Rowenloa realized she needed to figure out how to act here to gain the Duchess’s favor. 

 Just smile and let it pass?

Or… let that young lady know that I was clearly offended and prevent others from disrespecting me? 

 Well, ideally, doing both would be best. 

 She smiled gently at the red-haired young lady who was still giving her an unpleasant look.

Then, she continued speaking in a voice devoid of any malice. 

 “Hmm, even if there really were any issues between my father and me, I’m a bit taken aback that you would ask such a question at our first meeting. Especially since I don’t even know which family you’re from or who you are.” 

 The young lady who heard her words made an unpleasant expression.

However, she couldn’t say anything.

Because Rowenloa was the daughter of Marquis Masipacius and the first young lady to enter the Imperial Palace alone before her debutante. 

 Though she said this, Rowenloa actually knew very well who that young lady was.

That young lady was Pelena, the only daughter of the Clevan family, which had made somewhat of a name for itself in political circles.

Being a family that had wielded some power in politics for generations, though they might be somewhat lacking in financial power, they didn’t fall behind in rank among the nobles. 

 And the children sitting around Pelena were also very familiar to her. 

 Yes, Rowenloa knew them all too well.

They were the ones who had bullied her most severely when she attended the academy in her previous life.

While endlessly rationalizing that it was for Leila’s sake. 

 She continued speaking to Pelena, who was looking at her with an indignant expression. 

 “Father said he wants to take me to the upcoming business proposal presentation at the Imperial Palace. Do you still think there might be some issue between my father and me?” 

 Hearing those words, Pelena turned her gaze away as if she had nothing to say.

When Rowenloa glanced at the Duchess while keeping her head still, she saw that the Duchess was watching them with an expression that suggested she found the current situation very interesting. 

 Actually, ending the situation here would have been enough.

But this time, she decided to make a different choice.

Because it wouldn’t be good to make enemies with families that had made names for themselves in political circles before even entering the academy. 

 “Thank you for letting me know about such rumors, young lady. And…… your dress looks very beautiful too, to be looking at my dress with such eyes.” 

 She maintained a triumphant expression.

Because Pelena’s expression was quite worth seeing after hearing her words that could be either a compliment or sarcasm.

Hearing those words, Pelena made an odd expression before looking toward the Duchess and Grace, then backed down first. 

 “……Thank you.” 

 Thus, our battle of wills ended rather anticlimactically.

As our confrontation ended, the Duchess lightly tapped her cup with a spoon to draw our attention. 

 “Once again, thank you all for participating in this tea party I’m hosting today. I know what rumors circulate in social circles about my tea parties…… but I hope everyone can forget about all that today and have a comfortable time.” 

 With those words, the tea party properly began.

The band called by the Duchess started playing sweet music, and as the children around Pelena began speaking to her, other young ladies also started opening up. 

 Looking around at the tea party participants, she thought the Duchess had chosen people very well.

She had invited young ladies from five families active in politics and five families known for making money in business. 

 There was no need to particularly befriend the young ladies from business-related families.

She already had Grace, a young lady from House Posilia that had no equal in the business world, as a friend. 

 Also, among the participating families, there were none that didn’t do business with Masipacius.

With Leila’s existence not yet properly revealed to the world, no one would want to make enemies with her unnecessarily.

For this day at least, she felt somewhat grateful for the existence of her father who was so good at business matters. 

 Then, from now on, the people she needed to target were the young ladies from politically active families sitting across from her.

There was no need to particularly target the Duchess.

She had already shown positive gestures by nodding at her earlier behavior, and it was obvious she would feel even more favorably toward her if she saw her cleverly winning over the young ladies one by one. 

 ……Now, the question was which of the politically related family’s young ladies she should target. 

 While Pelena’s family was the most actively involved in current politics, Pelena really disliked people who were more outstanding than herself.

This meant there was no way she would like someone her age who had already entered the Imperial Palace alone. 

 Then should she target the children next to Pelena?

That wasn’t it either.

Those two who were stuck right next to Pelena had been close friends with her since childhood, so it would be fair to say there was no possibility of them betraying her to form good relations with Rowenloa.

Also, she didn’t want to do anything together with those children who had tormented her so severely in her previous life. 

 What she needed to target now was the young lady from House Brel, which wasn’t making much of an impact now but was steadily expanding its position in political circles. 

 Pelena and the other children had been strangely dismissive of ‘Heris’ from House Brel.

Things like pretending to include her while making her uncomfortable, or making plans with her and then all conspiring to not show up at the meeting place.

However, they would come to extremely regret those actions in the future. 

 House Brel would make an enormously impactful move that would shake up the political scene in a few years.

And it was none other than House Posilia that backed House Brel. 

 House Posilia, which had no previous connection, backed House Brel?

It was an obvious story.

It meant the Duchess had taken notice of Heris and helped her family prosper.

Afterward, Heris volunteered to act as a messenger, bringing various information to Grace to repay the favor. 

 Also, Heris early on realized the ignorance of Pelena and her circle, and stopped associating with them after entering the academy. 

 Not just the distant future, but even just thinking about the academy life she needed to prepare for immediately, winning over Heris was extremely important.

Think about it, having Heris on her right and Grace on her left? 

 That would mean a completely successful life at least within the academy. 

 Thus, she decided to target Heris.

Heris was smart.

This also meant there was no way she could be won over just by flattery.

It was important to make Heris think she needed to become friends with her. 

 Plans began forming one by one in her head. 

 She knew Heris was born with a weak constitution.

And she remembered hearing Heris complaining to Grace about how Pelena had been well utilizing this weakness that wasn’t really a weakness since childhood. 

 「With such a weak body…… Could there be something wrong with your mother? Ah, or maybe…… your father?」

「Ah, but if it becomes known that there’s something wrong with your father or mother’s body, what would happen to House Brel?」

「You know that in this field, once strange rumors start circulating, it’s easy to fall but hard to rise again, right?」 

 Thus, under Pelena’s constant brainwashing, Heris came to believe that her weak body was House Brel’s weakness and couldn’t stand up to Pelena.

However, while she appeared very fragile, she was actually a very strong person. 

 Heris began training her body by herself before entering the academy, for the sake of her family and herself.

There were some limitations since she learned from books, but still, Heris succeeded in developing enough physical strength and martial arts skills to not be bullied by Pelena and other young ladies.

That’s how she was able to break away from Pelena’s group. 

 However, the current Pelena was completely ignoring Heris.

And Heris was accepting such behavior from Pelena without a single act of rebellion. 

 This meant Heris hadn’t yet trained her physical strength and martial arts. 

 And Rowenloa could be certain.

In this empire, she would be the noble young lady who had mastered martial arts in the shortest time.

While there used to be some nobles who had their daughters learn swordsmanship and martial arts to protect themselves, now most noble families wouldn’t even let them touch swords, saying it would damage their bodies. 

 Hmm…… For this, it seems I’ll have to use Pelena and her circle after all. 

 But then, the Duchess’s gaze caught her attention.

The Duchess’s eyes were sparkling as if she had discovered a hidden gem.

And at the end of her gaze was Heris Brel, who had formed a strong resolve to improve herself while enduring humiliation. 

 Yes.

Let’s catch Heris. 

 She stood up from her seat and deliberately approached Pelena and her children. 

 “I’m late with my introduction. I’m Rowenloa Masipacius.” 

 Hearing those words, Pelena’s group seemed flustered, but then cleared their throats and stood up from their chairs, lifting their skirts slightly to greet her. 

 “I apologize for earlier, I am Pelena Clevan.”

“Ah, I’m Meltua.”

“I’m Viet.” 

 Then, she spoke to Heris, who was sitting behind them with her gaze fixed on the floor. 

 “The young lady sitting back there…… You’re Heris from House Brel, aren’t you?” 

 Thus, everyone’s surprised gazes focused on her.