“Are you close with Duke Ertman?”

Odette twisted her body at the question that came from beside her.

Inside the lounge of the banquet hall. As soon as they were alone, Elodie had asked mischievously.

‘Is she asking because of the rumors?’

Odette felt a moment of confusion, but for now, Elodie’s question didn’t seem malicious.

Initially, the reason Elodie followed Odette around was that she was grateful for her help.

Odette’s discomfort towards Elodie was somewhat personal and onesided, after all.

‘Don’t show my feelings unnecessarily. She might be clumsy but a good person.’

So, she answered kindly.

“I’m not particularly close. I may be caught in the rumors, but I don’t have any notable relationship with him.”

“Is that so! I asked because of the rumors, but it didn’t seem likely to me.”

“……What do you mean?”

Suspicious, Odette asked back, and Elodie prattled on while fixing her makeup.

“I’m staying at Duke Ertman’s place, you know? Naturally, I overhear some stories.”

“So, you heard something about me?”

It was already a famous story that Balter was interested in one of the princesses.

So if such significant words were circulating, it wouldn’t be a surprise.

Odette naturally expected such an answer, but the reply was unexpected.

“Yes. The Duke mentioned that the 4th Princess is very haughty, you know?”

“……What did you say?”

“I didn’t hear it directly, but I heard the attendants talking about it. It might have been a misunderstanding. But that was the atmosphere? Even though she’s not that noble, she acts quite expensive, it’s funny.”

Odette, who was adjusting her attire, forgot what she was doing and looked at Elodie.

It was a shocking behavior, but Elodie only hummed a tune while looking at herself in the mirror, seemingly ignoring Odette.

As if to claim she wasn’t slandering Odette.

‘……Her tone seems to have changed somehow.’

Not openly mocking, but subtly disparaging with a snickering voice.

“So when I first saw Your Highness, I never thought you were the 4th Princess! There’s no way you’d be with someone the Duke dislikes, right?”

“……That must be true.”

“Don’t worry about it…… He may not dare to show his dislike, but don’t take it too seriously. You won’t see him often, right?”

Elodie grinned, quickly sizing up Odette from head to toe.

‘So dumb.’

She can’t even say a word when openly mocked like this.

Such a fool can become the Duchess of Ertman; in any case, I’m much better.

If you lack, you may even lose your man, right?

Elodie closed her pouch, thinking of her victory.

Meanwhile, Odette still seemed unable to recover from the shock.

‘Shall I scratch a bit more?’

Elodie snickered inside, and approached Odette, attempting to offer comforting words with pitiful eyes.

“Don’t worry too much, Your Highness. The Duke certainly doesn’t think only ill of you…….”

But at Odette’s first words after recovering from her confusion, Elodie felt a shocking blow to her head.

“It’s really fortunate.”

“……What?”

“I’m really glad that Duke Ertman might dislike me!”

Odette seemed genuinely pleased, her face even flushed.

“Why, why is it fortunate that he dislikes you?”

“Of course. It’s not like I’m really close with Duke Ertman, and the recent rumors have been troubling. I deliberately acted a bit expensive, so I’m glad it worked.”

“Ah, no…… Still, it’s Duke Ertman.”

“So what?”

“Don’t you want to be close?”

“What does it matter, according to Miss Elodie? We won’t see each other often anyway. It’s just burdensome.”

Th, this isn’t right.

A rare look of confusion appeared on Elodie’s bright face.
Odette was expected to be wounded and sullen, but it seemed that something unexpected had been touched, as she was rather relieved and bubbling with a lively attitude that just didn’t adapt.

Whether Odette’s attitude was truly sincere or not, the fact was that control of the conversation had shifted to her at this moment.

And she even comforted Elodie with the attitude of a social senior.

“Miss Elodie, I’ve realized something having come out to the social world a little earlier than you.”

Greed invites anger.

“Don’t get too lost in vain dreams. If you become too engrossed, reality will feel even colder when you wake up.”

With that, Odette smiled faintly.

Elodie could say nothing in front of her.

It was a perfect victory for Odette.

(This is a time separator.)

Of course, Odette didn’t really say that because she was glad.

‘This provocation is a bit childish now.’

Her own provocation, which she thought was quite a clever trick, just felt like a lowlevel one to Odette.

Of course, Elodie’s acting skills were excellent.

Even Odette had to be a bit more careful to distinguish whether it was the rudeness of a social novice or malice.

But perhaps she felt she had caught the flow once.

Elodie’s malice became more blatant at some point.

‘There’s probably no possibility that she’s awkward but good.’