***

After returning home, Eliza changed into her house clothes and lounged in the sitting room, flipping through the newspaper. It was all to make it seem, to Marie, as though she had spent the entire day at home.

Marie, who had just come in to prepare dinner, greeted her before asking,

“Did you have a good trip to the city?”

“…!”

A chill ran down Eliza’s spine. Whether Marie noticed or not, she continued calmly,

“I saw you reading a fresh paper. Didn’t you go to the city to see Dr. Phillips?”

‘D*mn it!’

Eliza forced herself to stay composed, glancing at the newspaper she had bought on her way back.

“No. Why would I go to the hospital? I’m perfectly fine now.”

“Then why did you go into the city?”

For a moment, irritation flared—why was Marie being so persistent all of a sudden? Then she realized the reason.

She had never needed to doubt anyone or dodge a question before. This kind of situation felt unfamiliar… and burdensome.

Suppressing her frustration, Eliza answered as casually as she could,

“I just went out for a change of pace. Walked around the shopping district.”

“Oh my, I was worried since you’ve been sleeping in lately… Yes, of course, a little shopping is good for the mood. So, what did you buy?”

This time, Eliza had an answer ready. The mistress of this house was known for her frugality.

“Nothing. There were many pretty clothes, so I just looked.”

As expected, Marie nodded, as if that made perfect sense.

“Then what would you like for dinner today?”

“Prepare whatever you think is best.”

“Yes, my lady.”

With that, Eliza picked up her newspaper and headed straight upstairs.

But before she could reach the top of the stairs, the front door opened—and Lorina walked in as if it were her own home.

This time, Eliza didn’t bother hiding her expression, her brows knitting together.

‘Before interfering in another couple’s marriage, you start with trespassing?’

Their eyes met on the staircase. Lorina smiled, her eyes curving gently—but Eliza caught it.

A trace of impatience beneath the smile.

Lorina must have come running the moment her father’s event ended.

Eliza suppressed a scoff.

‘Was it really so unbearable, getting caught on a date with the young marquis?’

After glancing between Eliza on the staircase and the empty sitting room, Lorina greeted her in an overly bright voice,

“Eliza! I thought Marie told me to come in—did I mishear? I’ve been so busy handling my father’s event… I must seem terribly rude. Hoho.”

Eliza let the corners of her lips lift slightly, then looked down at her with composed elegance.

“Marie is in the kitchen, and I didn’t hear the bell. So no one answered you, Lorina.”

For a moment, Eliza found it strange—realizing that she, like James, could smile while speaking so coldly.

In her previous life, even after learning of the betrayal, she would have suffered, unable to treat her only friend with cruelty.

Stopping oneself from loving… was a startling thing.

Meanwhile, Lorina stared at Eliza’s unfamiliar, commanding demeanor in disbelief, before her expression brightened instantly as she took a seat on the sofa.

Eliza descended into the sitting room and sat beside her, asking with feigned warmth,

“So, what brings you here today, Lorina?”

As she spoke, her gaze swept deliberately over Lorina’s outfit.

‘Not new today, I see.’

Lorina flinched slightly under her gaze, then waved her hand with a smile.

“Oh my, do we need a reason to see each other? I simply wanted to have tea with you.”

‘How amusing.’

Eliza only smiled.

When no familiar response came from Eliza, Lorina’s nerves tightened, and she gave up circling around the topic.

“By the way, why did you go into the city alone yesterday? I was so worried that I rushed over as soon as the party ended.”

“Worried? About what?”

“Of course I’d be worried!”

Eliza stared at her for a moment, then asked back, as if she truly didn’t understand,

“I don’t know what you mean, Lorina. It’s not as if you were worried I’d lose my way.”

“You never go into the city without me. How could I not worry? Does your husband even know you went out alone?”

“…”

Being treated as though she couldn’t even step outside without her husband’s permission made something inside Eliza begin to boil.

‘You have no right to say that!’

However, she knew that if she said such a thing outright, Aedrin might reject her. He was a straightforward and unwavering person.

Strangely, that thought calmed her.

She understood better than anyone that people like him — and like she had once been — could not easily be saved.

Nevertheless, she felt a quiet sense of relief. Unlike others, Aedrin had no wife for Lorina to poison.

And no matter how powerful Count Winclaire and his daughter were, they would never dare to harm the heir to a marquessate.

The Count had forced Lorina to end things with Aedrin precisely because he was someone she could not control.

So, at least for now, Aedrin was safe from Lorina’s malice.

At worst, he would experience heartbreak.

“That lady comes from a baron’s family. Perhaps we should wait a little before approaching her? It wouldn’t reflect well on your husband if you were compared in front of others.”

There was no more effective way to make it clear that Eliza was not a woman worthy of James’s standing.

With her pride slowly crumbling, Eliza would sometimes find herself thinking,

‘Would James have chosen one of them instead if he hadn’t married me?’

‘Are his excessive work commitments and social obligations an attempt to make up for my shortcomings?’

Whenever she came home with a broken heart, she would be ill for days, unable to comprehend the reason why.

The bright, optimistic woman she once was gradually faded away as her confidence dwindled.

When Eliza received an invitation to a tea party, Lorina would cut in before she could respond and refuse on her behalf.

“Oh my, Lady Ashton is still unfamiliar with Athern. Please invite her gradually next time.”

“What a shame. Lady Ashton already has prior engagements, unfortunately.”

Then, with a look that said she had just rescued her from an awkward situation, Lorina would lean in and whisper,

“Shall we go to your house and have tea instead? I brought some high-quality imported tea for you. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

By the time Eliza realized she needed to ask Lorina for a little less… overbearing kindness, an invisible wall had already formed around her.

‘Lady Ashton rejects invitations anyway—why bother asking?
I heard she only associates with daughters of counts or higher.
Apparently, she’s unbearably arrogant and refuses to speak with people like us…’

For someone whose confidence was already waning, the invisible wall between her and other people, coupled with their cold stares, was unbearable.

Gradually, she withdrew from social life.

Ultimately, she became increasingly dependent on her husband, yet she only felt lonelier and more miserable.

Eliza didn’t want to blame anyone else for her struggles, so she turned all that blame inward. It became a habit that slowly wore her down.

Amidst it all, it almost felt inevitable that she would become grateful to, and dependent on, Lorina — the only person who remained by her side, treating her as an equal despite their differences in background.

In truth, Lorina had quietly manipulated Eliza, breaking her down until she was alone.

So no matter what happened, no one would ever know.

‘Not anymore, Lorina.’

Suppressing the surge of anger rising within her, Eliza fixed her gaze on the passage leading to the kitchen, as if simply waiting for Marie.

‘Stop pretending and just beg me not to tell my husband that you’ve taken another man, Lorina.’

Just then, Marie entered the sitting room.

“Good evening, Miss Winclaire. My lady, shall I bring tea?”

If they had tea now, it would inevitably lead into dinner together. It wasn’t likely—but if James returned early again like yesterday, the three of them might end up sharing a meal. It had happened before.

‘Is that why you came at this hour?’

But Eliza had no intention of sitting through such a scene.

She cut in sharply, addressing Marie.

“No. Miss Winclaire will be leaving shortly. Nobles don’t sit at a table they haven’t been invited to. That would be… extremely improper, wouldn’t it, Lorina?”

Lorina fell silent for a moment, her lips pressed together, while Eliza repeated her words back to her.

She had originally used that line to assert that she should always be invited first by right of birth. She had never imagined it would be used against her like this.

However, Lorina then broke into a bright smile and dismissed the idea lightly.

“Oh my, what are you saying? Between us? You can simply invite me now, can’t you?”

Marie turned her gaze to Eliza, silently asking whether she should prepare an extra serving for dinner.

Without the slightest hesitation, Eliza replied gently,

“Another time, Lorina.”

The answer struck Lorina like a blow. She couldn’t quite hide the slight twitch of her brow, and even Marie flinched, glancing between them.

Staring straight at Eliza, Lorina asked,

“You… has something happened?”

Eliza shut her mouth for a moment.

‘Did I push too hard?’

Then, like someone unaccustomed to confrontation, she lowered her gaze and let out an awkward smile.

With a soft sigh, she said,

“I suppose I’ll have to go out more often from now on. If going out just once makes my closest friend so worried that she has to come running like this… what must my usual image be like?”

“No, that’s not what I meant—”

Eliza watched Lorina intently as she faltered and was unable to continue. It was clear that her mind was scrambling for the right words.

Unable to find an excuse, Lorina abruptly changed the subject, as Eliza had expected. She had always cared only about her own goals.

“Anyway, Eliza… about yesterday, in the city… I hope you won’t misunderstand.”

‘So we’ve finally reached the point.’