“By the way, I heard you joined the Duchess of Weekly’s gathering.”

“So what?”

Mentioning the Duchess of Weekly, Antara lifted her chin with pride.

The gathering hosted by the prestigious and well-bred Duchess of Weekly was coveted by many noblewomen.

Antara, too, had longed to join the group and now that she was a member, her arrogance knew no bounds.

“I believe as a member of that gathering, you’ll be a good role model for Berita.”

Suspicious of what I might say next, Antara twitched her lips.

“You do know, don’t you?”

“Of course, you always sparkle, don’t you?”

Antara, with her arms crossed, demurely lowered her eyes, waiting for what I would say next.

“Like a spangle.”

“What?”

Startled by my comment, Antara glared at me fiercely.

‘I shouldn’t have prematurely compared you to a gem.’

I smiled slyly and waved my hands wide, as if they were blooming on either side of my head.

“Sparkle, sparkle. Or is it more jingle, jingle?”

The employees covered their mouths, struggling to hold back their laughter.

Antara, boiling with rage, bit her lip and glared at me.

I donned a sorrowful smile and lowered my eyebrows.

“Sorry, I just speak the truth. I can’t help but be honest. Take care until then, Countess Antara. See you at the banquet.”

I politely excused myself from the room with a subtle smile.

“Eek! Really, her!”

“Countess Antara!”

I heard Antara’s primal groan from behind the curtain. Glancing back at the room, I snickered to myself.

‘Right, they’re in this together now… Well, I have my plans too.’

With a stern expression, I promptly went to find Rainburton.

Early in the morning, as scheduled and avoiding notice, I handed the will and a letter of thanks to the royal investigator who arrived.

“Thank you very much.”

Appreciating the investigator’s discretion in arriving in an unassuming carriage, I thanked him and headed to the dining room.

Lirien, who usually waited for me chatting with the maids, was nowhere to be seen.

A maid, noticing me, guided me to my seat and informed me.

“She’s been practicing baking late into the night and just fell asleep as dawn broke.”

“Is that so?”

As I sat down, taking in the warm bread and salad adorning the table, a thought struck me.

Today, then, means…

My eyes fluttered to the dining room door, and sure enough, Edmun entered expressionlessly and sat across from me. He elegantly spread his napkin over his lap and signaled me with a glance.

I started our silent meal with a dry smile.

“I heard about the commotion at the dress shop.”

Clatter.

Oops, I almost dropped my utensils.

It seems the story of yesterday’s encounter with Antara and Berita, which I had Rainburton publicize through a third-rate journalist, had already reached Edmun.

I calmly put down my utensils and swept my hair back, smiling slightly.

“What do you mean…?”

“A Countess running away from her marital home due to family disputes on the front page of the gossip column? You’re not pretending, are you?”

“Oh, really? Who would say such a thing…?”

Edmun twisted his mouth sardonically and leaned back, his off-kilter gaze clearly incredulous.

Now that I was caught, I shrugged.

“Weren’t you the one who said even uninvited guests were welcome?”

“Since when has a scandal been a guest?”

“During a divorce process, mudslinging is common. I’ll make sure it doesn’t harm you or Lirien. That’s okay, right?”

It should be, since you’re the one who insisted on keeping me. I conveyed this with an intimidating smile. Edmun sighed and looked down, answering by default.
Edmun put down his utensils and, as if feeling suffocated, loosened his cravat. It seemed he was frustrated, unable to simply dismiss or ignore the situation. Who asked to monitor Lirien’s acquaintance, after all?

After taking a sip of water, I spoke up.

“Your Excellency, after the upcoming banquet, things around you might get chaotic. Though not publicly announced, His Majesty has indicated his intention to make you the master of the dukedom.”

Edmun glanced at me suspiciously, then spoke calmly.

“What are you trying to say?”

“I was wondering if you have plans to visit the dukedom before the banquet. Maybe for an inspection or something…”

Edmun slightly furrowed his brow, clearly indicating his refusal. I corrected any misunderstanding with a laugh and added my real intention.

“Actually, I heard that the Duchess of Weekly is recuperating near the Saint Vineyard, which is a famous site in the dukedom. I thought I might keep her company.”

“What’s your angle?”

“Oh, such a term. People might misunderstand.”

I rested my chin on my clasped hands and smiled sweetly.

“After the banquet, Lirien will attract flies. To prevent that, we need to elevate her status. Make her unreachable, so to speak.”

Honestly, Edmun’s formidable presence alone would be enough to ward off flies, but involving him might lead to bloodshed at the banquet.

‘I can’t have that.’