It was a woman’s shame to trip over the hem of her dress. It meant that she had dressed too lavishly to the point of being unable to walk, and that she had failed to move in a manner befitting the elegant demeanor of a noblewoman.

Mercedes’ hand sliced through the air. Surely, the people nearby had witnessed her about to fall.

But she did not fall.

As if it were only natural, Carlos had somehow appeared in front of her, catching her and holding her in his arms. Her hand was pressed against his chest.

“My, my. Do you wish to dance some more, my lady? But I wanted to pay my respects to your father-in-law… Could we postpone it for a moment?”

He then offered an excuse in his usual leisurely voice.

A small gasp arose from those around them. Compliments could be heard, saying that the two of them looked very good together.

He was truly a man skilled at thinking on his feet. She scoffed at her pounding heart without realizing it.

‘It’s only because he agreed to help me with my revenge. That’s all.’

She steeled herself and smiled.

“It seems I got too excited since my father is attending this banquet. I also wanted to go and greet him, but I unknowingly got carried away by the music! Ah, there he is. Father!”

Mercedes called out to Count Cromwell in a very lively voice. In an instant, the gazes of everyone in the banquet hall were focused on her.

The eyes of those who had been clicking their tongues in pity at Count Cromwell were particularly fierce among them.

They were probably thinking something along the lines of ‘a bad daughter who put her father in a difficult position’.

“Oh, dear. You said you would wait for my dance and talk to me. Please wait just a moment.”

Mercedes deliberately mustered up a coquettishness that didn’t exist and approached Count Cromwell with confidence. Then she linked arms with him.

The count’s arm, caught by her, stiffened in surprise. But he quickly managed his expression.

Although he blamed her, he had to maintain the attitude of ‘loving and cherishing her as his daughter’ in order to receive sympathy from the nobles here.

“What have you been up to, Father? It’s been so long since we attended a banquet together like this… It reminds me of old times.”

Mercedes poured affectionate words to Count Cromwell, her eyes glistening with tears.

At that, confusion rose on the faces of those who had thought a little poorly of the empress after only hearing the count’s story.

They seemed to have a very good relationship. Was what the count said really true? In fact, the count was someone she had met for the first time today… The empress had shown quite a decent course of action so far.

Nobles were quick to change their attitudes once they caught the mood. They were the epitome of fickle-mindedness. Mercedes decided to take advantage of this habit.

“…I’m also reminded of old times, Your Majesty the Empress. You were truly beautiful back then.”

The count calmed down and very affectionately stroked his daughter’s hand. The moment the count’s hand touched her, Mercedes almost shuddered with goosebumps. If it weren’t for the warmth of Carlos right next to her, she surely would have.

“Oh my. You remember, Father.”

Then she brought up something that would press down on the pride of the count, who had already sown the seeds of her being a ‘bad daughter’ to the people.

“That day, you not only complimented me on my beauty, but you even tried to connect me with the most splendid person at that banquet! Someone with great power… Ah, yes. Marquis Evans! You said he was a great man with much to learn from.”

“No, that person is—”

“The one who was looking for a new wife after his second one had unfortunately passed away! I remember how you said he was a really good man and worked hard to find a match for me, Father.”

The nobles’ minds were struck with shock at her following lively words.

Whether in the Loom or in the Shame, one usually couldn’t directly say with their own mouth that they were entering as a third concubine. It wasn’t something possible with ordinary nerves. It was a very humiliating thing for oneself as well.

But because Mercedes was brightly smiling as if her father had truly done it for her sake, people looked at the count with aghast faces.

‘This crazy thing…!’

The count’s face noticeably stiffened, as if he hadn’t expected her to attack him while disparaging herself.

‘Did you think I would have something like pride?’

When she had faced a crisis due to her identity as a murderer after coming to the Loom, she had even joked about what she experienced in prison.

Mercedes could turn wounds that others would find humiliating into weapons instead.

The count very naturally took over the conversation in the stiff atmosphere.

“Ah, yes. Such a thing did happen. Back then, the marquis came to me first and asked this and that, so there was nothing I could do. He is undoubtedly an excellent person. After all, he supports the most orphanages in the Shame. But as her father, I could not accept the position of a third concubine and quietly refused.”

Marquis Evans supports orphanages?

It was nonsense. He was someone who had built gambling dens to grow his business.

It was laughable. It was clear that he wanted to make himself out to be a good father and her a bad daughter.

No matter how free the Loom was, there existed an old-fashioned side to any social circle. If they embraced an empress who had abandoned the bond between parent and child, even the emperor would be made a fool of.

‘Yes… The empress dowager has set up a good scheme.’

If the empress dowager gave appropriate support and stepped back, the count would take care of Mercedes on his own or somehow tarnish her reputation. It was like picking your nose without using your hands.

‘But… I won’t just sit back and watch.’

“So that’s what happened… I was truly only protected by you, Father. Why, even when I was the crown princess, you often came to help me with this and that, didn’t you?”

Mercedes walked a fine line.

It wasn’t something to bring up now.

However, she remembered that the count had quite often handed her medicine of unknown origin, saying it was good for men, to put in the crown prince’s meals. If woven well, it could become a real problem.

“Anyway, this father is just happy to see Your Majesty the Empress again. It’s been a very long time.”

The count returned to the starting point and began to subtly slander Mercedes again.

This time, it was Carlos who spoke up.

“Sigh. The count seems quite hurt, making me feel apologetic.”

“Pardon? Ah, no, that’s not the case.”

“Actually, there was a lot of gossip about Mercedes’ existence, so I often forcibly brought her to banquets. But in fact, it took quite a while for Mel’s health to recover, so I couldn’t properly take care of the count. It’s a big oversight on my part. I should be very grateful to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager today.”

“I’m not hurt at all. How could I be when my daughter has suffered through illness? I was just waiting for a single contact.”

The nobles looked at the count, Mercedes, and even Carlos with peculiar eyes.

On the surface, it seemed very heartwarming… But there was a strange sense of discomfort.

“And in the end, Your Majesty did contact me. I am just very thankful.”

The count immediately read the emperor’s mood and flattered him hypocritically. He was still the same disgusting and unchanged fellow as ever.

Mercedes smiled.

“Your Majesty’s consideration is greater, and I have done nothing.”

“How could that be? Your Majesty just said that Her Majesty the Empress’ health was poor… How much have you suffered? The whole family was very worried about Your Majesty. Especially… Ah, Flora is coming. Flora was terribly worried.”

Flora, dressed several times more lavishly than Mercedes, approached with a sad face. Her face was a little buried in her clothes, making it feel a bit comical.

As soon as Flora approached, she clasped Mercedes’ hands.

“Your Majesty the Empress…! Are you alright? Now this unni, Flora, can be with you, right?”

It seemed Flora would cling to her this time. She had the illusion that her forehead, which had been hit and torn by that child’s jewelry box, still hurt.

Mercedes smiled and tightly grasped Flora’s hands. Perhaps because of her emotions, her grip strength increased, making Flora slightly frown.

“Of course! We should naturally enjoy ourselves together at today’s banquet.”

“Ah, no! Um, when can you invite me to the palace? Flora is saying she wants to see Your Majesty the Empress often… After finally meeting again, how sad it is to not see you for a long time.”

Flora suddenly made a bombshell remark.

“Not seeing each other for a long time? Haven’t you been meeting often since coming to the Loom?”

Those planted by the empress dowager deliberately asked with surprised eyes.

“Ah, His Majesty the Emperor said that due to recent issues in the Imperial Palace, external access will be temporarily prohibited to strengthen security…”

Judging by how smoothly it came out, it seemed the count had written the lines for her.

There was a problem with security at the Imperial Palace. Therefore, even the entry of outsiders was being blocked!

This was news that would make the nobles go crazy with curiosity.

What happened in the Imperial City?

The count smiled in satisfaction at the flow of the conversation.

His goal today was to spread even the smallest bit of gossip.

Although he was startled by how much that wench had changed from before.

The seeds sown like this were bound to grow very well.

Meanwhile, Carlos was staring at Flora with an expressionless face.