All in all, her evaluation among the gentlemen had risen, and due to the influence of Marquess’s wife, who was a major opinion leader among the women, only stories of sympathy for Ariadne were going around. Therefore, his second “product” had lost nothing.

Cardinal de Mare was satisfied with this.

However, although they had managed to cover up one accident, the same thing happening twice was a problem.

“Did you find out what caused it? Was it a tailor’s error?”

Ariadne shook her head.

“No, Father. It seems the dress had a problem after it was brought into the house. I will look into it more and let you know.”

“Good. Managing your subordinates is an important quality. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Yes, Father.”

Cardinal de Mare told Ariadne that he would directly provide her with 10 ducats (about 10 million won) per month from now on and left Ariadne’s study.

As Cardinal de Mare left Ariadne’s study, Sanchar, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation from the waiting room outside, looked frustrated and cried out to Ariadne.

“Miss, why didn’t you expose that it was Miss Isabella’s doing?”

“Because I don’t have definitive proof yet.”

Without evidence, a fight would eventually be between Isabella’s word and Ariadne’s. Ariadne didn’t believe that her father would trust her word over Isabella’s, despite all that she had accomplished since her return.

Furthermore, a ‘victory’ in this kind of fight was not just getting her father to trust her more, but driving Isabella out with her word alone. Ariadne hung her head.

The time to take the fight to them was not yet.

After the ball, Ariadne and Sanchar carefully inspected the first debutante dress that had been torn.

The ‘hook’ that Maria brought was indeed a common item these days. However, normal hooks were made of iron, but the hook Maria brought was a very soft material made by mixing lead and silver.

It was particularly odd that they mixed silver, a luxury, with iron, which is more malleable than lead. The hook Ariadne used was designed to come undone over time.

Moreover, they discovered that someone had torn a stitch in the front of the dress with a knife every twenty stitches.

The Razione tailor shop had meticulously and robustly sewn the dress, but there were artificial signs that the thread had been cut by a sharp object. Someone had set a trap for it to be torn.

Sanchar was infuriated, insisting that it was undoubtedly Isabella’s doing, and while Ariadne agreed, they didn’t have decisive evidence.

The hook was unusual in material but similar in shape to other hooks, so they had no way of determining where it was made.

The fact that Maria, who was in charge of the clothes, was close to Maleta was another suspicion, but that suspicion alone was not enough to delve into the major incident of Isabella, the eldest daughter of the house, tampering with Ariadne’s clothes.

“Oh, I’m so frustrated!”

Ariadne comforted Sanchar.

“Let’s wait. Everything will eventually resolve in its own time.”

“Shouldn’t you, Miss, be polishing your patience?!”

To the frustrated Sancha, Ariadne smiled and answered.

“You can’t call this waiting. Let’s gather evidence meticulously. Evidence is like a bomb. It can only cause harm when it explodes all at once when the other side is weak. If we detonate bit by bit now, only the skin will be damaged and not the important parts.”

However, Ariadne also agreed to dispose of Maria. Ariadne poked another 50 florins (about 500,000 won) to the butler Nicolo, who had opened his face on this opportunity, and changed Maria’s position.

Maria, who was living comfortably as a maid close to the lady, was suddenly ordered to be a dishwasher in the kitchen.

“Marietta must have taken enough risk of falling to a hardworking maid. If she did it without taking it, Maria is stupid.”

“She does seem a bit stupid.”

“Well, we’ve got rid of the stupid friend and brought in a new person who is clever. Isn’t that a good thing?”

The person who sent Maria out and brought in was Bicenta, who Sancha had been watching since her third floor maid days. She was a diligent and clever child who was worth using, and Sancha praised her so much that she brought her, and indeed she adapted quickly.

Sancha’s grumbling was endless.

“It’s too much to give straight to Cardinal 12 ducats! It could have been used as a slush fund.”

“But you’re getting 10 ducats a month now. It’s money that will all be covered in a month and a half.”

Ariadne smiled broadly.

“And I didn’t give all the remaining money to my father.”

“Eh?!”

“Don’t you think the clothing cost has gone a bit more than originally planned?”

Indeed, Ariadne’s original clothing cost was only 5 ducats (about 5 million won). In the final account, it had inflated to 20 ducats (about 20 million won).

“I worked with Madam Marini. We agreed to slightly inflate and claim for all my clothes for the next two seasons to be tailored at Razione tailor shop.”

Sancha’s mouth gaped.

“So, 15 ducats (about 15 million won) is our emergency fund. Got it?”

All Sancha could do was nod at the ghostly lady’s skill. Cardinal de Mare was plucked here and plucked there. What he didn’t know was the best.

Cardinal de Mare only inquired about the origins when he was alone with Ariadne, but he stopped probing about the incidents at Ariadne’s debutant ball that evening when Isabella and Ariadne were together, but he severely scolded both daughters.

“Home affairs should not go out of the house. Even if you fight like dogs at home, once you’re out, you’re on the same side!”

When the usually quiet father raised his voice to scold, tears welled up in Isabella’s eyes. It was true that Cardinal de Mare rarely raised his voice, especially when it came to Isabella.

“Ariadne. Even if your sister was wrong, you should not have pointed it out in front of others. Let it pass in public and sort it out at home!”

Ariadne reset the favorability points she had accumulated for her father to zero. How did my previous life, who believed in your words like a rock, go? You would hardly be a fair judge!

But on the outside, as always, she wore the polite, respectful, and trustworthy shell and bowed to her father.

“I was thoughtless. I will be careful not to repeat it.”

Satisfied with Ariadne’s flawless apology, Cardinal de Mare turned his criticism towards Isabella.

“You’re talking about your sister’s body? Do you have a mind or not? Can’t a grown daughter distinguish what to say and what not to say? And that too, your own sister? Do you have the concept of sibling love?”

This was the first time Isabella had ever seen her father pinpoint and get angry at her, from when she was very young to today.

Earlier, she could have claimed a mental victory, thinking that Cardinal de Mare’s scolding was aimed at Ariadne, not her.

Now that the target and content were specific, it was clear that Isabella was the one being reprimanded. No matter where she looked, she had taken the criticism.

“Ahhhh!”

As the flowerlike young lady burst into tears, Cardinal de Mare was taken aback. Isabella cried uncontrollably like a baby.

“…I, I didn’t do it!”

Isabella truly believed in her innocence. She had to believe. As people unanimously declared her wrong, affirming their words seemed to mean that ‘Isabella’ would forever become worthless and useless trash.

Emotional immaturity turned the facts in her mind into a bleached flower garden.

“The accusation that I deliberately exposed my chest was first made by Camellia! All I did wrong was not stopping her!”

“Did you not do it?”