Everyone was surprised when the words that even shrewd noblewomen dared not attempt due to their enormous impact came from the mouth of a young noble lady.

And a smile appeared on the lips of the grand madam who had been listening to Nora’s words with interest from the beginning.

“You said your name was Nora White.”

“Yes, grand madam.”

“You’re a clever and bright child. Marchioness White has educated her daughter very well.”

“Thank you.”

The marchioness quickly bowed her head and grabbed her daughter’s hand under the table. It was a compliment meaning she had done well.

Ahem, the grand madam cleared her throat and solemnly spoke to the noblewomen.

“Despite being married, Arasila Vandermir is not doing her best for her family and shows a disrespectful attitude towards her elders. So if the wise and virtuous noblewomen gathered here were to readily give that child good teachings, I would be more than grateful.”

No one refused the indirect order to participate in passing the purple violet.

Although Arasila’s natal family, the House of Duke Hugo, was certainly too great to ignore, their backing was none other than Grand Madam Vandermir.

Moreover, they were not doing this to Arasila Hugo, but targeting Arasila Vandermir.

What was there to hesitate about when permission had been given by the grand madam, the highest elder of the House of Duke Vandermir?

Above all, most of the families here were not close to the House of Duke Hugo.

It’s natural to take the side of families you’re close to rather than those you’re not, and if that family is the House of Duke Vandermir, it’s even more natural to side with them.

So no one stopped the passing of the purple violet against a young noblewoman who could be their daughter or granddaughter.

Rather, they just smiled, thinking that something interesting was about to happen.

The grand madam sent out a tea party invitation.

Arasila looked down at the invitation with a profound expression, its edges lined with thin gold and stamped with the crest of the House of Count Hounds.

‘Why did she give this to me?’

It was even more questionable considering how unusually gentle the grand madam’s face had been when handing over the invitation.

‘No matter how little I know about high society, I know that inviting someone you dislike has ill intentions.’

The problem was that she couldn’t grasp what the purpose of calling her out was. Was she going to gather her noble friends to scold her?

But if that was the case, why hold the party at another family’s house instead of the Vandermir mansion?

After wracking her brains, Arasila decided. She should ask an expert about this. Fortunately, she knew a social expert well.

“Emma. If the grand madam returns and asks for me, don’t tell her where I’ve gone, but make up a suitable excuse.”

“Yes, madam.”

Despite being given a difficult task, the loyal head maid bowed her head. Arasila went with Audrey to meet the social expert.

Despite the surprise visit without notice, the expert welcomed Arasila warmly.

“Ari, it’s been a while.”

“Have you been well, elder sister?”

“Yes, I’ve been fine.”

Iris’s eyes curved gently. That’s right. The social expert Arasila thought of was none other than her sister born in consecutive years.

“You’ve lost some weight.”

A tender hand stroked Arasila’s cheek. The rumors spread by the maids of the Vandermir mansion had already reached Iris’s ears.

This meant she also knew that Arasila was being tormented by the grand madam who had come up from the duchy.

“I heard the grand madam locks you in your room during meal times so you can’t eat. Is that true?”

“…Huh?”

Arasila’s eyes widened at the sudden question. Although she was made to serve during meals and eat late, she had never been locked up.

“They say she treats you like a slave and makes you carry her on your back even when moving around inside the mansion.”

“Oh… Is there more?”

“I also heard you can’t lie down straight because you’ve been whipped by the grand madam.”

Words tend to snowball as they pass through many people’s mouths. The grand madam’s evil deeds had developed and spread secretly.

“They say it’s even more credible because it wasn’t the maids from our family who said it, but the existing maids who weren’t on good terms with you.”

If it had been maids from the House of Duke Hugo, they might have been criticized for taking their mistress’s side, but because it was the existing mansion maids, the credibility increased.

Arasila wanted to praise whoever first spread the rumor outside, though she didn’t know who it was.

Still, not wanting to worry her family with exaggerated rumors, she told her sister the truth.

“It’s not actually that bad. I just eat meals late and get bossed around a bit. If it was as bad as the rumors, I would have already blown up the mansion with my own hands.”

If it had really been that bad, Arasila would have fought back with the intention of settling things once and for all, elders or not. Since it wasn’t, she was dealing with it using her brain as much as possible.

Hearing her sister’s clear explanation, Iris smiled and said,

“Actually, I didn’t believe it at all. No matter if it’s your in-laws, you’re not the type to be treated like that.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Ah, but don’t tell others that the rumors are exaggerated.”

“Alright. I could even make them worse.”

The sisters burst into laughter at the light joke. Soon they sat facing each other companionably, and a maid brought in refreshments.

“There’s a reason I came to see you today, elder sister. The grand madam gave me a tea party invitation, but something feels off about it.”

“Really? If you brought the invitation, let me see it.”

“Yes, here. Why would she give me an invitation to another family’s tea party when she dislikes me?”

Iris examined the invitation with a careful eye. She looked at it thoroughly, front and back, side to side. She even held it up to the light.

After turning the invitation this way and that until her eyes nearly popped out, she finally found the hidden trap.

It was a violet drawing about the size of a pinky nail, seemingly drawn by pricking with a needle, in the left corner of the invitation.

“It’s passing the purple violet.”

Iris said, putting down the invitation with a hardened expression.

When passing the purple violet, it’s principle to give prior notice to the person involved.

However, since no one would show up if called out directly, they give stealth notice by drawing such an inconspicuous small picture.

“Why are they passing violets? Ah, are they hinting at me through the flower language?”

Arasila, ignorant of high society, didn’t know what it was.

Passing the purple violet was so effective yet had such side effects that it happened maybe once a year, if at all, so most people had never even heard of it.

“Something like that. It’s pretending to give flowers to mean ‘live humbly’, while actually tearing the person apart from head to toe and burying them.”

Iris bit her lower lip. It was clear they had planned this knowing her sister didn’t have a firm footing in high society.

How could the grand madam be so cruel…

Wondering what on earth her husband Demian had been doing for things to get to this point, she asked angrily,

“What is Lord Vandermir doing?”

“Investigating monsters in the Eastern Etar Mountains. The grand madam came up on the day Demian left.”

“Then, does he know about this situation between you and the grand madam? Is he just focusing on monster investigation while knowing what situation you’re in?”

At her usually gentle sister’s sharp question, Arasila rolled her eyes. Until the wedding preparations, she had kept the conflict with the duke’s family completely hidden.

But from sending spies to the grand madam’s attack, their conflict was bound to surface more and more.

Family members have ears too, so it couldn’t be kept secret forever. It was better to be somewhat open and gain support.

“If Demian were here, he would have definitely stopped it. Don’t be too angry at him, elder sister.”

“…How can I not be angry when he can’t control his own family and is causing you harm?”

“I know how you feel, elder sister. But he’s my husband whom I chose. The grand madam and Demian are separate.”

As Arasila took her husband’s side, Iris had no choice but to back down. It’s naturally difficult to interfere in a couple’s relationship.

“If that’s what you say… Alright.”

“Thank you for understanding, elder sister. And thank you for figuring out the secret of this invitation.”

“Don’t go there, Ari. Even if you’re not interested in high society, being buried and driven out is different.”

This could lead to being buried in noble society as well, so it really needed to be careful. Arasila was no longer just a noble lady, but a noblewoman now.

Knowing what Iris was worried about, Arasila pulled up the corners of her mouth into a grin.

“Don’t worry, elder sister. I’ve been waiting for the right time and place too.”

“Huh…?”

“Since the grand madam has kindly set the stage, I should gladly make use of it.”

Iris looked at her sister in bewilderment and confusion as she spoke incomprehensibly.

Arasila, who was about to get up and gather the invitation, suddenly thought of something and sat back down.

“Elder sister, has there been any scandal in high society recently? Something that journalists would be very interested in covering.”

“Um… There was an anonymous revelation that a certain noblewoman was having an affair with an opera singer.”

“Who is that noblewoman?”

“That wasn’t revealed, but they said her initials were K.”

Hmm, I see. Arasila nodded and asked one more question.

“Are there any journalists who would rush to cover a scoop regardless of the family involved?”

“Hmm, the journalists from the newspaper would generally be like that?”

“Thanks for the good information. I really have no one but you, elder sister.”

After hugging her sister and leaving the marquis’s house, she fortunately returned home just before the grand madam came back.

Secret outing complete.

To take the next step, Arasila took out a pen and paper.

A few days later, a tea party was held at the House of Count Hounds. It was a large-scale tea party attended by renowned noblewomen and noble ladies. It would be more fitting to remove the tea from the front.

While being dressed up, Arasila earnestly pleaded with her maids.

“Make me look sick and haggard, no matter what! No matter what!”

The maids reluctantly followed their mistress’s somewhat bewildering request.

They applied lots of powder to make her already pale skin look sickly pale, and roughly dulled her lip color to look like someone who was ill.

They desperately accentuated her cheekbones to create an optical illusion of sunken cheeks, and applied dark powder under her eyes…

Arasila ended up looking like a sick person who couldn’t even get a bowl of gruel from anywhere.

Audrey and the other maids were very worried about their mistress attending the tea party in such a state, but Arasila herself was very satisfied.

Oh my, this is perfect.

After finishing preparations like that, she departed for the House of Count Hounds, unusually taking two more maids besides Audrey.

Thanks to opening the largest hall in the mansion for the tea party, the count’s residence was bustling with all sorts of people coming and going from the entrance.

Arasila liked this as well.

‘The more audience, the better.’

Surely the grand madam must have had the same thought in setting up such a large event. She must have wanted to bring her down and conquer her in front of many eyes.

Raising one corner of her mouth, Arasila grabbed her handbag and got out of the carriage.

The count’s butler flinched at her complexion before quickly managing his expression and guiding her into the hall.

“Madam, Lady Vandermir has arrived.”

At the butler’s words, people’s gazes turned to Arasila entering the hall. Arasila also calmly surveyed the interior.

Among the round tables laid with dainty refreshments. The grand madam was sitting at a table placed like the head seat in front of a huge tapestry, with several noblewomen.