“Floria, did you happen to include nuts in the chocolate?”

“Yes, that’s right. I ordered various additional ingredients. Is that a problem?”

Floria had a face that clearly showed she had no idea. She couldn’t hide her embarrassed expression.

As her words ended, those who realized the reason for the sudden outbreak of red patches on the marchioness’s skin covered their mouths with their hands. I raised my eyebrows with a pitiful expression.
“Lady Sophia has a nut allergy. She mentioned that if she eats nuts, red spots appear all over her body, causing severe itching.”

As Lady Sophia responded on my behalf, Floria, with a surprised expression, covered her mouth. I turned to Sylvia.

“Sylvia, bring what we’ve prepared.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Sylvia immediately brought over a box placed in one corner of the drawing-room. From it, I took out medicine and handed it to Lady Sophia.

“It’s an allergy-relief medicine. Just in case, please take it now.”

“Th-thank you.”

Lady Sophia, her face contorted with discomfort due to the itching, promptly accepted and took the medicine.

As time passed, the red spots remained, but fortunately, the itching seemed to subside. As Lady Sophia’s expression became more relaxed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“It seems Lady Sophia needs some rest, and perhaps it’s best to conclude the gathering for today.”

The noble young ladies and ladies-in-waiting, who were agreeing with my words, exchanged uneasy glances regarding Floria.

Although Floria wore a relieved expression, her grip on her dress betrayed her frustration.

It was understandable since she had attempted to impress Lady Rothry to solidify her standing in society, but it had backfired.

‘But could such a simple plan really work?’

I was the one who suggested preparing chocolate as a gift for Lady Rothry. I even proposed adding special jams inside. As desserts using nuts were trending at the capital’s pastry shops, I thought Floria would undoubtedly include nuts inside.

However, knowing Floria’s cunning nature, I didn’t expect much. Nevertheless, she executed the plan perfectly.

This happened because Floria, solely focused on Lady Rothry, didn’t properly survey her surroundings.

‘Did Lady Rothry truly catch her interest like that?’

I inwardly chuckled. However, outwardly, I showed an unjust expression to Floria, who was glaring at me.

In reality, she had nothing to say to me. I had long ago handed her the list of those invited to the tea party, and it was only natural for her to conduct at least minimal research about the guests before preparing gifts.

Thanks to today’s incident, Floria’s reputation would suffer. It wasn’t a small matter; Lady Rothry, whom she often associated with and admired, had been affected.

Betrayal was already evident on Lady Rothry’s face. Having flaunted herself to Lady Rothry to make a good impression, she seemed even more disappointed now. Today’s incident would undoubtedly spread discreetly, shaking Floria’s standing.

Even Lady Rothry, once the queen of society, showed a look of disappointment at Floria’s actions. Such a minor mistake was unimaginable for her. I, of course, and even Sylvia, who was scrutinizing Floria, couldn’t help but smile at the situation.
“As Your Highness suggested, it would be best to withdraw for today. I will make time to visit you again soon.”

It seemed that Lady Rothry, who had been weighing me and Floria, gathered her energy toward me even more. I had anticipated Floria being angry with me due to the incident at the tea party.

“Are you intentionally trying to make me suffer, sister?”

Floria, already bothered by various rumors surrounding the Second Prince and herself, including the scandal involving Lady Seed’s ledger, seemed to have become more sensitive. Her tone was harsher than usual.

“There’s no way, Your Highness. Surely, you thought I would recognize it since I provided the guest list.”

“Then, why did you bring medicine as if you were waiting for something like this to happen? It seemed like you were preparing for an unexpected situation.”

“It was merely a precaution for unforeseen circumstances. Please trust me, Your Highness.”

“How can I trust those words? Look at how ridiculous my situation has become because of you!”

Floria clenched her fists as if she were about to tear off her necklace at any moment. I pretended to swallow a painful groan and spoke to her.