“When I went to see His Majesty the King last time, I talked to officials from Lauren, and their Elendril accent was still terrible. They seemed more comfortable with Araz language.”

“More comfortable with Araz language? Are they Arazians or Elendril people? Do those officials even know which country they belong to?”

However, this was a somewhat unfair assessment.

Although their hometowns were different, people from Lauren were trying to adapt to Elendril culture.

The same was true for me. Even before I married Felix, I did my best to become a proper ‘Elendril lady’.

Of course, I might not have been up to the standards of real Elendril natives.

“I’m certain. Perhaps the reason His Majesty the King has been implementing strange policies lately is all because of the machinations of officials from Lauren.”

“Come to think of it, His Majesty’s wife was also from Lauren.”

“I knew it. Those guys, not thinking about Elendril’s future, are trying to turn this country in a direction favorable to them.”

This was too much. No matter how much I understood their position, I couldn’t politely listen to unfounded accusations.

I had heard such accusations myself.

In my early days in Elendril, I heard from various places that ‘this is why someone from Araz won’t do’.

My husband’s mistakes, the family’s crisis, hearing social gossip a little late, being slow to follow the latest trends – all were said to be because I was from Araz.

Perhaps they enjoyed speaking ill of me when I wasn’t around.

‘I’ve come back to the past twice, but really nothing has changed.’

I sighed inwardly and turned away. It didn’t seem worth listening to anymore.

Just then, a sharp sound caught my attention.

-Crash!

The nobles’ conversation was cut off by the sound of something breaking.

I reflexively turned my head.

The cause of the sound was a teacup that had fallen to the floor and shattered.

The broken handle of the teacup, the floor covered in ceramic fragments, the clear traces of tea on the wall, and men stepping back in surprise came into view.

And at the point where the guests’ gazes were directed, there was a black-haired man.

“Oh my, I made a mistake.”

Duke de Lenoir.

He was a rare non-royal duke in Elendril and currently one of the highest-ranking nobles in the country.

In my previous life, I didn’t have much interaction with Duke de Lenoir, but I clearly remembered his face.

Of course, I had to. Duke de Lenoir had long been on bad terms with my husband, Count de Tolomiès.

Duke de Lenoir slowly lowered the arm he had been holding up and muttered.

“It was a mistake, but no one seems to be hurt.”

The gentlemen’s faces contorted.

And for good reason, even to me who had witnessed the situation belatedly, this was clearly not a ‘mistake’.

Anyone could see that Duke de Lenoir had deliberately thrown the teacup.

One nobleman asked with a bewildered look.

“Your Grace, why are you suddenly doing this?”

The duke countered expressionlessly.

“What do you mean?”

The noblemen exchanged glances.

No matter how high-ranking Duke de Lenoir was, he was alone now, so they seemed to think they could engage him in a war of words.

“We knew Your Grace disliked us, but we didn’t expect you to go this far.”

Once the highest-ranking person spoke up, others chimed in as if they had been waiting.

“Your Grace, being young, you might not know, but no matter how angry you are, it’s not appropriate to behave in such an un-noble manner.”

“That’s right. If there was something unpleasant, you could have said so directly, but to express your dissatisfaction in such a dishonorable way…”

“Honor, you say.”

Suddenly, Duke de Lenoir drew his ceremonial sword and pointed it at one man’s Adam’s apple.

“Wah!”

The man screamed in shock. At the sound so unbecoming of a gentleman’s dignity, the eyes of nearby guests turned this way.

I blinked in a daze. His movement was so fast that no one, including myself, could stop Duke de Lenoir.

The duke spoke in a chilling voice.

“Then if I formally duel you here and defeat you, would that honorably resolve this situation?”

The young man with the sword at his throat broke out in a cold sweat.

Another man hurriedly pulled the young man away from the sword and retorted angrily.

“No, no matter how angry you are, you can’t suddenly point a sword at someone! And a duel? We haven’t done anything to warrant being named as duel opponents…”

“You have just insulted my homeland, insulted my countrymen, and even insulted His Majesty the King’s judgment in bestowing honors upon that person.”

Duke de Lenoir slowly lowered his sword as he continued.

“On top of that, you’ve said to my face that I’m ‘un-noble’, so it seems I have no choice but to duel.”

Even as he expressed his anger while holding the sword, his voice was frighteningly calm and at the same time extremely noble.

The Elendril noblemen, overwhelmed by his aura, averted their gaze.

The atmosphere was icy. It seemed like some incident could break out at any moment.

Fortunately, a third party intervened astutely at that moment. It was Baron Roger, the host of today’s party and father of the party’s guest of honor.

“Come now, Duke de Lenoir. Please calm down. Other gentlemen too.”

Baron Roger did his best to dissuade the guests.

“That such an unpleasant incident should occur at a party held in my home, it’s my oversight. For the sake of my face, couldn’t you let this pass just this once?”

Today’s event was a debutante ball.

If a real duel were to start, it would be quite an inconvenience to both the baron and his precious only daughter who was just making her debut in society.

Duke de Lenoir sheathed his sword again.

He silently turned and walked towards the area behind the baron. Where he was headed, the guest of honor, Baron Roger’s daughter, was standing.

As if he had never been angry, Duke de Lenoir politely asked the baron’s daughter for a dance.

“Mademoiselle Dahlia. Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

Baron Roger’s daughter said with a flushed face.

“It would be my utmost honor, Your Grace.”

Only then did the hostile atmosphere finally subside.

As Duke de Lenoir led his partner to the center of the floor, Baron Roger turned to the guests with a kind smile on his face.

“Please, everyone, do enjoy yourselves.”

The men who had been confronting the duke smiled awkwardly.

As Duke de Lenoir and Baron Roger’s daughter took their place in the center of the floor, other couples gradually came out and took their positions on the floor.

The men who had argued with the duke dispersed to various parts of the ballroom, each seeking their own partners.

I watched this entire process without missing a single detail.

Though this was clearly an incident that hadn’t happened in my previous life, it was something that could have easily occurred.

Duke de Lenoir was from Lauren, was on bad terms with the native Elendril nobles, and was a person who loved his homeland very much.

Moreover, if my memory serves me right, at today’s party, the duke…

I instinctively realized.

‘Yes, it’s him.’

It seems I may have found an ally to carry out revenge together.

***

Even after the first song ended, Felix didn’t appear.

As the couples who had finished dancing started to move away one by one, I crossed the dance floor towards the main couple still in the center.

“Mademoiselle Dahlia.”

“Countess de Tolomiès.”

Recognizing me, the baron’s daughter curtsied demurely.

“Thank you for coming. I’m sorry, I should have sought you out first to greet you…”

“No, not at all. I’m glad to see you like this. You danced very well. Baron Roger has raised such an excellent daughter.”

“You flatter me. It’s all thanks to the duke here who led me so well.”

The baron’s daughter blushed, gesturing to the duke beside her. I naturally greeted Duke de Lenoir.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duke de Lenoir. I’m Elisabeth de Tolomiès.”

Duke de Lenoir seemed quite surprised by my friendly greeting.

Though looking somewhat disgruntled, he politely returned my greeting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Countess de Tolomiès.”

Just then, Felix’s voice was heard from behind.

“What are you doing here?”

I inwardly sighed and turned around. Then I faced Felix with the most innocent expression I could muster.

“Felix, where have you been?”

“Of course I was meeting a friend. More importantly, why are you here? If you wanted to dance, you should have waited until I came.”

It was an unpleasant remark, but technically correct.

At a ball, even married women can dance with men other than their husbands.

However, if attending with one’s husband, the first dance should generally be with him.

Dancing the first dance with another man would immediately spark rumors in society that the couple’s relationship is poor.

I glibly replied.

“I was just in the middle of chatting with Miss Dahlia. And taking the opportunity to greet the duke as well.”

“So why are you…!”

Just as Felix was about to flare up, Duke de Lenoir abruptly interjected into the conversation.

“It’s been a while, Count de Tolomiès.”