“Now, now, let’s not be too harsh. Why are you discouraging my niece? Janet, would you step outside with me for a moment?”

Tailey led Janet out of the conference room. She had no choice but to follow him.

As the door closed, Tailey sighed and said quietly,

“You see? Even though I try to persuade them, this is how the shareholders react.”

His worried voice and expression would have seemed genuinely concerned about his niece to anyone who didn’t know better.

“Actually, they’re being relatively mild in front of you. When you’re not around, what they say… Well, sigh, never mind.”

“…What do they say?”

“Well, they say if you take over management, they can no longer remain shareholders of this company. I’m trying to persuade them not to say such things, but it’s really difficult.”

Tailey spoke with lowered eyebrows, as if reluctantly answering because Janet had asked.

“…I see.”

Janet replied quietly. She couldn’t know if the shareholders really thought that way. But judging by their reactions earlier, it seemed quite possible.

So what should she do now?

Her head ached as if it would split, and she felt dizzy.

She had thought she would return to her rightful place once she obtained her status, but apparently five years was longer than she had thought. During that time, Janet’s position had perhaps fallen too low to recover.

But she couldn’t give up like this.

Janet deliberately smiled calmly at Tailey and said,

“I understand the shareholders’ feelings. I need to do well. I believe they’ll recognize me as time passes.”

“Yes, Janet. It’s the company my brother left for you—why would I want to exclude you?”

“Yes, thank you. I’ll come to the company tomorrow too.”

“Tomorrow?”

Tailey looked at Janet as if she had said something strange.

“Isn’t there a charity party tomorrow? An event the Duke of Reynes invited you to… Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“Ah… I momentarily forgot.”

“Do you know where it’s being held?”

“Of course.”

“Good, you know? The duke is… he has such a deep heart. Doesn’t he?”

Janet answered with a faint smile.

In truth, she didn’t even know there was a party, let alone where it was being held. How could she know when no one had told her?

“Anyway… about the company, Janet. How about trying to make a good impression on the shareholders first? Who would like it if you come on too strong from the beginning? Coming every day might seem too aggressive, so it would be better to reduce the frequency. Just showing your face occasionally would have the right impact.”

“…Yes.”

“Good, then I should go back in now. I’ll speak well to the shareholders, so don’t worry too much. Come again next time, Janet. I’m always supporting you.”

Before Janet could respond, Tailey waved his hand and went back into the conference room. Janet stood blankly in front of the firmly closed conference room.

Was this the right way to be sent away?

Should she go back in… Should she?

Janet raised her hand and grabbed the doorknob again.

Through the closed door crack, she could faintly hear the conversation between Tailey and the shareholders inside.

“Chairman, you’re too fond of your niece for your own good!”

“What can I do? Didn’t you see? How fragile she is. Even today her complexion looked so poor… I’m worried she might fly away with a puff of wind or collapse if someone bumps into her.”

“The answer would be for her to rest at home, being treated as a duchess. Oh, by the way, the major shareholder from House Jasmine didn’t come today.”

“He went on a short vacation with his daughter. He absolutely adores his daughter.”

The conference room quickly became cheerful without Janet.

Strength left Janet’s hand as she held the doorknob.

She staggered as she turned around.

After leaving the company, Janet pulled her bonnet down firmly and walked aimlessly.

By the time she came to her senses, it was already growing dark around her. She took any carriage she could find and returned to the duke’s residence.

Her entire body ached as if she had been beaten all over. In prison, when she told the guards she was in pain, they would say it was because she thought she was in pain, and told her not to fake illness.

Janet was genuinely confused.

Whether her body was actually in pain, or if she was just pretending to be ill.

***

Knock, knock. Early in the morning, Letsy knocked on Janet’s door. There was no sound from inside, as if she might be sleeping.

As Letsy hesitated and was about to knock again, Rihanel gestured toward the doorknob.

“Just open it.”

“But I don’t have permission……”

“Whose permission?”

Rihanel looked at Letsy with cold eyes. Letsy felt a chill run down her spine.

This was the Reynes ducal residence, and the person telling her to open the door was the Duke of Reynes.

Realizing this, Letsy hurriedly bowed her head and flung the door open.

Janet was visible, lying on her side in bed.

Rihanel frowned deeply.

“How lazy.”

“Ah, she usually wakes up early, but perhaps she’s not feeling well……”

When Letsy defended Janet in a crawling voice, Rihanel snorted.

“Even a dying person would have to attend today. Wake her quickly and get her ready.”

Letsy rushed into Janet’s room. Rihanel returned to his own room without looking back.

“Madam.”

Letsy went to the bedside and carefully called Janet. When Janet didn’t wake quickly, she grew anxious.

“Madaaaam.”

This time she called a bit louder.

Though she didn’t know what the duke’s standard for “quickly” was, it surely had to be twice as fast as what Letsy was thinking.

Finally, Letsy shook Janet’s arm as she lay on her side.

“Madam, the master says you need to get ready and come out quickly… Oh!”

Her body was excessively cold. It was cold enough to make one doubt whether a living person could have such a temperature. Looking closely, Janet was trembling slightly.

“Ah… Letsy. I’m sorry. I overslept……”

Janet woke up at that moment and rose weakly. Letsy looked at Janet’s face in surprise.

“Madam, are you alright?”

“What? I’m fine.”

Though her complexion didn’t look fine, Janet said she was.

As she staggered out of bed, she said,

“Ah, that’s right…. There’s a charity event today, right…? Do you happen to know where it’s being held? Can I go too…?”

Though her voice was calm as usual, she was rambling a bit, clearly not feeling well.

Of course Letsy knew where the charity event was being held. But she had been ordered to hide information about the event from Janet, so she couldn’t say anything.

Initially, she thought they weren’t planning to take Janet to the event at all. But now the duke was ordering her to wake Janet immediately and put her in the carriage.

Should she tell her where it was being held? But could Janet go in this condition? Despite all these concerns, Letsy ultimately kept her mouth shut.

“I’m sorry, I don’t really know where it’s being held…. But he said to get ready quickly.”

He had said even a dying person would have to attend, so she had no choice but to follow that order. Letsy had no options. But she felt very uncomfortable about it.

“Um… what if you tell the master that you’re not feeling well…?”

Letsy suggested tentatively while applying makeup to make Janet’s pale face look more lively. But Janet shook her head with a faint smile.

It seemed that the woman before her had no choices either.

***

Outside the carriage, an endless green world stretched out. It seemed they were heading to the outskirts of the capital.

Feeling a chill in her body, Janet pulled her shawl tighter around herself.

“Aren’t you hot?”

Rihanel, sitting across from her with his legs crossed, asked. A jacket should be enough, isn’t the shawl excessive? And why was she wearing a bonnet even inside the carriage? He couldn’t understand the woman before him.

“I’m fine.”

Janet lightly cut off the conversation. Today her voice seemed smaller than usual, and lower too. Does she not want to talk, or what?

Anyway, knowing that upper-class people were obsessed with useless accessories like gloves, hats, parasols, umbrellas, watches… Rihanel thought Janet was just inevitably that type.

The type of nobility to the bone that he could never understand.

“So… where are we going?”

“You’re quick to ask.”

“You don’t seem to want to tell me. I only found out about the event yesterday……”

“Who told you? The maid who follows you around?”

“If you’re referring to the servant who’s been assigned to take care of me, it’s Letsy.”

After finishing her sentence, Janet took a shallow breath. To Rihanel, it looked like she was sighing, which also irritated him.

If she was going to correct him, she should have done it all at once, but Janet paused for a few beats before adding,

“Not a maid who follows me around.”

“Fine, good for you.”

“It was my uncle who told me about the event.”

Somehow, as they conversed, she didn’t look at him and kept her head slightly bowed, as if she couldn’t bear to make eye contact anymore.

“You went to the company yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“Must have been enjoyable.”

“…Thanks to you marrying me.”

Running off to the company as soon as they were married. It irritated him even more. This really made his purpose for marrying her too obvious.

What kind of treatment did she receive at the company that made her come home so late?

Yes, even if she was a criminal, she was still blood family to them. Of course being with her own family would be much better than being with him, who had married her reluctantly.

Now that she had obtained noble status, she would surely throw her weight around at the company.

While he had confirmed Janet’s memories and felt even more disgusted, Janet seemed to be getting what she wanted, which made his blood boil.

To the point where he felt foolish for worrying about whether it was right to take Janet with him in the carriage.

“So where are we going?”

“Somewhere you know.”

That was the end of the conversation. When Rihanel drew the curtains, Janet could no longer even guess where they were headed.

The carriage eventually arrived at its destination.

“You brought me here together…?”

“As if……”

The murmuring from outside could already be heard. Janet felt dizzy and wondered if her hearing was off too. The murmuring sounded more like familiar tones of reproach rather than welcoming voices for the host of a charity party.

And the moment the carriage door opened, Janet understood why.

“…Nel!”

Janet bit her lip and looked at Rihanel with resentful eyes.

They had arrived at Philodis Cathedral.

The woman who had set fire to Philodis Cathedral had appeared at a charity event held on the cathedral grounds.