“At social gatherings, it is best to think three times before speaking.”

“Three times?”

“It means that you have to be that much more careful with your words because other young ladies are present.”

Delina remembered her lesson with Betty.

“And if the other party attacks with malice, first wait and see three times.”

“Why is that?”

“Because sometimes you’re not sure if it’s really malice against me at first. But if it happens three times, you can almost be sure.”

“Then what do you do when you’ve confirmed it’s malice?”

Could it be three strikes?

For some reason, she thought that Betty might be able to do it. Delina’s question was met with Betty’s quiet muttering.

“Physical things are really more convenient, but…….”

Gulp.

At Betty’s creepy murmur, Delina flinched, and Betty changed her words.

“But since it’s a social gathering, it would be better to solve it in the way of a social gathering.”

“How?”

“Since not everyone is in the same situation, there is no exact answer. But if I had to choose the best method…….”

As Betty’s lips were about to utter something in her memory, Jane’s sharp voice pulled Delina back to reality.

“You, how did you get here?”

“How did I get here? I came by carriage.”

Jane’s behavior, whether viewed from the front or back, was undoubtedly malicious. Her expression was full of displeasure, and her forehead was wrinkled.

“You, you said you were going to your country cousin’s house. But what’s with that dress?”

‘She doesn’t know anything.’

Her reaction showed that she must have been pacing anxiously near the attic after I jumped out, fearing that she would be scolded. In the meantime, I would have ridden away in the Duke’s carriage. Perhaps afterwards, she heard from Neil or Charlotte what happened to me.

“You look pretty in your dress. Looking closely, it seems I’ve seen it somewhere before……. Where have I seen this?”

As Jane brought up the dress, Delina also spoke about Jane’s dress to the young ladies as if they were listening. As if stung, Jane shouted, covering her dress.

“What, what! It’s my dress!”

“Really? But it looks so familiar. So maybe, at the palace…….”

“Funny! It’s mine, okay?”

Jane loudly interrupted Delina’s words. Of course, from Delina’s point of view, she didn’t want to reveal that she was the young lady who danced with Ashd, so she said nothing more. She just wanted to see Jane flustered, that was all.

“But did you bring a monkey?”

Unable to pick a fight with the dress, Jane turned the topic to the animal. She sneered at the monkey in Delina’s arms.

“Look at that monkey. It’s ugly……. My puppy looks better, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. That’s true. Jane’s puppy is cuter.”

“Even though you can bring any animal, isn’t a monkey going too far?”

At Jane’s words, the other young ladies laughed, beginning to tease Delina and the monkey. Delina simply lowered her head.

‘Sure enough, three times or whatever…….’

“Oh dear, my hand slipped!”

“Squeak!”

Deciding she didn’t need to humor Jane, Delina exaggeratedly dropped the monkey she was holding. Angry after hearing the remarks about its ugliness, the monkey attacked the three girls.

“What is this!”

“Kyaaak!”

The three girls who began getting slapped by the monkey screamed and flailed their arms. However, the monkey dodged and messed up their hair and clothes.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry. My hand slipped……. Can’t you come here?”

Delina extended her hand to the monkey with a surprised expression, but the monkey didn’t listen.

Of course, this was within Delina’s expectations. Eventually, the monkey, after thoroughly messing up the three girls’ faces and bodies, seemed satisfied, chattered with laughter, and quickly disappeared into a tree.

“Oh my goodness, are you all right? I’m so sorry. My monkey is still a baby……. You all might want to go freshen up.”
All the young ladies watched as three people became a mess, trembling with shame. Jane eventually snapped at Delina.

“What are you doing!”

“What do you mean, what am I doing? I’m apologizing for a mistake.”

“Apologizing, what! Clearly, you deliberately hand…! Why did you bring something like a monkey?”

“Why bring it? I brought it because the Duke’s house is having a social gathering with animals.”

When the Duke’s house of Roselip was mentioned in the conversation, Jane quickly shut her mouth. If she questioned why a monkeylike thing was brought here, in the end, it would have been nothing but cursing the Duke who organized the gathering.

“Of course, if there’s damage to your dress, I’ll compensate for it. But you’ll forgive the monkey, right? It doesn’t know anything yet.”

“……Fine. Move out of the way.”

The owner was admitting the mistake and apologizing for the compensation, and the monkey had already a naive and innocent look in its eyes, as if it really knew nothing. Moreover, this was the Duke’s house, where Sylvia, who loved animals, was present.