The journalist wrote that he had “quite coincidentally” met the princess who was crying after being abandoned by “a young noble who cheated with a villainess despite having a virtuous fiancée.” Thanks to this chance encounter, he claimed to have heard the vivid story firsthand.

「The shameless princess not only seduced a young duke who belonged to another, but dared to appear in attire more splendid than Her Majesty the Emperor.」

For something supposedly heard directly, the article was ridiculously exaggerated.

「Moreover, she committed the indecent act of appearing alongside the young duke while his fiancée watched. They behaved like people without even the slightest sense of shame.

However, our benevolent and wise Majesty entrusted their punishment to the young duke’s father and gracefully continued leading the Founding Day ball.

The noble lady favored by the Empire’s great Sun also followed this example and maintained her dignity. Despite her fiancé’s childish misconduct, she paid little attention to it and remained at the ball until the end.」

The journalist clearly understood how to provoke the public.

Knowing that newspapers would sell like hotcakes if he wrote about the Emperor being insulted by a foreign princess, he thoroughly portrayed Anaïs and Leonhardt as villains.

Daphne had been cast as a “strong and dignified victim.”

The next article was no different. As if unwilling to miss such an opportunity, it showed no regard for House Mücke’s feelings.

「In the end, the fiancé who behaved like a scoundrel and the adulterous princess couldn’t overcome their shame and fled the ball.」

Another illustration depicted Anaïs crying while sitting across from others in a carriage. Her eyes were swollen, and her protruding lips resembled an ugly fish.

Anaïs was the same age as Daphne, just twenty years old. While this was an extremely humiliating treatment for someone so young, Daphne felt no pity for her.

Recalling how Anaïs had provided a bag full of stones along with an axe-wielding coachman in her previous life, Daphne smiled coldly.

‘This is just the beginning. You need to go all the way to the edge of the cliff too.’

The article continued onto the next page.

Unlike simple gossip, it contained some rather sharp speculations.

「Meanwhile, someone who witnessed everything at the scene expressed personal doubts to this writer.

Could the princess have truly enchanted him with her charms alone?

This writer, too, could not help but share this concern.

An expert who wished to remain anonymous cautiously suggested a connection between the increasing number of awakening monsters and the attendance of Grand Duke Kartun Schwiers and Dame Margrit Schwiers, who usually guard that area, at the Founding Day celebration.」

Connecting all ominous events to monsters was a trite conclusion for gossip articles.

Whether the journalist genuinely believed this or simply added an intriguing conclusion was unclear.

But Daphne had similar thoughts to this journalist. That’s why she had collected the stone fragments Anaïs left on the table.

She considered taking them to Gabriel but changed her mind. Given that he knew about her meeting with Margo at the dress shop, she would obviously be followed by Kartun again today.

‘Why does he care about me so much?’

It would make sense if it were Werner or Gustav. Even her two brothers would be more suitable surveillance targets and had fewer public activities.

‘Well, this question is meaningless now.’

Having become friends with Margo, Kartun’s surveillance would surely continue.

‘How exhausting.’

Daphne fingered her newly purchased parasol.

It was currently in fashion, made of silk from the East with elaborate embroidery and finished with mesh lace. She had chosen one with the most popular canary embroidery.

Sure enough, upon coming downtown, she saw parasols draped over the shoulders of every noble lady.

She twirled her still-unopened parasol while alternately looking toward Gabriel’s guild and in the opposite direction.

After a moment of contemplation, she remembered advice from her previous life. It came from an old warrior she had met during a battle with monsters.

“Would you refuse a torch offered by a thief on a dark night? You should take it even if you have to kill him. For your own survival, use people without discrimination.”

The old warrior was always right.

Daphne opened her parasol wide, draped it over her shoulder, and started walking in the direction opposite Gabriel’s guild.

Shortly after, a woman began following her. She had an ordinary appearance, the kind commonly seen anywhere.

However, her movements were so light and stealthy that people around her paid no attention even as she brushed past them.

Her presence was so faint, almost like air, that people barely registered her existence.

But Daphne had been an excellent spy in her previous life, so she sensed the suspicious presence following her and gradually slowed her steps.

At that moment, the woman following her naturally slipped into an alley. Daphne narrowed her eyes, surveyed her surroundings, and tilted her head slightly.

The presence that had clearly been following her had vanished like the wind.

‘Am I being too sensitive?’

When in doubt, it’s better to be cautious despite the inconvenience. She put on her newly purchased parasol and began walking again.

Shortly after, the woman who had disappeared into the alley emerged again and followed behind the bird-embroidered parasol. But before walking fifty paces, she realized it was a different person and bit her lip.

She had underestimated Daphne, with consequences.

The destination Daphne reached after evading surveillance was Zenos’s laboratory.

Though it was her first visit in this second life, in her previous life she had come countless times, always experiencing the same treatment.

Daphne had come to congratulate him after he became a professor. Of course, far from receiving congratulations, she was immediately driven away.

Afterward, she complained to Christine that despite being his only sister, she wasn’t even allowed to congratulate him. Naturally, Christine pushed Daphne’s back, urging her to go visit him again.

But the result was predictable.

Zenos drove her away again, and afterward, Daphne continued visiting until he would agree to meet her.

Today would be no different.

‘That can be helpful sometimes.’

Today she especially needed to be driven away noisily. That way, even if someone was monitoring her, it would appear she hadn’t met with Zenos.

Daphne approached the desk with a bright smile and said:

“I’d like to see Professor Zenos Armin.”

This smile that would entrance anyone was useless on the receptionist. He sighed and asked glumly, despite already knowing the answer:

“Your name?”

“Daphne Armin.”

The receptionist heaved a big sigh as he looked at her cheerful smile.

Once, an uninformed newcomer had gone to announce the sister’s visit and was struck in the foot by a hammer Zenos threw.

Apparently because he had delivered “impure news” in the sacred ivory tower.

Such ab*se was unprecedented. Yet Zenos was never disciplined.

As always, the dean stepped in to give money to the victim and smooth over the incident. That’s how exceptional Zenos’s abilities were.

Not wanting to experience such treatment, the receptionist said curtly:

“Professor Armin cannot be seen without a prior appointment.”

Cannot be seen? That couldn’t be right.

Students could visit and meet with professors anytime if the professor permitted. Family members shouldn’t even need to ask.

‘The problem is that I’m that family member.’

Daphne pleaded pitifully with the receptionist.

“Please don’t be like that. Just ask the professor.”

But the receptionist shook his head as if it were out of the question. He had absolutely no desire to become a punching bag by mentioning the name Zenos hated most.

The receptionist abandoned his desk and went inside.

People nearby kept glancing at her.

‘The sister Zenos so despises.’

Did the eccentric genius hate pretty things?

When Daphne turned away with a dejected expression as if about to cry, people looked at her with pity.

The receptionist peeked out to confirm she had completely left, then pursed his lips.

‘She’ll probably go cry in some corner for a while again.’

Far from feeling sorry for Daphne, he felt bad that she made him look like the villain.

After leaving the building, Daphne walked around to the back. The tearful expression had already vanished from her face.

Zenos’s laboratory was in a secluded location, hidden from view.

It was lunchtime, so there was no one around.

Daphne checked the third-floor window, then grabbed the trellis supporting climbing roses and began to climb.

She moved as if weightless. Her movements were as smooth as flowing water, and her breathing remained as steady as if she were walking on flat ground.

Though not entirely satisfactory, her diligent physical training was paying off in this moment.

Zenos was rummaging through research papers when a round head appeared at the window, causing him to jump like someone stung by a bee.

“You, you!”

“Stop making a fuss and move aside. I can’t get in.”

“Uh, um……”

Zenos moved to the side of the window and reflexively extended his hand, but Daphne didn’t take it. She entered his laboratory with bird-like lightness.

“What brings you here?”

“I have something to discuss.”

“Then why did you come in this way?”

“The receptionist at the front desk told me to leave. So I left and came back.”

Hearing this, thin veins began to pop up in Zenos’s eyes.

“What kind of person is he? How dare he treat the Armin family like that!”

“Because I’m the only person in the Armin family who can be disrespected. And you hate me.”