Ignoring Hughac, I left him behind and went toward the table where a sumptuous feast was prepared with Mild K as my escort.

“Oh, is that the famous necklace ‘Tears of the Goddess’?”

“Goodness, it’s so beautiful.”

“You received such an extraordinary thing?”

Several noblewomen exclaimed in admiration. The necklace I was wearing was undoubtedly eye-catching.

“It feels good that the necklace looks beautiful even though I put in my own effort.”

In a murmur, Mild K lowered his voice.

“It seems like the rumor was started by Hughac.”

“Really.”

“It seems that Hughac has some hidden agenda.”

Nodding thoughtfully, I speculated about Hughac’s intentions while having the meal. After eating enough and having a sip of champagne for dessert, my conclusion was made.

“Even if he has a hidden agenda… it’s trivial. It bothered me that the clause about maintaining dignity was a bit unsettling.”

“When there’s enough negative controversy for both parties to know who is wrong, the party in question must compensate twice the investment amount.”
Mild K also nodded.

“It seems you’re still thinking about taking away the madam’s business.”

“The argument earlier makes sense in that context.”

“Have we fallen into a trap?”

In response to Mild K’s concerned words, I shook my head.

“There might be some disturbance… but haven’t we prepared for this kind of contingency?”

A smile appeared on Mild K’s lips.

“I wondered if that would ever happen, but now, thanks to that preparation, it feels secure.”

Around the time we finished the meal, the talk and gazes from the surroundings changed. It shifted from envy to scorn.

“Goodness, how can someone ask for such an expensive necklace?”

“It seems like the business is doing well, so she’s showing off as much as Hughac has.”

“How shameless. What kind of necklace is that…”

It wasn’t just one or two people; it seemed like the rumor had spread.

‘Or did Hughac spread the rumor.’

The murmurs from the surroundings grew louder.

In summary, based on what I could hear from them, it was, ‘The villain Ellen extorted the necklace through business from Hughac, causing a disturbance.’ On the other hand, there was also an opinion like, ‘How great is the business that Hughac bows down like that.’

There were some who were cautious about the rumor or had neutral opinions. However, as soon as a few strongly voiced their hostility towards me, others quickly followed suit.

Whether they intended for me to hear or were intentionally speaking loud, I could clearly hear their conversations.

Moreover, negative comments were gradually chaining together. As I listened to their gossip, I instructed Mild K.

“Bring the bag.”

“Yes, madam.”

As Mild K left his seat, the negative murmuring towards me intensified.

“That’s why she harassed the adopted son, and now, the prince appears at the party, shamelessly showing her face?”

“Really?”

“Yes. Sor Young-ae directly reported it.”

“Goodness, how difficult it must have been for Lord Malboro.”

‘What did Dallina see…?’

It seemed like they deliberately connected everything to create controversy.

‘Wouldn’t it have been better not to come to this party?’

Around the time that thought crossed my mind, Mild K returned with the bag. Simultaneously, a middle-aged woman I had never seen before stood in front of me, scrunching her eyebrows.

“Madam, I have something I want to ask.”

A strong-looking woman emitted a strong smell of alcohol.

“Who are you?”

“I am Lady Rira Jak, madam.”

“I see.”

I gestured for Mild K to sit as instructed.

“Please, have a seat.”

At my suggestion, she tapped the table with her hand.

“Goodness, what kind of rumor is this, making me sit in front of you?”

“What rumor are you talking about?”

“They say you’re the greatest villain. I can’t sit face-to-face with someone like you.”

In response to the rude Lady Rira Jak, the nearby nobles’ attention was focused on us.

“…!”

I raised the folded fan, preventing Mild K from standing up. Then, I sarcastically smiled at Lady Rira Jak.

“It’s okay to have a conversation with the greatest villain?”

“I prefer confirmation over rumors.”
It seemed like some kind of manipulation by Hughac.

“What rumor are you trying to confirm?”

“About that necklace. The one that they say you received from Lord Hughac, is it true?”

I raised one corner of my mouth.

“Rumors spread really fast.”

“The Tears of the Goddess is indeed a precious necklace. You are aware of that, right?”

“I am. It truly is beautiful when you see it in person.”

“I was there at that time too.”

Lady Rira Jak recounted the story of how the necklace became a topic of discussion at an auction a few years ago.

“At that time, you tried to bid for that necklace but failed, remember?”

“Did I do that?”

“Yes, a nobleman from the Bourbon Kingdom won the bid. Don’t you remember?”

“Well, it was a few years ago, so I don’t remember that well…”

“Are you pretending not to know? The one escorting you now was with you at that time, right?”

Glancing at Mild K, he nodded. I deliberately spoke slowly while gently fanning myself.

“I don’t remember. I must have won only one or two items at auctions.”

“Let’s assume that’s true. Anyway, if you couldn’t get it back then, wouldn’t it be right to give up?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Seeing you willingly hand it over to Lord Hughac under the pretext of a business contract is absurd.”

“Pretext? I received that as a gift.”

“Do you expect me to believe that? Such an expensive necklace?”

Her words sounded as if I had forcibly taken the necklace from Hughac.

“What if you don’t believe it?”

“Well, shameless.”

“If confirming is better than rumors, you’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”

“Even if it’s you, you’re still someone else’s woman.”

“Are you so confident in your words? Why don’t you ask Lord Hughac directly?”

With my confident words, Lady Rira Jak glanced around nervously.

“I’ll bring him to you.”

At some point, Sor Young-ae, who appeared unexpectedly, went to find Lord Hughac without giving me a chance to respond.

‘Why did she come, bothering me when I didn’t want to be involved in the original story.’

Sor Young-ae quickly found Lord Hughac. Simultaneously, both Mild K and I were embarrassed and had no choice but to stand up.

Not only Lord Hughac but also the king, Philip, Marboro, Laila, and subsequently, Alexander and Enoch, who seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, had come. King spoke with a nonchalant and cheerful tone.

“I roughly heard the situation from Sor Young-ae. It seems there’s a controversy over the necklace around your neck…”

“I apologize, Your Highness, but controversy?”

“While items can be exchanged in business, exploiting the advantageous position to demand excessive contributions is not a good look for a high-ranking noble.”

I folded the fan neatly and courteously acknowledged the king.

“I wholeheartedly agree with Your Highness’s words.”

“Do you agree? It sounds like you’re claiming it’s not your case.”

“It’s not my case, Your Highness.”

The king’s brow furrowed.
“You are shameless, then and now. I heard that your recent business ventures are groundbreaking. It seemed quite skillful, but, as it turns out, you used the pretext of collaboration to make contributions with the Tears of the Goddess, didn’t you?”

The surroundings fell silent as if cold water had been poured, following the king’s words.

“Even so, it’s not your case? Well, if you have a mouth, speak up. I want to hear the truth, just as Lady Rira Jak mentioned.”