How long had we traveled along Granrose’s main road? Before long, the carriage stopped in front of the Chrysante ducal residence.

Rashid, who stepped out of the carriage first, extended his hand to me. It was impeccable etiquette.

I took his hand and entered the mansion.

Many people had already gathered in the luxurious hall. The banquet hall, abundantly decorated with chrysanthemums, the symbol of the Chrysante family, looked like a sea of flowers. The rich fragrance washed over me like waves.

“The Duke and Duchess of Penvernon have arrived.”

The Chrysante family’s servant announced our arrival to the hall.

In an instant, all eyes turned towards us.

Normally, everyone would have been interested in Rashid, but today was different. I was now the protagonist of the most interesting rumor. The sound of numerous people whispering tickled my ears. It was a strange sensation I didn’t want to get used to.

“Duke and Duchess of Penvernon. Welcome.”

The Duke and Duchess of Chrysante and their son welcomed Rashid and me.

“Thank you for inviting us.”

“Congratulations on coming of age, young duke.”

The protagonist of today’s event was Lorenz Chrysante, the son of the Duke and Duchess. It was a grand banquet befitting the celebration of the future Duke of Chrysante coming of age.

It was a good choice to attend. Failing to attend a major event of another ducal family could lead to unnecessary rumors and misunderstandings. Our appearance together at such an occasion would help dispel the groundless rumors I heard.

“Are you feeling better now?”

The Duchess of Chrysante asked with a graceful smile. Thinking of her as a kind and dignified woman, I nodded slightly.

“I’m fine, thanks to your concern.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“You must be so happy to see your son grow up so splendidly.”

“Haha, he still has much to learn.”

At my compliment, the Duke of Chrysante patted Lorenz’s shoulder. Encouraged by his father, Lorenz responded with a reliable smile.

The Duchess of Chrysante chuckled softly as she watched the scene.

“I hope we’ll soon see an heir from the Duke of Penvernon as well.”

“……”

“I’m already looking forward to hosting a coming-of-age ceremony for the young duke of Camellia.”

An unexpected attack came. I forced a smile. It was difficult to maintain my composure.

“Thank you for your great interest. We’ll bring you good news soon.”

“Oh my, I look forward to it.”

Rashid answered on my behalf. His attitude was familiar and natural, as if he had heard such talk many times before. The Duchess of Chrysante laughed merrily at his glib response.

Good news, he says.

At this rate, I’m bound to end up bearing Rashid’s child.

Just as we finished greeting the Chrysante family and were about to move into the hall.

“Alisa!”

Someone called my name in a cheerful voice.

As I turned around, an elegant silver-haired lady was smiling brightly. Her violet eyes, like pansies, sparkled as they focused on me.

It was Patricia Limnike, the young lady of the Limnike ducal family.

“I thought you wouldn’t come! You should have told me in advance that you were planning to attend.”

“Hello, Miss Patricia.”

Patricia was the daughter of Duke Limnike. With her radiant beauty and the blood of the Limnike family, she was a woman who attracted attention wherever she went.

“Well then, wife.”

Rashid lightly touched my back, signaling his departure.

Patricia slightly bowed her head in a polite greeting to him, but Rashid ignored her greeting and left.

It couldn’t be helped, I suppose.

Rashid’s mother, Natalie, was the daughter of the previous Duke of Limnike. In other words, his mother would be Patricia’s aunt.

Although they were relatives by blood, Rashid had essentially severed ties with the Limnike family, so their relationship wasn’t good.

Rashid wouldn’t be fond of his mother’s family who had tried to kill him, and the Limnike family wouldn’t look kindly upon Rashid, who had confined the previous duke’s daughter.

Still, Patricia was Alisa’s only friend. In the social circles where the atmosphere of looking down on Alisa was prevalent, she was the only one who had reached out first.

People praised Patricia’s kind and gentle nature that easily transcended family matters, and they found her friendship towards Alisa endearing.

Because of this, I also felt close to Patricia. Although I didn’t know why Patricia was taking care of Alisa, her kindness alone was enough to earn my favor.

“I received your last letter well. Did you like my reply?”

“Yes, of course. These days, um, I’ve been writing poetry. Haha. I tried to write some poetic expressions.”

I recalled the letter I sent through Louise last time. I had really written a jumble of nonsense, so Patricia must have been quite perplexed. Still, I was grateful that she had taken her time to think and write a slow response as I had intended.

“By the way, Miss Patricia, if it’s alright, I’d like to greet some other people.”

“Oh my, really? That’s unlike the usual you, Duchess Penvernon. What made you decide that?”

“Just, well… It’s good to get to know more people, isn’t it?”

To be honest, I wanted to let many people know that I was living without any issues.

“Alright, come this way.”

Patricia gladly agreed to my request.

I followed Patricia’s lead. She took me to a group of noble ladies engaged in conversation.

“Hello, Lady Limnike.”

One of the group who recognized Patricia greeted her cheerfully. The next moment, I felt her glancing at me with a smile. It somehow felt unpleasant, but I endured it for now. After all, I’m the one in need at the moment.

Patricia introduced her to me.

“This is Countess Spendal. Countess Spendal, as you know, this is the Duchess of Penvernon.”

“Hello, Countess Spendal.”

I greeted her politely. There was vague information about her in Alisa’s memories. The Spendal Count family was a wealthy family that ran one of the most prominent trading companies in the empire.

“Oh my, Duchess Penvernon came.”

Ah. Wait a minute. What’s this ambiguous and subtle atmosphere?

Perhaps, could this mean… ‘I didn’t think you’d come, how impressive.’?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Penvernon. I never thought we’d have a chance to talk like this, I’m truly delighted.”

Does she mean, ‘I didn’t think there’d be a chance to talk, are you still alive?’

Patricia introduced the lady next to her. She said,

“Duchess Penvernon, I thought you were still bedridden. Are you feeling better now?”

Is it just my imagination that it sounds like ‘You should have stayed in bed longer.’?

“That’s right. I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with you, but never had the chance. It’s been regrettable.”

Countess Spendal laughed softly.

Words that I couldn’t tell whether to take at face value or interpret differently came flooding in like a tidal wave.

The language of high society is a complex and artificial language that hides meanings beneath the surface. Interpreting what is sincere and what is fake, what they really want to say, was a patented skill of the nobility.

Unfortunately, Alisa wasn’t proficient in that language. Well, only those who need it work hard to hone that skill. If you don’t want greater influence in noble society, you don’t have to get involved in the elegant and fierce battle of wits.

I was the same. I don’t have even a grain of desire to excel in high society. I knew that wasn’t something allowed to me.

I was already tired, even though I hadn’t been here long. Still, I had a clear reason for attending this gathering.

“Thank you for your concern. I’m touched by your kindness.”

I mustered my strength and pretended to be moved as I replied. And to achieve my intended goal, I uttered the most important words.

“I think I was too engrossed in the scenery of the Sehera River. It was a bit surprising, but nothing serious.”

“Oh my, is that so…?”

While conversing with them, I subtly emphasized that my falling into the water was nothing more than an unexpected accident. ‘I absolutely did not despair over my situation because of Rashid, I have no problems at all.’

Still, people will talk about Alisa for a while. After all, gossip about love is the most interesting kind of gossip.

But by showing up like this, perfectly fine, and letting it be known that the rumors were exaggerated, it should help change the atmosphere.

The noble ladies, perhaps losing interest because my story differed from the rumors, began to bring up other topics one by one.