Burnett, who was expected to arrive at the afternoon tea time to help prepare for the debutante, appeared only 30 minutes before departure for Karelina.

Jane had to greet Burnett in her room because of this, and Burnett frowned as soon as she saw Jane.

“How vulgar. Is that dress all you have?”

“Lady, this dress is from the duke…”

When Mary stepped in to defend Jane, Burnett’s already raised eyes became as sharp as needles.

“I said to send away the presumptuous servants immediately.”

Burnett clicked her tongue, as if for Mary to hear. In the moment Mary was struck speechless, Jane lowered her knees.

“May the goddess’s glory be with you. Have you been well, Lady Burnett?”

“How could I be well? I lost my beloved family in an instant. And now the culprit who killed that family has come to be the companion of my only remaining blood relative.”

Contrary to Mary’s expectation that Burnett would at least hide her antipathy towards Jane out of courtesy, Burnett openly displayed her emotions.

“Lady, your words…”

As Mary tried to interject in the conversation, Burnett casually waved her hand.

“Mary!”

Jane caught the stumbling Mary. Then she removed Mary’s hand covering her cheek. Burnett’s ring had left a mark on Mary’s face.

One of Jane’s eyebrows raised. Mary quickly met Jane’s gaze and shook her head.

It was a signal to endure.

“Jane, watch and learn well from now on. How to treat and teach servants, that is.”

Burnett raised her chin. This accentuated her hooked nose even more. Jane squeezed Mary’s hand tightly before letting go. She couldn’t comply with Mary’s request.

“Lady, your actions just now were not right. Especially if you’re thinking of the Hastings family.”

It was Jane that Burnett wanted to hit, not Mary. Burnett had been twitching her hand several times since seeing Jane.

But she couldn’t hit her with others watching, so she took out her frustration on Mary instead.

Jane would have endured if she had been hit herself. But she couldn’t just let it go when Mary was hit in her place.

Burnett’s feelings towards her were unlikely to subside easily, so the venting would likely continue, and Jane didn’t want to see someone else take the hit for her each time.

“How dare you try to lecture me?”

“I apologize if that’s how you felt, Lady. I merely thought it would be better to discipline according to proper procedures, considering your dignity.”

“Proper procedures? What procedures are needed to discipline a mere servant? Mistakes should be corrected immediately. Otherwise, people forget their place. Like you.”

The words added at the end were so quiet that only Jane, who was listening intently to Burnett’s words, could hear them.

“Lady, this is the Hastings household. Mary is the head maid cherished by Duke Hastings. If she needs education, it would be proper to speak to the duke. As you know, the authority to educate servants lies with the employer.”

Burnett snorted. She found it absurd that Jane was trying to teach her.

“You respect the duke, don’t you, Lady? Please don’t tarnish his reputation.”

When Jane invoked Cain, Burnett was left speechless.

Who are you to pretend to care for Cain?

Burnett already disliked Jane, but hearing those words made her dislike her even more.

“She may look docile on the outside, but don’t be fooled. She has hundreds of snakes inside.”

The incompetent Mrs. Themis seemed to have accurately judged people.

I suppose that submissive face fooled Mrs. Themis and got her kicked out?

Burnett snorted. She wouldn’t be so easily deceived. She had a weapon that Mrs. Themis didn’t have – Cain’s trust.

“I’ll have to get Cain to delegate the authority to educate servants to me soon. We can’t burden a busy person with household matters as well.”

This was something Jane should do when she got married. Burnett was declaring that she would ostentatiously take away that authority. It was a kind of declaration of war.

Jane turned around and let out a quiet sigh. She could feel Mary’s worried gaze. Knowing that Mary would likely think she had caused trouble for Jane, she forced a smile.

“We don’t have time. Change your clothes first.”

Without even a moment to catch her breath, Burnett pushed Jane. She entered Jane’s dressing room uninvited and rummaged through the dresses, spewing complaints.

“This one, that one, they’re all too flashy. They don’t suit you! Who bought you these clothes? So extravagant. A noblewoman should be frugal. You should know how to use money preciously.”

It was a fair point, but not one to be heard from Burnett, who was adorned with all sorts of ornaments.

“This one might be better.”

After rummaging through the dresses for a while, Burnett picked out a purple dress.

It was the dress Jane had initially chosen.

The reason this dress, which Cain had removed from the order, was here was because Ermis had gifted it as thanks for the many orders.

“Change into this immediately, what are you all standing around for?”

A frosty command fell. The maids, who had seen Mary get hit, were tense and looking to Jane for cues.

Only when Jane nodded did they move.

‘They prioritize Jane’s words over mine?’

Burnett couldn’t believe the scene before her eyes.

To think that the Hastings household servants would be swayed by the Whitney young lady!

She wanted to say something, but Burnett held back for now. Today was the Karelina family’s ball.

Count Karelina and Scarlet would be there, and it would be good to go early to make an impression and greet them.

Jane would probably feel something when she saw the two of them.

As she watched Jane change clothes, the corners of Burnett’s mouth curled up slightly.

* * *

The Karelina Count’s mansion was eye-catching even from afar. It was because they had lit so many lights that it brightened the dark night.

As they got closer, the appearance of the Karelina mansion became clearer.

Until recently, the Karelina Count’s family had lived in the former Whitney family mansion. But they suddenly moved. To a place larger and more splendid than the Whitney mansion.

Indeed, while the new Karelina Count’s mansion was smaller in scale than Somnium House, it was more lavish with many decorative elements.

“It seems we’re a bit late.”

The carriage stopped next to the main building. Faint music could be heard.

Burnett went outside as soon as the coachman set up the steps. Then she looked disapprovingly at Jane, who was checking her appearance.

“How can you be so sluggish?”

Jane exhaled deeply and stood beside Burnett.

A knight blocking the entrance to the banquet hall ran over to escort Jane and Burnett.

Usually, one would come with a partner, but they also hired escort helpers in case only women came like this.

“Count Karelina is so considerate. Jane, watch carefully.”

Burnett’s voice became gentle. It was because there was a stranger next to her. Burnett linked arms with Jane. It was with a smile, seen for the first time since they met today.

Jane inwardly clicked her tongue at her surprisingly quick change of attitude and straightened her back.

At Burnett’s signal, the doorkeeper opened the door. A loud clamor rushed in all at once.

Since it wasn’t an official event, the procedure of announcing each guest was omitted. Thanks to this, Jane was able to enter the banquet hall with a much lighter heart.

Upon entering the hall, Jane’s attention was first caught by the chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. The chandelier, made of thousands of crystals, scattered beautiful sparkling light onto the marble floor.

As she had felt when seeing the exterior of the mansion, Count Karelina seemed to like shiny and lavish things.

The golden window handles, statues placed throughout the banquet hall, and complex and delicate tablecloths proved this.

Although Jane had come to the ball without much expectation, her eyes were treated to a feast.

There was something else that treated her eyes to a feast. The sight of young women and men dressed up was quite pleasing to see.

The couples dancing in pairs looked like a tulip colony, and the men following the women in droves looked like peacocks performing a courtship dance.

The song that Mrs. Themis had taught her, said to be popular these days, played incessantly.

Looking back, although she had tormented Jane, she hadn’t given her wrong information.

There was no need to understand her, but Jane came to think that at least when it came to education, she must have been sincere.

“Jane, don’t space out and come here.”

Jane snapped back to her senses. Burnett dragged Jane around, pressing the inside of her arm.

Even though they moved towards areas with fewer people as much as possible, blatant gazes towards Jane followed.

“Isn’t that Lady Whitney? I heard she went into the Hastings Duke’s family, so it’s true.”

“She has no conscience. How can she think of showing her face in high society? A person from the family that said we should bring down His Majesty?”

“They only said such things. Didn’t they say that nobles are ruining society?”

It wasn’t something Count Whitney had said directly. That was what some of the more radical members of the Rose Faction were shouting.

And while Count Whitney had funded the revolutionary army, he had never supported their military actions.

But how would they know these details? They probably weren’t even interested.

What they were interested in was Jane. They wanted Jane to be broken and hurt. And if she caused a big incident, even better.

They would have something to talk about for days while discussing Jane’s story.

Burnett deliberately slowed her pace when passing near people who were cursing Jane. So that Jane could hear all the curses.

It would be so fun if Jane frowned or ran out crying.

However, what Burnett wanted didn’t happen.

As if she had suddenly gone deaf, Jane remained nonchalant.

Honestly, Jane wasn’t hurt. She was just surprised that these people, with whom she had no contact for 7 years, recognized her.

“When invited as a guest, it’s polite to greet the person who invited you.”

“Shouldn’t we meet Cain, I mean, the duke first?”

“Cain will be with Count Karelina. If we find Count Karelina, we’ll probably meet Cain too.”

Burnett looked around, searching for Count Karelina. Jane also stretched her neck to find Cain.

“He’s over there, Lady Burnett.”

Without much effort, Jane easily spotted Cain. Cain was significantly taller than others and shone even from afar.

Looking in the direction Jane pointed, Burnett found Count Karelina.

As she had expected, Cain and Count Karelina were together.

“Let’s go.”

Jane walked, half-dragged, unable to take her eyes off Cain.

He had neatly combed back his hair and wore a dark blue suit with an eye-catching clean design.

Unlike usual, he wore a faint smile on his lips. This warm atmosphere made him even more splendid.

Even with small movements, the expensive fabric wrapping his body accentuated his silhouette even more.

The strong physique hidden under the fabric contrasted with his neat and calm face, but this made women’s hearts flutter even more.

Had Cain always dressed up so nicely for every party?

Jane felt that the past 7 years were terribly wasted.

‘I should see him often from now on.’

For a moment, Jane’s face hardened.

‘Get a grip!’

Jane had stayed here to forget Cain. Yet here she was, thinking she wanted to see more of his handsome self. It was a crazy thought.

Jane, very displeased with herself for being so helplessly shaken by him, barely managed to tear her gaze away from Cain while catching her breath.

At that moment, Cain laughed out loud.

It was a bright and refreshing smile that would make the chandelier blush.

Small exclamations burst out here and there.

“It seems that rumor was true.”

“What rumor?”

“The rumor about him having secret meetings with Lady Scarlet.”

As if to prove people’s words, Cain’s smile was directed at Scarlet.