“You want to attend the imperial palace banquet?”

Antra, who was lying languidly on the sofa while Berita tended to her nails, raised her gray eyebrows.

Berita, sensing this was her chance, adjusted her kneeling posture and nodded.

“I had a fight with my elder sister recently and became unable to attend the imperial palace banquet.”

“Hmph, to even drive away her sworn sister. What a nasty temper. I wonder what she ate to change like that.”

Berita lowered her eyes gloomily and nodded her head.

“She doesn’t seem like the elder sister I used to know…”

Hmm, Antra let out a groan and looked over Berita, who was trying to please her, with interest.

Though a bit stupid, she was a girl who acted quickly and sweetly, good at flattery.

She had tried to dissuade her son once because Berita was Etricia’s sworn sister, but there was no way to stop her son’s womanizing.

She had been quietly observing, thinking it would end soon… but to think Berita was also driven out by Etricia.

She must have been quite shocked when she found out her beloved sworn younger sister had matched eyes with her son.

‘Her arrogant mouth must have dropped open.’

Antra felt a bit refreshed.

‘She’ll probably get heated if I show up at the banquet with the sworn sister she abandoned.’

When the time for the banquet came, Devon would bring Etricia back to the mansion. Currently, she was running wild with recklessness and audacity because Devon wasn’t there.

Before that, she needed to create something to turn Etricia’s insides out as much as she had suffered. Even now, her blood boiled thinking of Etricia humiliating her in front of the servants.

Antra rested her chin on her hand and looked down coldly at Berita, who was busy tending to her nails.

Of course, all those plans were premised on this child knowing her place.

“Berita, you surely don’t think Devon will settle down with you, do you?”

At the chilly voice, Berita reflexively raised her head and was met with Antra’s unforgiving smile. Even someone as immature and clueless as her realized she shouldn’t speak honestly when faced with that arrogantly looking down gaze.

Berita lowered her eyes while breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Of, of course not, Lady Dien.”

“Good, then it’s settled. I’ll speak to the Viscountess Wickley.”

“Really?”

Viscountess Wickley, who had left the empire for recuperation, was the sister of the late Empress and once stood at the top of the social pyramid, called the diamond of high society.

As the head of a noble ladies’ group that discussed general social issues such as politics, diplomacy, current affairs, and economy, Antra was also expanding her influence by recently becoming a member of that group.

If it was Viscountess Wickley, even a commoner like Berita could obtain an invitation to the imperial banquet.

“Thank you, Lady Dien.”

Berita’s face immediately brightened as she smiled broadly and attended to Antra with all her heart and soul.

On the morning Edmond was away, I finished my meal with Lilien and received the Emperor’s letter from Rail.

Apparently, it was delayed due to procedures or something. Seeing him make such a flimsy excuse, it was clear the letter had been inspected before reaching me.

The Emperor’s personal letter contained only the main point of sending someone tomorrow to retrieve the will, without any common greetings.

‘It seems he hasn’t completely softened his heart.’

Still, the fact that he wanted to verify the authenticity of the will meant he was expressing his intention to take my side, not Devon’s.

‘It’s only a matter of time before one piece of credible evidence is secured.’

I looked over the other letters with a pleased heart.

They were the additional cooperative divorce papers I had requested from Rain Burton and the original evidence of infidelity from the detective agency. I was satisfied to obtain the originals, as the copies I had were burned and destroyed by Antra’s misdeeds.

I examined each of the glossy papers one by one. There were scandalous scenes captured of Devon embracing a woman’s waist or kissing her. The evidence was legally valid, produced by preservation magic tools certified by the Magic Tower.

I sent a reply to Rain Burton thanking her for her efforts, including a little extra compensation I had obtained by selling some crabs.

In the afternoon, after seeing off Lilien who was leaving for her pastry lessons, I headed to the secret vault of the estate.

As planned, after retrieving the will, I witnessed a strange scene on my way back.

‘Huh, what kind of combination is that?’

Wasn’t that Berita and Antra, arm in arm like an affectionate mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, entering a clothing shop?

I immediately got off the carriage and followed them into the shop.

I twisted my lips fiercely as I watched them enter a reserved room.

I waved away the approaching staff and followed them in.

The two, who were enjoying an elaborate tea set while examining the clothes on the hangers, turned pale when they saw me.

“It’s been a while, you two?”

“You…”

“El, elder sister…”

Conscious of the staff’s gazes, Antra came close and whispered.

“How did you come here?”

“What do you mean how? I came by bipedal locomotion.”

“Who’s asking about that? I’m asking how you came here.”

“My, I should be the one asking that, shouldn’t I? Why are you two here? It’s a fresh combination, but it’s an unexpected development, so I’m a bit taken aback.”

Especially Berita. I smiled gently with narrowed eyes as I stared at Berita.

Antra was the type to look down on Etricia and not refuse followers if she gained any due to her strong desire for ostentation.

But I never thought Berita would so easily ignore my warning like this.

“Elder sister…”

Berita blinked her clear eyes like a cow and trembled slightly. I almost felt sorry and was about to stroke her head.

“Berita, I didn’t think you would disregard my warning so lightly.”

“El, elder sister, no. It’s not what you’re misunderstanding.”

“What misunderstanding? The misunderstanding that you have the ambition to become the mistress of the Vuel Count’s family? Or the misunderstanding that you have the ambition to expand your social standing by flattering Lady Dien?”

“Ah, elder sister…”

Berita looked up at me with quite a hurt expression and bit her lip.

The staff standing by began to whisper, speculating about our relationship.

A story that started in a clothing shop, the center of gossip, was enough to be the topic of dinner conversation this evening.

I looked over the staff and smiled coldly.

As it happens, I was wondering how to turn the rumors of in-law discord that Rain Burton had asked for into gossip, so this works out well.

“Elder sister… I just wanted to attend the banquet.”

Ha, I burst into laughter, creasing my eyes. Not only hanging around with Antra, but even the banquet? I told her not to attend because I was worried she might run her mouth needlessly like in the original story, but she’s ignoring even this.

‘How lightly must she think of me.’

I swallowed the anger rising from my core with a subtle smile.

Meanwhile, Antra, with a flushed face, pushed my shoulder towards the hallway.

“Let’s talk outside.”

“Why? This is why I came in.”

“You really… Do you have to go this far, making a scene?”

“The only ones making a scene are you two.”

“You…!”

Berita, glancing at Antra who was biting her lip at a loss for words, hurriedly approached and grabbed my hand.

“El, elder sister, please calm down. I know you’re still upset, but you’re being too one-sided towards Lady Dien.”

Still upset? What is she talking about?

Feeling a strange sense of discomfort at Berita’s words, I shook off her hand.

‘Could it be, she…’

I frowned at the thought crossing my mind.

“Berita, what do you think I meant by what I said before?”

Berita shrank her shoulders and blinked her eyelashes pitifully.

“Th, that was just because you were momentarily angry, right…”

Ugh, I let out a pained groan and pressed my throbbing forehead.

Even after I said all that, does she think it was just a moment of anger? Does she think everything will be resolved once the anger subsides?

Letting out a hollow laugh at her naive thought process, I stared at Berita who was glancing up at me cautiously.

‘How can she be so lacking in judgment.’

Then again, the fact that she immediately chose Lady Antra as her second option after being rejected by me showed her rash nature.

Feeling my cold gaze, Berita clasped her hands in front of her chest and shrank back.

“Don’t, don’t be so heartless… I know it hurts you more to act like this, elder sister.”

Sigh. It seems I need to speak more clearly to this child.

I smiled gently and tucked Berita’s pale pink hair, which I once carefully combed while singing lullabies, behind her ear. Then I lowered my head and enunciated clearly into her ear.

“I’ll tell you clearly so that even a fool like you won’t misunderstand, so listen well.”

“Uh.”

I grabbed the back of her head to hold her in place as she flinched and tried to back away from the chill in my voice.

“I’ve abandoned you.”

I tilted my head slightly and gave a sweet smile to Berita, whose face had turned deathly pale.

“And soon, you’ll be abandoned by Lady Dien as well.”

I just decided that I must bring down Antra’s social standing, for your sake too.

I sneered at the dazed Berita and turned away, only to meet Antra’s eyes.

A mother-in-law who used to make her daughter-in-law’s life miserable and a sworn sister who had an affair with her husband. They were quite the matching pair.

“I didn’t know Lady Dien was so close with Berita.”

“What, are you jealous? Because I’m with your sworn sister?”

Antra sneered, crossing her arms.

“Well, you never went out when you lived together. As if I could go around with someone as unsophisticated as you. Sorry for only taking Berita out?”

“No need to apologize. If I went out with you, I’d only be embarrassed, that’s all.”

“…What did you just say?”

Antra’s expression hardened coldly.

I gave her a smiling glance and wrapped up this tedious war of words.