And among all of them, there was Arjan Clemence who had just arrived.

‘What the hell are you even up to?’

As she was already at an unfamiliar tea party, she began chewing her lips—as if she was even biting on them.

‘At least, I get it for now. You’re no longer the Molitia Clemence whom I used to know.’

Her sister, who once said that she had nothing to do, gave her a call all of a sudden—perhaps because she herself had a plan in mind. However, Arjan Clemece was never a woman who could be easily beaten. Especially when the opponent is her own sister, Molitia.

She wouldn’t be letting go of her hand for today.

“Oh, aren’t you—Arjan Clemence?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Arjan immediately changed her expression. She then turned her head while smiling broadly—as if she had never frowned earlier.

“It’s been a long time, Countess Herbert.”

“I felt rather upset because I haven’t seen you since the wedding of Duke Linerio last time.”

“I’m truly sorry. I haven’t been able to visit you because many things have been going on lately.”

“If it’s about a lot of work, then……”

Arjan was overwhelmed with jealousy while she was avoiding eye contact. Then, the Countess’s eyes shifted as she lowered her gaze rather shamefully.

“Oh, is the rumor really true?”

“What rumor are you talking about right now?”

“Oh, Baroness Ariane has arrived as well.”

“Yes, I’ve been having quite a relationship with Duchess Linerio since long before she had gotten married.”

They had only met face to face a few times before, but Ariane was obviously showing off her close relationship before turning to Herbert.

“More than that, what is this rumor…?”

“I’ve recently heard rumors that Lady Clemence is getting married soon.”

“Have you already decided on a good marriage prospect?”

“That’s the story of the Marquis of Werner—and the rumors kept on going back and forth all the time.”

“The Marquis of Werner? If it’s that…”The Baroness’s words slurred eventually. Evidently, the Marquis was from a prestigious family that couldn’t be easily ignored, but the problem lay within the heir—who was a total mess.

It was attractive to be manly, but she heard that he had a bad habit. In particular, it seemed that there had been several cases where the Marquis had been secretly compensating for gambling in these recent years.

What about his fiancée—Barlow, then?

It was rumored that he fought with the Young Lady of Barlow in order to claim the honor and that statement was still being propagated till now. Moreover, it was even mentioned during Nibeia’s tea party back then.

“I’m ashamed to hear that the rumor has already been spread out. My father told me that we should be as quiet as possible…”

When Ariane’s expression had turned rather strange, Arjan quickly changed the current atmosphere. Her newly wedded appeal, which would soon be greeted by many, was definitely enough to soften the delicate hearts of women.

“Then, is the rumor true?”

“I’m not really sure yet……”

“Then, this will definitely be a celebration of the Empire—right after the Duke of Linerio.”

“Moreover, it’s a marriage with a Marquis’s descent, who has also been chosen as the next heir to the Marquis of Werner.”

“Thank you.”

Arjan smiled—as if everything had been fixed in place. Rumor which was broadcasted that Arjan Clemence might become the Marquis’s wife had begun to gather all around her.

It didn’t really matter how absurd the bad habits of Marquis Werner were. It was never bad to be seen with someone who possessed a higher status.

It was around the time when the tea party was getting heated around Arjan that the creaking of an opening door could be heard. As it had been tightly closed before, the sound immediately drew all of the people’s attention for that one moment.

The door parted and finally, Molitia made her appearance. She had emerged in a yellow dress, which matched the concept of the tea party itself. Her silver hair that complemented the warm color of her clothes, was fluttering around her waist.

She was wearing a bright red shawl, draped on her shoulder as a focal point. Raven had bought that shawl a few days ago, especially for Molitia who often felt cold. The shawl, which stood out even more than her own yellow dress, had straight away earned everyone’s undivided attention.