After Leanne, who was in charge of the investigation, left, the search for the arrogance of the crime was completely suspended.

I could only wait for Leanne to come back.

“Eat it all. Greedy fox.”

With greed, the fox devoured the cookies in front of me. He sure eats well, satisfying his greed with my money.

When I safely hid the contract that I had signed with Mario in the corner of the room, someone knocked on the door.

“Miss, it’s me!”

“Come in.”

Masa appeared with a tray full of invitations. I let out a deep sigh.

The interest of the social circle toward me still hadn’t cooled down, and the overflowing invitations were still the same.

Today, too, I felt like I would die of annoyance as I had to write rejection responses, finger aching.

“Masa, will you help me write responses today as well?”

“It doesn’t matter if the handwriting is different!”

“That’s totally fine.”
If possible, it was bothersome enough to ask Greed for help.

It was when I quickly picked up the pen with a combat readiness to quickly write responses that Masa raised one of the invitations.

“But you should personally respond to this, Miss.”

“Who sent it?”

“It’s from Her Highness Salvatrice Hwangbi.”

“Ugh.”

Following the idiot Belt, is it the appearance of Hwangbi? Seeing that it was already torn, it seemed like the butler had confirmed it.

I looked at the letter and asked Masa.

“Masa, did the incident with the Second Prince spread this time?”

“Our young miss taking advantage of the Second Prince like a fool and emptying his pockets? Is it about that incident?”

“Yeah, that.”

If the rumors had spread like that, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for the fiercely protective helicopter mom, Hwangbi, to step forward.

She must be raging about her son being touched.

In Hwangbi’s invitation, it was written that we should have a modest tea time.

But would it really be a modest tea time?

‘Bothersome, reject!’

What if I attended and faced some unexpected trouble?

I quickly took out a new piece of stationery and started writing the familiar rejection response.

Masa also sat on the sofa and started chattering while writing rejection responses for other families.

“Speaking of Her Highness Hwangbi, did you know this, Miss? They say Her Highness Hwangbi once admired Duke Severus.”

Huh.

My hand, which was writing the rejection response, stopped. I slowly raised my head and looked at Masa writing the rejection response.

“Tell me more, Masa.”

Masa still fixed her gaze on the paper as if it was not a big deal.

“In more detail…? They say it was to the extent that an engagement was mentioned, but one day it suddenly broke off. After that, they completely severed ties.”

It must have been before Dad met Mom.

Although it pricked as a child to inquire about Dad’s past, I couldn’t help it.

“Now there are rumors that the Duke is in a coma, but back in the day, Duke Severus was extremely popular, right? I’m curious about what he looked like when you and I were born, hiding his appearance at the time.”

I had already heard that story enough to have it nailed into my ears.

“Is there nothing else besides that?”

“More? What do you mean?”

“Any rumors related to Hwangbi and Duke Severus. It’s interesting.”

Masa, who used to occasionally share rumors from the social circle, inadvertently spilled the story I knew without any suspicion.

“In fact, this isn’t accurate. They say Duke Severus fell into a coma due to poison. But the mastermind behind the attempted poisoning is said to be Baron Barach Hwangbi’s father? Just listen to it for fun since it’s just a baseless rumor!”

“An attempted poisoning, that’s too scary.”

“Right?”

From the start, the premise itself was a completely mistaken rumor.

The cause of Duke Severus’s coma was not poisoning but the consequences of sin. I, who had seen the scenes from the past directly, knew the truth.
However, there might be a reason for such rumors about money.

Baron Barech, the maternal family of Salvatrice Hwangbi, is not a direct descendant of the four major families, but a side family with a long-standing influence. They were famous for forming alliances through intermarriages with the four major families for generations.

‘I wonder what she knows about Dad.’

I crumpled the rejection response I was writing.

Hwangbi’s modest tea time took place at the third palace sponsored by the Wilentia Hwang Castle.

“I greet Her Highness Hwangbi.”

“Welcome, Miss Elodie.”

Seeing Salvatrice Hwangbi, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, she was still beautiful. As a true power holder, her expression showed no personal emotions.

‘What could be the exact reason she called me?’

It must be about her son’s revenge after all.

As I sat across from Hwangbi, a palace maid poured tea into my teacup. Steam rose from the teacup, perhaps because the weather was chilly.

“Don’t be too nervous, Miss Elodie. I just called you to have a casual conversation.”

“Ah…”

I shyly smiled and mumbled. I had nothing to say, and I was also contemplating how to steer the conversation to talk about Duke Severus.

Hwangbi, who was observing me closely, opened her mouth.

“I’ve heard stories about the annulment.”

“So you’ve heard. I feel ashamed because it’s not a pleasant story.”

“Of course, there must be various rumors about the annulment, but don’t think too negatively, Miss Elodie. Won’t the inquiry be covered up with new rumors?”

“What?”

“I heard you recently met with Beltran.”

Only then did I realize why Hwangbi called me.

It was her intention to absorb the power of Ferdia by involving me with the Second Prince Beltran.

‘Ha! You attach that idiot to me?’

It was too absurd, and I felt a burst of anger. I couldn’t just sit still.

While managing my expression under Hwangbi’s subtle gaze, I turned my head sharply.

Although Hwangbi had something to discuss, I had to make sure this matter was not mentioned at all.

I deliberately answered quietly, pretending to be indifferent.

“I’ll take my time to think about the engagement. I have many shortcomings, so…”

“Shortcomings? Don’t think too negatively, Miss Elodie. Isn’t it enough that your family is from Ferdia, and you yourself are charming?”

Is that really true?

“But because of my bad habits, I might hit the person I marry, you know?”

“What? Hit, hit?”

“Yes. So my father is very worried. On top of that, I’m so greedy that I might spend money recklessly. Probably, the property of the husband’s family will be ruined in no time…”

Since I had already emptied Beltran’s pockets in the recent incident, this information would likely be highly credible.

“And I’m also addicted to gambling, so if my husband meets another woman, who knows what I might do…”

I raised my fork fiercely, staring at Hwangbi with a menacing look. Then I smiled cunningly.

“I am truly full of shortcomings, aren’t I?”
So, don’t even dream. Hwangbi.

Unless you want to make your precious son a husband who gets beaten up.