Young Lady Heris looked at Rowenloa with surprised eyes when she heard her words.

Her eyes seemed to ask how she knew her. 

 “I heard that House Brel used their hereditary astronomical knowledge to prevent a great flood in the Gellions Empire a few years ago.” 

 Hearing those words, Heris lowered her head as if embarrassed.

However, her eyes were still full of wariness. 

 “Oh my, then you must have known about me as well.” 

 When Rowenloa complimented Heris, Pelena approached her with a proud expression.

She seemed to think that if someone knew about House Brel, they would naturally know about her House Clevan. 

 However, Rowenloa looked at Pelena while tilting her head.

“Ah…… which house did you say you were from, Miss Pelina……” 

 Pelena’s expression after hearing her words was quite worth seeing.

Viet, who was standing next to Pelena, hurriedly corrected her words. 

 “Um…… not Miss Pelina, but Miss Pelena of House Clevan.”

“……Ah, House Clevan. Of course I know about House Clevan. So you’re the young lady of House Clevan.” 

 Pelena’s face turned red and blue after hearing her words.

She couldn’t openly show anger in front of the Duchess, but she was clearly upset.

Rowenloa smirked while watching her hands trembling with rising anger. 

 “Young Lady Brel. I’ll invite you to our mansion next time. I’d like to have a conversation with you.” 

 “Ah…… yes, if you invite me, I’d be happy to……” 

 Rowenloa shook hands lightly with Heris and returned to her seat next to Grace.

While chatting with Grace for a while, Heris carefully approached her. 

 “Um…… Young Lady Masipacius.” 

 Her face was full of anxiety. 

 “Yes?” 

 “Um…… I’m sorry, but could you perhaps…… take a walk with me……” 

 Heris seemed to be watching someone’s reaction as she said those words.

When Rowenloa looked around where Heris had been sitting earlier, Pelena and her friend who had introduced herself as Meltua were nowhere to be seen.

The Duchess seemed busy conversing with other children, and Rowenloa nodded immediately after assessing the situation. 

 Indeed, the bad kids must have had nasty personalities since they were young.

It was good that she deliberately provoked them. 

 “Ah, then I’ll come too……” 

 As Grace tried to follow her, Heris’s face turned pale again. 

 “Grace, you shouldn’t leave your seat at a party hosted by the Duchess. I’ll be back soon.” 

 Hearing her words, Grace glanced at the Duchess and then nodded as if agreeing.

So Rowenloa smiled at Grace once before following Heris to the back of the ducal mansion. 

 ***

 “Young Lady Brel? I think we’ve come too far, perhaps we should head back……” 

 When Rowenloa spoke to Heris with a seemingly clueless expression, she turned around and bowed to her.

Her clasped hands were trembling. 

 “I’m truly sorry, Young Lady Masipacius……” 

 At the same moment, she sensed movement behind her.

Then she easily avoided the kick flying at her from behind. 

 “Eek…… you……” 

 Behind her stood, of course, Pelena and Meltua. 

 Yes, this is how you bullied me at the academy too.

Taking me to places away from others’ eyes to threaten, hit, and trap me.

Did you think I’d fall for it twice after being caught once? 

 As Rowenloa looked at Pelena with a contemptuous expression, Pelena raised her hand at her in anger.

And Rowenloa caught that hand and twisted her arm instead. 

 “Ah…… aaagh!” 

 Her painful cry echoed through the quiet back of the ducal mansion. 

 “You…… how dare you think you can lay hands on me?” 

 Pelena shouted with her face red from pain.

Rowenloa shrugged while releasing her arm. 

 “And what do you think you were trying to do to me?”

“We’re both from marquis houses anyway…… what difference does it make!” 

 Hearing those words, Rowenloa snorted. 

 “True, we’re both from houses of the same rank, but…… while your house deals with politics that’s sensitive to public opinion and has many enemies, our house deals with business that cares more about money than public opinion and has many who want to be on our side. That’s the difference.” 

 Pelena’s shoulders trembled at those words.

“Ha, so what? Are you going to spread word about what happened here? Who do you think would believe you?” 

 Hearing that, Rowenloa shook her head. 

 “Who would care much about an incident between children? But if this story reaches the Duchess’s ears, that would be different.”

“Ha, the Duchess isn’t here right now, how do you plan to tell her about this? Even if you tell her, we can just deny it.” 

 At those words, Rowenloa gestured toward a corner of the wall.

There was no one there, but she had definitely felt it.

From the moment she and Heris left the garden where the tea party was being held, someone had been following them. 

 When Pelena gestured to Meltua, Meltua moved toward where Rowenloa had indicated.

Then she stepped back in surprise. 

 “You’re the one who guided us to the garden earlier……” 

 Pelena’s face turned pale at those words.

Then Del revealed herself from behind the wall. 

 “I was worried something might happen to the young ladies, so I followed……” 

 Del glared at Pelena and Meltua.

While Meltua lowered her head as if she had nothing to say, Pelena was different. 

 “What does the word of a mere maid matter.” 

 Del smiled at those words. 

 “True. Even if my words reach the Duchess, if you insist I’m lying, my opinion would be dismissed. Of course.” 

 As if that would happen. 

 Rowenloa showed a victorious smile.

And she could immediately notice that the look in Heris’s eyes behind her had changed. 

 She had been watching Rowenloa’s every move with sparkling eyes since the moment she blocked Pelena’s attack.

Then Pelena and Meltua looked back and forth between Del and Rowenloa before clicking their tongues, stomping the ground once, and heading back to the garden. 

 Del also bowed to Rowenloa and Heris before following them back to the garden. 

 “Well then, shall we head back too?” 

 Rowenloa extended her hand to Heris who was standing behind her.

However, Heris didn’t take her hand and bowed again. 

 “I’m truly…… truly sorry, Young Lady Masipacius.” 

 Rowenloa shook her head at her. 

 “I roughly understand the situation. I would have done the same in that situation.” 

 Heris raised her face with tears welling up in her eyes at those words. 

 “I don’t want you to feel ashamed about this incident. Those people were wrong, not you, Lady Brel.” 

 Hearing those words, Heris pressed her lips together as if holding back tears, then quickly wiped them away and nodded firmly.

It made Rowenloa feel more attached to her as she seemed just like her past self. 

 “Now, let’s really go back. The Duchess will be worried.” 

 So Rowenloa and Heris headed back to the garden.

On the way, Heris carefully tapped Rowenloa’s shoulder with her finger. 

 “Um, about the martial arts you used earlier……” 

 At those words, Rowenloa’s lips curved upward. 

 Yes, I played along with this whole act to show you that. 

 “Yes?”

“I’ve…… always been weak physically…… so I’ve been thinking about training my body. But there are so many negative views in the empire about noble young ladies training their bodies……” 

 Rowenloa nodded as if understanding Heris’s concerns. 

 “Ah…… I learned from the knights of House Masipacius.”

“If rumors spread……”

“Hmm…… then wouldn’t I become an even more impressive young lady who’s good at both studies and martial arts?” 

 Hearing those words, Heris took a deep breath in surprise, then showed a faint smile and nodded. 

 Good, this is the timing. 

 “If you’d like to learn martial arts, shall I teach you?” 

 Heris’s eyes began to sparkle again at those words. 

 “Can…… can you really? I heard Lady Masipacius has been busy with various matters lately……”

“Well, I can make time for that much no matter how busy I am. It would be too hard on your body to learn from the knights from the start. Once or twice a week would work for me, what do you think?” 

 Heris quickly nodded at those words, as if worried Rowenloa might take back her offer. 

 “Then, I’ll send someone to set the dates.” 

 So they returned to the garden.

Though Grace asked why they took so long and if anything happened, Rowenloa just smiled while looking at Pelena and Meltua who were watching her with anxious eyes. 

 And Del excused herself briefly, saying she had urgent business with the Duchess.

When the Duchess returned to her seat afterward, she didn’t even glance in Pelena’s direction. 

 And after the tea party ended, the Duchess handed Rowenloa a bundle containing cookies. 

 “Thank you so much for attending today’s tea party, Lady Masipacius…… no, Rowenloa. I trust you’ll continue to be good friends with our Grace.” 

 Rowenloa happily accepted the bundle while nodding. 

 “Of course, Your Grace.” 

 Today had been a very successful day for her.