“Yes. Talk about your impressions of being here, or something.”

Janet looked at Rihanel with a slightly furrowed brow.

Impressions? What kind of impressions was she supposed to talk about?

Should she really write a statement of repentance and read it?

“So pay close attention to today’s event, Janet. This is the happiness that the people of Philodis Cathedral would have enjoyed if you hadn’t destroyed it.”

“……”

Janet didn’t respond to Rihanel’s words. She only bowed her head as if enduring something.

Rihanel found himself a little concerned about her.

He had expected her to straighten her back as usual and say something like “of course.”

Or to counter his words in a detached and dignified manner.

Because she was a woman who would raise her chin out of pride whether she was at fault or not.

But this expression?

Janet kept her mouth firmly shut as if she had taken some medicine that prevented her from speaking. The woman who had always been so rigid seemed infinitely small in this space.

If you were going to be like this, why did you set the fire?

Just restraining himself from saying that seemed to consume all his nerves.

***

When their turn came, people went up to the platform at the front and brought out what they had prepared. Though not required, congratulatory speeches came as a bonus.

The prepared items ranged from small gifts for the children or supplies for running the orphanage, to one-on-one sponsorships for the children. Although House Reynes was already taking care of all the children, having individual sponsors would further help each child’s development.

Of course, there was no need to focus entirely on the explanations of those who came up to the platform. This was a social event under the pretext of charity, and it was natural to socialize with people in all directions—beside, in front, and diagonally.

“Hey, Janet, it’s been a while. Oh my, is it alright if I call you Janet?”

Panianna Monder also wasn’t particularly interested in the charity itself. So she strategically approached Janet with friendly words.

Janet, who had been slightly bowing her head, raised her chin. And as Panianna expected, Rihanel took notice of them.

He was clearly watching closely to see what his aunt would say to his lovely wife.

But in reality, from Rihanel’s perspective, he was more interested in how Janet would react than in what his aunt would say.

Janet stared blankly at Panianna without answering.

For a woman who usually pretended to be friendly in such settings, this was quite a surprising reaction. Has she really lost the ability to speak? Just as Rihanel was thinking this.

“…Yes, Marchioness Monder.”

“What’s with that coldness? Call me Aunt. As our Rihanel’s wife, you’re practically my niece too.”

Panianna spoke warmly. Meanwhile, Janet’s uncle Tailey Wilton and his wife had also come over.

“Janet, are you perhaps not feeling well? Your expression doesn’t look good.”

“Should I bring you some warm tea?”

“I’m fine.”

Despite the warm treatment, Janet remained stiff without batting an eye. It seemed natural to her that family would worry about her like this.

She truly was a woman who took being loved by everyone for granted.

“Your Grace.”

At that moment, Flan called for Rihanel.

“Count Mariode has requested to discuss something related to sponsorship. Shall I ask him to come over?”

“We’ll talk inside the orphanage. I’ll be away for a moment….”

Rihanel, who had been speaking while taking a step forward, stopped his movement. Janet was holding onto the hem of his clothes. She seemed a bit surprised too, as if it had been a reflexive action.

“What is it, Janet?”

Rihanel gently called Janet’s name and wrapped his hand around hers. Her hand was cold, suggesting she was indeed nervous.

“…Shall I come with you?”

Janet asked in a small voice.

“It’s alright.”

“I could… be helpful in the discussion.”

Well, having lived as a patron for 7 years, she would indeed be helpful. It seems she had finally resolved to get involved in the charity event.

But is it necessary?

Rather than going to talk with strangers with such cold hands, he thought she should feel some warmth among her own people here.

The only role Rihanel had demanded of her today was the final commemorative speech.

Until then, he had decided not to expect anything from her.

“Is it necessary? No need. Aunt, please take care of my wife.”

“Yes, Janet. Leave the work to Rihanel and let’s chat among ourselves.”

Rihanel removed Janet’s hand and strode away.

Flan looked a bit anxiously back and forth between Rihanel and Janet, but there was no opportunity to express his thoughts as they immediately moved on to discussing the sponsorship.

And once the duke disappeared, people’s gazes subtly changed.

When the duke was present, they had to act as if they were at a happy festival from a fairy tale, but when he went inside, they could relax for a moment.

With the exaggerated welcome gone, the curiosity they had been suppressing raised its head through the gap.

The villain from the fairy tale. How could that witch pretend to be the protagonist princess at this festival?

The questioning gazes gradually became more blatant.

And as everyone realized they shared this curiosity, this thought emerged,

‘If so many people are curious about it, wouldn’t it be acceptable to ask a somewhat rude question?’

“Hey, Viscount Olbe, didn’t you say you had something you were curious about?”

Panianna asked as if suggesting Olbe should take the lead. Olbe, who had been downing expensive wine, immediately understood her meaning. It was what they had been discussing every time they met recently.

“Miss Janet Wilton, no, Duchess Reynes, please don’t misunderstand as I have no ill intentions. I’m just curious…”

Olbe excellently laid the groundwork and began to speak.

Normally, he would have stopped at just being curious, but wasn’t this the site of Philodis Cathedral?

Intoxicated by the atmosphere of the place, and literally intoxicated by the alcohol he had consumed upon arrival, Olbe lowered his voice and opened his mouth.

“A person died, yet you only received a 10-year sentence. Moreover, you were released after just five years as a model prisoner.”

“……!”

Janet’s eyes trembled.

People stepped back one pace from Janet. While drawing a line between her and themselves, this also had the effect of making her more noticeable.

Olbe was even someone who had been a judicial officer before later obtaining noble status. Feeling as if he was looking at a criminal who had returned to the scene, he gained confidence in his question.

“A witness who appeared after 3 years saw you and some man, and your belongings were found among the candles in the storage room, revealing you as the arsonist. Decisively, you personally admitted to being the culprit.”

Janet pulled the shawl wrapped around her body and tightened it more firmly. Feeling like her legs might give out, she had to keep her body tense.

“Still, it didn’t go as far as a murder charge because the deceased priest had bought both oil and sleeping pills, so his suicidal intent was recognized. Well, another witness also testified that the priest seemed like someone who was about to die.”

Should she continue listening to this?

“Whether oil had been sprinkled in the cathedral or not was the key issue in this case…. In the end, your claim that it was already sprinkled and you just dropped fire was accepted.”

“…So, what, exactly, are you curious about?”

“Well, the trial is the trial. I wonder what the duke thinks about how much time you spent with another man?”

Yes, the introduction was long, but this is what he was curious about. People focused more intently on this interrogation disguised as conversation.

“If you were engaged in some secret activity there, perhaps it wasn’t that oil was already sprinkled, but rather you sprinkled it first to erase traces….”

“What…!”

Janet, interrupting Olbe’s words, looked down and breathed heavily.

Panianna, with an interested expression, counted to ten inwardly and then spoke to Olbe,

“Viscount Olbe! Aren’t you questioning too rudely? If our Janet had done something like that, how could she have the thick skin to come here? Right, Janet?”

Thump, thump, thump. Janet’s heart beat rapidly.

Normally, she would have been fine.

No matter what they babbled about, she would have pretended not to hear. She could have spent time enjoying the faint scent of flowers or counting how many ants were passing by.

But now she couldn’t do that.

Was it because this was the site of Philodis Cathedral?

Or because of her poor physical condition since yesterday?

Just being here made it hard to breathe properly. Should it be called fear, or guilt? Mixed emotions wrapped around Janet and squeezed tightly.

It was too cold.

She felt as if her vision was swaying from side to side.

If she stayed like this, she felt she might make an even more ridiculous spectacle of herself.

“I’ll just… go get some fresh air for a moment.”

“Hmm, fresh air? But we’re already outside, what kind of air…?”

Before Panianna could finish speaking, Janet had already moved away. People watched her retreating figure and said,

“Seeing how upset she got, I guess she really did sprinkle the oil first.”

Then they quickly lost interest and became absorbed in a new topic. After all, what had just happened wasn’t really important; it was just one piece of gossip among many.

Janet trudged along, dragging her heavy body.

She wanted to lie down.

If she could just lie down and close her eyes for a while, she thought she would be alright….