“Have you not heard the news yet? Lady Dietrich’s third son, Robert, got drunk and harassed Lady Hindenburg. Oliver even came to Blauberg looking for me. It seems Dietrich wanted me to handle that case, but I didn’t have the time.”

“Hmm.”

Lady Dietrich clenched her teeth, but Christoph remained unfazed. His calm voice resonated throughout the restaurant.
“The case involves sharp differences of opinion between the two parties, making it exceedingly complicated. Robert insists it’s love, while Lady Hindenburg claims it’s forcible harassment. Personally, I lean towards Lady Hindenburg’s side. Don’t they say a leaking bucket inside will continue to leak outside?”

“Well… I see.”

Marianne nodded vaguely and glanced at Lady Dietrich. Her face was already hardened, and her red lips were tightly pursed.

“I declined due to a lack of time, but perhaps I should not have. It seems that Lady Dietrich’s state of mind is not quite right due to that case, and I feel sorry for her.”

“Her state of mind…”
Marianne once again gauged her reaction. Christoph, undeterred, offered a gentle smile.

“It appears you haven’t seen the filth that stains your own lineage, yet you mock the Schneider family for their supposed transgressions. It seems your sanity is far from intact. But understand this, people talk about your son as if he were a lost cause, a ‘miscreant of the Dietrich lineage.'”

“…”

Marianne fell silent. Despite his soft tone, Christoph’s words were sharp and aggressive. Surprisingly, Christoph, usually a man of rationality, was the one initiating the confrontation.
She felt the piercing gazes on her cheek. Marianne noticed, and there was no way that Countess Dietrich wouldn’t. Her face flushed with shame in an instant.

“Mr. Schneider!”

Countess Dietrich snapped, her lower jaw trembling. Humiliation consumed her.

The noble Countess was not immune to being insulted, and she couldn’t hide her surging anger.

Christoph stared at her with indifferent eyes. Countess Dietrich took a sharp breath and lashed out.

“How impolite. Just now, Mr. Schneider’s behavior was hardly gentlemanly…”

“Or…”

He leisurely interjected. His voice, as if drowsy with sleepiness, drifted towards Countess Dietrich. The woman, whose words had been cut short, furrowed her brow.
“Are you saying that you insulted my wife with a clear mind?”

“!”

Suddenly, Countess Dietrich’s eyes widened. Marianne looked back and forth between the two of them, a bewildered expression on her face.

Countess Dietrich, who had just regained her composure, glared at Christoph with fierce eyes. She replied in a newly found tone.

“You will regret this, Mr. Schneider.”

Her pupils trembled with anger. Christoph nodded.

“I’m already regretting it.”

“Hmph.”

Countess Dietrich chuckled at his theatrics.

“If you apologize now…”

(Note: The gender consistency has been maintained in the translation.)
“I didn’t even take on Robert’s defense, you know. If I had, your wife might not have reached the point of losing her mind over her son’s imprisonment. It all feels like my fault, bitter as it is.”

“Mr. Schneider!”

It was a high-pitched and venomous outburst, as if glass were shattering.

Suddenly, Christoph’s expression vanished from his face. The lazy smile disappeared, replaced by a cold, emotionless gaze that stared at her. Countess Dietrich, feeling like she was being strangled by that intense gaze, involuntarily tensed her shoulders.

(Note: The gender consistency has been maintained in the translation.)
“Then, are you saying that your wife is now mocking my wife with her full faculties? I advise you to answer carefully. My future actions will depend on your response. It would be wise to consider not only your wife but also the safety of Count Dietrich.”

“Ugh.”

Christoph was insufferably arrogant. Countess Dietrich clenched her fist, thinking of the Schneider family behind him.

Even if he was Count Dietrich, he couldn’t compete with the Marquis Schneider. That was true even for the Duke. The Marquis’s power and wealth had already surpassed that of a Duke. Comparing the Schneider family to anyone else was like comparing them to royalty.

(Note: The gender consistency has been maintained in the translation.)
Countess Dietrich, a key figure in high society, couldn’t be unaware of this subtle relationship. For a brief moment, a myriad of emotions passed over her pupils.

The restaurant fell silent as if a chill had been cast over it. Everyone was listening intently to their conversation. Perhaps all the discussions at tonight’s social gatherings in the capital would include talk of them.

Countess Dietrich pressed her tightly closed lips together. Amidst them, her voice, now hoarse, emerged.

“It was because of Robert that I misspoke, Mr. Schneider.”

“…”

She bit her lower lip. In reality, this statement was an admission of her own mental instability, a plea for Christoph Schneider’s mercy.

“I understand.”

(Note: The gender consistency has been maintained in the translation.)
Christoph nodded arrogantly.

Countess Dietrich, who seemed to have something to say, didn’t even greet him and turned away roughly. Her angry steps took her straight out of the shop. A maid hurriedly followed behind her.

“Christoph.”

Marie-Anne called him with a resigned tone. Through the window, he saw Countess Dietrich getting onto a carriage. She slowly turned her head.

“Rumors will spread within a day. They’ll say you insulted Countess Dietrich. Do you know how much influence she wields in high society?”

“Heh.”

Christoph smirked. His dark pupils twisted slightly.

“Just because of a rumor?”

“Yes?”

(Note: The gender consistency has been maintained in the translation.)
“Just because of a rumor, I endured such rude behavior, Marie-Anne.”

“But if I had reacted strongly, there would have been consequences…”

“Those petty consequences.”

Christoph muttered coldly. He was furious and couldn’t bear it. Thinking that she endured such humiliation in a place where he wasn’t present, he felt a burning rage in his throat.

No, it was anger at himself. When he saw Marie-Anne lose her expression in the face of the countess’s mockery, Christoph couldn’t stand himself.

Marie-Anne seemed familiar with such situations. She skillfully wiped her expression as if she had experienced it several times before, clutching her dress. Despite that, she had no idea that he knew.

Damn it.