The greenhouse garden of Duke Ferdia of Temis was famous.

Not only was it the most renowned laboratory of Temis as a poisoner, but it was also home to all kinds of rare plants that were not found in the imperial garden.

Since poison and antidote were inseparable, Temis’s involvement in medicine was substantial.

Thanks to that, scholars of all fields considered entering Ferdia’s greenhouse garden at least once a lifetime’s wish.

But no matter how blinded by research one was, they knew the value of their life.

They dared not knock on Ferdia’s door, so Temis’s greenhouse garden was only widely known by rumor.

And the mother and daughter of Angelos never even considered that they would be invited to the greenhouse garden.

“Coming all this way without contact, I wonder what’s going on, Dolsinia.”

The owner of the greenhouse garden, Temis Ferdia, poured tea himself for the Angelos mother and daughter, smiling gracefully.

Mrs. Angelos, Dolsinia Angelos, answered with a gentle smile.

“I did contact you, but you must not have received it. I did several times, but there was no reply. Were you busy?”

“Ah, if it’s not an important letter, it gets sorted at the butler’s line.”

Not busy at all.

Dolsinia’s expression slightly twisted at Temis’s softly added words.

Was it not worth receiving something as unimportant as your letter? That was the meaning, wasn’t it?

Temis, and Dolsinia, were both duchesses of the four great families and ‘friends’ in the same age group in the social circle before marriage.

Sadly, neither had ever thought of the other as a friend.

But they had enough friendship to visit each other like this.

Dolsinia managed to keep a crumbling expression and smiled leisurely.

“You are still the same, Temis.”

It was a roundabout way of saying that she was still selfish, but Temis looked briefly at Dolsinia’s face and spoke as if it was a shame.

“Isn’t it? Dolsinia, you must have been busy…….”

Oh…….

Though she didn’t say much, her words contained a lot of meaning.

Again, Dolsinia kept a crumbling smile at the corners of her mouth and absentmindedly picked up her teacup.

‘Oops.’

She hastily put down her teacup, realizing that she couldn’t win against Temis with her own words, and changed the subject.

“The reason I came today is because Elodie behaved very rudely to my daughter Dorothea at the imperial banquet recently.”

“Hello, Duchess Ferdia. Long time no see.”

“Yes, it has been a while, Miss Dorothea. But what do you have to do with Elodie?”

Her face was definitely smiling, but there was an inexplicable pressure in her words. Dorothea unwittingly shrank back.

The only person who could be considered equal to Duke Ferdia.

Dorothea glanced at the empty seat next to Temis.

“I came to apologize to Miss Elodie.”

“Hmm, an apology…….”

“What I want is to talk directly with the person involved. Is Miss Elodie very late?”

Then, Dolsinia criticized Elodie’s tardiness.

“The guest is here, and she shows up this late, it’s unheard of.”

That was the moment.

“I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, Mrs. Angelos. I was late getting ready. If I’d known you were coming, I could have come out on time.”

It was Elodie’s entrance.

Even today, she looked angelic and adorable, unlike her nickname as Ferdia’s troublemaker.

Dolsinia’s expression brightened a little.

‘That foxlike Temis might be temperamental but somewhat stupid, dealing with Elodie will be easier.’

“I told Temis, but I sent several letters. None of them was answered.”

“I see…….”

“That talk is over now, so sit down, Miss Elodie.”

Elodie sat down, and Temis filled her teacup with tea as well.

Then he pushed the teacup toward her with a deadpan voice.

“Drink up, Elodie.”

“Yes. ……Mother.”

Even if she was a bastard, she couldn’t call her “Mother” in front of others, so she was educated to call her “Mother” in such situations.

But it was rare to be in the same place as Temis, so the number of times she had called her “Mother” was rare enough to count on one hand.

‘Is she uncomfortable……?’
Elodie glanced at Themis, looking for any reaction on her face, but she showed no response, only sipping her tea with an haughty expression.

“The situation being what it is, the Duchess will understand.”

Rather, it was more important to welcome the two guests who had set foot in Ferdia.

“I heard briefly earlier that you had something to say to me, Lady Dorothea.”

“Yes. At the last royal banquet, Elodie’s escort was rude to me.”

As expected.

The visit’s purpose was exactly what Elodie had thought, and she smiled inwardly while keeping a serious face outwardly.

“Ah, are you talking about the incident where Lady Dorothea staggered over to me and my escort, asking us to hold her hand because she was dizzy?”

Dorothea’s face flushed at Elodie’s blunt words, but she couldn’t deny it, so she nodded her head.

“Yes.”

“My escort complied with Lady Dorothea’s request.”

“But then, didn’t he wipe his hand with a handkerchief as if it was dirty from touching me, and even threw that handkerchief away in front of me?”