“It’s not difficult. Isn’t it strange for the lady of the house to have so few attendants? After all, Lady Benit is merely a guest here, and I have full authority over the staff.”

“……”

“Bring my people back. Now that I’m out of bed and regaining my strength, those who ended up in the wrong places must return to where they belong.”

She was still the lady of the house and remained in authority.

No matter how much affection Diego showed Vivian Benit — even if she had borne the heir — she was still in charge of this household.

This meant that she could expel anyone from the house at any time if she was displeased.

“Ah… Yes, my lady! We’ll do as you say!”

The maids hurriedly bowed their heads.

Saronne smiled benevolently and dismissed them.

‘It seems they understood what I meant.’

Vivian Benit was a greedy woman. She would never think of giving away jewelry as Saronne just had.

‘This should be enough to restore order among the servants for a while.’

Stepping out of the mansion and into the carriage prepared for her, Saronne gave her order.

“Let’s depart.”

The carriage stopped in front of a large boutique in the capital—a shop favored by nobles of the upper class.

Though people did come to buy clothing, it was also known as a social space where nobles held gatherings.

Taking the coachman’s hand as she stepped down, Saronne looked up at the extravagant boutique.

‘Lord Hethrian said he’d be waiting in the reception room here.’

Through the boutique’s glass windows, she could see the lavish interior bustling with quite a few customers.

Saronne gently brushed the edge of her fan with her gloved hand.

‘Though I disrupted Vivian Benit’s scheme that day, it probably wasn’t enough to quell the growing malicious rumors.’

Diego’s actions — openly agreeing with Vivian’s claims — had become a major obstacle.

However, that didn’t mean she had any reason to avoid other people.

In fact, she welcomed the crowd.

Stepping into the boutique, Saronne displayed the elegance befitting a noblewoman, not losing an ounce of grace.

“Welcome, Lady Lois.”

A clerk standing near the entrance, ready to greet guests, spotted her and offered a warm welcome.

The moment he said her name aloud, every head in the boutique turned towards her.

Immediately, the place buzzed with murmurs.

“Oh my, what’s she doing here?”

“I heard Lady Benit and Lord Lois were incredibly close, and that woman got in the way… And now she has the nerve to show her face?”

“Exactly. Even if Lady Benit’s family is no longer what it used to be, they said the two of them couldn’t live without each other. How could Lord Lois be caught up with a woman like that…”

Saronne smirked inwardly.

To think they believed such baseless lies. But because it sounded like a tragic melodrama, people were all the more eager to spread it.

‘People aren’t interested in whether the rumors are true or false. They’re obsessed with the possibility that they might be real.’

There was one way to counter all of it. To create a different possibility.

“Well, I suppose someone still bothers to meet with her. Most people just shake their heads at the mention of that woman…”

“Didn’t she come alone? Doesn’t look like there’s anyone with her.”

Ignoring the whispers around her, Saronne glanced around before speaking to a clerk.

“I believe someone I’m meeting arrived earlier. Could you tell me where to go?”

“Ah, they said they’d come greet you personally. They should be heading to the lobby now.”

A faint smile played on her lips.

‘Just as planned.’

Those eavesdropping from behind began to whisper more intently, curious about whom Saronne might be meeting.

From the looks in their eyes, they were ready to drag whoever it was into the mud with her.

“You’ve arrived, Lady Lois!”

But the clear, radiant voice that rang out next left everyone stunned.

Saronne turned toward the voice.

‘I knew it from the moment Sir Hethrian chose this place as the meeting spot.’

A woman with dazzling golden hair cascading down to her waist and upright, sapphire-blue eyes walked toward her with flawless poise.

The owner of the capital’s largest boutique and the ever-glowing flower at the heart of the social scene.

“Thank you so much for accepting my invitation. I’ve been waiting just for you,”

“Princess Rebecca.”

Rebecca Clamir—one of Leobint’s siblings and the youngest princess of the royal family.

As Saronne moved to offer a polite greeting, the princess waved her hand lightly.

“There’s no need for all that formality between us. I really was looking forward to seeing you, you know? Come in, quickly. I had the guest room prepared with things I thought you might like.”

With a voice as sweet as birdsong, Rebecca cheerfully chatted away as she wrapped her arm around Saronne’s.

Considering they weren’t particularly close, it was a performance so smooth it felt effortless.

‘It must have been Sir Hethrian who asked the princess for this favor.’

It truly hit her for the first time: she had taken the hand of royalty. She hadn’t anticipated that a single deal with him would provide her with the chance to flaunt her royal connections.

Saronne smiled back at Rebecca.

“Thank you for welcoming me personally, Your Highness.”

“I told you, no need to be so formal.”

With a warm smile, Rebecca led Saronne toward the guest room.

Behind them, the crowd left in the boutique stared, jaws slack, watching the two women disappear from view.

‘Lady Saronne Lois… is meeting with the princess?!’

Gasps of disbelief and stunned murmurs filled the air.

As Saronne walked alongside Rebecca, she finally spoke once they had moved a fair distance from the lobby.

“Princess Rebecca, did Sir Hethrian ask this of you?”

To be honest, denying the irony of it all would be a lie.

‘It’s one thing for me to benefit from this…’

However, involving another member of the royal family in a plan essentially just to secure a divorce was too much effort for the situation.

This relationship was always going to end the moment the deal was finalised.

“That’s right. I was compensated.”

The princess replied, her voice laced with gentle amusement. Then she lifted her head to look up at Saronne, who was just slightly taller than her.

Throughout this, she kept her arm warmly linked with Saronne’s.

“At last, we’ve finally crossed paths like this.”

“…Crossed paths?”

Somehow, the princess truly looked pleased to see her.

‘Surely, she must’ve heard the rumors about me… right?’

Saronne blinked, confused.

Even if Rebecca was helping her because she had received something from Leobint, that still didn’t explain how warm and sincere she seemed.

It was hard to picture a princess who dominated the social scene welcoming someone like her with genuine warmth.

In response to Saronne’s uncertain question, however, Rebecca merely smiled radiantly.

“Oh, we’ve already arrived.”

Before they knew it, they had reached the guest room, where Rebecca gently led her inside.

The window must have been left open because a soft breeze greeted them as soon as the door opened.

Walking in with composed steps, Saronne made eye contact with someone already seated on the sofa.

The moment their gazes met, the vivid blue eyes watching her curved into a relaxed smile.

However, despite his expression, Leobint took a quiet breath before speaking calmly.

“Lady Lois, you’ve come.”

Wearing his usual refined smile, he stood up and approached her.

As always, he was so handsome that he seemed almost unreal.

He clearly enjoyed the art of grooming, as he was always impeccably styled whenever they met. Today was no exception.

Just then, Rebecca let go of Saronne’s arm.

“I’ll take my leave now. I was only asked to escort you, after all.”

“You’re leaving already?”

“Yes, if I stay here any longer, I feel like I’ll be glared at. It’s a shame, but let’s meet up again soon, Lady Lois.”

With a soft, cheerful voice, Rebecca said her goodbyes and left without hesitation.

‘Escort,’ she said. Hearing such a word from the mouth of a princess left Saronne somewhat taken aback.

“Are you disappointed?”

“…Yes, she left too quickly.”

“But you came to see me. I’m a little jealous now.”

With a playful tone, he gently took her hand and guided her courteously to the sofa.
Though he spoke lightheartedly to ease the mood, the gentlemanly smile on his face never wavered.

Seated, Saronne quietly watched as Leobint poured the tea himself, and then said,

“I can see now why the ladies are so fond of you, Sir Hethrian.”

At that, Leobint faltered. The tea, which had been flowing smoothly, suddenly spilled over the edge of the cup.

“…Ah. My apologies, madam.”

Startled, he quickly set the teapot down and offered an apology, his perfectly poised demeanor momentarily crumbling in the face of his embarrassment. Even the tips of his ears seemed subtly flushed.

“Are you alright, Sir Hethrian?”

“I’m fine. I just… lost my focus for a moment.”

He soon regained his composure and answered smoothly. Then, after hesitating for a while as if trying to find the right words, he spoke in a lowered voice.

“While we’re on the topic, there’s something I’d like to say—about those rumors about me. That I threw away my title as prince and now live recklessly… that I go around using my looks and get involved with a lot of women.”

“…Excuse me?”

“They’re not true at all…”

He said, looking almost sheepish. Caught off guard by the unexpected confession, Saronne blinked in surprise.

Leobint hesitated again, then finally spoke, as if driving in the final nail.

“I really don’t go around meeting a lot of women and all that.”

The moment he finished, he clamped his mouth shut, looking as though he’d said something terribly embarrassing. And for several seconds afterward, he wore an expression that could only be described as wanting to die.

That was when Saronne, who had been listening in a daze, let out a soft laugh.

‘He must be so frustrated by the rumors to defend himself like this.’

She understood his feelings all too well.

“I thought as much. Everyone calls you a rake, but I’ve never once gotten that impression.”

Leobint’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment. His eyes were wide with surprise, but they soon softened and a faint smile curved his lips.

After gently biting his lower lip, seemingly in bashful relief, he spoke again, his expression now noticeably brighter.

“You’ll be seeing Rebecca again soon. There’s a royal banquet at the palace in a few days. The princess will be attending—and if I remember correctly, you’ve gone every year.”

In one week, the official high society banquet would take place at the royal palace.

The topic he brought up gave Saronne a sense of welcome familiarity.

“I was going to mention that banquet as well.”

“Will Lord Lois be attending with Lady Benit as his partner?”

“Most likely.”

No—Diego appearing with Vivian was practically a certainty. With her expression turning serious, Saronne looked directly at Leobint.

“That’s why I’d like you to be my partner, Sir Hethrian. To lay the groundwork for us to act like lovers.”

This was the moment when he became truly involved in her revenge. At the same time, her infamy would inevitably start to tarnish his reputation, too.

Yet he didn’t seem the least bit afraid of that prospect. In fact, he smiled more irresistibly than before.

“Looks like we’re on the same page. I was thinking the very same thing.”

His gaze didn’t waver as he met hers.

“And I’ve got one more idea.”

“What is it?”

“From now on, I plan to start chasing after you. So that no one will find our sudden relationship the least bit suspicious.”