Of course, I hadn’t “attacked” her either. I had only defended myself when she approached me first.

But being from a lowly family and becoming a Duchess was enough to make me a target of disdain.

Add to that the fact that I wasn’t loved by my husband, and I had become the perfect prey for ridicule. And now, I was even involved with the Saintess. Put it all together, and I made for a convincing villain.

‘A crazy woman who, despite her good fortune of becoming a high-ranking noble, couldn’t overcome her inferiority complex and ended up lashing out at the Saintess.’

Or, ‘A pitiful woman who, unable to gain her husband’s love, lost her senses and crossed a line she shouldn’t have.’

Gossip grows exponentially as one person, then another, adds their own interpretation.

The rumors about me circulating among the festival crowds were likely far worse than what Lia had heard.

Sure, there might have been some reevaluation of our marriage after we won the “Best Couple” award at the banquet, but that was just a recent incident. The prevailing opinion was still that the Duke and Duchess didn’t get along.

“What should we do, Madam? You’re nothing like what they’re saying…”

Lia seemed more anxious about the situation than I was, as if it were her own problem.

I tried to remain calm. This wasn’t the time to panic; it was the time to think.

Not many people knew what had happened between the Saintess and me. So, where had the information leaked from?

Judging by the fact that the rumor favored the Saintess and was unfavorable to me, it seemed more likely to have come from her side than ours. Could the priests have deliberately spread the word? That possibility couldn’t be ruled out.

The thought made me furious. Kyron had said he gave them the money they demanded, yet they had stabbed us in the back?

If that were true, the priests’ lack of morals was enough to make the gods themselves angry.

In any case, that wasn’t something I could confirm right now.

Dark clouds loomed over my future.

“At this point, it’ll be difficult to avoid disgrace.”

I spoke calmly.

“Th-then what should we do?”

“What else? If it comes to it, I’ll have to run away.”

“R-run away…?”

If I found the disgrace unbearable, I’d have to leave. Sometimes running away is the wisest choice.

For now, I’d hold out as best I could and maintain my life of luxury… but if I were truly pushed to the edge, I’d have no choice but to flee.

…To my hometown.

The fact that I had a place to return to was a great comfort.

“But there’s no need to worry about that yet, Lia. I’m not leaving right now.”

“Still…”

“I’m not going to give up my life here over something like this.”

I still had too much to lose here.

“If things escalate to the extreme, I’ll leave. But for now, I’m going to live as I please, no matter what people say.”

“Huh?”

“What I mean is, I’m not going to shrink back and cower.”

After all, I hadn’t done anything wrong.

I needed to think about how I could clear my name.

It was one thing for Kyron to misunderstand me—it was unpleasant but manageable. But having the entire world misunderstand me? That was unbearable.

I wanted to prove exactly what had happened between the Saintess and me. But there was one major problem.

I would have to reveal to the world that I might possess divine power.

The aftermath of that revelation could be even more severe than the accusation of pushing the Saintess.

It could go beyond simple criticism and affect my very status.

I was truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

‘All I wanted was to enjoy life as a top-tier noble!’

I couldn’t understand how things had come to this.

“Should I try to get the media on my side first?”

“T-the media?”

Lia was taken aback.

I knew it. No publication would easily write articles related to the Saintess without clear evidence. It would be a difficult path.

“Maybe it’s too hard.”

Lia nodded cautiously, silently opposing my idea.

“Madam, perhaps…”

“Hmm?”

“Perhaps you could talk to the Master about it?”

Kyron?

“Do you think he might have a solution?”

Lia’s suggestion was reasonable. Kyron was, after all, the empire’s only Duke. He might have more power than I could imagine.

But…

“No, I’m not going to ask my husband for help.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because I already know he won’t help me.”

“….”

I knew Lia couldn’t argue with that.

Shortly after our marriage, I had asked Kyron for help once—both the first and the last time.

But back then, he had drawn a clear line. He told me to handle my own affairs.

“You remember how he treated me back then, don’t you?”

“Back then…”

Lia immediately understood what I was referring to.

She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly gave up. She must have felt the same—that it was unlikely Kyron would help me.

“The Master is strict, after all…”

After that incident, Ekette had given up on relying on Kyron for help.

It had been only a few months after their marriage.

***

Ekette had been invited to a tea party hosted by a noble. Since it was rare for anyone to extend a hand to her, who had already become a social outcast, the invitation was all the more precious.

Ekette planned to attend this tea party, get acquainted with the nobles, and eventually host her own tea party. She had realized that she couldn’t just wait for people to approach her; she needed to take the initiative, invite people to her tea party, and build relationships.

If she didn’t, she felt she would remain an outcast forever.

Although she had grown up in the countryside with a small circle of acquaintances, she had always maintained harmonious relationships with everyone.

The people of her hometown, Avriel, liked her for her gentle and kind nature. So, she believed that even though the high-nosed nobles of the capital looked down on her now, they would open their hearts to her once they got to know her.

But it didn’t take long for Ekette to realize that belief was a naive and foolish mistake.

On the day she attended the tea party, no one greeted her with a warm smile.

She tried to smile kindly at everyone she met, but it only made her feel more miserable.

People didn’t speak to her, and when she initiated conversation, they responded with short, curt answers before quickly turning back to their own discussions. No one showed any interest in her.

That day, all she could do was stand awkwardly among the crowd.

It felt like she had been thrown into a pit she couldn’t escape, no matter how hard she tried.

‘They invited me just to ignore me. ‘

She realized that the precious invitation she had thought was an act of goodwill was, in fact, a seed of cruel harassment.

Her dream of hosting her own tea party had already faded, and Ekette spent several days in silent anguish.

Then… she finally made up her mind and spoke to her husband.

“I don’t think the ladies and young noblewomen of the social circle like me.”

It just so happened that Kyron had returned to the mansion after a long absence. Ekette decided to share her worries with him.

“I must have done something wrong.”

At that moment, she couldn’t tell if her husband was even listening to her.

Once she started letting out the words she had kept bottled up for days, they wouldn’t stop. Her sorrowful emotions pushed her words out like waves.