That morning, Iana, ready to leave, stood at the entrance of the castle with the knights of Erwin.
“The problem is that until you can control your magic, the blue light will appear and disappear frequently.”
She remembered Charles's words and wrapped her cloak around her hands.
Whoosh-.
The sky was cloudy, as if it were about to rain, and the wind blew fiercely.
At that moment, as Iana tightened the edges of her fluttering cloak, she felt the gaze of the count's maids glancing at her.
‘It seems they misunderstood that His Highness the Grand Duke took care of me last night.’
It was a situation that could easily be misunderstood.
Late at night, she had asked a maid to call the Grand Duke, who was not even married, because she was feeling unwell, and the Grand Duke had stationed knights around her room to ensure no one approached.
Just receiving such looks made her feel embarrassed and sorry for Charles.
At that moment, Charles walked out of the castle entrance with Count Thames.
“Your Highness the Grand Duke, it looks like it might rain. Would you consider staying another day?”
“No, I must leave as soon as possible since I have been away from my territory for too long.”
As Charles exchanged greetings with the people of the Thames family who had come to see him off, Iana felt a heat rising in her right hand. She peeked between the folds of her cloak and saw a blue light glowing in her right hand.
‘This is bad!’
Iana hurriedly lifted the hem of her cloak with her left hand.
Charles, who was greeting the count's family, looked at Iana as if asking what was wrong.
She lowered her gaze and exchanged glances with him.
Her cheek tingled, and when she turned her head, she saw the count's maids glancing at the two of them.
At that moment.
Whoosh-.
A strong wind blew.
For a moment, as Iana's cloak fluttered, Charles quickly stood in front of her, turning his back to her.
Like a sturdy man shielding a woman from the wind.
Charles whispered softly to Iana.
“It’s better to be misunderstood than to be caught.”
At his words, Iana quickly tightened her cloak and peeked around.
“……!”
All eyes were on the two of them.
Count Thames cleared his throat, feeling embarrassed.
But Charles greeted them as if nothing had happened.
“The wind is too strong. I must take my leave here.”
“Excuse me? Ah, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”
After finishing his greetings, Charles turned to Iana and smiled again.
She thought as she watched him.
‘Why does he keep smiling like that?’
* * *
On a bright and sunny afternoon, Riel arrived in front of Madame Carion's dress shop, where she had gone with Carion.
‘To let rumors overshadow the truth, one needs wings.’
Bang-.
Riel boldly opened the luxurious dress shop door and walked in.
She didn’t care that she was wearing a very plain gray dress that Zion had saved her with.
“Welcome.”
Madame Carion’s face, which had greeted her kindly, stiffened.
“What are you standing there staring at? Aren’t you going to attend to the guest?”
“……”
At Riel’s urging, Madame Carion remained silent, merely looking displeased.
Seeing that, Riel chuckled. She then began to carefully scan the clothes hanging around.
“Madame Carion, you’ll need to line up properly from now on.”
For a moment, Riel and Madame Carion’s eyes locked in a tense stare.
“Miss Riel, I am not someone who lines up. I am merely a dressmaker.”
Madame Carion pushed aside the fabric on the table, showing her unwillingness to attend to Riel.
To assert her dominance, Riel shouted sharply.
“Then you should just make dresses. Why are you spreading false rumors?”
“Spreading false rumors?”
Madame Carion retorted.
At that, Riel smirked and stepped closer to Madame Carion.
“That rumor about ‘the pitiful Countess Dietrian divorcing because of a traitorous maid from her family’ didn’t start here, did it?”
The rumors about the Dietrian family had not only spread from Madame Carion's dress shop.
But Riel deliberately pinpointed Madame Carion's shop as the source of the rumor.
“I don’t know on what basis you claim that rumor started in our dress shop. But honestly, isn’t it not entirely false?”
Madame Carion replied calmly again.
“Soon, Madame Carion's dress shop will be closing.”
“What do you mean?”
“If the affair between the Countess Dietrian, or Iana Rachels, and the Grand Duke Erwin is exposed.”
“What do you mean by that…….”
Madame Carion gasped, covering her mouth in surprise, but soon looked at Riel with a face full of suspicion.
“Why? Do you think I’m lying?”
“Usually, mistresses are good at slandering the legitimate wife.”
“I’m not foolish enough to involve my ex-wife with royalty to slander her. That’s why I got rid of Lady Chloe, right?”
At that moment, Riel slowly spread her arms.
“Make my dress. If you want to stop Count Dietrian from destroying your dress shop because of false rumors.”
“……!”
After a moment of hesitation, Madame Carion brought out a measuring tape and began to take Riel’s measurements.
In a calm voice, Riel began to speak the words she had prepared.
“It seems the Grand Duke Erwin stayed at the Count’s house and had an affair.”
“Is that true…….”
“So, the Countess Dietrian pretended to go to her family under the pretext of recuperation and actually went to Erwin.”
“…….”
“Marquis Rachels went to Ervin himself to confirm this fact. He found out about the two of them and decided to divorce Count Dietrian. To remarry the Countess to royalty.”
“Is that really true?”
Madame Carion asked with a shocked face filled with suspicion.
“And that’s why they pushed for a divorce decision right before the war.”
“…….”
Madame Carion seemed conflicted, unable to believe or disbelieve.
“You, who know the noble society well, also thought it was strange, didn’t you? That a mistress could cause a war.”
A point that transcended common sense.
Riel precisely dug into that point.
If you layer provocative and plausible logic on such a point, people would believe it as truth.
Knowing the dynamics of high society well, Madame Carion asked in horror.
“If that’s true, it could become a problem for the royal family……”
“That’s why I told you to line up properly.”
Seeing Madame Carion still unable to shake off her doubts, Riel delivered the decisive blow.
“By the way, all this information was obtained through the personal servant of Marquis Rachels.”
“……!”
Madame Carion’s eyes widened in shock.
‘Soon, the rumors about Iana and Grand Duke Ervin will spread.’
“Prepare the carriage. I’m going to the Dietrian family now.”
That was another purpose for coming to the dress shop. To secretly avoid the informants of the Rachels family who would be guarding the Dietrian family.
At that moment, Riel’s eyes caught the scissors placed on the table.
In an instant, a good idea flashed through her mind.
Riel walked to the table and picked up the scissors.
“I’ll borrow these scissors for a bit.”
“Why do you need scissors……?”
Madame Carion asked with a tense face, and Riel smiled meaningfully.
“I’m going to cut my dress.”
“Your dress?”
Snip, snip.
Having finished her words, Riel began to cut the gray dress she was wearing without hesitation.
Haphazardly, as if she were butchering it.
* * *
At that time, in the reception room of the Dietrian family.
Carion was sitting at the table, talking with the members of the Dietrian family.
“Carion, I will find you a woman from a prestigious family to remarry.”
At his uncle’s words, another relative sitting next to him added.
“This time, we should bring in a modest and healthy woman. To bear healthy heirs.”
At those words, Carion frowned and replied.
“Just being healthy isn’t enough. I don’t want just any healthy woman.”
“True, Iana was weak but beautiful.”
At his cousin’s thoughtless remark, his uncle exploded in anger.
“How dare you mention a woman who has been disowned by the family?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Knock, knock.
With the sound of someone knocking on the reception room door, the butler rushed in.
“C-Count, you need to come out right now.”
“What’s going on?”
Carion asked.
“W-Why is the Rachels family bringing troops again?”
His uncle stood up abruptly, looking terrified.
“No, that’s not it. R-Riel is here.”
“What? Riel?”
Carion stood up in surprise.
“She escaped from the Rachels family, and she looks a mess.”
As the butler spoke, Carion tried to rush out, but his uncle blocked him.
“Stop! What if you get involved with that girl again and cause trouble with the Rachels family?”
“But still…….”
This time, his cousin added.
“Just give the head maid some money and send her off.”
At that moment.
“Count! It’s a disaster!”
Riel burst into the reception room, leaving the pursuers behind.
“……!”
Everyone in the reception room gasped at the sight of Riel.
Riel looked terrible.
Her clothes were torn, her lips were swollen as if she had been beaten, and her long, luscious black hair was cut in places.
“Riel, what happened?”
Just as Carion was about to approach her, his uncle shouted.
“Where do you think you are barging in like this?”
“This was all a scheme by Marquis Rachels.”
“A scheme?”
Riel looked at the Dietrian family members and opened her mouth.
“It was a scheme to remarry Iana and Grand Duke Ervin.”