But the tragedy didn’t end there.

Savoring the aroma of the tea with her eyes closed and chattering away, the Marchioness failed to notice the insect that had fallen into her teacup.

This was truly a situation where one would intervene even if it were their sworn enemy about to drink.

Because of this, Dalia hurriedly reached out and called to the Marchioness. However…

“Madam, in that tea just now…!”

It was already too late.

Before Dalia could stop her, the Marchioness had already taken a sip of the tea, and along with the black tea she was so proud of, she held an insect in her mouth. And a moment later.

“Hm? There’s something strange in my mouth…”

Belatedly noticing something amiss, the Marchioness rolled it around in her mouth and then spat something out onto her palm.

A black object appeared on her palm. More precisely, it was the remains of an insect with half its body severed by her molars.

“……”

“……”

“……”

After a brief silence, the Marchioness’s complexion turned ashen as she realized what the remains were. And then.

“Kyaaaaaah!”

At the same time, a terrible scream echoed through the cafe.

Startled, the Marchioness shook the insect off her hand and stood up, starting to make a fuss.

“In-in-insect!”

It would be enough to scream just seeing an insect, but to have it pop out of one’s own mouth… It was a situation sufficient to make a noblewoman raised like a hothouse flower faint.

But Marchioness Borsen was a stronger woman than expected.

She didn’t faint easily but instead stirred up the cafe with all sorts of unseemly behavior.

As a result, the attention of the people in the cafe began to focus on her.

“Isn’t that Marchioness Borsen? Why is she suddenly…”

“I know. Acting so unruly. A married woman… how shameful.”

Ah, if only she had fainted, it would have ended with a frail noblewoman collapsing.

Unfortunately, to the eyes of the people, it just looked like a madwoman rampaging through the cafe.

“Ma-madam! Please calm down!”

Finally, the Marchioness’s maid approached her, and only then did she lose consciousness, carried away piggyback by the Borsen family’s coachman.

After the Marchioness had caused such a commotion and disappeared, an awkward silence hung over the table.

‘This is so awkward, what should I do…?’

I didn’t expect things to escalate this much. If I had known, I would have removed the insect earlier.

‘I’m sorry, Madam.’

I didn’t do it on purpose.

Dalia, silently apologizing to the absent Marchioness, took a sip of the tea in front of her.

‘The aroma is good.’

As the now-departed Marchioness had said, the tea was extremely fragrant.

Thinking she should buy some of the tea leaves sold at the counter before returning to the mansion later, she took another sip when Rachel, who had been quiet until now, spoke up.

“I really saw you in a new light, Madam.”

“Pardon? What do you mean…?”

At this, Dalia turned to look at her side as she paused drinking her tea. Then Rachel continued in a rather serious tone.

“I mean the insect that Marchioness Borsen swallowed. You don’t need to pretend. I saw everything.”

Dalia began to sweat like a child caught secretly eating snacks at Rachel’s words.

‘Ah, damn. When did she see that?’

I thought she was distracted dealing with the Marchioness. Does she have eyes on the side of her head or something?

‘Sigh. She’s probably going to criticize me for behavior unbecoming of a noblewoman.’

Grumbling inwardly about Rachel’s unnecessarily keen observation skills, Dalia nodded with a resigned expression.

“…Yes, that’s right. But that was an acci-”

“It was very impressive.”

“Yes, very impre- Pardon?”

Impressive? What was?

Dalia’s eyes met Rachel’s, which were sparkling to an uncomfortable degree.

“You deliberately put the insect there to teach Marchioness Borsen a lesson, didn’t you?”

She whispered, just loud enough for Dalia to hear.

‘No, what is she talking about? That I did it on purpose?’

“Lady Roman, there’s been a misunderst-”

But Rachel didn’t listen to Dalia’s words.

“You saw how the Marchioness fell apart earlier, right? Ah, it was so satisfying. Marchioness Borsen has been quite detestable since she was Lady Stewart.”

With those words, Rachel winked as if to say ‘You know what I mean?’

“I’m glad I got to see a new side of you today, Duchess. I’ve decided.”

As she finished speaking, Rachel extended her hand to her.

“Why don’t we be friends? I think we’d get along very well.”

As Dalia just blinked, unable to keep up with the speed of the conversation, Rachel seized her hand.

Then she grasped it firmly and shook it vigorously.

“I look forward to our friendship! Would it be alright if I called you by name?”

“Ah… well, I don’t mind that, but about that insect earlier…”

“Great, Dalia! When it’s just the two of us, please call me Rachel.”

“No, I mean, about that thing earlier…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take what happened today to my grave. Friends should have a secret or two between them, right?”

But Rachel didn’t seem interested in listening to Dalia’s words.

‘I’m telling you it wasn’t on purpose! I had no intention of making that woman eat crow!’

And so Dalia gained Friend #1, who only listened to herself.

“Haah…”

After parting with Rachel, Dalia sighed tiredly as she stood in front of the cafe.

If it weren’t for Rachel, she might have gone to see a doctor by now.

But an unplanned cafe outing? And then the unexpected trouble with that person was enough to wear out her body and mind.

“…Should I go home?”

The sky, already turning orange, seemed to whisper to her to go home. But Dalia soon shook her head, coming to her senses.

“No, I should at least find out where the doctor is.”

It was just as Dalia had regained her resolve.

“Oh my, what kind of doctor are you looking for?”

Rachel, whom she thought had already returned to the mansion, was standing in front of her with sparkling eyes.

“La-Lady Roman? Didn’t you go back?”

Dalia stammered, trying to calm her heart that had momentarily dropped to the floor.

“I remembered the dessert I had ordered through my maid. I wanted to share it with you, so I came back. It’s a lemon tart that you have to wait in line for three hours to taste.”

Rachel handed over a white box with a bright smile.

“More importantly, why are you looking for another doctor when you have the family physician at the Duke’s residence? I heard the Sayer family’s doctor is as skilled as the imperial physicians.”

“Ah, yes, well, that’s true. Haha…”

Dalia laughed awkwardly, avoiding a direct answer to the young lady’s persistent question.

It was quite an awkward situation. She couldn’t very well say she was going to secretly get contraceptives without her husband knowing.

Dalia was pondering how to deflect when Rachel, who had been observing her condition closely, clapped her hands as if she had figured out the reason.

“Oh my, how insensitive of me. There’s only one reason you’d have a secret you can’t even tell the family doctor.”

“Pardon? What secret are you talking about…”

“Dalia, I understand you. My cousin sister had the same worry as you.”

No, so what is it!

“If it’s a doctor who can solve your problem, I know just the one. Originally, he specializes in women’s diseases…”

“…Women’s diseases?”

Dalia, who was starting to get irritated, perked up at the mention of a specialist in women’s diseases.

“Yes. He knows everything about illnesses related to women. Above all, the greatest advantage of this doctor is…”

Dalia unconsciously swallowed as she watched Rachel, who seemed about to say something momentous.

“Absolute confidentiality.”

“Confidentiality?”

“He never discloses information about his patients. Of course, that should be a given for any doctor, but there are many who betray their medical ethics for a few coins, aren’t there? But this man is different. That’s why I hear many ladies secretly seek him out.”

‘This is the doctor I’ve been looking for!’

Dalia nodded vigorously at Rachel’s last words, as if ready to go see the doctor right away.

At least until Rachel’s final words.

“If it’s him, he’ll surely be able to raise the Duke’s wilted lower body soon.”

Huh?