Corruption had plagued the land for decades, but it had always been an issue outside the capital. The nobles living in Anita, including the Marchioness of Louise, had become indifferent to whatever was happening beyond its walls.

“To be honest, we never really cared. But hearing my husband say such things all of a sudden… it’s left me uneasy.”

There was a dangerous period during the current emperor’s rise to power, but things settled down once a mysterious woman appeared and the capital was fortified with an extra wall. Even when corruption threatened Anita three years ago, it was swiftly contained. No further incidents have occurred since then.

However, the capital has become far more restrictive since that day. Inspections became rigorous and entry was strictly controlled. Only members of the imperial family, nobles, and verified citizens were permitted to reside in Anita.

“My husband says that, to live up to his title as guardian of the border, he must also watch over what lies beyond it. He believes it is his duty. Whenever I hear him speak like that, I can’t help but feel that he truly carries the blood of the House of Louise.”

Although she sounded slightly critical, the Marchioness’s voice was filled with unmistakable affection and quiet concern for her husband.

“He’s willing to devote himself to the country… so how could I possibly complain?”

“A fan from the Romela shop, you say? It takes months just to place an order there.”

As the Marchioness continued to confide in Isabel and led her further inside, a commotion near the entrance caught their attention. The ladies gathered there were talking so loudly that they interrupted the Marchioness mid-sentence. She instinctively turned to look.

“I put quite a bit of effort into getting this one.”

“You’re truly remarkable, my lady!”

Among the elegantly dressed women, one stood out. With her chin tilted high in arrogance, she fluttered a newly purchased fan.

“Now that I think about it, didn’t the Duchess of Francia only start setting social trends after she became friends with the Madame of the Romela shop? I’m so envious I could die.”

“Well, of course! The true owners of the Romela shop are the Francia family. Who else could afford to import such expensive silk and luxury goods? It’s all handled through their trading company. They hold exclusive trade rights with the southern continent of Werdia. This naturally puts the Duchess of Francia, Isabel von Francia, in close proximity to the Romela shop.”

“But isn’t it a problem for House Francia to monopolize the market like that? Shouldn’t the imperial family intervene and regulate it?”

“Werdia only trades with House Francia, so there’s nothing even His Majesty can do. After all, the only ships permitted to enter that closed nation are theirs.”

When Isabel’s name was mentioned, the Marchioness of Louise flinched and glanced at her cautiously. Yet Isabel showed no sign of discomfort. In fact, she observed them with quiet curiosity.

Completely absorbed in their gossip, the women remained utterly unaware of her presence.

“Still, I’m truly envious.”

“Come to think of it, isn’t the Duke of Francia the one His Majesty keeps closest these days?”

“That’s why he serves not only as Captain of the Imperial Guard but also as the Supreme Commander of the Calium Army.”

“I don’t know how he earned His Majesty’s favor, but I’ve heard he lacks the ability to hold such a position. Is that really true?”

“Well, if you’re favored by the Emperor, does it matter if you’re qualified? Just look at him, he rose to that position despite being illegitimate.”

“To be honest, I find the Duchess of Francia quite disgraceful.”

As their conversation continued, the tone of their words became sharper and crueler by the minute. The woman who had been proudly displaying her new fan became increasingly agitated, her voice rising as she openly mocked Isabel.

“She carries herself as if she truly belongs among us. I’ll only say this because we’re in private, but if my parents had died the way hers did, I would never have the audacity to show my face in public. I certainly wouldn’t dare stand before His Majesty so boldly.”

“Well, in that regard, the Duchess of Francia is quite remarkable, isn’t she?”

Another replied, her tone laced with thinly veiled sarcasm.

“She must take after the former Duchess of Lewen. Even when rumors spread that she might have been born a sl*ve, she carried on as if nothing had happened.”

“That’s true. Now you mention it, I remember hearing that the former Duchess of Lewen had an uncertain background. Was she really a sl*ve?”

‘Are they all insane…?’

When the slander turned towards Isabel’s mother, the Marchioness of Louise, her eyes widened in shock.

Yet Isabel, the person at the center of it all, remained utterly calm.

This unsettled the Marchioness far more than anger ever could.

“Even now, I can’t forget that day. The Duke and Duchess of Lewen died after falling out of favor with the Emperor. Had that not happened, she would have become Crown Princess instead of Duchess of Francia. At the very least, she wouldn’t have been forced to marry an illegitimate son…”

“I was looking for you, actually.”

Until that moment, Isabel had remained silent. But now, she spoke.

“Eek—!”

The ladies’ lively chatter stopped abruptly. Their faces stiffened all at once. The woman who had mocked Isabel the most, proudly displaying her new fan from the Romela shop, turned deathly pale.

“D-Duchess of Francia…!”

Isabel approached her with graceful steps. Under her cold gaze, the woman shrank back instinctively. Moments later, Isabel was standing in front of the owner of the fan, offering her a gentle smile.

“You’ve been sending me letters every day, haven’t you? Asking to join my circle.”

Isabel had personally organized the gathering, which was attended only by noblewomen from the most prominent families. It was not a place that just anyone could enter. However, those who were accepted gained access to the latest information and the finest luxury goods imported from Werdia before anyone else did.

This is why everyone longed to become part of Isabel’s inner circle.

“You showed such persistence, sending letters every day, that I was considering your request favorably. But it seems that won’t be necessary.”

At Isabel’s icy tone, the woman’s eyes trembled.

“W-Well, that is… Your Grace, I—!”

“I’m sorry. I don’t think you would suit our circle. If I were to admit you by mistake…”

Isabel let her words trail off. Her gaze turned cold.

“It would be troublesome if you spread baseless rumors like this and cause harm to the other members, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s right!”

The Marchioness of Louise hurried forward and boldly linked arms with Isabel, casting a sharp glance at the women who stood frozen in place.

“As a member of the circle myself, I must agree—you are entirely unfit. With such a loose tongue, how could you even think of joining us?”

“Then I’ll take it you understand. Let’s go inside.”

With a graceful nod, Isabel turned as if to leave.

“Ah—”

After taking a few steps, she paused and looked back at them.

“If you ever insult my parents’ honor again with such ridiculous rumors… I will not remain silent.”

Her face held no trace of a smile as she fixed her gaze directly on the woman who had spoken so freely.

“I trust you all understand what that means.”

A year ago, a noblewoman who had spoken ill of Isabel’s parents disappeared without trace, leaving behind a thoroughly ruined reputation. Recalling this, the woman’s face turned as white as a ghost and she fled. The others quickly followed, scattering in panic.

The Marchioness of Louise let out a scornful laugh as she watched them run.

“Honestly, the audacity! Do they have any idea who made it possible for them to enjoy such luxuries, from the dresses they wear to everything they flaunt?”

“It was my mother.”

“Lady Margaret treats you as her own daughter, does she not? Then what she has done is no different from what you have done!”

The Marchioness spoke with certainty, her eyes gleaming.

“That woman won’t be able to show her face in society anymore. To dare insult you… Even if you did nothing, we would never forgive it. We’ll make sure she can never set foot in high society again.”

She spoke with unmistakable excitement, as though already anticipating what was to come.

“Either way, there will be plenty to talk about at the banquet tonight. Especially about a certain loose-tongued lady.”

Eager to tell her story quickly, the Marchioness of Louise went inside first.

Once alone, Isabel’s elegant composure crumbled instantly. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, grinding her teeth as she pictured the faces of the women who had just insulted her parents.

“How dare they…”

There have always been people like that. Whenever they appeared, Isabel dealt with them in the same way — she crushed them without hesitation. Yet no matter how many times she did so, it never truly ended. It was utterly exhausting.

Was it because of Cedric and Anna?

For some reason, everything felt especially unbearable today. Her breath came in short, suffocating bursts, as if she might collapse at any moment. But she couldn’t afford to show such weakness — not here, not now.

Instead of entering the banquet hall, she turned towards the nearby garden, hoping to calm down and regain her composure.

❖ ❖ ❖

Three years had passed since her parents had met such a tragic end.

In that time, she had learned nothing.

She had clawed her way to the very top of high society by gathering snippets of information day after day, yet none of it had revealed what had truly happened that day.

After all, it had only been three years.

There was still so much time ahead of her. And yet today, of all days, the weight of it all felt unbearable.

Struggling to breathe, Isabel pressed a hand to her chest, then suddenly froze.

She felt it.

An unfamiliar heat at her back.

“…!”

It reached her in an instant.

A towering man stepped forward, his presence overwhelming. Before she could react, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug.

“It’s you, isn’t it?”

Caught in his arms in a fleeting instant, Isabel’s eyes widened as though they might shatter.

A man she had never seen before was smiling down at her.

“W-What… do you think you’re doing?!”

She had been staring at him as if entranced, but she quickly came to her senses and tried to push him away.

“Let me go at once!”

But the man paid no heed. Instead, he pulled her even closer.

He was terrifyingly large, and the more Isabel struggled, the more she found herself trapped against his solid frame.

“It is you.”

Gripping the back of her neck, he forced her to stand still and lowered his head, drawing in her scent as though testing it.

Then, pulling back slightly, he seized her right wrist, pushing her sleeve up and nearly tearing it in the process.

Isabel couldn’t understand what this man — this beast — intended to do. No one had ever approached her so roughly, held her like this, or inhaled her scent like an animal before.

She was so shocked that she was frozen to the spot, unable to do anything but blink in stunned silence.

And then—

The man, who had been staring intently at her wrist, slowly curved his lips into a smile.

Bit by bit, he lowered his head—

—and pressed his red lips against the inside of her wrist.