The situation that had changed overnight, Elodie simply couldn’t accept it.

“What on earth have I done!”

No matter how she thought about it, she felt this was too much.

To be told to leave Ertman Duke’s residence right now! Was she being told to sit on the streets?

Such treatment, knowing she had nowhere to go, was truly too much.

Of course, she had almost put Odette in danger, but she was safe after all.

“I didn’t know, I told him that……!”

Usually, Walter was gentle to Elodie, so the shock of being coldly ignored was great.

She had hoped, even as she spoke that way, that she might be allowed to return to Ertman’s, but that hope crumbled when she realized that the carriage she had ridden from Ertman’s was gone.

“Miss Elodie, the carriage?”

“Ah, that, that, the coachman said he felt ill, so he went home……”

Her hastily constructed excuse was so poorly made that she couldn’t even keep her expression under control.

What was somewhat fortunate was that she was able to spend the night in Grimmoire.

Thanks to the fact that the very next day after attending Xavier’s banquet, she had planned to attend a tea party with the Countess of Grimmoire’s daughter, Lea, she was able to move on naturally.

But that was the only good fortune.

Lea kept scratching at Elodie’s nerves with her attitude that she did not find Elodie appealing, and Giclin, the Countess of Grimmoire, subtly ignored Elodie.

“You are close to Duke Ertman, aren’t you, Miss Elodie? Today, after the arrival of the 4th Princess, it seemed like she didn’t say a word to you……”

“Lea, don’t say such things. It’s rude to Duke Ertman. If Miss Elodie truly had a relationship worth revealing, Duke Ertman would have mentioned it.”

“Come to think of it, you’re right. I’ll be careful, Aunt.”

On the surface, it sounded like Giclin was reprimanding Lea, but from Elodie’s perspective, it was unbearable.

The words “if there is a relationship worth revealing” ultimately meant that Elodie was just full of empty talk or, at best, a concubine of the Duke.

“Damn old woman……!”

Thinking again, she was grinding her teeth, but she could endure Giclin’s words.

But what came after was the problem.

“This peridot hairpin is pretty! I should wear it. But why are you looking at me like that, Miss Elodie? You surely weren’t going to wear it, were you? I feel a bit sorry then.”

“……I thought it would go well with the dress Miss Lea lent me today.”

“Did you? That dress is a bit plain, so you need to attach a large piece of jewelry to make it pretty. But since I’ll dress similarly, I should use this. I feel so sorry, what should I do?”

Lea’s voice didn’t sound sorry at all.

Even Lea’s dress was not plain at all!

Having lived in Ertman’s and bought all kinds of expensive and splendid dresses with Ertman’s money, Elodie didn’t like the shabby dresses and decorations offered to her.

Add to that Lea’s subtle condescension, and the irritation was beyond measure.

‘She gets all dressed up, and I get this?’

She wanted to bring the beautiful dresses from Ertman’s.

Of course, since they were newly bought, except for what she wore at yesterday’s banquet, she had only purchased them, never worn. Even if she brought them, she couldn’t wear them.

But at least if she had them, she wouldn’t have had to endure this humiliation.

But saying something like going to Ertman’s to get a dress would lead to being told to go back to Ertman’s, so that was impossible.

In the end, Elodie had to go to the tea party wearing a disgraceful dress, crying over spilled mustard.

And at the tea party, an unexpected person was waiting.

Lizaina Rodel Celestine.

“The 3rd Princess was originally unable to come, but she made time to come!”

With her arrival, all the talk of the tea party was focused on Lizaina.
And the hottest topic at the tea party now was, of course, the ball at Xavier’s, which couldn’t possibly be left out.

“Speaking of which, Miss Elodie made her debut at Count Xavier’s ball yesterday, didn’t she?”

“Oh yes, that’s right. I heard a very interesting story. His Grace, Duke Ertman, and him are very close.”

“Oh, that’s because my family is affiliated with Ertman’s…”

Even if she was Elodie, she didn’t have the courage to boast about being driven out of Ertman’s.

She tried to escape with a suitable evasion, but Lea, as if she had been waiting, gleefully added to the conversation.

“What are you talking about, Miss Elodie? You were receiving special treatment that you never gave to any other family, weren’t you?”

“That, that’s…”

“Didn’t Duke Ertman himself pick out your dress yesterday?”

“That’s true, I heard about it too!”

The conversation quickly shifted to Elodie.

But the worst part was, Lizaina was there.

And Lizaina, grinding her teeth at the news of Walter attending the ball with some woman after the plan had completely failed, appeared at the tea party.

“Ladies, I hope you don’t make Miss Montouar feel too awkward. If I know Duke Ertman, he’s a very affectionate person, so he would have been kind to a ‘completely unrelated’ young lady too.”