Even as she was being forcibly dragged out, Aria continued to shout.

“Let go! Why do I have to leave!”

Perhaps because of this, the attention of the mansion’s staff was drawn.

The knights felt more burdened the more Aria acted this way.

“Young lady, this is troublesome.”

“Perhaps the Duke acted out of anger. Once his temper cools, he will surely send for you soon.”

Aria became more infuriated the more they tried to placate her.

‘Just wait. You’ll all regret treating me like this.’

For now, there was nothing she could do.

But Aria was confident that once Admund awoke, the situation would change.

No matter how much love led to marriage, people ultimately divorced when relationships soured.

In extreme cases, one might even kill their partner.

Once Admund’s love for Clea completely disappeared, the things Aria had imagined would come to pass.

However, that was still in the future.

Aria glared at the Duke’s mansion.

Noticing the Duke watching her from there, she furrowed her brow.

“Don’t ever forget what happened today! If I return here, you’ll suffer the same humiliation I endured today!”

With those final words, Aria was thrown out the door.

Even after being expelled, she didn’t leave the front of the mansion and continued spewing vicious words, but the people of House Hersher no longer responded to her.

While feeling pity for Aria who had lived lavishly her whole life, they also felt relief that the storm-like commotion had passed.

* * *

After being expelled, Aria decided to go to the Viscount Rokin’s estate.

She thought he would surely help her this time too, as he had been supportive of her before.

Having decided on her destination, she tried to leave immediately, but a problem arose.

“We’re not taking you.”

“I said I’ll pay as much as you want.”

The coachmen of every carriage Aria tried to board refused to accept her as a passenger.

No matter how much money Aria offered, the coachmen coldly rebuffed her.

“Ha, who would risk losing their lifelong business for such a pittance?”

Those who carried countless passengers daily had keen ears for the capital’s situation.

Though they didn’t directly transport high nobles, they heard information through those connected to them.

Recently, there were even rumors that the salon Aria had visited had completely shut down.

The amount Aria offered was enough to live on for nearly a month without working.

It was certainly a large sum, but they couldn’t risk losing their jobs for it.

Aria’s pride was hurt that mere coachmen would disrespect her like this.

“You lot who live hand to mouth dare to refuse the precious money I’m offering! Hurry up and take my bag!”

Already viewed unfavorably, when Aria spoke like that, those whose pride was hurt glared at her coldly.

The atmosphere among those quietly watching this scene also grew chilly.

Aria hesitated momentarily at the completely changed atmosphere, but she didn’t back down at all.

“We’re avoiding you because you’re filthy, not because we’re afraid.”

“Wait! Where are you going!”

Despite her clearly having been thrown out of her home, the coachmen sighed at her still arrogant and insolent attitude, and now completely ignored her.

Aria grew furious watching the carriages pass by, ignoring her.

She bit her lip and gripped her luggage tighter at the carriages that wouldn’t stop for her even when they had no passengers.

‘This is all because of that bitch!’

Aria ground her teeth as she hated one person.

It was all because of Clea.

Until she appeared by Admund’s side, Aria had been surrounded by people.

Regardless of age or gender, everyone had tried to exchange even a few words with her, and helped her without being asked when she was in trouble.

Aria’s life of being loved by everyone came to an end with Clea’s deviation.

“Tsk tsk, no wonder she was abandoned by His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Someone in the crowd said.

Aria immediately turned to try to identify who had spoken.

But it was difficult to find that one person among the many people.

“Watch what you say. She’s still a noble.”

“What does it matter if she’s a noble? Everyone knows what happens when you’re hated by the Imperial family.”

Hearing the murmuring voices, she wanted to say something, but in the end she decided to flee from this place.

The high-heeled shoes, the dress dragging on the ground, and the luggage in her hand.

Not a single thing was comfortable, but still, she wanted to hurry and leave this place.

“See, she’s running away without saying anything.”

Trying hard to ignore the mocking voices reaching her ears, she continued to move her feet.

But for some vindictive reason, people kept following and harassing her.

Even the police in charge of public safety just silently watched this scene.

There was no one on Aria’s side here.

Aria moved while desperately suppressing her anger. Vowing to somehow repay all these moments.

* * *

“Aria has been expelled from the family, it seems.”

“What are the chances of Aria trying to escape?”

Clea asked without even looking at Bawin’s report.

Clea also knew well that there was no way she would run away.

But couldn’t unexpected situations still occur?

Just as they hadn’t anticipated Aria’s final struggle.

“Aware of that possibility, the Duke of Hersher has also assigned knights. The intention to prevent her from escaping was clear.”

“So they won’t protect her.”

She snorted at the sight of the man rumored to be a daughter-idiot now abandoning his own daughter and desperately struggling to protect the family somehow.

Clea looked again at the old temple documents she had been reading.

They contained the long history of House Hersher.

When Hayden first gave them to her, she was curious about the reason, but now it was almost laughable.

“What is Aria doing now?”

“Having left home, she seems to be moving about trying to get help from someone.”

Now Aria had fallen to a state where she couldn’t even ride a common carriage.

To the point where one might wonder if she would be immediately kicked out even if she went to a restaurant, she had now become an unwelcome presence wherever she went.

If there was a place such a person would go to seek help, there was only one.

“Then she’ll come to you.”

Bawin didn’t deny it either.

Almost all the families had turned their backs on her and House Hersher. In such a situation, where she would go was obvious.

“Is it alright to just be like this?”

“There’s quite a distance between the Duke of Hersher’s mansion and our house. Someone who doesn’t know the way well wouldn’t be able to find it quickly.”

He seemed relaxed, as if preparations to receive her were already complete.

Then Bawin placed a book in front of Clea.

Clea looked at the book placed on the desk.

“It’s the item Your Highness desired so much.”

“You finally found it.”

Clea raised the corners of her mouth upon hearing his words.

The item she most wanted in the current situation where Aria’s downfall was already certain.

It was the clue to break her curse.

“But aren’t you giving it to me too easily?”

Clea, who had been looking at the old book, composed her expression and looked at Bawin.

Although she had received help from him several times, Clea thought it was entirely because their goals had aligned.

Since he wasn’t someone who would give unconditional loyalty like Oberon and Rupia, Clea expressed her doubts.

He was handing it over without even proposing a deal, despite being someone who extremely disliked taking losses.

To this, Bawin answered with a smile.

“I don’t want to be a moth flying into the fire when the tide has completely turned.”

With those words, he quietly bowed and left his seat.

Clea didn’t bother to stop Bawin and turned her gaze back to the old book on the desk.

“So this is the thing that has entangled my life.”

Looking at the old book, her first thought was that it was worn, shabby, and unsightly.

It was absurd that such an object could completely overturn a person’s life.

She immediately picked up the old book and opened it.

After reading the contents inside, Clea frowned.

‘Nothing but truly vile contents.’

The old book was recorded in archaic language no longer used, but Clea could easily read it.

Because Aria had written down the contents she had deciphered to read herself alongside it.

Thanks to this, she comfortably read through and learned the reason why Aria had been cursed from birth.

Details that couldn’t be fully covered in the temple records were described in detail in the old book.

Clea turned the pages quickly.

Suspicious spells and recipes that seemed doubtful if they could actually be made were densely written.

But Clea didn’t bother to examine them closely unless they were related to her.

As she continued to turn pages quickly, content related to the curse appeared just past the middle.

“I thought it would never be broken by the method I knew, and indeed it was true.”

The method to break the curse was exactly as she had known.

As in the original work, it could be broken if one found true love with someone.

However, according to what was written here, Clea couldn’t break it by ordinary means.

Because Aria was still the owner of the curse, and she had merely been made to face death in her stead.

There were two methods written in the book.

Either Aria finds true love, or else.

“You meet death at the hands of the person you love most.”

Though she didn’t know where this vile curse originated from, a curse that began with love could end with love.

Clea closed the book and organized her thoughts for a moment.

But then, someone knocked on the door. And after that came the news she had been so eagerly awaiting.

“Your Highness, His Highness has awakened.”