“Ah, I apologize, Count Iolls.”

“W-what are you…”

The sound of swatting away the approaching hand was so forceful it could have been mistaken for a slap.

As Sandes apologized in a tone that didn’t sound apologetic at all, the flustered Peiron stuttered.

Peiron froze, unable to lower his awkwardly suspended arm.

“I was worried about the Countess and before I knew it…”

Sandes’ attempt to laugh it off carried a meaningful tone.

The onlookers seemed to sense this as well, as the quiet garden became slightly unsettled with hushed whispers.

“What do you mean by that, Marquis Kerenik?”

Peiron’s voice, full of bewilderment, had a tinge of anger underneath.

Even someone dense and foolish would realize this situation was created deliberately.

“Are you saying I was about to hit Erina?”

“Oh, of course not.”

Sandes’ exaggerated shrug of his shoulders was very annoying.

Of course, only to one person.

“Marquis!”

“Count Iolls, I regret if it sounded that way, but…”

Sandes’ clear sky-blue eyes were as cold as blue ice as he trailed off.

Peiron’s face crumpled as he met his gaze.

“When I first met the Countess.”

Sandes’ gaze slowly moved to the side, towards Mirea who was glaring at Erina while seething behind Peiron.

“She didn’t look well, you see.”

Peiron couldn’t miss that Sandes’ gaze had shifted from him to Mirea.

Sandes was bringing up the misdeeds of a mother-in-law raising her hand against her daughter-in-law.

But Peiron, far from understanding this intention, was dumbfounded to learn when Sandes and Erina had met.

Realizing that on the day the carriage didn’t return, Erina had been with Sandes, Peiron felt irritation rising at the sight of the two’s calm demeanor.

“Ha.”

Peiron hadn’t been able to confirm what had happened after Erina got off the carriage, as he had been busy investigating what occurred at home after her return.

All he knew was that the coachman had dropped her off in a remote village, so unfamiliar that he learned it was Iolls County territory for the first time.

If a coachman who had worked for the Iolls family for a long time said that, it must have been a village where carriages rarely went.

On the day Erina returned home, he had heard that the wound on her face was caused by his mother slapping her cheek.

Seeing Sandes’ expression as he looked at Mirea while saying her face didn’t look good at their first meeting, Peiron could be certain.

The person Erina met in that remote village was Marquis Sandes Kerenik, who now claimed to be Erina’s partner.

As this thought struck him, Peiron began to wonder.

‘If they first met in that village, did they spend the night together?’

‘They must have ridden in the Marquis’ carriage on the way back to the mansion, were they alone together?’

‘Could it be that it wasn’t their first meeting?’

‘And then she criticized me for bringing Rose?’

Peiron’s mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts in that short moment.

The numerous thoughts chased each other, climbing up until they finally formed into one emotion: anger.

That day, Erina, who had only left Peiron feeling apologetic, apparently had an enjoyable time with Sandes.

Enough to greet each other with smiles right in front of Peiron himself.

Peiron felt that Erina had deceived him.

He thought she must have thoroughly deceived him and made a fool of him in front of everyone here.

“After all that, now you’re…”

“Count Iolls.”

Sandes was incredulous at Peiron’s face as he glared at Erina, thinking to himself and drawing his own conclusions.

It was very easy to guess what he was thinking.

Sandes had brought up the past incident intending to criticize the mother-in-law for slapping her daughter-in-law, but Peiron was getting angry over something entirely different.

At this point, Sandes wondered how such a stupid and dull person could have the Emperor’s trust.

“So you know why the Countess didn’t look well that day.”

“How could I not know about my wife’s affairs?”

“Then how did you handle it? Surely you must have given a severe punishment.”

Once again cutting off Peiron’s indignant words, Sandes spoke softly, almost in a whisper, while coldly looking down at Mirea, contrary to his tone.

Peiron was momentarily shocked.

That day, he had overlooked the fact that Erina had been slapped by his mother over managing the mansion.

In the end, he had done nothing.

Knowing that domestic violence was unacceptable, he still didn’t take care of Erina or say anything to his mother.

As he asked himself why he had acted that way, he began to make excuses for past events.

But Peiron thought he had no choice at the time.

He had been so busy with mansion affairs that he could barely sleep, and he had to take care of the frail Rose.

In Peiron’s mind, he truly had no choice given the situation he was in.

Peiron justified forgetting about Erina being hit by his mother by making such excuses to himself.

“Well, I suppose…”

As Peiron tried to gloss over it, Sandes didn’t hold back this time and spoke directly.

“Ah, so you did nothing about the Countess being slapped at home. Even now.”

People could be heard gasping in surprise here and there.

“My goodness. It seems this happened within the family.”

“Oh my, oh my. Did Count Iolls raise his hand?”

“But it wasn’t him, right? Then who…”

Many people were busy gossiping openly, impossible to ignore.

For both Peiron and Mirea.

People were busy whispering while staring at Peiron and Mirea.

They didn’t even try to hide what they were saying, unlike before, not lowering their voices.

Unable to bear the gazes directed at her and the reproachful tone, Mirea burst out shouting.

“Making such a fuss over a trivial matter of disciplining a daughter-in-law…!”

“Mother!”

Peiron hurriedly tried to stop Mirea from shouting, but that one sentence confirmed what had been mere suspicion.

It was like pouring oil on a fire that had just been lit.

“What! Did I say something wrong?”

“Please stop.”

Mirea lost her composure at the sight of people now openly pointing fingers and criticizing her.

“What’s wrong with trying to teach an ill-mannered, disobedient daughter-in-law!”

“Mother, please!”

Watching Mirea dig her own grave, Erina took a step back.

It was ridiculous to see her puffing up like a peacock imitating a pheasant, veins bulging in her neck as she raged.

Erina covered her mouth and stepped back to avoid laughing, but people mistook it for the appearance of a frightened woman.

Mirea, unable to stand that sight, tried to lunge at Erina.

But Peiron grabbed Mirea as she tried to cause a scene.

“Mother!”

“Let go!”

At the comical sight of the two facing each other, forgetting themselves and causing a disturbance, Erina called out to Sandes to leave the place.

“Marquis.”

Sandes turned his head, bowing slightly and looking at Erina gently.

“That’s enough now.”

Sandes, who had been cornering Peiron until now, turned his back on the two still arguing without any lingering attachment at Erina’s single word.

“Your hand.”

Erina carefully placed her hand on the arm Sandes offered.

“Let’s go.”

With Sandes escorting her with the hand not holding Heila’s, they moved away, leaving the others behind.

“Erina!”

Only then did Peiron, seeing Erina ignoring him and walking away, urgently call out to her.

Erina didn’t look back.

“You! Come back here right now! How dare you when your mother-in-law is speaking!”

Peiron couldn’t chase after Erina because of Mirea trying to lunge at Erina again.

“Mother, stop it!”

“What, what did I do wrong to cause such a fuss!”

Even without looking, Erina could tell the situation from the shouts of the two.

“Go home, Mother!”

It seemed Peiron, unable to bear it any longer, was going to send Mirea away from the Founding Festival.

Mirea had to leave the garden, practically dragged away by Peiron, still causing a commotion with her whole body.

Given Peiron’s personality, he would surely send her back to the mansion, even using his authority as the head of the family.

“Hmm.”

In truth, Erina didn’t care what they did.

After today, she wouldn’t have to face them anymore anyway.

“Marquis. I really like it.”

But she couldn’t hide how much she liked it.

Even without Erina mentioning her situation, their ugly true nature, which no one had known about, was revealed to everyone.

The doors of the seemingly impregnable fortress of the despicable Iolls had been thrown wide open.

How could Erina not be pleased?

Numerous gazes were fixed on Sandes and Erina as they entered the palace calmly smiling, but the two paid no attention.

After passing through the long garden path, even the intense stares gradually subsided.

As they passed through the door beautifully carved with lisianthus on the white building, the first thing visible was the long red carpet laid over the marble floor.

The interior of Raphilen Palace was harmoniously yet not excessively lavish, filled with decorations, beautiful framed paintings, and fresh lisianthus flowers adorning various spots.

As Erina walked along the red carpet leading to the banquet hall, Heila’s voice suddenly reached her ears.

“How about letting go of my hand now? Erina.”

“What? Oh my!”

At Heila’s words, Erina just realized she was still holding her hand.

“I’m sorry, Heila. Why did I…”

As she let go of the hand she had been holding, her hand tingled slightly from gripping it quite firmly.

When Erina apologized, Heila laughed brightly.

“It’s alright. It seems I was that much of a support to you. I’m glad.”

Heila handed the parasol she was holding to Erina, whose face had turned bright red and who was fidgeting with her hands, not knowing what to do, and adjusted Erina’s dress.

Of course, there wasn’t much to adjust on the plain dress without decorations, but Heila deliberately tidied it with careful hands.

At that moment, a low voice sounded near her ear.