed.

"Enough! All of you, I can hear everything you know!" Eva yelled because she couldn't stand all the talk going on around her. The music comes to a halt, and the other nobles begin to wonder what is going on since someone yells. Eva was immediately approached by the Marquess and Melissa.

"What's going on, Eva?" The Marquess asks.

"Honey, Is there a problem?" Melissa also asks her with a worried expression.

You can see the anger in Eva's eyes because of the gossip she hears. She looks at Nathaniel to ask him

"What do you mean, a thief? I didn't steal something from you or in this house." Eva said that made Marquess and Melissa widen their eyes.

"Duke Harrison, what does this mean? Did your son just accuse my daughter?" Melissa questions the duke. He grasped Nathaniel and Natasha's hands right away.

"Nate, Nat. what's going on?" Duke Harrison asks his two children.

"Duke if this has no proof, I'll take this as an insult to my family's name." the marquess said.

'What could I possibly steal from them?' Eva asks herself.

"What I'm saying is true; Marquess, you're fostering a thief in your family," Nathaniel stated solemnly to the Marquess.

"Nathaniel! Stop this nonsense!" Duke shouted furiously,

The audience is silently listening to them and making no noise. Nathaniel approaches Eva and points to her hair ornaments.

"Those accessories are not hers." He stated. Everyone's eyes widened when they heard what he said. And begins to gossip...again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{'That's mine, give it back.'}

{'Father, I'm telling you the truth. That's mine. Someone gifted it to me.'}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before leaving the home, Marquess, Melissa, and Eva recalled what Adelle had stated earlier.

'My daughter is telling the truth.' The marquess said to his mind.

'How could Eva humiliate herself like this.' Melissa said to herself

'Gifted? Could it be, Nathaniel? That bitch. She's taking everything that's mine' Eva furiously said to her mind.

Eva laughs as she finds an excuse to escape this situation.

"How can you prove it?" Eva said sarcastically. "This is mine; perhaps you're mistaken." Melissa and Marquess were speechless. Eva was perplexed as to why her mother would not protect her.

"I have proof, and I gave it to your sister, Adelle," Nathaniel stated confidently.

The crowd starts to gossip...again

"What? She steals it from her sister?"

"Sounds like it."

"Maybe that's why Adelle is not here?"

"OMG! That sucks."

"What a horrible sister."

"Yes, that's right"

As whispers of Eva's alleged theft from her own sister spread through the crowd, a wave of shock and disbelief rippled through the gathered onlookers. Conversations huddled in small groups, their voices filled with a mix of curiosity and judgment.

"These things are all over the marketplace," Eva stood at the center, her face a canvas of conflicting emotions. She tried to defend herself, to explain the situation. "Perhaps it looks like the one you gave to Adelle."

"Eva, stop it, you're just humiliating yourself even more," Melissa furiously whispered to Eva.

"I have a receipt; the looks are specified in there," Nathaniel said as he approached Eva. "Do you want to know why? Because it's customized; someone I know designed it, which means there's only one in the world."

The gathering begins to chatter about what Nathaniel said once more. Eva's tears begin to pour from her eyes. She couldn't even speak and defend herself so she began to cry.

"I recognized it. since it's what I'd give Natasha as a birthday present, but I happened to meet paths with Adelle and gave her that instead," he stated.

"So, you mean, your gift to me is cheaper than Adelle's?" Natasha can't believe it.

"Yes, I bought yours at the market town a few days ago." He said and smirked playfully. Natasha slightly punches Nathaniel in the arm. Eva is crying out of humiliation.

"Eva let's head back first, we'll discuss this matter later," Marquess said and walked out with a disappointed expression at the banquet hall.

"Eva, You better explain yourself." Melissa furiously said to Eva while dragging her out of the banquet hall.

The music starts playing again after they leave the hall.

"Natasha, don't be rude to Adelle, she's not a bad person." Nathaniel seriously said to her sister. Natasha is confused about how her brother is acting.

"I thought, you don't like her? You always pushed Adelle away from your sight, and now you defended her from Eva and even gave her an expensive gift. May I ask, do you have feelings for Adelle?" Natasha straightforwardly asks his brother.

"What? No." he defended.

"Is that so?" Natasha said and Nathaniel began to blush.

"I said, I have no feelings!" he shouted and walked away with blushing ears.

~~~~~~~~~~Larmaleilles Residence~~~~~~~~~

Marquess, Melissa, and Eva have returned home. The Marquess enters the house furiously while Melissa is dragging Eva while following the Marquess.

"Eva, I'm disappointed in you," Marquess remarked, looking her in the eyes. "I've welcomed you into my family, but that's all I get in return? What a disgrace, Eva."

Eva didn't respond and kept her head down. Marquess let a deep sigh and turned his back.

"I don't have a thief daughter..." he coldly said and walked out.

"I'm disappointed, Eva you're better than this. if Marquess abandons you, I don't---" Melissa didn't finish her sentence.

"Will you also...abandon me?" Eva asks Melissa with a straight face. She looks away and that makes Eva's eyes widen.

"Of course, I don't. you're my daughter, what you did was wrong and I won't tolerate it," she said and turned her back to Eva. "...but if you do it again, I might as well."

Melissa said and walked out, leaving Eva speechless in the living room.

'Y-you might as well?' she asks in her mind, trembling, slumps to the floor and silently cries.