“Why are you so tense? Did you eat something poisonous there?”

At the sharp questioning of Ivie, the servant who had tasted bitter shuddered, her shoulders trembling.

Even though her face was covered with a mask, there was a pitiful atmosphere around the servant.

Her thin body huddled and shivered, looking as miserable as a hungry dog.

Ivie stared at the wretched figure for a moment, then grabbed the servant’s clothes and dragged her out into the corridor. Then, she roughly slapped the servant.

“Summon your superiors, right now!”

Ivie shouted to the attendants in the corridor, with the servant still lying on the floor.

In response to her violent actions, the secretary of the marquis rushed over in haste.

“What’s this commotion!”

“Did you play a prank on my food?”

“What are you talking about? Playing a prank?”

“I told this woman to taste something! Don’t act innocent!”

As Ivie yelled, the doors in the corridor opened one by one. This place was where the spectators of the arena stayed.

Seeing more eyes on her, the secretary seemed embarrassed and advised Ivie.

“Don’t make a scene here. Let’s go inside and talk.”

The secretary scolded Ivie, who seemed ready to lash out, and led the shaken servant into a room. After closing the door, he looked genuinely troubled.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding. This place is directly managed by Marquis Brick. Such disgraceful acts are absolutely not allowed.”

The secretary’s voice was resentful, as if he felt unjustly accused.

He seemed genuinely innocent. If someone in their right mind was involved, they might doubt whether they had misunderstood the situation. However, this villainess behind the mask was not to be trusted.

“No? Then, try eating it yourself.”

“Do you really have to go this far? This is an insult to Marquis Brick.”

“Oh, I’ll go that far. If your marquis is such a clean person, prove it by eating it yourself. Why, can’t you?”

Ivie insisted stubbornly, and the secretary sighed in response. Then, with a disgusted look, he spoke to the malicious woman.

“Fine. I’ll eat it myself. If there’s nothing wrong, apologize gracefully.”

With a clenched fist, Ivie sneered, and the secretary, enduring the mockery, stood in front of the table where the food was prepared.

As the secretary reached for the nearest plate, Ivie suddenly grabbed his arm.

“Did you order this?”

“What nonsense…”

“Or did you ask her to feed it to a dog?”

Ivie’s claim made the secretary’s expression freeze. It was a very subtle hesitation, but Ivie noticed it immediately and sneered mockingly.

“If it’s not good enough, choose the food yourself. That should solve it, right?”
When Ivie pressed for an answer, the secretary firmly objected. Ivie, as if she had been waiting, picked up a water bottle from the table.

“Okay. Then, try drinking this.”

Ivie poured water into a crystal glass. Then, with a graceful gesture, she extended the glass towards the secretary.

The secretary received the glass with a truly unpleasant expression. Then, he naturally turned to the servant standing next to him.

“Drink.”

With a face still filled with disdain, the secretary handed the glass to the servant. In response, Ivie burst into laughter.

“What are you doing? You agreed to eat it.”

“I had a momentary lapse of judgment. Since we don’t know what she did while moving the food, let the one who carried it taste it.”

The secretary’s expression and tone, saying so, remained polite. Therefore, it seemed even more sarcastic.

Ivie, as if finding it amusing, observed the scene with her fists clenched, and the secretary, disguising his anger, seethed inwardly.

“Darn it, this idiot can’t handle such an easy task!”

The secretary’s sharp resentment was directed towards the servant. He was convinced that the trouble stemmed from the servant. So, with a glare at the wretch, he handed over the cup of drugged water.

Under the secretary’s forceful insistence, the servant, trembling, accepted the cup.

“What are you waiting for? Drink it.”

As the secretary snapped, the servant, eventually whimpering, removed her mask.

To everyone’s surprise, the face revealed underneath was pitiful. She looked, at best, like Ivie’s peer. Her deer-like eyes were a beautiful violet, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

The servant, with frightened eyes, looked around at the terrifying people surrounding her. Then, as if resigned, she brought the cup to her lips.

“Wait.”

But before the cup could be tilted, Ivie intervened.

Taking the cup away from the servant, Ivie chewed it out towards the secretary.

“Are you going to cut her tail like this, do you think I’m a fool?”

“Very well. Let’s settle this.”

However, the secretary didn’t back down.

“You received a substantial reward, causing trouble like this won’t do you any good.”

Instead, he subtly pressured Ivie. Even though the truth was already revealed, he intended to press her with strength.

Ivie laughed heartily at his audacious attitude. Then, lifting her mask slightly, she raised the cup in her hand.