A few days ago, at the Count Dmitri’s estate.

Crash! Clang―!

Loud and rough noises followed by a furious scream leaked out from the Countess’s drawing room.

“Absolutely intolerable, aargh!”

For the past week, the servants of Count Dmitri’s estate felt like they were walking on a bed of thorns.

Whether Camilla had willingly left her position as the Archduchess’s maid or was dismissed was unclear.

Since that day, Camilla would suddenly erupt in rage without warning.

“How dare they discard me after I helped them adapt to the northern social circle?!”

The Twins Duchy had the closest relationship with the royal family.

Meaning, they had the fastest access to the royal family’s stance and information on the ‘Demon Realm Goods Exchange Market.’

Camilla, while working as the Archduchess’s maid, had secretly obtained information useful for her investments.

Her significant profits from the other regional exchanges during her secret honeymoon with her lover Henry were all thanks to that.

‘I planned to amass wealth in the exchange market, divorce my husband, and remarry Henry…’

All those plans were ruined due to Rebecca’s change of heart.

‘And to be humiliated in front of that lowly half-demon!’

Furious, Camilla hurled a vase towards the door.

Clang―!

Just then, the elderly butler, who was entering the room, gasped and froze in his tracks.

“Ma, madam…”

“Why! What is it?!”

Camilla snapped as the butler approached her hesitantly.

“It’s about the confirmed invitations for the banquet you’re hosting. They are all prepared.”

Confirmed invitations referred to the ones sent a week before the banquet to remind the guests.

Naturally, the first invitation in the bundle was for Rebecca, the lady of the Twins Duchy.

“Should we… omit the invitation to the Archduke’s mansion?”

Not sending an invitation to the Twins, the ruling family of the north, was an absurd idea. But the butler was just as eager to please Camilla.

However, the poor old butler couldn’t escape Camilla’s wrath even this time.

“What stupid nonsense! Aren’t the social circles already abuzz because I left my maid position? Why add fuel to the fire?!”

Camilla flung the bundle of invitations to the floor in irritation.

“Find a way to send the invitation to the Archduchess! This banquet must erase all those wretched rumors about me!”

Camilla scornfully watched the butler hastily gathering the invitations, then sighed and slumped into a chair.

She rubbed her temples, leaning back in her chair for a while.

As her anger subsided, a seemingly clever idea passed through her mind.

‘Right… making the Archduchess a laughing stock in high society is nothing for me.’

Especially if she used Cedric Twins, Rebecca’s husband who hated her, the task would be even easier.

A sly smile curled up on Camilla’s lips.

“Just you wait, Your Grace… I’ll pay you back for the humiliation I suffered at this banquet.”

Camilla’s invitation was enough to surprise me.

To think she would invite me after such humiliation.

But considering the nature of aristocratic society, her decision was somewhat understandable.

‘As long as she’s not stupid enough to think of revenge, I might even play along.’

And soon it was the day of the banquet.
The Mansion of Shadows was bustling with activity from morning all day long.

It was because Bianca and I had decided to prepare for the banquet together in the Mansion of Shadows.

Having finished my preparations early in the evening, I was waiting in the drawing room for Bianca.

About an hour must have passed.

Then, the door of the dressing room opened, and little Lady Bianca appeared, looking adorable.

“Your Grace!”

Bianca ran to me with a bright smile and hugged me.

She was wearing a light green pannier dress with fluttering lace, her hair braided with a green ribbon.

Bianca, in this get-up, looked like a cute fairy, reminiscent of Tinker Bell.

“Our Bianca, always pretty, but especially so today, right?”

As I praised her, Bianca bashfully twirled her eyes.

“Hehe, but I can’t compare to Your Grace!”

While I was admiring the adorable Bianca with honey-dripping eyes, I noticed that one of her hair ornaments wasn’t properly fixed.

“Hmm? It seems that Lady Bianca’s hairpin isn’t fixed properly.”

Upon my observation, the nanny quickly checked Bianca’s hair accessory.

“Oh my! Indeed, it isn’t. Lady Bianca, shall we visit the dressing room one more time?”

I watched with a pleased look as Bianca confidently walked towards the dressing room, holding the nanny’s hand.

Then Mina, who had been standing at a distance, came closer and said,

“By the way, Your Grace, you look incredibly beautiful today!”

“Uh?”

The surrounding maids nodded in agreement.

“That’s right! You look truly beautiful today!”

“I think so too, Your Grace!”

I looked at my reflection in the mirror placed on one side of the drawing room.

The light makeup application enhanced my smooth skin tone and added a healthy glow to my cheeks.