After Nora’s downfall, Arasila’s reputation was fully restored.

People comforted her, knowing that Nora had deliberately spread bad rumors about Arasila to steal Demian.

They intentionally went around saying good things about Arasila and praising her.

This was partly out of guilt for cursing Arasila after being swayed by Nora’s words, and partly to get on the good side of the rising star of the social world.

People had no doubt that she, who had taken over the Duchess of Kiston’s art circle, would become the next flower of the social world.

In fact, Arasila was thinking of reducing her social activities again, satisfied with having dealt with Nora.

She rejected all the incoming invitations, only attending the Duchess’s gatherings.

She decided to continue attending the Duchess’s meetings, judging that it would be good to keep at least one social gathering in the aftermath of the Nora incident.

After the meeting, Arasila had a private audience with the Duchess. The Duchess lightly embraced her with open arms before letting go.

“Thank you, my lady. Thanks to you, my son has finally become the official heir.”

The day after the party, Arasila proceeded with the Grand Duke’s contract and airship deal in the name of the Duchess of Kiston’s son through Demian.

Amid growing resentment towards cheating married men following Nora’s incident, when his son achieved the contract he couldn’t, the Grand Duke of Kiston finally declared him as the official heir.

“My husband is such a coward, he can’t endure being criticized for long. His designation of our child as heir was also intended to quell the recent scandal.”

A bitter smile spread across the Duchess of Kiston’s lips. Arasila stared at her blankly before asking.

“Have you ever thought about divorce?”

“Absolutely not. Not before Andy inherits the Grand Duke’s position, even if I die.”

The Duchess shook her head firmly.

Thinking of her husband who still waved his lower parts around even with two broken legs, she had to hold onto her position as the legal wife until her son was established.

That’s what a mother does.

“Then, will you divorce when your son inherits the Grand Duke’s position?”

“……”

At the follow-up question, the Duchess hesitated and shook her head again.

“Divorce isn’t that simple. How could I sever the marital bond we’ve formed at my convenience? It could damage my face and dignity.”

Even for her, a noble imperial princess, divorce was not easy. Even her father and brother who loved her dearly would allow separation for honor’s sake, but not divorce.

The Duchess patted Arasila’s shoulder gently and said.

“Don’t think about divorce just because you’re not getting along with your husband. Of course, you two seem to match well and care for each other, so such worries might be unnecessary.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

Unable to say that they were going to divorce in a few years, Arasila bowed her head with a bewildered expression.

She wondered how she and Demian seemed to match well and care for each other.

Though somewhat perplexed, she couldn’t question the Duchess who was smiling contentedly.

After parting with the Duchess and returning home, Arasila raised an eyebrow at the strange atmosphere permeating from the entrance.

Just then, the butler approached her with an urgent look and reported.

“Madam, Young Master Oscar has come to visit. He is in the reception room now.”

“…The young lord of Vandermir?”

Arasila frowned, not having heard news of his coming. The uninvited guest was not welcome.

How could he do the same thing as his grandmother?

Having spent energy mingling with people at the gathering, she had planned to rest as soon as she got home.

Sighing at the delayed rest, she headed to the reception room.

“It’s been a while, madam?”

Oscar greeted her casually, sitting confidently on the reception room sofa.

Displeased by his mere wave of the hand instead of a proper bow, Arasila responded by skipping the greeting and asked.

“What brings you here?”

“Still as cold as ever, I see. These days, haughty women aren’t popular.”

Oscar shook his head exaggeratedly as he stood up.

Arasila looked at him with a sufficiently cold expression, though not openly showing her dislike. At this, Oscar let out a scoff and said.

“I must have been blind before to think you were decent, but not anymore. Men prefer women like your elder sister rather than you. I guess this is why they say no younger sister is as good as the elder, haha!”

Arasila’s mood plummeted dramatically when Iris was mentioned from his mouth.

Why am I doing this now?

She was trying to prevent her sister’s death by even entering into a contract marriage, all because of this trash-like man who had driven Iris to her death.

Yet he dared to mention Iris without knowing his place, which angered her.

“You’re no better than your younger sibling, so don’t be so arrogant.”

“W-What?!”

Oscar flared up at the cold retort, but quickly backed down upon seeing Arasila’s piercing gaze.

It was an instinctive fear that he might get hurt if he provoked the woman who had won the hunting competition, beating sturdy men.

“Enough small talk, please state the real reason for your unannounced visit.”

Oscar, who had been fuming alone, rummaged through his breast pocket with a displeased look. Then he held out a white envelope to Arasila.

“It’s my mother’s birthday soon. We’re planning to hold a grand party to celebrate, so you and Demian must attend.”

Arasila checked the letter with a reluctant face.

It said that as the Duchess’s birthday was approaching, both of them should come to the Duke’s territory and stay for ten days.

‘Why should I, when it’s not even my mother’s birthday?’

Arasila thought reflexively. Even if it were her mother’s birthday, she wouldn’t stay at Duke Hugo’s house for ten days.

But at Oscar’s following words, she had to swallow her rising complaints.

“I hear rumors that you and Demian are getting along well, surely you won’t just send your husband down to the territory alone and not attend mother’s birthday party?”

“……”

“I’ve specially invited you for a long stay to allow you to rest, as they say you’re as close as thread and needle, so you’d better be grateful.”

Oscar, who had received his mother’s special order to ensure both of them come down to the Duke’s territory, provoked her as much as possible.

Arasila, already irritated by his arrogant attitude unbefitting of addressing his brother’s wife, managed her expression and made no reply to Oscar’s words.

But it was obvious that if she didn’t attend her parents-in-law’s birthday celebration while supposedly being on good terms with her husband, there would be gossip.

After Oscar left, only one thought occupied her mind.

‘Sigh… This has really become troublesome.’

Oscar did not return straight to the Duke’s territory after leaving the Vandermir mansion.

He savored freedom and leisure while walking the streets of the capital. Although the Duke’s territory was no less developed than the capital, there were still some inevitable differences.

Looking around the capital’s downtown area, which was larger and wider than that of the Duke’s territory, he grumbled inwardly.

‘Ah, I want to live in the capital too.’

He desperately wanted to stay in the capital where there were far more noble peers to play with and a wider range of entertainment, but the Duchess strongly opposed.

‘You need to firmly establish your position in the Duke’s territory so you don’t lose your place to Demian!’

For this reason, she kept holding back Oscar who wanted to go to the capital every time.

One way or another, the foundation for the Duke’s position was the territory, so he needed to dominate this place to smoothly inherit the Duke’s position.

Of course, Oscar had already caused numerous incidents in the Duke’s territory, so public sentiment towards him wasn’t very good, but what mattered was that he was keeping his position anyway.

‘Isn’t there any way to stay in the capital even for a while? It would be easier to seduce Lady Hugo if I were in the capital.’

As he was pondering ways to stay in the capital under some pretext while strolling through the park, he stopped in his tracks upon spotting a familiar face among the people taking a walk.

It was Iris.

The joy of meeting her in such a place was short-lived as Oscar’s eyes widened upon seeing a man beside her.

‘Who is that man! Is she secretly meeting another man behind my back?’

Oscar, who had arbitrarily thought Iris to be a very chaste and pure woman who didn’t know men, was greatly disappointed.

At the same time, anger welled up as he had already imagined marrying her and having several children in his mind.

He strode up to Iris and grabbed her arm forcefully.

“Lady Hugo!”

“…Young Lord Vandermir?”

Iris looked at Oscar with surprised eyes as her body was suddenly turned. She was bewildered to see someone who should be in the Duke’s territory appear before her eyes.

Regardless, Oscar questioned her one-sidedly while breathing heavily.

“Who is this man? There was no reply to my letter, are you playing with people?”

“Pardon? No…”

Recently, he had sent several letters to Iris only to be mercilessly ignored. Tired of his inability to take no for an answer despite repeated rejections, Iris had stopped replying altogether.

As Iris was momentarily stunned and at a loss for words, Oscar roughly pulled her arm in an agitated state.

Then the man who had been quietly watching the two stepped forward.

“Young lord, please calm down and let go of Lady Hugo’s arm. It must hurt.”

It was Eric, who had been on a date with Iris. He tried to mediate by gently removing Oscar’s hand.

Oscar scrutinized Eric up and down with sharp eyes. He was tall but very thin with a scholarly impression.

Oscar, who had instantly looked down on him, tried to shake off Eric’s hand that was holding his wrist. But surprisingly, Eric’s grip was strong and he failed.

‘W-What? Why is he so strong unlike his appearance?!’

While Oscar was struggling ungracefully, Iris, having regained her composure, said in a voice tinged with a sigh.

“Since we’ve met like this anyway, I’ll be honest. Please stop sending me letters or gifts, young lord. I’m currently meeting with the young lord of Roberts through my mother’s introduction.”

“What are you saying! I contacted you first, how could you be with another man…!”

Oscar flared up and tried to approach Iris but was restrained once again by Eric.

“Please keep your distance, young lord. And what does it matter if you contacted first? What’s important is who actually met.”

“…!”

Oscar’s eyes widened in anger at Eric’s words, delivered with a gentle smile. However, unable to find words to retort, he could only clench his fists and tremble.

Iris looked at him with a tired expression and said coldly.