In the end, that day’s gathering was dismissed early in a gloomy atmosphere.

After sending all the young ladies back, Nora paced around the room alone, grumbling, and then suddenly became consumed with anxiety.

‘If I lose this power struggle, I’m finished. My parents will be angry, and my future…’

Biting her nails, Nora squeezed her eyes shut. The words her parents had said to her a few days ago echoed in her mind.

‘You foolish girl. Why did you waste time on a one-sided love and miss your chance to marry! If you were going to do that, you should have at least beaten Hugo’s daughter!’

‘A woman’s value decreases as she gets older, it’s a loss. Aren’t you already twenty-three? I wonder which family’s son will take you. Tsk tsk.’

Due to her habit of liking someone for a long time once she falls for them, she had one-sidedly loved Demian for a full 4 years.

During that time, Nora had reached the age limit for marriage, and the Demian she so longed for had become another woman’s husband.

Nora thought that her life had turned out this way because of Arasila.

Because of her, she had lost the man she liked and now faced the unfortunate situation of having to marry someone her parents chose, so Arasila absolutely must not be allowed to be happy.

‘I have to do something. I must do something about that woman…’

As Nora was desperately pondering, important news reached her ears.

Arasila was hosting her first party in high society, and there would be no restrictions on attendees, so anyone could come.

Nora thought she understood the intention behind this.

‘Hah, she used her brain a bit. That way, there will be many party attendees, and people from other social circles can attend without burden.’

Since it was a party open to everyone, even if one attended, it wouldn’t appear as if they were abandoning their own social circle to go.

Nora’s teeth chattered at Arasila’s cunning, and at the same time, she felt the desire to ruin the party.

As Nora racked her brain hard, a strange smile soon appeared on her lips. It was because a good idea had crossed her mind.

‘I’ll make her regret accepting just anyone as an attendee.’

A few days later, Nora headed to the party venue, dressed as lavishly as possible.

Not wanting to lose to Arasila, she had woken up at dawn and polished herself to perfection. Her makeup was so heavy it looked slightly unnatural, but she was extremely satisfied.

After staring into a mirror the entire carriage ride with her partner, Nora stepped out with a nervous look when they arrived at the Vandermir mansion.

In the distance, a couple standing at the entrance greeting guests caught her eye.

Nora frowned, feeling intense jealousy at the sight of Arasila arm-in-arm with Demian.

‘Come on, how grand of a party is this that they’re going to such lengths?’

Usually, the party host waits inside and makes a grand entrance at the end, but they were standing at the door as if hosting a housewarming party, which she didn’t like.

It was as if they were flaunting their relationship as a couple.

The closer she got to the two of them, the more displeased she became. The partner she had brought was inferior to Demian in many ways, which made it even worse.

‘I should have been the one by his lordship’s side.’

Barely suppressing the jealousy that felt like it was setting her chest on fire, Nora stood before the couple.

Seeing her, Arasila immediately put on a welcoming expression and greeted her.

“Miss White came too? Welcome.”

“Of course I had to come congratulate you on your first party. It’s been a while, Lord Vandermir.”

After saying those insincere words, Nora looked at Demian with a shy face. Demian glanced down at her and nodded slightly.

“Demian! You shouldn’t be so indifferent when Miss White is greeting you.”

Arasila reached out and lightly pinched Demian’s cheek. Even at that small contact, fire sparked in Nora’s eyes.

For a moment, she almost rushed forward to remove Arasila’s hand, barely restraining herself.

Even though Demian was docilely letting Arasila pinch his cheek.

“Oh my, no matter how much I tell him to treat other women well too, he just won’t listen.”

Arasila sighed exaggeratedly and lowered the fingers that had been pinching his cheek.

“He says everyone but me looks like a monkey to him. He’s really incorrigible, isn’t he?”

She gently stroked Demian’s cheek and smiled with her eyes. Nora felt her insides boiling.

It seemed like she was deliberately clinging to Demian to rub salt in her wounds, which made her want to go crazy with resentment.

As it became too difficult to keep watching, Nora hurriedly tried to move along with her partner, but Demian suddenly grabbed Arasila’s hand and said,

“Anyone would be like that with someone like you as their wife. It’s no wonder everyone calls me lucky. Don’t you agree?”

“…Huh? Ah, yes.”

When he stared intently at them and asked, Nora’s partner nodded reflexively, feeling some inexplicable pressure.

However, Nora’s gaze was fixed only on Arasila, who was half-embraced in Demian’s arms.

She was leaning her face naturally on Demian’s shoulder, and when their eyes met, she gently curved her eyes.

Nora bit her lower lip hard enough to turn her red-painted lips white.

As she turned and left abruptly without a word, her partner hurriedly followed behind. Suppressing her emotions that felt ready to burst, Nora whispered lowly.

“You haven’t forgotten what I told you to do, right? You must do it properly later.”

At that, the young master of the Smith viscounty family who was attending as Nora’s partner today slowly nodded.

“Don’t worry, young lady. But you must also pay the promised compensation without fail.”

“Of course. I’ll pay off all your gambling debts, and even give you enough money to gamble more.”

At those words, the Smith young master smiled with satisfaction. Nora roughly found a spot with him against one wall.

As the party officially began, the hall instantly became a boisterous atmosphere.

Thanks to there being no restrictions on attendees, it was so crowded that one couldn’t take a step without bumping into someone else.

Arasila was surrounded by everyone as the host and star of the party.

Seeing renowned noble ladies like the Grand Duchess of Keystone smiling and speaking familiarly with Arasila, Nora felt so jealous her chest ached.

With a capable and handsome husband by her side, being revered by people – that was the very ideal Nora had dreamed of.

‘If only I had married Lord Vandermir…’

As she sipped champagne and darkly stared at Arasila, Nora called over a passing maid.

“Could you secretly deliver this note to Lady Vandermir? Tell her the lady herself asked me to do this.”

“Certainly.”

The maid politely accepted the note and walked towards Arasila.

A moment later, watching Arasila leave alone, Nora gave a signal to the Smith young master. Nodding slightly, he quietly disappeared in the direction Arasila had gone.

The plan Nora had devised was truly wicked.

She intended to frame Arasila for having an affair with the Smith young master.

To this end, she had lured Arasila to the garden with a note saying she had something to tell her, and sent the Smith young master after her.

When the two met in the garden, the Smith young master would confess his love to Arasila and act intimately, as if they were secret lovers meeting.

‘And if Lord Vandermir or others witness that scene, it’s over.’

Though it seemed childish and simple at first glance, it was a fatal trap for a noble lady for whom chastity was paramount.

Nora smiled quietly.

Though she had given the note to the maid, the handwriting on that note was the Smith young master’s.

There was no escape for Arasila, who had gone out after receiving that note.

Moreover, the Smith young master had promised to cooperate with her in exchange for having his gambling debts cleared, so he would only give testimony unfavorable to Arasila.

If things went according to plan, Arasila would become a despicable woman who had an affair with someone else at her own party.

Just imagining it made Nora feel refreshed and thrilled, so she downed her champagne.

‘I’m sorry for Lady Vandermir. I feel no remorse, but I had no choice.’

The Smith young master walked towards the garden where Arasila had gone, humming lightly.

He had made the deal with Nora since he’d be as good as dead if he couldn’t pay his gambling debts anyway, but he felt a bit sorry for framing an innocent noblewoman.

Not that he had any intention of not going through with it, though.

‘First I confess to the lady, then forcibly kiss or embrace her, right?’

He knew Arasila was a famous mage, but she wouldn’t be able to use magic right away against a fellow noble.

Mages from the Magic Tower were legally restricted from using magic against ordinary people.

If he confessed and took advantage of her surprise to make physical contact, that would be enough.

‘Let’s see, I think she went this way…’

Just as he turned a corner along the landscaping trees, thinking excitedly of the gambling funds soon to be in his hands. He was suddenly hit by a flying magic orb and fell to the ground.

“Ack!”

“Oh my, it seems I missed slightly.”

The Smith young master raised his head with a dazed expression. Arasila was walking out from the bushes, clicking her tongue softly.

“Wh-what is this all of a sudden…”

“What did Miss White tell you to do?”

“P-pardon?”

Feeling intimidated by Arasila approaching with purposeful strides, the Smith young master reflexively scooted back on his bottom and feigned ignorance.

“Is a mage allowed to attack civilians at will?”

“No, they’re not.”

“Then why…”

“This is a secluded place with no witnesses. Even if I were to make you disappear, no one would know.”

Arasila smiled sweetly. The Smith young master was momentarily dumbfounded.

“Young master, I really hate repeating myself three times. I’ll ask for the second time now. What did Miss White tell you to do?”

“…”

“No answer. Well, the dead tell no tales, after all.”

As Arasila deliberately conjured a large flame in her hand, the Smith young master turned pale and threw up both hands.

“I-I’ll talk! Please spare me!”

“Then speak briefly and quickly, just the key points. I’m a bit lacking in patience.”

Nodding vigorously, the Smith young master spilled everything Nora had ordered him to do.

He had originally jumped into this thinking he was already a dead man, but faced with an actual threat to his life, his survival instinct took over.

“What a vile and petty plan she came up with.”

Arasila let out a hollow laugh after hearing the Smith young master’s story.

She extinguished the flame she had conjured in her hand and bent slightly to look down at the Smith young master.

“Smith young master.”

“Y-yes?”

“If you want to live, do exactly as I say from now on. Understood?”

The Smith young master nodded frantically. Arasila’s smiling face was reflected in his terrified eyes.

Nora kept checking the time while nervously gulping down champagne.

She had to lead some nobles who could serve as witnesses to the garden where Arasila was at just the right moment.

‘It should be about time now, right?’

She set down her half-empty glass and looked at Demian, who was in conversation with several nobles. Taking that group over now would be perfect.

Just as she took a step forward, pondering how to lure them over,

“Excuse me for a moment.”

A maid suddenly appeared, handed Nora a note, and left. Nora unfolded the paper in bewilderment.

“Something terrible has happened, Miss White. I accidentally… Please come alone to the western garden right away. It’s urgent.”

What did he accidentally do to Lady Vandermir?

Nora frowned at the vaguely written note that left her curious.

After some deliberation, she decided to go to the garden alone first. Sending such a note meant the plan had clearly gone awry, and it would be troublesome if things took a strange turn.

Stepping into the garden, Nora looked around for the Smith young master. He said it was urgent, so where on earth was he?

Just as she was considering whether to call out his name loudly, a familiar voice reached her ears.

“Are you looking for someone, Miss White?”