When Elicity asked Alex not to take a concubine after her regression, he answered without hesitation that he would not. Even if he did not love her, he respected her greatly.

‘After spending the night together… should I ask him to stay with me in the morning? It doesn’t seem like such a difficult request.’

However, having lived like strangers with her husband for most of their marriage and having strictly adhered to etiquette, the duchess found it difficult to act spoiled before the duke.

As she repeatedly licked her dry lips, Olivia suddenly came running from afar.

“Madam! Madam! There’s trouble!”

Her face was as pale as a ghost.

“The young lady got into a fight with her friend!”

***

It happened about ten minutes earlier.

Reluctantly obeying Elicity’s scolding, Bella returned to the picnic area where the other children were gathered.

But the truth was, Bella didn’t want to stay there. There was one child among her peers whom she found particularly difficult to tolerate.

‘Why is she still here on the second day? Just because her father is a marquis…’

Of course, she couldn’t say that out loud. Maintaining a composed expression, Bella sat gracefully on the cushion Olivia had prepared and adjusted her skirt.

“Bella.”

“Yes, Christina? Are you having fun?”

“Thanks to you. Your mother really organized a wonderful banquet this time.”

Christina tucked her lemon-colored hair behind her ear. Under the purple hairpin, her soft curls fluttered in the wind.

Bella felt an inexplicable pang of jealousy.

Whenever she saw such radiant hair, her own black locks seemed as dull as raven feathers.

She didn’t dislike her hair since she had inherited it from her father, but because he had never been affectionate toward her, it left her with a strange, unsettled feeling.

Nevertheless, Bella maintained the gentle smile she had been taught by her governess.

“Thank you for the compliment. I’ll be sure to pass it on to my mother.”

“But Bella, I heard everything.”

As expected, the word “but” appeared. In other words, the topic was about to shift from praise to something unpleasant.

Bella’s lips twitched slightly.

‘This is why I dislike Christina. Why is she always so eager to put me down?’

Still, the young lady kept her perfect mask in place, smiling nonchalantly.

“What do you mean?”

“I heard that your tutor is none other than Lady Fertel.”

A small finger pointed toward the blue-haired woman facing the prince.

Bella, being slightly more mature than the average ten-year-old, already knew what Christina was about to say next.

‘She’s going to ridicule her.’

Rolling her eyes, Bella decided to let her speak first.

“Yes. She graduated at the top of her class from the Royal Academy—a very distinguished teacher.”

“Oh my! Girls, did you hear that? The Royal Academy!”

Christina deliberately exaggerated her reaction, drawing the attention of the other young ladies, who had been enjoying their cocoa and snacks.

“What? What happened?”

“Girls, look at poor Bella. She’s being taught by a tutor who graduated from the Royal Academy—the school that only impoverished noblewomen attend. That means…”

“Oh, my dear, kind friend, Christina Prisant.”

Before Christina could finish, Bella sharply cut her off with a calm and graceful tone—completely opposite to Christina’s loud voice.

“Thank you for your concern. But having an excellent teacher doesn’t necessarily guarantee excellent results, does it? For example… we can look at Count Charante, who achieved victory at the Iris Coast.”

“…!!”

Count Charante and Christina’s uncle, Count Prisant, had both studied under the same military strategy instructor and were both navy colonels. However, the one who secured victory in the Battle of Iris with superior tactics had been Count Charante.

Christina’s face turned bright red, but Bella didn’t stop.

“In fact, Christina, I’m more worried about you. Perhaps you should consider changing your etiquette tutor? I heard she’s quite expensive, yet at the prince’s birthday banquet, your greeting etiquette was incorrect.”

“W-what!?”

“Oh, right. That was supposed to be a secret. But I was just so concerned about you. My apologies.”

Bella pursed her lips as if she had misspoken, then elegantly covered her mouth with her dress sleeve like a refined noblewoman.

Though slightly clumsy, it was more than enough to enrage Christina.

‘H-how dare she insult me?’

Christina felt like she was about to explode, but she couldn’t very well grab Bella’s hair or scream in anger.

A noble young lady who aimed for a good marriage in the future had to act gracefully at all times and in all places.

Christina, who had heard this repeatedly from her mother, barely managed to maintain her smiling mask.

“Oh my… Th-thank you for your concern. As expected, you are so kind, Isabella.”

“No, it’s my fault. I’ll be more careful with my words from now on. I was just thinking about my teacher and… I lacked consideration.”

Bella lowered her gaze calmly, just as adults did when they apologized.

As a result, a sorrowful atmosphere was created, making her appear like the victim this time.

Christina felt utterly frustrated that Bella remained perfect until the very end.

‘This is infuriating. Her mother is a fallen noble, so why is she so good at everything?’

Christina had heard from her mother countless times that the duchess was a fallen noble and that Isabella was only a half-duchess.

However, for some reason, Isabella was admired as the perfect young noble lady in high society.

Even if she was insulted behind her back, she was adored by all the noblewomen in public.

Not only her mother and father, but even her maternal grandfather, who had a trace of royal blood, couldn’t do anything about it.

‘I have to find a way to bring her down.’

And at that moment, it happened.

A murmur of “Oh!” came from the lakeside, drawing everyone’s attention. The focus was on none other than the noble prince and the lowly governess.

Bella’s governess was in the prince’s arms.

Anyone could see that she had tripped over her skirt and the prince had caught her, but regardless of the circumstances, even children knew that this was a major scandal.

A smile spread across Christina’s lips.

“Oh dear, I heard your teacher was smart, but she is still a fallen noble. That behavior is clearly an attempt to seduce the prince.”

“…!”

“Fallen noble ladies often seduce high-ranking noble gentlemen like that to secure marriage.”

Christina mimicked the actions of her mother, the Marchioness of Prisant, at the ballroom in the past.

‘Open the fan, lift the chin, and smirk slightly.’

Although something felt a bit off, she managed to make it look somewhat similar. Since she didn’t have a fan, she instead touched her cheek and looked at Bella with a pitying gaze.

“Isabella, actually, I heard everything from my mother. Your mother was a fallen noble, wasn’t she? She might not know the proper standards for selecting a governess.”

“…Christina.”

Bella could tolerate insults directed at herself. However, she could never tolerate anyone insulting her beloved mother.

Cracks began to form in her perfectly composed mask, and her face started to distort.

Christina felt a slight thrill and, just like her mother, turned her head sharply.

“I’ll ask my mother to give the duchess a lesson on how to assess a governess’s intellectual level.”

“…”

“You should also have a serious talk with your mother about your governess. I’m saying this for your own good, Bella.”

“Christina Prisant…”

Finally, Bella’s fists trembled inside her sleeves.

“You… I can endure anything else, but I won’t forgive you for insulting my mother.”

“Oh my! Bella! When did I ever insult the duchess? I only stated the truth!”

Christina smiled inwardly, hoping Bella would grab her by the hair. If the dignified young lady lost her composure, the gossip would spread like wildfire.

However, what happened next was entirely unexpected. Bella did not grab Christina’s lemon-colored hair. Instead, she shouted something shocking.

“Oh really? Then let me tell you a fact too! Your parents are a show-window couple!!”

“Show-window? What’s that?”

“A couple who aren’t actually close! How pitiful, Christina.”

This time, it was Christina’s mask that shattered.

“What nonsense are you spouting!? My parents are very close!!”

“Maybe only in front of you? Why don’t you also have a heartfelt conversation with your mother and father? I’m saying this for your own good.”

Bella, seething with anger, threw Christina’s words right back at her.

And in the next moment, it was Christina who grabbed Bella’s hair first.

“Kyaa!”

“Someone stop Christina!”

However, what Christina failed to realize was that Bella was not someone to be easily bullied.

She took after her father.

“Gasp, Bella grabbed her hair too!?”

“What’s wrong with them!?”

As the girls screamed and caused a commotion, the Countess of Hamilton, who was in charge of supervising the gathering, finally turned her head.

“Young ladies! What is the meaning of this!?”

Her face turned pale.