Arne saw Cedric’s pupils trembling at Amelia’s continuing words.

“She died well, didn’t she? Because the foolish and stubborn Princess Ramona spread some disease, only innocent imperial knights died. By the way, Lord Cedric, didn’t you go to war right after your coming-of-age ceremony? You beheaded the dark elf enemy commander, right? You’re truly amazing!”

Amelia smiled brightly, as if proud of Cedric.

Like anyone else, but especially as the child of a high noble, praise for war heroes approaches adulation, and they are extremely cynical toward enemy nations or defeated countries.

Such attitudes were considered exemplary for high nobles during wartime.

Amelia continued speaking confidently. The more she did, the more Cedric’s face hardened.

“Due to the foolish Princess Ramona’s incitement of war against the Empire without knowing her place, only the people of Cresebat Kingdom suffered pitifully. They became war slaves after defeat. And after all that, she abandoned her country during the war and fled with a man? She was truly a crazy woman.”

“Not just vicious, but a legendary sl*t. I heard she was an incredible beauty before contracting the disease. This is why one’s origin is so important. Such an uncivilized different species.”

Marchioness Asili’s gaze turned to Arne again. Amelia smiled brightly.

“You’re right. Moreover, the man she fled with was a war prisoner, and there was a child between Princess Ramona and that man. Isn’t that vulgar?”

“Truly, they’re a kind we can’t associate with. Just thinking that their dirty bloodline might be somewhere in this Empire makes my teeth chatter.”

“With a mother like that, the child must be a vulgar worm too. It’s good that she died. It would have been better if the child had died with her. How could they live with such shame?”

Arne felt Cedric’s hand tremble slightly. Everyone was looking at her, but Arne saw the emotion gradually settling in Cedric’s red eyes.

Arne took Cedric’s hand. First his fingers, then his entire hand, gripping it tightly. Hidden by the sleeves adorned with ruffles, no one knew, but there was a ripple in Cedric’s eyes as he looked back at Arne.

“They say children take after their parents a lot, so where could Princess Ramona’s child be? Did Princess Ramona have silver-hair and red eyes when she got sick?”

At Amelia’s thorny words, the gazes of all the nobles in the hall immediately turned to Arne. Arne only looked at Cedric, who was still looking at her. Still holding his hand tightly.

Cedric remained silent. He thought he had gotten used to it, but today, the nobles’ babbling voices were disgustingly nauseating.

Perhaps it was because the woman looking at him seemed increasingly pained. Or because of the disgusting gazes clinging to her.

Arne’s brow increasingly contorted. Even now, half the nobles around Cedric praised him and half disparaged Princess Ramona while scanning Arne.

Arne felt her eyes growing hot.

‘So this was your world.’

Cedric Schopendha de Renigrad, the sole heir of the Empire’s only Grand Ducal family.

The next heir to the Renigrad family, whose wealth, fame, and power are unmatched, that even the Emperor is cautious of.

Everyone praises you, wearing splendid clothes, being treated as the protagonist of a brilliant banquet hall—I envied all those people overflowing around you.

‘You’re actually a very lonely person.’

The words of noble ladies from prestigious families, amid the countless proposal letters, were always predictable.

Not much different from now.

Arne would never tolerate those who mocked war orphans, even if she became the Empire’s mad villainess.

‘But Cedric couldn’t possibly say anything. Never that Princess Ramona is his mother.’

If even a small clue became evidence and the truth was revealed, not only would Cedric be branded a traitor, but the Renigrad family and all under their protection would be executed as traitors.

‘I thought the burden on your shoulders was just your mother’s death and Serena’s illness, but there were more people. You must have had such a hard time.’

Arne’s eyes reddened and trembled. Cedric didn’t like that. He wished the increasingly reddening eyes were because of him, but not like this.

Marchioness Asili, thinking Arne felt shame, let out a sound through her twisted lips.

“Like a worm.”

At that moment, Arne’s gaze changed. Clenching her fist, Arne opened her mouth.

“There’s something Lady Leverun and Marchioness Asili don’t know well. Princess Ramona was against the war. The one who started the war was the third prince, Prince Asta. Also, the divine blood clan disease that Princess Ramona suffered from is called Arin disease, and it’s not contagious. So she couldn’t spread disease.”

“Are you siding with those different species now?”

“I’m just correcting the facts. Princess Ramona was a beautiful and excellent person who cared for her people.”

“What did you just say?”

“Exactly what you heard.”

Arne looked directly at Marchioness Asili. In fact, Princess Ramona I had been considered the next ruler of the Cresebat Kingdom. Until the sudden onset of the blood clan disease.

‘It seems mutants weren’t welcomed there either. And now the war is over. No matter how much I praise Princess Ramona, I won’t be executed as a traitor. Besides, my reputation has already hit rock bottom, so I don’t have much more to lose.’

“Princess Ramona also loved her children. More than her own life. Enough to willingly make that choice even knowing she could be stoned to death.”

Arne’s gaze turned toward Cedric.

“Someone who grew up receiving such love must also be a loving person. Enough for anyone to love them.”

Arne met Cedric’s eyes. Seeing his trembling pupils, Arne continued speaking.

“Ah, the reason the excellent knight Princess Ramona was defeated was because of the betrayal of a knight named Silvain, who was Prince Asta III’s right-hand man.”

Silvain de Triovi was the enemy commander Cedric had slain.

“And my silver hair isn’t a disease—it’s just gray hair. There are too many people who don’t properly know the Empire’s history that even I know well. Marchioness Asili, you should cultivate more refinement.”

At Arne’s mockery, Marchioness Asili trembled and splashed the champagne she was holding. The champagne dripped from Arne’s head. The sticky, slimy sensation flowed from her face down to her chest.

“You dare not only defend Princess Ramona but also try to lecture me? Just a few years ago, someone like you wasn’t even considered human. You were a demon bastard who deserved to go to hell.”

“My, Marchioness Asili, please calm down. There’s no need to waste your energy on a child who can’t join us even after death.”

“But she’s still alive, isn’t she! I must kill that demon bastard today!”

Suddenly, red mana rose from Cedric’s opposite hand. When Arne urgently grabbed his other hand, Cedric, coming to his senses, roughly pushed Arne’s hand away.

The champagne glass that hit Cedric’s elbow spilled over, soaking Arne’s dress.

A hesitant Cedric stared at Arne. Before Amelia, who had a sneer on her lips, could speak, he took off his jacket and held it out to Arne.

“It’s all my fault. I’ll compensate for the dress since it was ruined by my mistake. I’ll call a carriage too, so you should go home for today.”

Cedric’s red eyes burned. Fierce anger reflected in them. But somehow he also looked desperate.

As if saying, why are you hearing such things. The more the nobles laughed at Arne’s soaked appearance, the more his lips twisted.

Arne clearly heard his voice, though it was buried under the laughter.

“Go back, please.”

‘Before I want to kill them all.’

Cedric’s hand holding out the jacket grew increasingly pale. Arne rose smoothly from her seat. Her eyes sparkled, and her red lips drew an elegant smile.

‘Cedric, there are things I can do that you can’t. I’m a war orphan with no one responsible for me, and I’m already the Empire’s mad villainess, so I don’t really care if I add another infamy here.’

Arne gently took Cedric’s hand that was offering the jacket and pushed it away. Cedric’s widened pupils couldn’t stop falling on Arne.

“Lord Cedric, thank you for your kindness, but I’ll decline. What I want isn’t your kindness, but something else.”

Arne turned her body and approached Marchioness Asili. The startled Marchioness Asili flinched.

“Wh-what are you doing? Suddenly!”

“Marchioness Asili, you know I’m a grand mage, right?”

“So what? I heard rumors that your core is badly cracked—what can you do?”

Arne stepped forward with a slight smile.

“That core has half recovered. And even with half a core, a grand mage is still a grand mage.”

As Arne snapped her fingers, her wet dress dried while water poured over Marchioness Asili’s head.

Marchioness Asili, soaked incomparably more than Arne had been, screamed and gathered her drooping hair. She glared at Arne with a dumbfounded expression, taking a deep breath.

‘I’ve been holding back for smooth recovery, but I can’t let this pass today.’

Arne picked up a wine and splashed it on Marchioness Asili’s dress in a cross pattern with diagonal lines. It was the symbol of the Empire.