The napkin was placed to the right of Daphne’s seat. It meant she was finished with her meal.

Daphne smiled at Christine and said.

“Mother, didn’t you know that truffles give me hives? This dinner has been regrettable in many ways.”

Christine’s face contorted as she had thought everything was perfectly prepared. Serving appropriate food to everyone at the table was the most basic courtesy.

And to think it was she had used an ingredient that gave her daughter hives, not some stranger.

Christine glanced anxiously at Werner, whose expression had hardened.

“Sit down!”

When Ludwig raised his voice, Daphne, who was leaving the table, turned around with a smirk.

“Save commands like that for your hunting dogs.”

At this, Zenos laughed loudly, and Fabian threw down his napkin and followed Daphne out. Ludwig and Stephanie turned crimson to the tips of their ears, looking as if steam might rise from their heads.

Zenos also stood up and added one remark.

“Look who ruined dinner.”

Cornered completely, Stephanie finally resorted to her last measure.

“Oh, my belly……”

As she grimaced and clutched her stomach, Ludwig and Christine urgently asked.

“Are you alright?”

“Dear, what’s wrong? Are you having contractions?”

Unlike the two anxious people, Werner didn’t move an inch.

So Stephanie added another comment.

“Oh, Father. Please call a doctor. My stomach is so……”

But his response was utterly cold.

“Go back to your own home.”

Werner’s answer was merciless. Surprised, Christine admonished him.

“Darling, don’t say that.”

“My daughter-in-law’s physical condition would be best known by her own physician. I’m telling her to go see a doctor she’s familiar with—what’s wrong with that?”

Werner also rose from the table.

“Don’t treat Daphne carelessly.”

After warning the Ludwig couple, he went outside.

But Stephanie was no easy opponent. Using the excuse of stomach pains, she ultimately remained at the marquis residence.

She even coaxed Christine into letting her stay until she felt better.

⁕⁕⁕

The next day.

Werner summoned Daphne.

“Sit down there.”

His expression was quite grim. Then again, he hadn’t looked at ease lately.

Daphne sat across from him, resigned to hearing whatever unpleasant news he had to deliver.

“Child, we’ve been negotiating compensation with House Mücke. But……”

His eyes wavered, and Werner finally let out a long sigh.

“Leonhardt has apparently sold the Hill of Stones at his own discretion.”

Werner finished speaking with difficulty. But Daphne showed no particular reaction. Unable to bear the anxious silence, Werner asked.

“Should we get something else instead? If there’s anything you want, I’ll somehow……”

“When did he sell it?”

“Huh? Well……. I didn’t ask that. Should I find out now?”

“No.”

Daphne rose hastily.

“I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”

“Daphne!”

Werner quickly called her back. Throughout all these years, his neglected daughter had asked for just two things.

Breaking the engagement and the Hill of Stones.

Yet he couldn’t properly grant either one.

The engagement was resolved thanks to the Emperor, but with the condition of marriage. As soon as he heard the useless land had been sold, he tried to find the buyer. He was willing to pay any amount to buy it back, but he couldn’t identify the owner at all.

“I’m truly sorry for failing to grant your requests.”

But her response was ice-cold.

“If you’re that sorry, please stop wasting my time. Goodbye!”

Daphne turned sharply as if she couldn’t stand the sight of him and practically ran out.

Left alone, Werner clutched his forehead in distress.

Returning to her chambers, Daphne walked straight past Lara to her bedroom and slammed the door shut demonstratively.

BANG!

Immediately after came the sounds of her shouting in anger and throwing objects. Startled, Lara hesitated about whether she should check inside.

Just then, the bedroom door opened again, and Daphne emerged, breathing heavily.

“Go call Margaret!”

“What? Yes.”

Lara shook her head repeatedly as she left the chambers. The servants praised Daphne as an “angelic miss” and a “warm person.”

“Is this what passes for kindness among imperial nobles?”

Unaware that Daphne had deliberately acted that way to deceive her, Lara hurriedly searched the vast mansion for Margaret.

Daphne often called for her, saying she matched her flower preferences well. Apparently, she decorated her chambers with various flowers to lift her spirits when feeling down.

“Today she’ll need enough to fill the entire room. I wonder if His Highness knows about this temper?”

She was too worried he might marry without knowing.

Margaret rushed over and exchanged various words with Daphne.

“Please wait a moment, Miss. I’ll go to the flower market and bring herbs that will calm your anger and soothe your mind.”

“Hurry back!”

Daphne irritably threw a money pouch at her. Margaret skillfully caught it and quickly disappeared.

Lara, who had witnessed all this, wanted to run straight to Kartun and report. But as if sensing this, Daphne ordered.

“I need to arrange the flowers, so clear all that away before Margaret returns!”

Daphne pointed to the thoroughly messy bedroom.

Lara wanted to retort that she wasn’t her maid, but she held back. After all, she was nominally her personal maid.

‘This is part of the mission too. I’ll think of it as training to become a knight.’

Lara repeated this to herself as she began cleaning.

But there was something she didn’t know.

Water always finds a way to flow, even when blocked. Daphne was using Margaret as a channel to evade Lara’s surveillance and note confiscation.

Margaret headed not to the flower market but to a shabby pawnshop in an alley. The money pouch she received contained a note with Daphne’s request.

「The Hill of Stones has been sold. Find out who the new owner is.

Werner investigated but couldn’t discover anything, which suggests the buyer deliberately concealed their identity. Look into clues about how they approached Leonhardt, when, for how much, etc.」

The next day, Margaret entered the chambers again carrying a vase.

Lara asked with a suspicious look.

“We decorated so much yesterday, and there’s more?”

Unlike other maids, the exceptionally kind and gentle Margaret explained kindly.

“This is chamomile. It has a calming effect on the nerves.”

“Really?”

To Lara, flowers only had two meanings: edible or inedible. It was surprising that these things growing abundantly in fields had actual effects.

Margaret explained in detail and added.

“Miss has become unusually sharp with all these things happening. It must be hard for you too?”

This was the first time Lara had heard such words since coming to the Empire. A corner of her heart tickled with unexpected emotion.

“I’ll bring more of these flowers in the future. That should make things easier for you too.”

“Thank you.”

Lara relaxed her heightened vigilance and let Margaret inside.

“Come in.”

Margaret handed Daphne a note she had hidden at the bottom of the vase.

「With more time, I could have identified the new owner. Please wait a little longer.

Regarding the other clues you asked about:

The land was sold when Leonhardt needed money to make Anaïs’s dress. A broker approached him—a woman with faded green hair, dark gray eyes, and an ordinary appearance.

This information comes directly from Leonhardt, so it’s certain.」

Lara.

Daphne crumpled the note violently.

If the broker was her, then the buyer was certainly Kartun.

‘He said he wouldn’t interfere.’

A wave of self-loathing swept over her.

The thrilling moments they shared, the shy confession, even the subtle expectations for the future.

‘It was all an illusion.’

She had let her guard down, believing she’d found a wealthy, powerful husband who would cherish her.

Margaret didn’t know what to do as she watched Daphne burst into tears.

That night, Daphne lay askew on a long chair without moving. With her lips tightly sealed, Lara had been hovering around her for some time.

‘Why is she like this today? Is she still angry….’

But she seemed too calm and composed to be angry. That made it all the more concerning.

Lara had excellent combat skills and sharp eyes, but this felt like a different dimension from dealing with monsters.

Glancing at Daphne, who seemed deeply lost in thought, Lara pondered.

‘She seems skilled at subtly working her way in with trivial things. Is this the psychological warfare of high society I’ve only heard about?’

Even so, it seemed extreme.

‘A bride’s anxiety before marriage?’

She thought she’d heard something like that somewhere.

‘Well, honestly, I think I was more surprised by the marriage news.’

Since Lara hadn’t received any prior hint either, she almost made a sound when eavesdropping on Werner telling Daphne about the marriage.

The lord’s marriage was too sudden, and his choice of partner even more incomprehensible.