Countess of Hamilton lowered her head deeply as soon as the guardians of the two young ladies arrived. Although the fight between the two young ladies was by no means her fault, the noblewomen before her had the power to create fault where there was none. 

Moreover, in the capital, the Marchioness of Prisant and the Duchess of Zeroden were renowned as devoted mothers who meticulously cared for their daughters. Yet, their daughters had fought. As Countess of Hamilton’s vision darkened with dread, Elicity spoke gently.

“I heard my child has caused you trouble, madam. I apologize.”

In contrast, the Marchioness of Prisant’s expression was filled with irritation.

“Duchess, it’s troublesome for you to say that. If one takes on the responsibility of children, one must fulfill that role properly. Why should we be the ones to apologize?”

The Marchioness swiftly turned her head to look at Countess of Hamilton.

“So, Countess, tell me exactly what happened.”

Her venomous expression made Countess of Hamilton’s face go pale. The root of the conflict lay with Christina, but Isabella had not remained passive either, so both were at fault. However, admitting that Christina was at fault would likely lead to the Marchioness of Prisant tearing her apart.

‘Well, the Marchioness of Prisant is notoriously temperamental in social circles. The Duchess is still a newcomer, so maybe I should just side with the Prisant young lady…’

Countess of Hamilton wavered over whether to forsake her conscience.

“Countess of Hamilton.”

Her name was called from her right. When she lifted her head, she found herself met with a clear and unwavering purple gaze. Unlike the Marchioness of Prisant’s, this gaze carried a coldness that suggested her future would be uncertain if she did not speak the truth. Ensnared by that sharp stare, Countess of Hamilton found herself recounting the events objectively.

“I see. I’ve heard everything now.”

Having listened to the entire account, Elicity calmly nodded.

However, the Marchioness of Prisant reacted entirely differently. Her face flushed red with fury as she glared at Elicity.

“Duchess, how exactly are you educating your child?”

“…?”

For a moment, Elicity was dumbfounded. While both sides bore some fault, Christina had undoubtedly been the instigator. Thus, the Marchioness of Prisant had no reason to be questioning her about child-rearing first.

“Marchioness, I believe both children were at fault in this altercation. Therefore, I do not think you should be questioning me about my child’s education.”

Elicity’s composed tone only made the Marchioness raise her voice.

“My goodness. The very fact that such words as ‘show-window couple’ came from a child’s mouth is the issue! And honestly, was my child wrong?”

The Marchioness placed her hands on her hips and began to fire off words at a rapid pace.

“Even if one speaks with a slanted mouth, the truth should still be spoken correctly. Of course, we adults say nothing out of respect for you, Duchess. But children are bound to make mistakes, aren’t they? And besides…”

The Marchioness hesitated here but then, with her unbridled tongue, continued.

“Isn’t it true that you are a fallen noble? And isn’t it also true that the tutor you selected is crude?”

“Gasp.”

Beside her, Countess of Hamilton covered her mouth with her hands. Her shifting eyes betrayed her extreme unease. Meanwhile, Elicity found herself at a loss for words.

‘Could this be some kind of intelligent strategy to make her husband divorce her more easily?’

Of course, the Marquis of Prisant would never divorce the Marchioness. No—he couldn’t. After all, it was the Marchioness’s father who had helped him secure the position of chancellor. Thus, the Marchioness was famous for her pride and arrogance. Like mother, like daughter, Christina was now glaring at Elicity and Bella with the same harsh look.

‘Of all people, she has no right to lecture me about child-rearing.’

As Elicity sighed, the Marchioness once again shrieked.

“Duchess! Are you even listening to me!?”

“…Yes, Marchioness.”

Elicity calmly clasped her hands together and studied the Marchioness. Before her regression, she would have tried to avoid conflict with such an influential marquis family. Perhaps she would have even shifted the blame onto Countess Hamilton.

But in this life, she could not do that—not when it concerned her beloved daughter.

“Marchioness, it is true that my child chose words that embarrassed you and the Marquis and hurt your daughter.”

“That’s right. You understand well.”

“However, was my child wrong? The two of you are only friendly on the surface, aren’t you?”

Elicity returned the Marchioness’s words right back at her. 

At that, the Marchioness’s lips merely moved soundlessly for a few seconds, as if at a loss for words.

“U-unbelievable. My husband and I have a wonderful relationship! That is not true!”

“For something that isn’t true, you seem quite concerned about Countess Hamilton’s reaction.”

“I’m only worried that strange rumors might spread! Keep your voice down!!”

In reality, the relationship between Countess Hamilton and the couple was quite distant, but they were close enough that a raised voice could easily be overheard.

Although the Marchioness was detestable, Elicity had no intention of spreading her secret. If she could not reveal how she had come to know about it, that in itself could spark further rumors.

Lowering her voice even further, Elicity spoke.

“Strange rumors? You mean the fact that you’ve been enjoying the company of a 23-year-old opera singer at the Aloha Theater?”

At that moment, the face of the Marchioness of Prisant turned deathly pale.

Of course, hardly anyone knew about this matter—only the Marchioness herself, her lover Wickham, and her secretary.

And, surprisingly… the Marquis, who tolerated it.

Elicity had also learned about this after returning to the past. The Marchioness’s scandal was something that would only be revealed in the distant future.

“I also know that the Marquis condones it. In exchange, don’t you also permit his visits to the club? The two of you do not love each other, but you respect each other’s private lives.”

As Elicity continued speaking, the Marchioness’s complexion gradually turned ashen, like that of a corpse.

The deathly pale lady quickly averted her gaze from Elicity and turned her attention to Christina, who was receiving treatment for her injury from Countess Hamilton.

She seemed terrified that her beloved child might overhear their conversation.

“W-watch your mouth!!”

Though she raised her voice, the Marchioness could not meet Elicity’s eyes directly. She no longer appeared as a mother but as a sinner.

“…No, please be careful, Duchess.”

“……”

“I don’t want my daughter to know.”

At those words, Elicity pressed her lips together tightly.

Elicity was also a mother with a daughter. She had no desire to hurt Christina, who was still just a child.

In Madonia, the affairs of adults were not uncommon, but children should learn of such things as late as possible.

“My lady, I don’t wish for the young lady to know the truth either. So, let’s have our daughters apologize to each other and put an end to this.”

“……”

The Marchioness of Prisant gripped her fan tightly. Her eyes remained fixed on her beloved daughter.

In Madonia, a noblewoman’s ‘affair’ was illegal. Elicity knew that the Marchioness had no choice but to bow her head.

“Yes, let’s do that.”

As expected, the Marchioness of Prisant conceded.

Countess Hamilton, who had been watching from a distance, seemed puzzled by how calmly the conflict had been resolved, despite the Marchioness’s initial rudeness.

However, there was no helping it. For Elicity, this situation was deeply uncomfortable.

In truth, the Marchioness had indulged in her affair with the opera singer largely due to the Marquis’s neglect.

And yet, Elicity had essentially ‘blackmailed’ her into making her child apologize.

She couldn’t bring herself to demand anything more.

‘A noblewoman unloved…’

A memory of the empty bed from that morning surfaced in Elicity’s mind.

Unconsciously, she clenched her fists.

***

The gentlemen’s lounge was filled with a deathly silence.

Had there been even a single servant or knight present, the space might have felt somewhat alive, but with everyone dismissed, it felt colder than the afterlife itself.

As if his throat were full of sand, the Marquis of Prisant felt a stinging dryness and instinctively reached for his cigar from his suit pocket.

Then, realizing that the young Duke he was now wary of despised tobacco, he bit his lip instead.

Cursing inwardly, he picked up a glass of water from the table and drank.

But the water felt anything but refreshing—it was unsettling.

‘Damn it, I can’t take this any longer.’

The Marquis of Prisant’s younger brother was a businessman supplying goods to the Salita Empire.

Considering that provoking Duke Zeroden, who was secretly favored in Salita, would yield no benefits, the Marquis quickly swallowed his pride.

After finishing his glass of water, he slowly approached Alex.

“Duke, let’s put an end to this.”

“…Put an end to what?”

The young man, who had been gazing out the window, slowly turned his head.

His expression was as composed and polite as ever, yet the atmosphere he exuded was overwhelmingly oppressive.

Feeling the heavy pressure weighing on his shoulders, the Marquis of Prisant bit his lip.

“I understand that you’re angry. It’s undeniable that my child was the one who misspoke first. I apologize.”

“…‘Misspoke’?”

As the red eyes staring at him sharpened even further, the Marquis hurriedly corrected himself.

“Not ‘misspoke,’ but ‘wronged.’ I sincerely apologize.”

“……”

“You seem quite displeased… What would it take to appease you?”

Although his title was lower than that of a Duke, he possessed no shortage of wealth. If Alex desired something rare or valuable, he was willing to offer it.

The Marquis quickly ran through the list of extravagant gifts his vassals had recently presented him as bribes.

“Lady Isabella has been chosen as a candidate for Salita’s princess consort. She’ll need fitting jewels, won’t she? How about this—I’ll send three chests of jewels…”

At that moment—

There was a knock at the door, and as it opened, Elicity stepped inside.