CH 46

Since ancient times, even in the invisible spirit fight of the social world, there have been clear successes and decisive victories.

In order to do that, sufficient build-up was required.

Rather than immediately fighting against Dorothea’s provocation, I calmly asked first.

“What do you mean, Miss Dorothea?”

“Oh my…,,Are you mad at me? I didn’t know. To think that this is the truth Miss Elodie wants to hide.”

It was a classic socialite tactic to prove her logic was correct by forcing the other person into an emotionally charged state.

If it had been me in the past, I would have gone as far as Dorothea intended at this stage and would have gone wild.

But now I won’t fall for this obvious and elementary trick.

“Oh, no. I’m not angry. I’m smiling, aren’t I?”

I smiled brightly.

Dorothea wasn’t so surprised this time, perhaps because she had experienced my changed demeanor once already. 

She said, covering her mouth with her hand as if upset.

“It’s a relief, Miss Elodie. That you’re not offended. I said it out of concern for Miss Elodie. I think….If things spread, I’m afraid people will look at you badly.”

As the conversation got longer, the people at Ishtar’s Spring began to pay more attention to us.

It seemed like a ploy to deliberately damage my reputation.

I didn’t want to deal with her because it was annoying, but because of the content Dorothea was talking about, I couldn’t ignore her.

Because she didn’t insult me ​​alone – she insulted Perdia itself.

Duke Perdia colluded with the temple just to get me into the meeting?

‘Truly. I have to say something that makes sense.’

Even a dog passing by would laugh if I didn’t handle this well.

The Duke of Perdia was not the kind of person who would do such a thing for his illegitimate daughter.

However, there are various people in the world, and they are also tempted by these ridiculous stories.

“That…… Could it be true?”

“Perhaps it is. If it’s Perdia, it’s possible.”

Okay. Just like those people.

The young apprentice priests whispered and started talking among themselves.

I stared straight at Dorothea Angellus.

‘She’s the one who appears as a villain in the original story.’

At the last ball was the first time I had ever bumped into Dorothea since I had reincarnated into this world.

The Elodie of the original usually lived in Perdia’s annex, and occasionally during official events, couldn’t get along with people, and then tore at the hair of young people who messed with her.

Dorothea was a direct descendant of one of the 4 major families, called the flower of society and was the center of attention.

Because we lived in different worlds.

Dorothea didn’t care about me, probably because she thought I was in a different class than herself.

She used to greet me when I was alone sometimes, as if she were friendly, and she used to show off that she was kind to everyone.

‘I didn’t do anything that stood out, so why are you keeping me in check?’

Even so, I only entered the banquet with Raeyan once.

I was not particularly interested in the other person, but if she dared to come to me first and scratch my nerves like this, I couldn’t help it.

You started this first.

I asked her, glancing at Duke Angellus, who was watching our conversation from near her.

“Miss Dorothea. Is what you just said the opinion of the Angellus family?”

“What?”

“I asked if the opinion of the family and Miss Dorothea matched.”

“What kind of family opinion…. I just said it out of concern for Miss Elodie.”

Dorothea tried to move the conversation along, but I stuck with it until the end.

“What are you talking about? Miss Dorothea is the heir to the Angellus family, right? Isn’t it so?”

“I’m the heir, but it doesn’t matter–”

“Miss Dorothea, the successor of the Angellus family, claims that the Perdia family and the temple colluded in some way, so I don’t think it’s something to be overlooked.”

Rather than raising this issue as a small dispute between individuals, I treated it as a matter between families.

Anyway, from my point of view, if I just skip this dispute, the nonsense saying ‘Duke Perdia used his influence in the temple to bring his unqualified daughter into the meeting’ would become a fait accompli, so there was nothing to lose if I raised my business.

But for Dorothea it would be different.

It must have been a light intention to just scratch my temper.

I looked back at Duke Perdia, who was standing crookedly with his arms folded.

“Father. Please leave this job to me. I’ll have a good talk with Miss Dorothea.”

Anyway, Duke Perdia wasn’t interested in anything I was doing, so it would be the same this time too.

“Okay.”

He probably wasn’t answering because he trusted me or because he just didn’t want to intervene, but for some reason, the fact that he even answered me was reassuring.

I had the confidence to screw Dorothea up a little harder.

“I already told the high priest directly, I don’t know why I fell into the temple, Miss Dorothea.”

“Do you have any proof?”

“Proof? Then Miss Dorothea, do you have proof that my father was conspiring to make some kind of deal with the temple?”

Dorothea’s cheeks grew redder and redder as I refuted each and every word she uttered.

“Miss Dorothea?”

“No, no proof. But isn’t that quite possible? With Perdia’s power, it would be easy to let Miss Elodie in.”

Dorothea did not admit her slip of the tongue, but rather criticized Perdia. The priests could be heard whispering from everywhere.

“There’s no evidence, but it’s kind of weird to say that just by being suspicious.”

“A temple colluding with another family, is she ignoring the temple?”

Perhaps not expecting a negative reaction from around her, Dorothea anxiously looked around. I let out a sigh as if I was upset and delivered the final blow.

“If Miss Dorothea doesn’t believe that much, I have no choice but to ask the Holy Father to verify it. That the barrier hasn’t been touched since the meeting began.”

When the pope, who usually doesn’t show up, was mentioned, Dorothea looked back desperately.

“But my father……!”

Finally, she sent her eyes to Duke Angellus, asking for help. 

However, Duke Angellus was someone who knew how to read the flow.

“Dorothea. Apologize to Miss Elodie.”

He had brutally cut off his daughter.

Dorothea’s eyes wavered in shock.

“Ah, Father…..!”

“Isn’t this totally rude of you?” What are you doing without apologizing?”

Hearing those harsh words of rebuke, Dorothea bit her lower lip and looked at me again.

When the pope was added, it wouldn’t just end with an incident. It would be too risky to venture on speculation alone.

Since it was Dorothea who brought things up to this point, she must take full responsibility for what she said.

Since even Duke Angellus had drawn the line due to Dorothea’s personal fault, she had nowhere to turn for help.

Dorothea’s eyes reddened, and she murmured in a creeping voice.

“…. rry.”

“What? I beg your pardon?”

“I’m sorry. I upset Miss Elodie with my ridiculous speculation.”

It would not have been easy for the proud Dorothea to apologize to me, an illegitimate daughter.

But that was just it. I didn’t mean to let it go with just an apology.

So, pretending to be in such a big shock, I covered my face with one hand and murmured sadly.

“I don’t think I can accept Miss Dorothea’s apology. My psychological trauma is too great….”

I added a very slight stagger as a bonus. 

Then, Carlot quickly came over and helped me.

It wasn’t something I really wanted, but thanks to that, people’s sympathetic eyes were directed at me.

Dorothea pursed her lips as if she was speechless at my Hollywood-level acting, and then finally asked, “How will you accept my apology?”

That was it.

Dorothea’s words that she finally pulled out.

I came up with a demand that I had been waiting for.

“I thought about it earlier, but Miss Dorothea’s earrings are really pretty.”

“……. ?!”

“Will you give me them as a present?”

Was it because I was boldly asking for money? Or was it because I pointed to a magical tool enchanted with illusion magic?

Dorothea’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘It must be the latter.’

Dorothea covered her earring and took a step back.

“I can’t. These earrings are precious to me. I would rather give you this necklace.”

“……”

“Eh, Miss Elodie.”

Dorothea looked at Madame Angellus standing behind her, calling my name earnestly.

Unlike the Duke of Angellus, who drew the line coldly, the duchess put on a worried look, and she eventually stood in the way for her daughter.

“I apologize for my daughter’s rudeness, Miss Elodie. How about we stop now?”

“Then will the duchess give something to me instead?”

“Ha. Are there any of my trinkets that you covet?”

Duchess Angellus asked rather confidently, as if asking for me to try her.

I didn’t feel particularly sorry for the duchess, but I couldn’t help it if she came out so aggressive.

I looked at the duchess’s ears, but her earrings were of a different design than Dorothea’s. So, I’d better make sure.

I ordered Greed.

‘Greed. Please tell me what the duchess’s magic tool is.’

[It’s a ring.]

That’s what I’m talking about. 

“Your ring is beautiful.”

Duchess Angellus’s face turned pale when I asked for the ring with a smile.

“……!”

You wouldn’t have thought that I would point out the magic tools again this time.

“This is what I brought with me when I got married… … I can’t give you a ring like that.”

“Since you say no to everything I want, can it be assumed that you have no intention of apologizing to me? If so, I would like to ask the Pope to verify your daughter’s claim for the sake of my family’s honor.”

Mrs. Angellus burst out in a rage when I said I would let things grow bigger. 

She said, “You, you’re coveting other people’s valuables. Miss Elodie is so extravagant and frivolous!”

Wow. Did you call that a shot?

I replied with a calm nod.

“Yeah. I’m extravagant and frivolous, so if I see other people’s pretty things, I’ll turn my eyes and go crazy.”

In any case, my external image was not much different from what Duchess Angellus said.

Extravagant and frivolous, Perdia’s madman, Elodie Perdia, who only believes in the name of the family.

So, no matter how you try to put me down, there will be no harm.

‘She’s not the main villain, but she’s a supporting villain anyway.’

Dorothea Angellus, however, was different.

She was a person whose dignity came first and foremost.

As if the situation was frustrating, Carlot, who was standing by my side, opened his mouth.

“Sister, it’s okay. I’ll buy you something like that–”

“Carl.”

But Jansi must have noticed that I wasn’t just doing this for the things, so he quickly stopped Carlot.

Carlot pouted his lips, grumbled and backed away.

Dorothea, who had been hiding behind her mother, stepped out in front of her with a face that looked like she was about to cry.

When her mother was in trouble, it seemed that she could not remain silent.

Dorothea wept and put a hand to her ear.

“I’ll give you my earrings as a gift. So please forgive my rudeness, Miss Elodie.”

“Sure.”

I smiled and held out my hand.

***

Dorothea tried to calm her startled heart.

‘It doesn’t matter. I just have to go back and ask them to enchant the new magic tool.’

Even if it fell from the body, the magic did not immediately dispel.

‘It’ll be fine as long as I’m in the same building as Miss Elodie anyway.’

As soon as the meeting was over, she’d return to the mansion and everything would be resolved.

So, there was no problem.

Dorothea pulled out her earrings and gave them to Elodie. Her hands were shaking from nervousness, but no one thought it was strange.

“I’m glad the misunderstanding has been cleared up, Miss Angellus.”

“…. That’s right.”

“The prayer meeting will begin soon, so let’s talk about this.”

Finally able to get out of this hellish situation, Dorothea quickly turned around and tried to go as far as she could.

But before she could take a few steps, an incident occurred.

Crack! 

Elodie, who accidentally dropped the earrings, stumbled and stepped on them.

“Oops, my mistake.”

“My earrings!” Dorothea cried.

Then……!

The blood drained from Dorothea’s face in an instant.

She hastily covered her face with her hands, but it was too late.

“L-Lady Angellus’s face… … .”

At the murmur of a priest, Dorothea lowered her head and shouted.

“Kyaaak! Don’t look!”

Shocked that the side of her she didn’t want anyone to see was exposed, she burst into tears and ran out of her seat.

This was the kind of suspense that you couldn’t look away from. A development more exciting than war!

Greed left only a short comment.

[Wow.]