The atmosphere became awkward.

The ladies glanced at Madam Olan.

They were not unaware of why Madam Olan had invited them. She had intended to expose my flaws and spread rumors, but instead the Olan mother and daughter ended up in an embarrassing situation.

At that moment, Jeffrey entered the tea room.

The ones who welcomed his handsome appearance the most were Madam Olan and Elena.

“Jeffrey!”

“I heard the ladies had arrived, so I came to greet them.”

“Oh my, Jeffrey. You didn’t have to go to such trouble.”

“They’re Mother’s important guests after all.”

“Jeffrey is so thoughtful like this.”

Madam Olan said, looking at Madam Castella. Jeffrey had become a viscount from a family without any titles. With no greater accomplishment to boast of, he puffed out his chest even more in front of family.

However, Madam Olan’s triumphant expression did not last long.

Jeffrey pointed to the tea.

“May I drink some? Lately, my sister and I have been enjoying tea from the East.”

“No, Jeffrey, that’s…”

It was revealed to the ladies that Elena had brewed the tea without proper knowledge.

Madam Olan tried to stop Jeffrey’s words in embarrassment.

“Please drink.”

As I poured the tea, the corner of Jeffrey’s eyebrow raised.

Not knowing who had brewed it, Jeffrey took a sip of tea.

“As expected, my sister’s tea brewing skills are excellent.”

The ladies’ expressions twisted.

Jeffrey’s praise went according to plan, but instead exposed the true faces of the Olan family members.

Madam Olan’s face turned red as she ushered Jeffrey out of the tea room.

“Ahem, Jeffrey. You must have dropped by for some business of your own.”

“Ah, yes. I have some items to take with me. Well then, I look forward to spending time with the ladies next time.”

“Go and prepare Jeffrey’s things for him.”

“Yes, madam.”

She had a maid follow after him.

Madam Olan gathered the dessert plates herself and ordered me:

“Come to think of it, there was something on Jeffrey’s cravat. Go change it for him. And clean up these plates too.”

“Yes.”

I made eye contact with one of the ladies.

As I left the tea room holding the dessert plates, a maid approached and took them from me.

“I’ll take care of these. I prepared a cravat after hearing the madam’s instructions.”

Following Madam Olan’s orders, the maid handed me the cravat.

“Where is he?”

“He went to the study.”

The study door was half open. As I got closer, I heard a coquettish voice flowing out.

“Oh my, Lord Viscount.”

“You naughty thing. Just what have you hidden in this chest that smells so good?”

“Mmm, would you like to search for it, my lord?”

“How bewitching. You’re wiggling your bottom to seduce me.”

“Kyaa.”

It was an unmistakable situation to anyone who heard.

I slowly pushed open the slightly ajar door. Jeffrey and the maid, who had been clinging to each other, quickly separated when they saw me.

“Princess.”

“My lady, you’re here. I was just helping the viscount find his things.”

The maid smiled broadly as she closed her neckline.

She kept tucking her fallen hair behind her ear. Her coy eyes glanced at me before turning to Jeffrey.

As I stood at the half-hidden door just looking at them, Jeffrey clicked his tongue.

Soon he smiled slyly and folded his arms.

“Ha, Ormia. Is that jealousy flaring up again? You’re looking at me as if I’ve been unfaithful, please stop it already.”

His voice grew loud enough to echo in the hallway.

Jeffrey raised his arms and shouted:

“Please, I don’t understand how our marriage has come to this. Though I may be inadequate, I have never neglected you. I still love you…

Ormia. Why are you accusing me of being despicable and demanding a divorce?”

Previously, I had gotten angry when I saw him flirting with a maid, and Jeffrey had recited similar words.

Hearing his voice, the ladies rushed over wondering what was happening, and I became the person who lied due to jealousy.

“How can a person be so malicious?”

“She should be supporting her husband, but instead she’s tormenting him with jealousy. How dreadful.”

“The Olan family is in such a pitiful situation. To have to take responsibility for such a princess.”

Rumors spread quickly, and I was confined to the mansion.

It wasn’t physical confinement, but mental confinement.

Madam Olan, Jeffrey, and Elena took turns telling me how much people were gossiping about my behavior, making me feel intimidated.

I was swayed by the Olan family’s plans and barely endured their harassment.

“Please, Ormia. Let’s see a psychiatrist for counseling. Your jealousy can be cured.”

Hearing Jeffrey’s earnest expression and voice, I pushed the door wide open.

Instantly, Jeffrey’s face filled with joy before quickly changing to despair.

“Viscountess Olan.”

Madam Castella was standing behind me.

Seeing Madam Castella standing there with a pale expression, clutching her dress, Jeffrey rubbed his face.

He looked like someone embarrassed to have their family’s secrets exposed.

“My lady, I apologize for showing you such an unpleasant sight. I was trying to endure Ormia’s jealousy. But Ormia even threatened me by demanding a divorce from His Majesty. I tried to persuade her to get counseling, but she’s adamant.”

“Jeffrey, I heard a loud noise. What’s going on?”

And then Madam Olan and Elena arrived with the ladies who would spread this situation in high society.

Elena, as if trying to get revenge for the embarrassment she suffered at the tea party, cornered me with an even sharper and more agitated voice.

“Did you suspect him with the maid again? You accuse him of cheating whenever he gets close to someone serving him. Ormia, that’s jealousy.”

“Throwing hysterics, saying Jeffrey is meeting other women… What are we going to do with you, Ormia.”

At the words of the two, Madam Henson and Madam Riel’s eyes sparkled.

They seemed pleased to be witnessing the sequel, as rumors of me demanding a divorce had already spread in high society.

“Oh my, the princess…”

“I heard she demanded a divorce first, so the princess had jealousy issues.”

I gave a little resistance, as the Olan family wanted.

“You know Jeffrey has another woman.”

“Good heavens, Ormia. Even with all these ladies watching, you’re still having such delusions. Come to your senses.”

“Jeffrey, do you want to protect that woman so much that you’d put on this act? I promised I wouldn’t reveal who she is if you just give me a divorce.”

When I mentioned the other woman, Jeffrey’s composed expression crumpled.

He used that emotion well too, disguising it as desperation.

“Ormia, please. I’ll treat you even better from now on, so get counseling. To show such behavior even in front of these ladies… I’m at my wit’s end too.”

“To think Ormia would go mad like this.”

The Olan family members lamented sorrowfully at how I had changed.

Madam Henson and Madam Riel, who had been watching the scene with interest, clicked their tongues.

“It seems the jealousy is real after all.”

“And to think we didn’t know… The viscount has become pitiful. He tried to take responsibility for the princess.”

The ladies believed them.

The Olan family members must have thought things were progressing as planned.

“I simply cannot stand this anymore.”

Madam Castella, trembling, unleashed criticism in a suppressed voice.

“You are truly despicable! Jeffrey Olan, how could you do such a vile thing?”

“M-Madam?”

“I heard everything. I was behind the princess when I heard you flirting with that maid, saying such vulgar things about her chest and bottom!”

That’s right.

As I was leaving the tea room, I had signaled Madam Castella with my eyes to follow me out.

Though she was Madam Olan’s sister-in-law and a member of the Olan family, I thought Madam Castella would follow out of curiosity about my actions.

It was an action I took knowing what kind of personality she had.

With a reddened face, Madam Castella revealed the truth to the ladies in a clear, scolding voice about what the Olan family had been trying to do.

“And after doing that, when you’re caught you try to paint the princess as jealous? With Madam Olan and Elena in on it too! As a family member, I’m utterly ashamed and mortified!

How can people be so wicked? To try and make the princess out to be mentally ill with jealousy!”

If Madam Olan’s brother or another lady had witnessed that scene, they wouldn’t have gotten so angry.

Madam Castella had personally seen her own mother suffer a nervous breakdown in a similar situation, so this was not someone else’s problem to her.

“Now I understand why the princess demanded a divorce!”

That was information Duke Bersi had told me in my second life.

Duke Bersi, who had received blessings from me as I was slowly dying in a cage, had mumbled all sorts of things in his ecstasy.

Madam Castella’s heart was also filled with many other grievances.

“I should have known from when you lied about enjoying tea from the East! How much the family must have tormented the princess by banding together!”

“Madam, please stop… This is a misunderstanding.”

“What misunderstanding? I heard everything!”

Shaking off Madam Olan’s hand trying to stop her, Madam Castella turned to look at me.

“Princess, if you need a witness for this incident later, please contact me. As a member of the Olan family, I cannot turn a blind eye to their crimes!

I will prove that although the Olan family had no titles, we were not such an undignified family!

As the daughter of a viscount family who married into a titleless house for love alone – that was who Madam Castella was.

But when Jeffrey became a viscount by marrying me, Madam Olan had bragged to Madam Castella in a condescending manner.

She had even said cruel things like how Madam Castella wouldn’t be able to give titles to her children, even though her own family was that of a viscount.

It had hurt not only Madam Castella, but also her family and Lord Castella, who was Madam Olan’s older brother.

The resentment that had built up over time finally burst out.

Madam Castella’s face as she looked at the pale Madam Olan was that of a victor.

“Just because you received a title doesn’t make you nobility! You haven’t shed your vulgarity.”

With that, Madam Castella turned and left the mansion.

“Madam!”

Madam Olan tried to follow, but couldn’t keep up with her quick pace.

Madam Henson and Madam Riel, who had grasped the situation intuitively, pressed their twitching lips shut and followed after Madam Castella.

“We’ll be going now as well.”

“I just remembered an appointment, so I’ll leave first.”

Their footsteps were quick, as if eager to immediately share this hot gossip with their acquaintances.

“Just a moment, ladies. This is a misunderstanding! The princess really does have jealousy issues!”

Elena also pleaded that it wasn’t true as she followed after the ladies, but she couldn’t stop their steps.

“Princess…”

Jeffrey’s face, having failed in his attempt to make me out to be mentally ill as their plot was exposed, was quite a sight to see.