The situation was completely reversed.

The emblem that appeared on the back of Vanessa’s right hand was undoubtedly a stigmata, and it was clear evidence that she was a ‘Blessed One’.

“That white light… Could it be the blessing of Vinea…?”

At someone’s dazed murmur, the commotion in the banquet hall amplified even more.

The fact that she had received God’s blessing was already extraordinary, but to have the blessing of Vinea, the God of Life! It was nothing short of a historic event.

“Princess Vanessa has the blessing of life…!”

“How can this be…?”

“That emblem… It’s undoubtedly Vinea’s emblem.”

“Then those rumors…”

Many gazes turned to those who had been spreading malicious rumors about Vanessa.

They looked around nervously, their faces pale and dripping with cold sweat.

They had slandered Vanessa not because they were convinced she was truly an immoral woman, but because Vanessa Roengreen was an ‘easy target’ for gossip.

A princess from a small agricultural country. And moreover, the queen of a fallen nation.

No matter if she married Duke Drake and became the mistress of that house, it was impossible for a southern country bumpkin to adapt to the bleak northern empire. And since it would be difficult for her to establish a foothold in the Imperial City’s social circles, she would eventually be isolated in an ambiguous position.

Based on this comprehensive judgment, they had gleefully torn into Vanessa. The ladies and young noblewomen reaffirmed their superiority by comparing themselves to such a woman, feeling how refined and chaste they were, while the gentlemen strengthened their sense of belonging by demonizing and despising a beautiful woman they couldn’t have anyway.

None of them had expected this. That Vanessa Roengreen would have received God’s blessing.

Now the situation had turned dangerously against them. If they weren’t careful, they could be expelled from noble society for the crime of insulting a ‘Blessed One’.

In the worst case, the Emperor himself might decide to punish them… He was a monarch who claimed to be God’s representative and placed great importance on divine authority, never forgiving acts that blasphemed or damaged the sacred.

According to the imperial law revised by the Emperor two hundred years ago― insulting a Blessed One was also considered one of the blasphemies against the sacred.

Whether they were royalty from any country or nobility… to Emperor Veratir Barbaroc, they were nothing more than ants he could step on and kill if he so chose.

A terrifying fear swept over them that if they made a mistake, it could really be a serious matter.

Thus, the group that had been slandering Vanessa trembled in fear, hiding in the shadows and watching people’s reactions.

Of course, the one in the most serious trouble was not them, but Tolman de Lakia.

‘A Blessed One…?! This, this kind of woman?’

He was confused by the discrepancy between the image of the promiscuous woman he had arbitrarily constructed in his mind and the actual appearance of Vanessa.

It felt as if the world was staging a huge scam just for him. But that snow-white emblem… Those white glowing eyes… It was clear evidence of the stigmata…

‘…Really… Then, I…’

Above all, his keen survival instinct warned him. That he had made a terrible mistake, and if he couldn’t make amends for this error, a disaster too frightening to imagine would befall him…

It would be fortunate if the repercussions only affected him, but if it impacted the Western Alliance of three countries and Lakia…

‘No…! Anything but that…!’

Only then did Tolman, now fully alert, turn to look at Vanessa with a frightened expression unlike before. As Vanessa raised one eyebrow at his almost desperate face, Tolman recited words of apology in a submissive posture with lowered stance.

“I, I have been very rude, Your Highness… Not knowing you were blessed… How could someone chosen by Vinea, the God who values purity as the highest virtue, be the subject of such scandals! It, it was because of those people!”

Tolman pointed with his hand raised high at the group of evil hiding in the corner of the banquet hall. It was the so-called ‘a drowning man will clutch at a straw’ strategy.

Although it didn’t seem likely that Vanessa would easily forgive him, there was room for his fault to be diluted if he blamed others to some extent. Tolman loudly proclaimed the sins of those he would use as shields.

“I heard them clearly slandering Your Highness! It was that man in the green clothes who spread the malicious rumors that Your Highness led a promiscuous life when you were the queen of Terevron!”

The man in green clothes, pointed out by Tolman, flinched greatly and then froze like ice. His pale blue face looked almost like a corpse.

“Because that fellow spread such ridiculous rumors…! I’m truly sorry, Your Highness… Please forgive me with your boundless heart…”

Tolman now pleaded his innocence with tears streaming down his face, as if he were the victim. He seemed like a completely different person from the one who had been hitting on Vanessa and denouncing her as a harlot just moments ago.

As Vanessa cynically admired his quick-wittedness in changing his stance as easily as flipping his palm, someone stepped forward, blocking her view.

Vanessa could recognize who it was at a glance just by seeing his back. It was only natural. There was only one man with such a distinctive physique in this banquet hall.

Jurgen asked in a voice mixed with mockery, yet as cold as ice.

“What were you planning to do with my fiancée? Tolman of Lakia.”

He was questioning the reason why Tolman had been persistently bothering Vanessa.

Vanessa looked up at Jurgen with her eyes, now back to their usual navy blue color.

She didn’t think he would take her side or protect her. However, one thing was certain― Tolman de Lakia was the type of person Jurgen extremely despised.

If such a person tried to invade his territory, he couldn’t help but feel displeased. After all, Vanessa was within Jurgen’s domain. Even though she was in a position to receive resentment and hatred.

“If you don’t want to test my patience, it would be better to answer quickly.”

“That… That is…!”

Tolman could only move his lips, unable to give an immediate answer. He must be racking his brains to come up with an excuse. Vanessa crossed her arms and glared at him with an attitude of ‘let’s hear what you have to say’.

After glancing at her, Jurgen, and the Emperor sitting on the golden chair on the platform watching the situation, Tolman finally opened his mouth.

“Your Highness looked tired, so I thought to let her get some fresh air outside. I had no other intentions whatsoever…”

Originally, Tolman used a lighter tone with Jurgen as a prince of an independent country. Although Duke Drake is almost like the lord of the north in the empire, he’s still just blue blood who received a title. It’s different from the bloodline of a royal family with land and people.

However, Tolman was now lowering himself and acting subserviently in front of Jurgen.

It was an utterly humiliating thing, but Tolman had to endure it. If he mishandled the situation here, it could harm Lakia― and by extension, the Western Alliance of three countries.

‘Please, please, let this pass without major issues…!’

Although he had many flaws in his character, his patriotism was genuine, and he sincerely regretted the mistake he had made.

Why on earth did I commit such a reckless act? I must have been momentarily insane. Bewitched by that woman…

He glanced furtively at Vanessa Roengreen. Even in a moment when he should only feel fear, she was so beautiful that it inevitably confused his reason.

They said she was a beauty that could topple a nation… It wasn’t an exaggeration. They said that Leroy, the tyrant of Terevron, went completely mad after taking this woman as his wife. Indeed, she must be an ominous woman of fate destined to bring men to ruin.

Tolman vowed with a gloomy feeling that he would never again be bewitched by that woman’s devilish charm. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but keep glancing at her.

“Why are you trying to take care of my fiancée? When I’m here?”

“I… just out of pure goodwill…”

“Goodwill? Can it be called goodwill when you keep forcing yourself on someone who repeatedly refuses?”

Tolman gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. That damn arrogant tone. This overbearing attitude was one of the reasons why he disliked Jurgen.

‘You bastard, just you wait. Someday, you’ll get what’s coming to you.’

Since he was now engaged to marry such an ominous woman, Tolman inwardly cursed Jurgen, hoping he would roll down the cliff of destruction. Meanwhile, he kept glancing at him, watching his reactions.

“I was thinking of showing some leniency if you showed sincere remorse.”

“……?”

Jurgen, who had muttered these unexpected words, began to take off his gloves for some reason.

Why the gloves? Tolman looked at Jurgen, gripped by an inexplicable sense of foreboding…

“Since all that comes out of your mouth are excuses, it seems there’s no need for that. This is my answer, Tolman de Lakia.”

Something light and soft, yet clearly thrown in an insulting manner, hit Tolman’s face and fell. Reflexively catching it, Tolman’s complexion instantly turned pale.

“This, this is…”

What Jurgen had thrown was none other than his glove.

This meant, in other words, a challenge to a duel.