Upon Liena’s explanation, the man who had been looking down at the table in front of him with a fallen face nodded slightly in greeting.

“As a regional manager, you would know everything that goes on inside the company, wouldn’t you, Aelfrie? So please, speak candidly.”

Aelfrie couldn’t understand why Liena was suddenly saying this to her.

It sounded like she was talking to a lying child, telling them to come clean because she knew everything.

Ino seemed equally puzzled. Judging by his expression, Aelfrie didn’t think he and Liena had plotted anything, so she calmly talked about the commotion that had occurred that day.

Of course, she moderately left out saying that she had come as an errand girl, as it felt like it would be nitpicked later.

However, when Aelfrie finished speaking, Liena looked extremely surprised and said in a deliberately loud voice,

“Is that really true? What I heard is quite different.”

“That’s right. We heard that Lord Aradis and Elize had greatly helped the Ash Company…”

“And they begged to receive their keen insights, didn’t they?”

The conversation continued. From their words, Aelfrie realized.

Why she was invited here, and why someone from the Ash Company was included as well.

‘Elize must have lied.’

She probably sent the tea and snacks, along with other items, as gifts to flaunt herself.

Aelfrie sighed. Somehow, before leaving, Elize had seemed nervous, biting her nails. It seemed she was worried about this situation.

She should have said something before I left.

That I blurted it out like this in social circles. So, you should align your words accordingly.

‘…Of course, it would have hurt her pride.’

For her entire life, Elize had been giving orders to Aelfrie, treating her like a servant, if not worse.

Asking for cooperation by admitting her mistake must have been harder for Elize than dying.

Aelfrie could easily guess Elize’s thoughts because she had observed Elize her whole life.

After achieving her goal, Liena no longer paid attention to Aelfrie.

‘All she needed was to confirm the lie.’

Recently, Elize had been acting haughty for getting her hands on the tea from the Ash Company before her.
‘How could he have managed something even the royal family couldn’t secure?’

Furthermore, the Archduke seemed to have softened his gaze toward Elize, praising her discernment.

The sight made Riena’s eyes roll back in irritation. While pondering how to break Elize’s arrogance, Riena discovered that the words Elize had spoken to people differed from one another.

She had a hunch at that moment. That among Elize’s words, there was a lie.

‘So, I deliberately called Aelfrie.’

Even if she confronted Elize, that fox-like creature would skillfully talk her way out as usual.

And she would skillfully escape. If cornered to the end, she would undoubtedly feign fainting to get out.

So, knowing to some extent, she had deliberately summoned Aelfrie who was not so wicked.

‘It went as planned.’

Riena was satisfied that her plan had succeeded splendidly. Now was the time to clear away the unnecessary.