Due to her unique atmosphere, no one approached her, instead they looked at her with pity or a subtle expression.

‘Two spots out of three… Considering no one has shown up despite all this effort, the Emperor and the Tower Master are definite.’

Even thinking about it again, this game was really insane.

Demanding to select and target people with high status. It felt like being given a huge middle finger. Of course, it seemed to be because the body she possessed was the daughter of a Duke……. Either way, it wasn’t something just anyone could do.

‘And… something is strange. Even if society doesn’t see divorce as a major flaw, it’s odd that so many invitations came. I attended selectively to find the other male protagonists, but.’

But somehow, wasn’t it a bit noisy around? Lost in thought, biting her lips, Lysith belatedly noticed the change around her. Raising her head in curiosity, she felt numerous silent glances alternating between her and somewhere opposite. Such a reaction couldn’t happen without reason.

There was only one possible explanation. A very worst-case scenario.

But surely, surely. The Grand Duke wouldn’t be here……?

As soon as she had that thought, people parted like waves, creating a path.

And what she saw was a handsome man with jet-black hair and icy eyes. He looked elegant, with his sharp eyes and distinct features. Unlike at the wedding when his hair was slicked back, he had bangs covering his round forehead, which seemed to be his usual look.

Just as she thought before, he had a face that could live off his looks forever. She saw the surrounding women blushing at his beauty, which must have made many peers swoon since childhood.

If one received his love, they might think they would become someone greater than Miss Gronevelt. It was well-known in the social circles that the Miss had a crush on the Grand Duke.

Although the current Lysith did not love him.

While she was lost in such thoughts, the Grand Duke, who had approached right in front of her, spoke.

“Lysith Gronevelt.”

His voice, which she heard directly, was a low, heavy, and pleasant baritone. If it weren’t for the situation, she might have admired it.

“……I greet Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”

This was a man she had never met since transmigrating. Even if they were to meet, this wasn’t the way she wanted it to happen…

“……Ha.”

‘A sigh?’

For some reason, the Grand Duke, who sighed once, had a weary expression on his face.

“There is a limit to keeping formalities, Lysith Gronevelt.”

“……I apologize, Your Highness, the Grand Duke. May I ask what you intend to reprimand me for?”

“You’re not going to tell me that it’s a coincidence you only expressed interest in attending parties where I might show my face, are you?”

Was it this?

It seemed the oddly numerous invitations to the ‘former Grand Duchess’ were because of this. The intent was to make her encounter the man from the rumors, whom she had never seen in person.

A cold ex-husband and the ex-wife who loved him. And the protagonists of those rumors were not just a baron or viscount but a Grand Duke and a ducal lady?

If they were to meet, it was obvious that day would birth a great topic of gossip to chew on, tear apart, and enjoy.

‘Indeed… I was thoughtless.’

Lysith lightly chastised herself internally and quickly scanned her surroundings. Fortunately, if they spoke softly, their conversation wouldn’t be overheard. The Grand Duke also seemed not to want to create rumors, as he didn’t raise his voice.

After all, who would dare to approach the vicinity of the bloodless and tearless Grand Duke to eavesdrop on their conversation? Moreover, he had grown up with the current Emperor since childhood.

“Well… I simply responded to most of the invitations I received.”

“Are you telling me to believe that?”

It was a lie, as he said. In fact, she had carefully chosen which invitations to accept. But there was no need to speak honestly.

Of course, the previous Lysith deeply loved Dietrich, so it was natural for him to think that way.

A former wife who started attending social events to see her beloved ex-husband one more time, even at the cost of gossip…

‘Ugh.’

But she was not that woman now.

The current Lysith only felt simple annoyance towards Dietrich Clonair.

He was not someone who could help with the sub quests, nor was he someone to approach for the main quest; it was far too early for that.

“…….”

“Do you have nothing to say? I see. Then……”

“Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”

Given the situation, she had to decide here and now how to deal with this man in the future.

There was a way to approach him, saying she loved him like the previous Lysith, but she…

“I no longer love Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”

“……What?”

“So why do you think I followed you to attend?”

There must have been a reason the system specifically targeted him as a conquest. After all, he must be conquerable, so he was set as a target. In that case, the only thing she could aim for here was the ‘regretful man route.’

Even without that, with all of Lysith’s memories and emotions, she couldn’t bring herself to cling to him. Clinging would only result in the same outcome as before.

In fact, it was a kind of gamble.

If he had no interest in Lysith from the beginning, this approach wouldn’t work, and he might even think it was good riddance to a troublesome woman.

“Your Highness, there is a limit to how much one can devote themselves. People fundamentally want to give and receive affection, and I am no different.”

But there was no love song to whisper to a man who didn’t even show the minimum courtesy to a wife who approached him with love. Even if it was fake, it never existed from the start.

As she continued speaking with her passive skill on, she naturally felt a faint smile forming. When she raised her gaze, which had been lowered for a moment, and met his eyes, she saw his blue eyes trembling slightly as they captured her smile.

“esidesMoreover, I believe you know well that I have no way of knowing which banquets Your Highness will attend. I currently do not live with my brother, Duke Gronevelt.”

“…….”

“Then, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave first.”

Leaving without the permission of someone of higher status was a great rudeness. However, since she had already declared she didn’t love him, the Grand Duke, who seemed stunned, was unlikely to order her to leave.

After making a graceful bow and quickly leaving the banquet hall, Lysith contrasted sharply with the Grand Duke, who was left alone among the people busy with their conversations, bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.

* * *

“Haah……”

After leaving the banquet hall and returning straight to the mansion, Lysith changed into comfortable clothes and took a moment for self-reflection.

She couldn’t help but feel she might have acted too hastily. But being misunderstood in such a way annoyed her, and it also annoyed her that he naturally assumed she still loved him.

She did act a bit rashly out of anger… As she rolled around on the bed, pulling at her hair, Eve, who witnessed her antics, approached and spoke.

“Miss……. Did something happen?”

“Mm, yes, something did.”

“Could it be……! Did you meet His Highness, the Grand Duke?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“What should we do……”

“……Huh?”

Eve, who was standing beside her as she lay on the bed, suddenly started pounding her chest in frustration and anger.

“No, what could possibly be lacking in our Miss!!”

“Wait, Eve.”

“Really, if only Miss didn’t love him. I might have committed treason out of sheer frustration.”

“What?! Please hold back on that……”

Startled by Eve’s shocking words, Lysith sat up straight from the bed.

Having served her for a long time, Eve’s affection for Lysith seemed genuine. But treason… Considering Eve’s personality, it wouldn’t have been ordinary, and just imagining it made cold sweat run down her back.

“When I saw Miss so beautifully dressed at the New Year’s celebration, I thought an angel had descended.”

“That’s a bit much.”

“It’s true! But he didn’t even glance at you! Didn’t say a single word about how beautiful you looked!”

“Eve, for now……”

“I still vividly remember Miss’s expression after coming back from that event!”

“Enough, Eve.”

“Y-yes……”

At Lysith’s firm interruption, Eve, who had been badmouthing the Grand Duke, stopped with a sullen expression. Seeing her disappointed face, Lysith laughed lightly and moved to sit on a plush sofa, recalling the memories of that day.

‘It’s a relief she doesn’t know what happened in the carriage that day…….’

From Lysith’s memories, it seemed she had dressed up so earnestly that day to hear a compliment from Dietrich.