Lote’s eyes widened in surprise at the sunken atmosphere, and then she spoke to Duke Orteka.

“Everyone seems to have been waiting, knowing that we were coming, Your Grace.”

The ladies, awkwardly eyeing each other, greeted Lote and the Duke excessively.

“You two look so good together. If a stranger saw you, they would think you were married!”

“Oh, it’s not just me who thinks so. You two really aren’t anything more than that, are you?”

Lote, pretending to be shy, looked to Duke Orteka, saying, ‘Please don’t say that, everyone. We really aren’t anything more.’

‘The Duke doesn’t seem interested in Lote.’

The feeling was more like accepting within a nonoffensive boundary.

During this, she made eye contact with Duke Orteka. His eyes were definitely purple when she first saw them.

‘Now they seem dark green.’

The color she had mistaken for purple was a strange shade.

Duke Orteka gestured slightly with the corner of his mouth, and I naturally nodded and focused on the tea party.

Meanwhile, Countess Hetel had Lote in front of her and began to brag about the new tea.

“This is a tea we obtained with difficulty at Hetel Count’s house. It is Silleon tea my husband brought from the Kingdom of Baistun on a business trip.”

The Kingdom of Baistun was famous for being a closedoff kingdom that did not trade even with the Empire. Therefore, famous teas like this from Baistun were treated as a rare delight.

“Lote, will you serve the Silleon tea to the guests?”

“Yes, Mother.”

After brewing the tea in the teapot, Lote gracefully got up and poured tea in front of me. It was an elaborate teacup with a flashy sun pattern, and a golden rose was embossed on the handle.

Lote asked with a kind face.

“My skills may be lacking, but would you like to give it a taste?”

I calmly took a sip of the tea.

(This is the time separator.)

Lote was the most beautiful woman in the Hetel Count’s house. Her mother, Countess Hetel, always said that she could marry the best gentleman.

Lote thought so too.

‘The opportunity will come.’

The moment she faced the noble Duke Blanchet, she realized.

‘That’s the man.’

A man flowing with arrogance more than royalty. Completely different from Duke Orteka, who was handsome but somehow lacked a manly charm. Frankly, the woman beside him was not at all concerning.

‘It’s fake anyway.’

Even though the face was prettier than hers, Lote had more charm. Lote took their official marriage registration as a joke.

Of course, Duke Blanchet was not an easy man. Even if she feigned shyness to secretly request a meeting, he refused with skillful and cool manners.

‘I have no intention of escorting Miss Hetel. My beloved wife is waiting.’

‘I will speak well to your wife.’

‘Hmm.’

Duke Blanchet, who stroked his sleek chin lazily, looked down at Lote with a cold gaze.

‘Why would Miss Hetel speak with my wife, ignoring me?’

‘Eh? That, that’s…… because we can talk more comfortably as women.’

‘Funny talk. It’s not Miss Hetel’s concern to worry about my married life. You’ve already seen enough.’

The night she had knocked on his door wearing only a thin slip surfaced in Lote’s mind.

Frankly, she had hesitated for a moment after seeing him with his wife. But the glimpse of his sensual body through the crack in the door was too enticing.

The animallike swollen body of Duke Blanchet. The feeling that stimulated her peripheral nerves made Lote knock on the door without thinking.

It didn’t matter that he was with his wife. If he saw her voluptuous figure, things would change, she thought.

But the two didn’t seem to hear anything like the sound of knocking; they were lost in each other.

Then, the eerie red eyes looking at his wife stared at Lote.

At that moment, Lote felt like fainting from the goosebumps and ran away from the spot.

She ran without knowing why. It was not the vitality of a human. It was a distant horror like a monster, beyond human.

‘This is the last warning. I understand the family situation, but don’t push your luck.’
Lotte forgot her manners and fled, pale and disgusted.

‘That man is no good. Too… scary.’

Lotte decided to choose the Duke of Orteca, whom her younger sister Flora was eyeing. She had not noticed the Duke of Blanchet beside her, but on second thought, there was no man like the Duke.

But that did not mean her resentment towards the Duchess of Blanchet disappeared.

It was because of Estelle that the Count of Hetel was humiliated by the Duke of Blanchet and the Earl of Orteca. Therefore, Lotte, with her mother’s help, planned to disgrace her and show her charm to the Duke of Orteca.

“Though my skills are lacking, would you like to taste it?”

Duchess Blanchet, Estelle, gracefully poured the tea.

‘The tea pouring is perfect.’

Dressed in a lavender dress with appropriate ornaments, she stood out the most at this tea party. But she was merely a commoner adopted child.

‘But pouring tea alone won’t do.’

A social etiquette test that a debutante aristocrat must know. There was no way a commoner who hadn’t debuted could do it.