A banquet was held. The pretext was a family gathering.

In reality, it was an occasion to show Diana, who had disappeared, the current state of the Beatus household.

Inside the Beatus’ First Banquet Hall, where only direct descendants could enter, lay a huge and long table.

The banquet hall, which had never been fully occupied, was now filled with people seated at the table.

At the head of the table sat Count Gordon Bruger, as if he were the master of this place.

Two aunts and more than ten cousins. Even the spouses of the cousins. Gordon had brazenly summoned them here.

Before anyone knew it, the Beatus household had become a den of foxes.

Gordon had always wanted a strong child to support him. That’s why he took two wives and even had a bastard child.

But unfortunately, after Zelony, he lost the function of his lower body.

It was a well-known fact that this was the work of Debir Beatus.

Was it because it was noisy? Even my elder brother was amazing at a young age.

“……”

“……”

Seated at the very end of the table, Diana was assigned to a corner like an uninvited guest.

A thorough exclusion. But she was dignified and only cut her food with an indifferent expression.

It was to the point where one might even mistakenly think that the seat she was sitting in was right next to the head of the table.

The cousins looked at her with vigilant eyes, and their spouses couldn’t take their eyes off Diana’s face, which they had only heard about in rumors.

Among them, Gordon’s eldest son, who was older than Debir, had eyes full of ambition.

Even his own father was no match for Debir, but Gordon’s children were full of greed without any ability.

Zelony, who had a strong vanity, was a typical example. Seeing how quiet she was today, it seemed like she was conscious of her brothers.

Everyone ate their meal while holding their breath, but Diana ate without caring.

The Beatus’ cuisine, which she was tasting after a long time, was so exquisite that it melted on the tongue.

The men among the cousins’ spouses, who were looking at Diana with vulgar and sticky gazes, gulped their saliva at her poise that could not be treated recklessly.

“Diana.”

The moving knife stopped abruptly. Calling her name familiarly while omitting the surname Beatus.

Especially in this banquet hall, it was something that should not have happened. It was an act of insubordination by a branch family member towards a direct descendant.

If her father had been alive, his head would have flown off immediately.

She did not point this out to Gordon, who knew this better than anyone.

In the Beatus family, as soon as one of the siblings becomes the head of the family, all the others except the head’s children become branch family members.

As he got older, he seemed unable to forget the glory of his days as the young master of Beatus.

“Yes. Uncle. Please speak.”

“Your role is significant for the family.”

My role. Laughter almost escaped. His dreams were grand.

“Is that so?”

Faced with her elegant and refined appearance, Gordon swallowed his saliva.

It would be a waste to send her to a powerless prince.

He could sell her to a better place. There were other candidates besides the old marquis he originally intended to send her to.

She was resembling Vanessa more and more. Before going to the imperial palace, Vanessa Beatus had played the role of the lady of the house and controlled the internal affairs of this family.

Her appearance was so thorough that she was famous as a rose with poison.

Furthermore, Vanessa expanded her territory to the central social circles and dominated the crowd with her outstanding abilities. Her beauty was even bewitching.

But that was a story of the past. Those who knew were aware that Vanessa’s current condition was not good. She might become an invalid soon.

“……”

When Gordon closed his mouth as if lost in thought, the conversation was cut off.

She put down the knife she had stopped and moved her hand to the wine glass.

As she slowly rotated the wine glass, the rich aroma and flavor of the red wine came to life through the air.

Diana’s eyes sharpened as she gazed at the red wine moving silently inside the glass.

The First Banquet Hall. The reason why only direct descendants could enter here was that an environment could be created where one could die without anyone knowing.

Occasionally, even a branch family member who was recognized for their abilities could enter, but there was an exception.

Diana looked at the spouses of her cousins who were eating without knowing anything.

“Sister-in-law Cherina.”

At the sudden call, Zelony’s sister-in-law was startled.

“Your husband will die like that, you know?”

“What?”

A subtle nerve poison had been applied to the wine glass. Not only that, but the wine was also poisoned.

It was fine if one drank a little, but if one finished all the wine in the glass, it would lead to serious injury.

It was no different from a test.

It meant that if you were a Beatus, you should survive this much.

The rigid head butler still opted for the old ways. The head butler yearned for the survival of the fittest Beatus that engaged in succession wars.

Even Gordon could not stop such a test. Because he was not yet the true master.

The head butler of the Beatus family only followed the orders of the family head.

Clang! The wine glass flew far away and shattered. No matter how much of a branch family member, strength was innate.

“Are you crazy?! I told you to be careful about eating and drinking here!”

“Gasp. Ugh. So, sorry.”

Her spouse was already showing symptoms of paralysis and trembling hands.

Those who had even touched the glass with their lips once were terrified at the sight of the wine glass. The quiet banquet hall began to buzz.

Thud!

“Enough.”

As the commotion arose, Gordon put down his knife and fork. His voice, as heavy as his physique, blanketed the banquet hall.

The wives and children who were watching his reaction became as quiet as a dead mouse.

Gordon valued prestige and authority. But his children lacked those qualities.

If the succession war had continued, his children would have died long ago.

Gordon’s gaze naturally turned to Diana.

Whether they were making a fuss or not, she elegantly savored the wine by raising the wine glass.

As if poison and such did not matter.

It was a truly Beatus-like demeanor.

No one stopped Diana as she perfectly finished her meal and left the banquet hall.

Two maids who had been standing by followed behind Diana.

The two maids, who had the same expressionless faces as if wearing masks, were enough to instill a sense of intimidation in others.

“Young lady, what was it today?”

Jamie, who had been following obediently, asked.

“A nerve poison.”

“Hmm, it was weak. Has the old man gotten old too?”

“You’re being disrespectful again. It’s rude to say that to an elderly person.”

“Are you the only noble who thinks of servants like that?”

And even subordinates at that? Regardless of age, the gap between class levels could not be bridged.

Servants were just commoners who attended to them. Or nobles of lower rank.

What high-ranking noble would respect them? They were just convenient tools to be used.

However, Diana respected them. Regardless of class or rank. She respected and showed courtesy to those whom she could respect as a person, regardless of their status.

Of course, within the bounds of a noble’s dignity.

“Young lady.”

The head butler, dressed in a neat black suit, bowed his head towards her.

Apart from his white hair, he looked so young that it was hard to believe he was an old butler.

Although it was said that he had served the Beatus family since the previous generation, no one knew the age of this old butler.

“Butler, it’s been a while.”

“Yes, this old body. I was deeply worried that the young lady might have run away.”

In other words, he was relieved that she did not put on a farce of the Beatus family tucking its tail and running away because of a mere branch family member.

Diana’s red-painted lips curved up in a smirk.

“Your loyalty was excessive.”

It was a remark about turning the banquet hall into a testing ground.

The head butler, understanding Diana’s words, laughed deeply, and only then did the wrinkles that showed his age appear.

“Only mine had a strong poison.”

“Oh my, did my favoritism displease you?”

I don’t need such favoritism. Even for her, who had resistance to poison, a large amount of poison could be deadly.

It was fortunate that her body had become a strange one where curses were absorbed and poison turned into medicine.

Thankfully, she could drink that much without difficulty. The head butler’s preparation had become a medicine for her.

This household was always like this. She always had to live in tension. It was different from the Schwartz ducal castle where she could stay comfortably.

If you don’t show a strong appearance, you’ll be devoured.

Sighing inwardly, she spoke coldly as if lowering the surrounding temperature.

“Don’t cross the line. Butler.”

A chilling aura brushed past the butler’s neck as if it would pierce through.

“Even loyalty, when excessive, becomes a transgression and insubordination.”

The more she did so, the deeper the smile on the head butler’s face became.

The head butler always only thought of the Beatus family. When a direct descendant acted in a manner befitting their status, the head butler was pleased.

“Yes, young lady. I will keep that in mind.”

As she passed by the head butler, he placed his white-gloved hand on his chest and bowed deeply.

“Today, you were impeccably Beatus-like as always.”

Deep satisfaction. He looked at Diana as if a grandfather was looking at a praiseworthy granddaughter.

“Tsk. I’m telling you, that old man is not in his right mind either.”

Jamie grumbled again, glancing at the head butler behind her back.

“……”

Diana said nothing, as she agreed with that as well.

In fact, if you think about it, there was probably no one in their right mind in this household.

The head butler did not straighten his back until she disappeared from the corridor.

The room illuminated by the bluish moonlight was still.

After dismissing the siblings Jane and Jamie, she lay sprawled on the bed without even removing her makeup.

‘Ah, I’m tired.’

The banquet hall always consumed a lot of energy. Her dark purple hair spread out like waves on the white bed.

She closed her eyes and thought.

‘First, I need to wear the lady’s ring that I took off to hide my relationship with the Schwartz family, and I need to contact Rodrick. Also, I have to meet the prince who is my political marriage partner.’

As she listed the things she had to do, she fell asleep just like that.

Her mana was secretly draining from her body without her knowing. Her tired body grew heavier and heavier.

Ugh. As she groaned, a cold chill brushed her cheek.

What is it, did someone enter my room? The siblings Jane and Jamie wouldn’t come in this quietly. Then, an assassination?

Her eyes flew open, and there was a shadow in front of her. It was the silhouette of a man with his back to the moonlight.

She instinctively took out the hidden weapon from under the pillow and drew a line towards the shadow. But the man’s speed was faster.

The hand that had taken out the hidden weapon was blocked by the man’s hand. The tightly grasped wrist was pressed against the soft bed.

“Diana.”

It was a gentle voice that only she could hear.

“Rodrick?”

Only then did she properly see his face, shaded by the moonlight. He, who had brought in the cold air, touched the tip of his nose to hers.

The tension in her body dissipated at once.

“How did you come in?”

“By sleeping?”

At that leisurely voice, Diana laughed genuinely, feeling good.