After Rose left, the people around Ideli gave her cold looks.

Ideli denied it until the end, but people already saw her as Count Iols’s mistress.

Not only that, they saw her as a shameless woman trying to falsely accuse the kind and virtuous Young Lady Asila.

Ideli froze under the sharp gazes she received for the first time.

“I, this is…”

Despite her pitiful state, trembling all over, people’s gazes were not kind.

Erina, who had been intently listening to their conversation from afar without others noticing, swallowed a sigh.

She had barely managed to put the noose around Rose, but it seemed that cunning Rose had quickly shifted the blame to someone else.

Not wanting an innocent victim to suffer because of her, Erina approached Ideli.

“It’s really not mine…”

As Ideli shed tears, Erina approached and stood in front of her.

“Viscount Modim’s daughter.”

Ideli looked up at Erina standing before her with a tear-stained face.

No matter what, she didn’t want to be hated by Erina.

Feeling wronged and upset by the gazes of people who saw her as Count Iols’s mistress, Ideli pleaded with Erina.

“Lady Medellia. This is really not mine. I truly didn’t do it.”

Erina’s heart ached seeing the crying young lady with pretty navy blue hair and deep indigo eyes.

She pitied this young lady who got caught up in misunderstandings due to the fight between her and Rose.

“I know, because it’s mine.”

“Pardon?”

Erina put her hand over Ideli’s, who was still cautiously holding the bracelet.

“I was going to return it to Count Iols at the founding festival, but it seems I unknowingly dropped it.”

“But!”

“He must have seen Young Lady Asila when he found the bracelet.”

Ideli tried to argue, but Erina spoke with a resolute expression.

Even the dense Ideli could tell that Erina was deliberately trying to cover for her.

Biting her lips, Ideli nodded.

“Thank you for finding what I lost, Young Lady.”

Erina crumpled the bracelet in Ideli’s hand into her handbag.

“You look a bit distressed, shall we go to the breakroom together for a bit?”

“…Yes.”

Erina led her, who reluctantly answered, to the breakroom located in a corner of the banquet hall.

There were still people who doubted Ideli, but after the two disappeared, regretful voices remained here and there for not being able to probe further.

Erina gestured to Haila and Sandes as she headed to the breakroom.

Seeing the two nod, Erina took Ideli into the breakroom.

Fortunately, there was no one inside the breakroom.

Silence flowed between Erina and Ideli as they faced each other in the closed breakroom.

“Viscount Modim’s daughter.”

At Erina’s call, Ideli raised her head to look at her.

“My lady, I have something to tell you.”

Erina smiled quietly at Ideli’s earnest gaze.

Encouraged, Ideli hastily opened her mouth.

“That bracelet is really…!”

“Shh.”

Erina shook her head, bringing her index finger to her lips as Ideli was about to shout.

“I know. So you don’t need to say it.”

“But!”

“In the imperial palace where all members of high society gather, one must always be careful with their words wherever they are.”

Ideli bit her lip again and lowered her head.

Erina felt sorry for her.

Even she, who remembered the original work, still found the world of high society difficult.

She felt sorry and guilty that this young lady, who had just set foot in high society, was about to be ruined because of Rose and herself.

“It’s hard and difficult, isn’t it?”

Ideli’s eyes were filled with tears as she raised her head to look at her again.

“Just because I can’t lie, people reject me, turn their backs, gossip, and then smile as if nothing happened when they face me again.”

Ideli clenched her lips, trembling, and eventually shed tears.

“High society is such a place. A place where no matter how good I am, I have to become another me.”

“I don’t understand at all. What should I do?”

Erina took out a handkerchief from her handbag and handed it to the crying Ideli.

Erina couldn’t ignore Ideli and turn away, reminded of her past self when she first entered high society.

Back then, she was rejected by her family and not welcomed in high society, having to swallow her tears alone.

She had desperately needed someone’s comfort and advice.

Until the end, there was no such person for her, but shouldn’t there be at least one such person for Ideli, who had somehow become a scapegoat in the fight between Rose and herself?

A melancholic smile settled on Erina’s face.

“Put on a mask of nobility and smile as if painted. Hide your heart, pretend not to know even if you do, and pretend to know even if you don’t.”

At Erina’s words, Ideli buried her face in the handkerchief and cried, muffling her voice.

Thinking there was no need to say more, Erina silently stood in front of her and waited.

It was a place where one had to overcome it alone in order to survive.

Otherwise, like herself before remembering the original work, one had to turn their back on high society and live hiding themselves.

After crying for a while, Ideli lifted her face to look at Erina.

To Ideli, Erina was a truly beautiful person.

Both in appearance and heart, she was someone one could only admire.

“Truly, I sincerely thank you, Lady Medellia.”

Ideli suddenly bowed her head slowly, expressing her gratitude.

After finishing her greeting, Ideli’s deep indigo eyes were determined, unlike earlier when they were anxiously wavering.

Erina couldn’t help but smile at her slightly changed appearance.

“If you ever need help, my lady, please let me know at any time. I will stake everything of the Modim family to assist you in all ways.”

“Thank you, Young Lady.”

“Will you call me Ideli?”

Ideli’s request to call her by name, eyes sparkling as if she had never cried, was so cute that Erina had to laugh out loud.

“I will, Ideli.”

Holding the handkerchief tightly in both hands, Ideli’s heart pounded at her beautiful smile.

Ideli laughed along, resolving to someday be of help to Erina.

[This is the timeline separator]

After the congratulatory banquet ended and she returned to the Kerenik estate, Erina was sitting in front of her vanity, reflecting on the day.

Suddenly remembering what happened at the banquet hall, she searched for her handbag and took out the bracelet.

The bracelet, named the Tear of the Sun, was impressive with a large fire opal embedded in it.

Seeing the bright vermilion fire opal reminded her of Peiron’s two eyes.

Erina wanted to smash the bracelet in her hand right away, but she couldn’t do as she pleased with it since she had publicly brought it.

“Erina, here.”

As if reading Erina’s mind, Haila brought an empty box to put the bracelet in and held it out.

“Thank you, Haila.”

Erina took the box, placed the bracelet inside, and quietly gazed at the brilliant fire opal.

This bracelet, named the Tear of the Sun, was a betrothal gift passed down to the wives of Count Iols for generations.

Before remembering the original work, Erina had always wanted this bracelet.

She felt that if she received this bracelet from him, it would be like being recognized as his wife.

So she had desperately wanted it.

But in the end, Peiron gave it to Rose.

It was ironic to Erina that she finally held the bracelet she never received from Peiron only after giving up everything related to Iols.

Not wanting to see it any longer, Erina quickly closed the box and handed it to Haila.

“Shall we send it to the Iols family?”

“Hmm.”

After thinking for a moment, Erina smiled brightly and replied.

“No, please send it to the Asila family.”

“Oh, that’s a really good idea.”

When Haila giggled, holding the box with exaggerated gestures, Erina also burst into laughter.

“Ah, I almost forgot. The Duke wishes to see you briefly in his office. Shall I go and decline right away?”

Erina made a dumbfounded expression at Haila’s words, casually mentioning rejection.

“Hmph, I wanted to monopolize Erina alone before she returns to the Medellia estate!”

Erina got up from her seat at the sight of Haila clenching her fists as she spoke.

“Haila, we’re going to the Medellia estate together.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Erina couldn’t help but laugh at her smooth response.

As Erina moved to go to Sandes’s office, Haila followed.

“You said we’re going to the Medellia estate in a week?”

“Yes, since the temple and tower said they want to meet right after arriving tomorrow, I thought we’d go back after meeting them.”

Erina had been informed by Enzo after the congratulatory banquet that the temple and tower had newly contacted him.

At most, she had expected a high priest from the temple and one of the sages from the tower to be sent.

That’s how it was in the original work, so Erina naturally thought it would be the same.

However, the Pope and Grand Sage, the representatives of the temple and tower, were personally visiting.

Erina was a bit puzzled.

In the original work that Erina knew, the Pope and Grand Sage never showed themselves until the end.

They were people who hardly appeared, to the point where one might doubt their existence.

But Erina wasn’t the only one surprised by the sudden announcement of their visit.

Enzo, who had relayed the message, also seemed surprised.

“Erina, you’re too kind.”

Lost in thought as she walked to the office, Erina was startled by Haila’s sudden praise.

“Me? No way.”

When Erina denied it with wide eyes, Haila sighed.

“If it were me, I would have stormed into the estate and kicked them all out already.”

“Ahaha! Haila, did you really think I was giving them time to comfortably pack up and leave?”

Erina suddenly stopped walking and asked, laughing at Haila’s words.

As Haila stopped following Erina, Erina looked up at her and smiled mischievously.