Noticing the look, the Duchess turned to Ariel, who wasted no time in asking the question directly.

“I know you don’t think much of me, Duchess. So I’ll get straight to the point. Why have you summoned me?

The Duchess let out a soft breath, followed by an enigmatic smile.

“You’re right. I don’t like you. Since you already know that, I won’t sugarcoat it. There’s only one reason I’ve called you here.”

With a nod from the Duchess, Caroline went into the bedroom and returned moments later with a heavy cloth bag.

Thud.

The weight of the bag was obvious as it landed loudly in front of Ariel.

The Duchess spoke calmly.

“Open it. This is what I’m giving you.” 

Ariel cast a suspicious glance at the Duchess before hesitantly reaching for the cloth bag.

As she loosened the tightly tied opening and looked inside, her eyes widened in shock at the sight of the glittering contents.

“Mana stones…?”

Indeed, the pouch was filled with mana stones, the most expensive and sought-after resource on the continent. Dozens of these precious stones were packed tightly inside.

Ariel lifted her eyes to the Duchess, her confusion evident.

“Why are you giving me this…?”

As uncertainty flickered in Ariel’s eyes, the Duchess replied calmly.

“Tomorrow, at first light, you are to take this and leave the realm, my dear.”

Leave the Kingdom… tomorrow? 

“Leave? What do you mean…?”

Ariel couldn’t hide her startled expression and trailed off in mid-sentence. 

She hadn’t been able to predict what the Duchess would say, but she had never imagined that she would be told to leave the Kingdom. 

And to do so tomorrow. 

She had vaguely assumed that the conversation would somehow be related to Kylance, but this? This was completely unexpected. 

Stunned by the suddenness of it all, Ariel froze. Meanwhile, the Duchess, completely unperturbed, nonchalantly lifted her teacup. She took a sip and frowned slightly, as if displeased with the taste. 

“As I thought, this tea doesn’t suit me. Neither do you, Lady Blante.”

With an elegant movement, the Duchess set the cup down and turned her gaze to Ariel. 

Meeting Ariel’s fixed, puzzled eyes, the Duchess parted her crimson lips and spoke. 

“The mana stones in this pouch are all of the highest quality. As you know, a single mana stone of the highest quality is worth as much as an entire townhouse.” 

“……”

“Fifty mana stones of the highest quality. With this amount, you could settle down comfortably in any country. In fact, you wouldn’t just settle down – you could even buy yourself a modest title of nobility. You’d live the rest of your life without worrying about money.” 

As the Duchess continued to speak, the rigidity in Ariel’s eyes began to shift, gradually coming to life again. 

As if determined to make her point, the Duchess pronounced each word with deliberate precision. 

“So take this money and leave the kingdom quietly. Never return. Not even in death.”

As the Duchess finished her sentence, a heavy silence fell over the tea table. 

Ariel’s mind was no longer clouded. She stared blankly at the pouch of mana stones before speaking. 

“Is this because of His Grace, the Grand Duke Seyerd? Are you afraid that I might cling to him if my title is revoked? Is that why you are offering such precious mana stones as a precaution?” 

Her voice was calm, but the sharp edge in her words was unmistakable. 

Though Ariel tried to maintain decorum, the Duchess had been the one to cross the line first.

Since the annulment, Ariel had never once clung to Kylance. 

Yet here she was, being told to take the money and go, as if she were desperately clinging to him. 

The Duchess hadn’t mentioned Kylance’s name, but Ariel was sure he was the reason for all this. 

After all, there was no other reason why the Duchess would go so far as to offer her such a large sum of money just to get her to leave. 

But was she wrong? 

The Duchess suddenly burst out laughing, as if she found Ariel’s words amusing. 

After composing herself, the Duchess spoke. 

For the Duchess was right. How foolish of her to forget such a cruel truth. 

Was it because her body still hadn’t fully recovered? Ariel’s mind felt dull, clouded. 

‘Get a grip.’ 

She scolded herself, clenching her hands tightly. Determined to hide her discomfort, she looked straight at the Duchess and asked, 

“Then why…? Why would you go so far as to offer me such an enormous sum of money just to drive me out of the kingdom? As you said, the Grand Duke has already cast me aside, and if His Majesty strips me of my title, I’ll have no choice but to leave the capital anyway.”

The Duchess’s smile faded and she stared at Ariel intently. 

“Indeed. When His Majesty stripped your family of its title, I thought I’d never see your face or the Blante name in the capital again.” 

“……”

“Do you think this is because of Kylance? Kylance has already rejected you. You know that, don’t you? The one who asked His Majesty to revoke the title of Marquis of Blante – it was Kylance himself.”

Ariel’s green eyes trembled slightly. She had no rebuttal to the Duchess’s words.   

“But you created a complication, didn’t you? You went to Count Forte for help. The Count, unable to turn his back on the daughter of an old friend, decided to help you.”

The Duchess spoke as if she knew every detail of Ariel’s conversation with Count Forte, as if she had watched her every move. 

Ariel’s jaw tightened at the implications. In an icy voice she asked, 

“Did you assign someone to follow me, Duchess?” 

“Of course I did. I couldn’t allow you to resurrect your family with anyone’s help. You must ruined completely.”

For a moment, a murderous glint flickered in the Duchess’s eyes. 

Ariel had always known the Duchess didn’t like her, but to say she must be ruined? 

What had she done to deserve such venom? Ariel couldn’t comprehend the depth of this malice. And when she thought about it, Kylance did too. He had gone to extraordinary lengths to drive her into a corner. 

As if she were his mortal enemy. 

‘Enemy…?’

Ariel felt a shiver run down her spine at the word that had suddenly appeared in her mind. *Enemy. It had no place between her and Kylance – or so she thought. 

The Duchess continued, her voice sharp and cutting. 

“In the end, it was the right decision to assign someone to you. Don’t you agree? You’ve managed to find a powerful supporter. While you were bedridden, Count Forte visited His Majesty every day to plead your case. The title of the Blante family must not be revoked. The case of the Marquis de Blante must be reopened.”

“……” 

“Count Forte won’t stop. And once other nobles start rallying behind him, it will snowball. That’s why I have no choice but to pay such a high price to get you out of the kingdom before things escalate. I don’t want to see the name Blante in my country ever again.” 

The Duchess spoke through clenched teeth, as if barely holding back an explosion of emotion, her breathing heavy and strained. 

“So please, take the money and go quietly. Spare yourself the despair of uncovering the filthy truths that lie ahead.” 

Ariel lowered her eyes for a moment, her thoughts swirling. The Duchess’s palpable anger and the strange words embedded in her statements were enough to unsettle her. 

‘Filthy truths…’ Ariel thought.

“There’s something I don’t know. Something that Kylance and the Duchess are clearly aware of.”

But… still, she couldn’t just follow the Duchess’ orders and leave. If there really was something she didn’t know, didn’t she have all the more reason to find out? 

What kind of “filthy truth” could possibly justify tearing her and her family apart like this? 

Ariel raised her eyes, her voice firm and unwavering as she replied. 

“I don’t know what filthy truth you’re referring to, Duchess, but whatever it is, I have no intention of leaving the kingdom.” 

“So, in the end, you choose foolishness.” 

“No, I have not made a foolish choice. I believe in my father. My father would never commit treason, nor would he ever be involved in anything as disgraceful as the so-called filthy truth you speak of.” 

The Duchess looked at Ariel with a strange expression, her eyes filled with something unspoken before she slowly parted her lips to answer. 

“I’ve heard you were close to the Marquis of Blante. You have such unwavering faith in your father. But, Ariel, you’re right about one thing and wrong about another.” 

“……” 

Ariel jumped at the sound of her name, spoken for the first time by the Duchess. 

As the twisted emotions reflected in the Duchess’s dark eyes sent a shiver down Ariel’s spine, the Duchess’s lips parted again. 

“Let me start with what you’re right about: Yes, your father did not commit treason.” 

“!”

The strength in Ariel’s clenched hands suddenly gave way. 

Her father hadn’t committed treason? How could those words come out of the Duchess’s mouth? 

“What… What do you mean? How could you know, Duchess…?” 

“How could I not? I saw with my own eyes how the evidence accusing your father of treason was fabricated.”

“Fabricated evidence…?” 

Ariel’s voice trembled slightly as she repeated the Duchess’s words, her composure beginning to crack. 

She had resolved to remain unshaken, no matter what truth she uncovered. But the weight of this revelation sent the slightest crack through her determined mind.