“This damn child!”

Count Ermaints furiously tore the tabloid containing Gibnen’s gossip.

Though the tabloid was torn, the vivid scene of Gibnen and Riley entering the hotel together was still replaying.

In his anger, Count Ermaints stomped on the torn tabloid and yelled,

“Clear it away at once! Get rid of all the trashy papers in my sight. Right now!”

The servants, who had been nervously watching Count Ermaints’ raging command, hastily gathered the torn gossip papers.

Count Ermaints, wishing to be alone, dismissed everyone and began to throw anything he could get his hands on, releasing his heavy breath.

A feeling of humiliation he had never experienced before. The fact that it was inflicted by two eyesores was unbearably shameful.

Since the day of the reception, when he lost Riley, Count Ermaints had been sleepless. It was too unfair! Too infuriating!

When he lay down to sleep, the faces of those who had tricked him came to mind.

In the meantime, the next day, the gossip papers with their scandal were scattered all over the streets.

Everywhere he went, people talked about Gibnen Lianster’s new love interest.

Who was she, what family was she from, how old was she… Since nothing was known about Riley Eardalin, interest exploded, and the stories of the two never ceased.

As soon as he saw the gossip paper with the picture of them entering the hotel together, Count Ermaints had no choice but to explode.

“How dare that brat steal my girl?”

The thought of them playing together in one bed twisted his whole body.

“How can you like a madman who, at that age, can’t think properly and wants to marry someone childlike as a wife? How can you like an old man older than my father?”

“It’s disgusting, revolting. Rather than marrying someone like you, I would rather die.”

What made him even angrier was the insult given by Riley Eardalin.

He had never been openly ignored by anyone in his life. Even though he was old and not as prestigious as before, no one openly ignored him. But Riley Eardalin had openly insulted him.

‘Old, ugly, disgusting, horrible.’

The words she chose brought up Count Ermaints’ deepseated sense of victimization.

And on top of that, being humiliated in front of ‘Gibnen Lianster’ fueled his anger.

That he was tricked by a mere brat!

That he showed his shameful side to that brat was too much for him to bear.

In the end, a sense of victimization that all women were the same dominated his mind.

Young, handsome, wealthy are these the only important things? Superficial creatures… obsessing over makeup and flirting with men.

Just trusting one goodlooking face, living comfortably, what’s so great about that when there’s nothing else to see?

Even though he had aged and fallen ill, he was still confident that he could buy youth, beautiful women, with money.

But that confidence was shattered by a pitiful marquess’s lowly woman.

The thought that he could not even get what he wanted with money rapidly depressed him. He was still trapped in his youth.

Back then, yes, back then I was great. Without much effort, I could have any woman I wanted, had dozens of mistresses… I was the envy of all men.

Now… he was just a flawed, old man in a back room, and that made him endlessly depressed.

“I can’t let them get away with this, or I won’t live down my reputation. I might die young from anger.”

He may have grown old, but his belief in giving back as much as he got was still firm.

“Hey! Anyone, come here at once!”

Count Ermaints’ thunderous cry brought his waiting butler inside.

“Command me.”

Count Ermaints commanded with a determined, deep, and low voice.
Call all the reporters. Tell them to gather here right away.

(This is a time separator.)

After attending the Blestige, no, since the marriage with Gibnen was arranged, Riley’s life had changed 180 degrees.

There had been many changes.

For starters.

“First Miss, your meal is ready.”

“……Okay. Can I go down now?”

“Yes, Miss. I will guide you. Please follow me.”

The way the servants treated her had changed.

Especially, the change in Housekeeper Macdalin was surprising. The previously cold, unabashedly rude woman could no longer be found in her previous cold and repulsive state. Instead, she blatantly avoided Riley.

Macdalin’s change, as the leader among the servants, naturally brought changes to those beneath her.

She was allowed to go out freely, and even received the large room that Claire had used as a dressing room. Not only that, she was provided with a new dressing room, filled with the latest fashionable dresses, outdoor clothing, and daily wear.

She started receiving an allowance, which had never happened before. Surprisingly, it was about 10% more than what Claire received.

Of course, this was a secret from Claire. Having lost her dressing room and allowance, she was like a volcano ready to erupt.

She also began participating in family meals.

“Eat a lot.”