“Haha. As expected, you knew.”

Tail emerged from behind a wooden pillar with an embarrassed smile. He scratched his head hesitantly before opening his mouth.

“Well… It seems you’ve become intimate with the Countess in a short time. I never imagined… seeing such a scene, oh my.”

A fierce crack appeared on Edmond’s face.

“What are you trying to say?”

Tail’s shoulders flinched at the cold air emanating from him.

Tail quickly put his interlocked hands behind his head and whistled, pretending not to know. Despite his casual demeanor, cold sweat trickled down his temples.

Edmond almost gave Tail a knock on the head for acting as if he had witnessed an unsightly scene, but he held back.

“So what additional information do you have to report?”

“Ahem, you ordered additional investigation on Lady Lilien, right? I met with the Chief of Security for the investigation, and he said he witnessed a man flirting with a woman who looked exactly like Lady Lilien. Apparently, he looked like a lucky good-for-nothing.”

“Any description?”

“Since he sees dozens of tourists every day, he couldn’t provide details. What should we do?”

A man, huh. If that man was Devon and Etricia found out about it and ordered a hit as revenge? Rail’s reasoning that the motive could be a crime of passion seemed to fit.

Edmond frowned at the unpleasant assumption and sharply raised his golden eyes.

“Tail, request the list of tourists from that time from the lord and investigate if Devon Vuel is on it.”

At that moment, Tail, who was picking his ear, awkwardly raised the corners of his mouth.

“Surely you don’t mean for me to go through all of that, do you?”

“You understood correctly.”

Gasp, Tail’s mouth fell open. He was someone who got restless after sitting at a desk for just 10 minutes. Moreover, all that by himself…

“Y-You mean to share it with the other knights, right?”

“…”

Edmond stared at Tail with a cold gaze before turning away.

No way, for real? Tail felt the stern pressure and screamed while clutching his head. He felt like hitting his own mouth for saying unnecessary things and angering his master.

“What is this…”

It was the day after returning from the duchy.

It was also just two days before the banquet. I had planned to go out to cheer up Lilien, who was feeling left out after I went to the duchy alone, but it seems I’ll have to change those plans.

Breaking News! Scandal between Count Edmond Mifidian and Countess Vuel!

Really? I could only laugh helplessly at the empire’s daily newspaper, which was plastered with scandals about Edmond and me overnight.

It even contained content rivaling an erotic novel, claiming that I had committed adultery with Edmond by visiting the forest while my husband was away on a business trip.

“Hah, as if I’d casually roam around a forest where monsters live.”

I could only sneer at the sensational article. It was obvious who had published this article.

“Devon…”

His intentions were clear too. It was revenge against Edmond and an attempt to shift the blame for our marital discord.

The me who had been immersed in the original story that Devon knew wouldn’t have been able to comfortably tarnish the reputation of someone I was indebted to.

At the same time, since he couldn’t visit the Mifidian estate himself, this was a tactic to make me come to him on my own after seeing this article.

Rail had mentioned that he had been disposing of countless letters from Devon for days. For him, this was the only way to meet me.

‘He used his brain a bit.’

Unfortunately for him, his petty scheme worked on me.

I gritted my teeth, crumpling the newspaper as anger welled up inside me.

I knew Devon wouldn’t grant a divorce easily. That’s why I had prepared evidence of infidelity in addition to the will, and even swayed Antra at the dress shop.

But to think he’d make the first move in such a dirty way.

‘As expected of the petty Devon, he did something truly petty.’

Originally, I wanted to avoid an ugly, messy situation and aimed for a mutual divorce agreement. But if he’s going to act like this, I have no choice but to get messy too.

I threw the crumpled newspaper into a corner and stood up abruptly.

As I opened the door and turned, I saw Edmond approaching from the end of the corridor, talking with Rail.

I was just about to go confess my wrongdoing anyway.

I bowed politely with my hands clasped.

“Countess?”

When Edmond’s shiny shoes came into view, I tucked my fallen hair behind my ear and spoke with a subdued expression.

“I’m sorry for causing trouble.”

“Please raise your head.”

I straightened up and spoke quite composedly.

“This is Devon’s doing. I’ll meet him right away to resolve this.”

“You’re saying you’ll resolve this on your own?”

“Of course.”

I was saying this, but I felt quite at a loss.

The subjects of the scandal were none other than Edmond and me.

The social world was one where rumors about the privileged class spread like wildfire.

For people who enjoyed others’ misfortunes as if they were their own happiness, the truth didn’t matter.

What should I do? If only another scandal would break out to cover this up…

A thought flashed through my mind, and the corners of my mouth curved up slightly.

‘Wait, I could create a scandal myself, couldn’t I?’

I was planning to hire a journalist to maliciously spread news of infidelity anyway.

I narrowed my eyes and said,

“Don’t worry, by tomorrow everyone will be too busy talking about something else. However, we should find the journalist who wrote this malicious article and have them publish a correction.”

That way, the scandal will completely disappear.

“Leave that to me.”

“Oh my, if you’d do that, I’d be grateful.”

It was a relief that he would handle this uncomfortable issue. Edmond looked at me with a subtle gaze as I stood in the corridor.

“But where are you going?”

“I’m going to meet Devon.”

I said with a cool smile on my lips.

“I think that person might be waiting for me by now. Oh, and please tell Lilien I’m sorry I couldn’t keep our promise today.”

With that. It was the moment I was about to turn around after giving a light greeting.

Edmond was already standing beside me.

“I’ll accompany you.”

He could just assign a guard, why bother? Reading the questioning look in my eyes, he said expressionlessly as he walked ahead. I quickly followed.

“No, that’s a bit… I’ll go alone.”

“He might become violent again.”

I stopped after following Edmond a few more steps.

If Edmond accompanied me like this, it would only confirm the scandal. Devon would be emboldened, puffing up his chest saying ‘See that?’ If that happened, it would cause trouble for Edmond and Lilien at this point, with the banquet so close.

No matter how thick-skinned I was, I couldn’t ruin Lilien’s late debutante stage.

“Count, even if Devon becomes violent, that’s between him and me.”

Edmond stopped moving. I continued in a dry voice to his retreating back.

“If you’re really worried, I’ll ask someone else.”

After a while of no movement, he slowly began to speak.

“I see. I apologize for the discourtesy.”

“No, I appreciate it.”

Thank goodness. Another guard will be assigned.

Thinking this, I pressed my lips tightly, when Edmond turned towards me.

“Take care.”

As he quickly passed by me, I could see a thick vein standing out next to his temple.

Why does he look angry?

“Rail, you accompany the Countess.”

“Y-Yes. Understood.”

Rail hurriedly bowed his head and retreated.

I followed Edmond’s angry back disappearing down the corridor with a bewildered gaze.

‘I told him to assign another guard for his own sake, so why is he angry…?’

I wasn’t the only one staring at him in confusion. Rail also seemed perplexed, blankly watching his master walk away.

Ding−.

I entered the bar notorious as a dating spot for nobles.

Passing through the lounge, Rail, who had followed me in, gave me a nod and sat down at an empty spot far away.

This place was familiar to me. It was because I used to come here often for dates with Devon during our courtship. He kept calling me out for dates even though he had no money.

Tsk, as unpleasant memories surfaced, I plopped down next to Devon, who was sitting at the bar table putting on all sorts of airs.

“You used your brain, huh? Making me come looking for you like this.”

“I spent money too.”

Devon grinned unpleasantly and downed a glass of cheap gin. Thud, he put it down and looked me up and down intensely, resting his head on the back of his hand.

“They say a man’s woman becomes more attractive when she becomes another man’s woman. It seems that’s true.”

My face hardened at the nauseating flirtation while I was in the middle of ordering a cocktail from the bartender.

“…”

I glared at Devon as if to stab him to death with my coldly sculpted gaze. It was because past memories had resurfaced.

Reading the ominous aura, Devon’s lips twitched awkwardly.

“Why are you like this? I was just complimenting you for being pretty. You used to like words like this in the old days.”

“Compliment?”

It wasn’t a compliment, but idle talk to fill your own pockets. And I, not knowing that, wagged my tail and liked it.

Devon during our courtship was devoted to the point of being blind. He lured me with sweet talk as if he would bring all the rare things in the world to me.

The same man changed his attitude after marriage as if flipping his palm.

The sense of loss and misery I felt when I learned he was courting other women with the honey-like melting voice that used to whisper love to me was indescribable.