After sending her away with an “It’s okay” when she seemed busy, I entered the restroom and was enveloped by silence.

Perhaps because it was on a different floor, even the loud music from outside sounded quiet here.

When I turned the gold-wrapped faucet, water flowed out gently with the refreshing sound of a stream.

I leaned against it for a moment, staring blankly into space at that sound.

Only then did it suddenly cross my mind that Hael would be strolling the promenade with another lady.

Perhaps Hael is going to get engaged to that lady.

The two of them made a well-matched pair, as the young master had said.

From now on, Hael will become a noble who proudly receives above the rank of viscount, not a commoner.

I was the only one who needed to disappear from that beautiful picture.

It might be fortunate that it happened quickly, since it was bound to happen someday.

Though I knew this fact, the feeling of having to accept it now was quite bitter.

Yuriel, whose mood had rapidly deteriorated, rubbed the hem of her elegant dress clean.

As if trying to erase today’s misfortune and her own memories.

Unsightly water stains spread across the elegant dress.

I wondered if it was okay to dirty such an elegant dress like this, but then the thought became laughable when I realized I would never wear something like this again.

The more the dress touched water, it became shabby rather than clean.

Like my heart.

Disliking the sight, I shook out the dress and stepped into the corridor where dazzling light poured down.

Trying to escape from there, I walked aimlessly through the corridor until I reached a large pillar located in a secluded part of the mansion.

As I entrusted my body to its shadow, my heart became somewhat peaceful.

Though I was concerned about the terrace porch where the young master had been on the opposite side far away, he probably wouldn’t still be there.

Even if he was, I wouldn’t be visible.

Thus, I leaned against the pillar, trying hard to comfort my heart.

Since the hall with the band and music was downstairs, it seemed unlikely that people would come here.

The young master also told me to go with such a face, so it should be fine for a while.

Yuriel closed her eyes and repeatedly took long breaths in and out.

Entrusting her body to the isolated shadow where no one would find her.

Cassian slowly observed that figure from far away.

Along with the amusing thought that perhaps he was the voyeur.

As he expected, Lady Catherine was sitting pretending to be quite heated.

Other nobles seemed to be sympathizing with her outcry, and one servant quickly climbed the stairs towards where Yuriel was.

In fact, from his view, he had seen one servant persistently following even before sending Yuriel out.

That servant, who had been lurking nearby nervously, was the woman who had been talking with Lady Catherine.

The servant with a rather urgent expression quickly approached Yuriel after discovering her.

When the servant conveyed something, Yuriel’s pretty face contorted.

She also seemed startled.

After that, she hurriedly went down the stairs.

In rushed steps, as if unaware it might be a fire pit.

Now it was his turn to move.

He slowly rose from the terrace porch and stepped forward.

Towards the dazzling night where interesting things awaited.

“I’m certain I left my ring there, but it’s gone.”

Lady Catherine’s tone was filled with urgency.

Her teary-eyed appearance was enough to elicit sighs from the nobles.

“Well, it’s her wedding ring after all.”

“Oh my, are you saying someone took it?”

“Indeed. How brazen.”

Voices murmured, echoing through the space.

Amidst it all, Yuriel swallowed dryly.

Lady Catherine, who had lost her wedding ring.

The mistress of this mansion, Lady Ressler, who had summoned her just now.

And then…

“I clearly remember leaving it in the restroom. I even remember putting it down after washing my hands.”

The restroom. That was the very place where she had been just moments ago.

Of course, she had only been there to tidy up her dress and had no memory of seeing Lady Catherine’s wedding ring.

So logically, there shouldn’t be any problem.

Nevertheless, her heart pounded wildly.

‘Why did Lady Ressler call me here at this precise moment?’

Moreover, it felt like both Lady Ressler and Lady Catherine were staring at her.

Trying to suppress her anxious feelings with reason, she pressed on.

Well, it would be stranger if the two of them viewed her favorably.

Both Lady Ressler and Lady Catherine were people who didn’t particularly like her.

More accurately, the expression “hate” would be more appropriate.

Lady Catherine goes without saying.

As for Lady Ressler, she seemed to disapprove of the very fact that she and her mother were staying in this mansion.

Having been well aware of the rumors that Lady Ressler disliked their mother-daughter pair, she had been constantly avoiding her, but perfect avoidance was impossible in the same mansion.

The contorted expression on Lady Ressler’s face when she encountered Yuriel one day remained vivid in her mind.

Of course, she didn’t lay a hand on her, solely due to her title as the young master’s personal attendant.

All the more reason this moment felt terrifying.

After all, both Lady Ressler and Lady Catherine were people who would want to get rid of her.

Ominous imagination bloomed under their malice-filled gazes.

Her heart pounded fiercely like horse hooves amidst the murmuring of people.

‘It can’t be. It won’t be.’

In that instant, Lady Ressler opened her mouth.

“Yuriel, were you in the restroom earlier? Matil said she saw you heading there.”

The maid Lady Ressler mentioned was the very servant who had bumped into her in front of the restroom.

The maid who met her gaze quickly turned her head away.

After that, the nobles’ gazes all focused on her at once.

Her mind went blank at the turn of events, just as she had expected.

The trap she had already fallen into would only tighten its grip the more she struggled to escape.

The answer she had to give was already decided.

“…Yes.”

The murmuring surrounding her grew even more intense.

“Did that young lady really steal?”

“But she was accompanying the Blanchet heir, how could that be possible?”

As always, the conclusion of numerous words culminated in the story of the Blanchet heir.

That the Blanchet heir wouldn’t keep company with such a young lady.

However, in some quarters, a fundamental question spread.

“But have we ever seen that young lady before?”

“No. Could she possibly not be a noble young lady?”

“Oh my, surely not.”

When the lord belatedly realized the situation and cleared his throat with a ‘Ahem,’ the nobles who had finally noticed closed their mouths.

However, the aftermath of the belated damage control was tremendous.

Numerous words spread, and the nobles in the hall whispered about whether that girl wasn’t even a noble.

Amidst their murmuring, the butler and the lord turned pale.

It was the moment when the line they had been precariously maintaining was about to crumble.

Although the young master already knew that girl wasn’t a noble lady, it was a completely different story for it to surface like this.

To lower Blanchet’s prestige, and to have done so intentionally, could only mean they were looking down on them.

When only the young master knew, they could at least rely on his mercy, but…

If this fact were to reach the ears of Duke Blanchet, it would be a dizzying affair.

How dare the lord of Alphonse deceive the great noble Blanchet?

Hah, even if the entire family were to be wiped out without a trace, there would be nothing to say.

Lady Ressler, too, could not hide her bewilderment at the unexpectedly unfolding situation.

Although she desperately wanted to get rid of Yuriel, that wench, and her birth mother from this Alphonse, she hadn’t expected the situation to escalate to this extent.

People who always manipulated everything according to their will tended to be short-sighted.

The lord and his wife now couldn’t hide their pale faces.

Lady Ressler turned her head away to avoid the scene and was even more shocked.

She discovered Cassian, pale but noble, standing behind her like a ghost, not knowing when he had arrived.

But is there a law that says people must die?

Even if, by some chance, the fact that girl isn’t a noble lady becomes known to Blanchet, if they say that girl lied and dared to deceive them, that would be the end of it.

Of course, they couldn’t be completely absolved of the crime of being foolishly deceived, but they could avoid the worst they were thinking of.

To do that, they needed to make that wench appear even more brazen and ignorant of her place.

Having reached this conclusion, Lady Ressler quickly pushed the situation.

“Yuriel, did you take the ring?”

The impact of Lady Ressler’s single statement was significant.

The nobles began to murmur, concluding that she was a thief.

As her breath caught, the world began to turn ashen.

Amidst it all, only one person remained colored, emitting a noble light.

Cassian di Blanchet.

He stood quite upright among the crowd of nobles, though it was unclear when he had arrived.

His expressionless face as usual seemed like that of a bystander, but his brow was slightly furrowed.

It seemed he was displeased with her looking perplexed.

Well, if she became a thief, his reputation might fall too, so that’s probably why he looked like that.

It was certainly so, but for some reason his expression felt subtly different.

However, there was no time to assign meaning to his expression.

Lady Ressler, who had crossed her arms as if daring her to explain, was mocking her.

Had Lady Ressler set this up? No, no matter how much she disliked their mother-daughter pair, she wouldn’t have set up a situation that might ruin her own party.

Not while taking all these risks.

So… the one who set up this whole situation must be that person.

Yuriel’s gaze slowly turned to the opposite direction.