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"Riel, hello."
Iana stared straight at Riel.
"......"
Riel, with an indifferent expression, fiddled with the crown brooch pinned to her dress.
The Imperial Army soldiers forcibly sat Iana on the chair opposite her.
"Iana, where have you been hiding until now?"
Carrion shouted. But Iana answered with a brazen face.
"I fell asleep while drawing Demon Terrain in the library."
"You're calling that an excuse now!"
As Carrion got angry, Iana soon turned her gaze to Riel.
"Riel, you were my caretaking maid, so you know, right? That I often fall asleep in the library."
"I know it well. You fell asleep without any consideration, causing trouble for many people."
Riel gave a twisted smile.
Flames ignited in the eyes of Iana and Riel.
"Count, I would like to talk to Iana alone before the full-scale investigation."
As Carrion quietly tried to go outside, Iana suddenly spoke, holding out her bound hands.
"Carrion, untie me."
"Iana, you think I'll untie you just because you ask me to?"
Carrion let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded.
"Isn't it said that your divorced ex-wife's reputation becomes your reputation, Carrion? What will people think if your ex-wife is investigated by your mistress while tied up?"
At Iana's words, Carrion subtly glanced at Riel.
Riel shook her head firmly.
"That won't do."
After speaking, Carrion immediately left the investigation room.
As Carrion followed her words, Riel stared at Iana with arrogant eyes.
With only the two of them left, an icy silence flowed in the investigation room.
No one spoke first. Only sharp gazes that seemed to cut each other.
It was Riel who broke the long silence first.
"Iana, you can fool others, but you can't fool me."
"About what?"
"You're hiding something, aren't you?"
Riel's gaze pierced Iana's eyes like a spear.
Making the opponent unable to move with an intense gaze, as if trying to read the opponent's mind.
Riel was quick-witted.
She could see through the heart with just the slightest movement of the pupils.
Iana emptied her emotions so as not to be shaken, just like when she was controlling her uncontrollable magical power.
Creak-.
When Iana didn't react, Riel got up from her seat.
"Iana, humans each have their own logic of action. Humans live by faithfully following their own logic of action, to the point of being foolish."
Riel placed her hands on the table and slowly faced Iana's face closely.
"But your current appearance doesn't match your logic of action."
"......"
Iana looked at Riel without saying a word.
"You don't have to tell me what you're hiding. I'll reveal it soon."
Riel's voice was gentle, as if a demon was whispering.
Iana was thinking of returning Riel's method as it was.
A method of stimulating the opponent's emotions to induce mistakes.
Iana carefully selected the words that Riel would react to most emotionally in her head.
At that time, the moment she ended her life before regression came to mind.
"When I was reduced to a slave, everyone pitied me. But you were the only one who didn't."
Just as Riel was about to slowly raise her lowered upper body. Iana spoke in a calm voice.
"When I was struck with an unknown disease, everyone pitied me. But you were the only one who didn't."
"What?"
Riel's eyes changed sharply.
"You said you were jealous of my healthy self when you were sickly. I really liked that. What should I say? I felt less unhappy when I was next to you."
"You said you were jealous of me, a noble, even when you were a slave and sick. I really liked that. What should I say? I felt less unhappy when I was next to you."
Iana returned the humiliation she felt to Riel, who comforted herself with her misfortune.
Riel only glared at Iana fiercely for a moment, but did not easily waver.
"You're such a vicious person. Because you're a human who mocks and comforts yourself with the misfortune of others."
"It's not that I'm vicious, it's that Riel, you're funny."
Iana scoffed as if she was amused.
"Iana, a woman who is sick and can't guarantee an heir is not a woman."
"......"
"But how can you not be more ridiculous than you, who doesn't know how the world works and is trying to become a Grand Duchess?"
Iana stared at Riel for a moment before throwing out the decisive words.
"You dream of becoming Empress."
"......!"
Riel's pupils shook.
Iana did not miss that moment and said mockingly.
"You're enduring like that right now, aren't you?"
"Shut that mouth."
Riel warned in a cold voice.
"You're enduring your hellish life of clinging to men like that, aren't you?"
"......"
"While having a vain dream of becoming Empress."
Iana attacked Riel's sense of superiority.
In the end, your sense of superiority is just an illusion created to endure a hellish life.
Riel's eyes, which had been calmly parrying, changed. With eyes full of murderous intent.
'Yes, I was intimidated by those eyes.'
In her previous life, Iana was intimidated by Riel's fierce eyes. Recalling that humiliation, she pushed Riel even harder.
"If I'm not a woman in the eyes of the world......"
"I warned you to shut up."
"You're not a person. You're a slave."
Thud-.
Riel roughly pulled off the crown-shaped brooch pinned to her dress.
"I can't be the only one living in hell."
Smack!
Riel grabbed Iana's chin tightly with one hand.
'You're going to scar my face and pretend to hurt yourself as if it's not your fault?'
It was the moment when Riel was about to raise her sharp brooch high and strike down.
Iana moved her hand hidden under the table and chanted the spell of Immobility Magic as if doing Ventriloquism.
"Why isn't my body......"
Riel did not move with the brooch in her hand.
At that time, Iana shouted loudly.
"Help me! Please help me!"
Bang!
The iron door of the investigation room opened roughly.
"......!"
Charles, Carrion, and the nobles of the investigation team, who had been waiting in front of the door, stared at the scene with astonished faces.
It was a scene where anyone could see that Riel was about to scar Iana's face with a brooch.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Charles shouted sharply.
Carrion hurriedly entered the investigation room and questioned.
"Riel, are you crazy? Can't you put that hand down?"
It was a crisis for Carrion.
Because the mistress from a maid background, whom he had designated as an investigator, was about to harm a noble woman's face.
As Carrion strode towards Riel, Iana chanted a small spell and released the Immobility Magic.
Slap-.
An excited Carrion slapped Riel's cheek.
Riel sat down on the spot and glared at Carrion as if to kill him.
"Did you just hit me?"
"What did you do so well that you're looking at me like that!"
It was Carrion's cowardly attitude of trying to put all the blame on Riel.
'He's trying to shift the blame to the childish jealousy of his mistress?'
Iana looked at Carrion and said firmly.
"I will formally raise an issue with the Dietrian County about this matter. Because Riel is Count Dietrian's mistress."
"What?"
As Carrion got angry, Charles, who was behind him, continued.
"Iana Ruise is under Ervin, so Ervin will formally raise the issue."
"......"
Carrion could no longer speak with an indignant expression.
Iana slowly walked towards the door of the investigation room.
Riel, who was sitting down, glared at Iana fiercely.
Iana looked down at such Riel and said with her eyes.
'Riel, you won't be able to become a Countess at least. Because you ruined all of Carrion's official duties.'
At that time, Riel got up from her seat and tidied her hair and clothes as if nothing had happened.
Riel arrogantly raised her head. Like a high-nosed young lady from a noble family.
"Iana, I will not forget what happened today. Never."
✦ ✦ ✦
That afternoon, inside the lodging in the detached palace.
An enraged Carrion shouted at Riel.
"Because of you, I can't charge Iana with the Crime of Noncompliance with Investigation. Why? Because if I did, she would bring up the absurd thing you did today and involve the investigation team."
"......"
Riel sat in front of the dressing table, looking in the mirror and wiping her burst lip with a handkerchief.
"Even if Iana is divorced and removed from the family register, she is still a noble. But what rumors would spread if a mistress from a maid background harmed a noble woman?"
"I thought Count could reverse that kind of scandal with his power."
Riel answered lightly to the point of being shameless.
"Are you saying this is my fault now?"
Carrion twisted his mouth in disbelief.
Riel got up from the dressing table and walked towards Carrion.
"Making the impossible possible is power and authority."
"......"
"Look at His Majesty the Emperor. He protects his mistress from a courtesan background no matter what she does to the Empress."
"Shut that seductive mouth."
"I am greatly disappointed in Count. That you are a powerless man who cannot even stop my small deviation."
As soon as Riel finished speaking, she went outside.
"That's real!"
Carrion glared at the door before slumping down on the sofa.
Knock knock.
At that time, the voice of the Imperial administrator was heard along with the sound of knocking on the door.
"Count, I have something urgent to report."
Carrion strode over and roughly opened the door and shouted.
"I told you not to let anyone in right now!"
The administrator opened his mouth with a frightened face.
"That is, we found evidence of adultery."
Iana stared straight at Riel.
"......"
Riel, with an indifferent expression, fiddled with the crown brooch pinned to her dress.
The Imperial Army soldiers forcibly sat Iana on the chair opposite her.
"Iana, where have you been hiding until now?"
Carrion shouted. But Iana answered with a brazen face.
"I fell asleep while drawing Demon Terrain in the library."
"You're calling that an excuse now!"
As Carrion got angry, Iana soon turned her gaze to Riel.
"Riel, you were my caretaking maid, so you know, right? That I often fall asleep in the library."
"I know it well. You fell asleep without any consideration, causing trouble for many people."
Riel gave a twisted smile.
Flames ignited in the eyes of Iana and Riel.
"Count, I would like to talk to Iana alone before the full-scale investigation."
As Carrion quietly tried to go outside, Iana suddenly spoke, holding out her bound hands.
"Carrion, untie me."
"Iana, you think I'll untie you just because you ask me to?"
Carrion let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded.
"Isn't it said that your divorced ex-wife's reputation becomes your reputation, Carrion? What will people think if your ex-wife is investigated by your mistress while tied up?"
At Iana's words, Carrion subtly glanced at Riel.
Riel shook her head firmly.
"That won't do."
After speaking, Carrion immediately left the investigation room.
As Carrion followed her words, Riel stared at Iana with arrogant eyes.
With only the two of them left, an icy silence flowed in the investigation room.
No one spoke first. Only sharp gazes that seemed to cut each other.
It was Riel who broke the long silence first.
"Iana, you can fool others, but you can't fool me."
"About what?"
"You're hiding something, aren't you?"
Riel's gaze pierced Iana's eyes like a spear.
Making the opponent unable to move with an intense gaze, as if trying to read the opponent's mind.
Riel was quick-witted.
She could see through the heart with just the slightest movement of the pupils.
Iana emptied her emotions so as not to be shaken, just like when she was controlling her uncontrollable magical power.
Creak-.
When Iana didn't react, Riel got up from her seat.
"Iana, humans each have their own logic of action. Humans live by faithfully following their own logic of action, to the point of being foolish."
Riel placed her hands on the table and slowly faced Iana's face closely.
"But your current appearance doesn't match your logic of action."
"......"
Iana looked at Riel without saying a word.
"You don't have to tell me what you're hiding. I'll reveal it soon."
Riel's voice was gentle, as if a demon was whispering.
Iana was thinking of returning Riel's method as it was.
A method of stimulating the opponent's emotions to induce mistakes.
Iana carefully selected the words that Riel would react to most emotionally in her head.
At that time, the moment she ended her life before regression came to mind.
"When I was reduced to a slave, everyone pitied me. But you were the only one who didn't."
Just as Riel was about to slowly raise her lowered upper body. Iana spoke in a calm voice.
"When I was struck with an unknown disease, everyone pitied me. But you were the only one who didn't."
"What?"
Riel's eyes changed sharply.
"You said you were jealous of my healthy self when you were sickly. I really liked that. What should I say? I felt less unhappy when I was next to you."
"You said you were jealous of me, a noble, even when you were a slave and sick. I really liked that. What should I say? I felt less unhappy when I was next to you."
Iana returned the humiliation she felt to Riel, who comforted herself with her misfortune.
Riel only glared at Iana fiercely for a moment, but did not easily waver.
"You're such a vicious person. Because you're a human who mocks and comforts yourself with the misfortune of others."
"It's not that I'm vicious, it's that Riel, you're funny."
Iana scoffed as if she was amused.
"Iana, a woman who is sick and can't guarantee an heir is not a woman."
"......"
"But how can you not be more ridiculous than you, who doesn't know how the world works and is trying to become a Grand Duchess?"
Iana stared at Riel for a moment before throwing out the decisive words.
"You dream of becoming Empress."
"......!"
Riel's pupils shook.
Iana did not miss that moment and said mockingly.
"You're enduring like that right now, aren't you?"
"Shut that mouth."
Riel warned in a cold voice.
"You're enduring your hellish life of clinging to men like that, aren't you?"
"......"
"While having a vain dream of becoming Empress."
Iana attacked Riel's sense of superiority.
In the end, your sense of superiority is just an illusion created to endure a hellish life.
Riel's eyes, which had been calmly parrying, changed. With eyes full of murderous intent.
'Yes, I was intimidated by those eyes.'
In her previous life, Iana was intimidated by Riel's fierce eyes. Recalling that humiliation, she pushed Riel even harder.
"If I'm not a woman in the eyes of the world......"
"I warned you to shut up."
"You're not a person. You're a slave."
Thud-.
Riel roughly pulled off the crown-shaped brooch pinned to her dress.
"I can't be the only one living in hell."
Smack!
Riel grabbed Iana's chin tightly with one hand.
'You're going to scar my face and pretend to hurt yourself as if it's not your fault?'
It was the moment when Riel was about to raise her sharp brooch high and strike down.
Iana moved her hand hidden under the table and chanted the spell of Immobility Magic as if doing Ventriloquism.
"Why isn't my body......"
Riel did not move with the brooch in her hand.
At that time, Iana shouted loudly.
"Help me! Please help me!"
Bang!
The iron door of the investigation room opened roughly.
"......!"
Charles, Carrion, and the nobles of the investigation team, who had been waiting in front of the door, stared at the scene with astonished faces.
It was a scene where anyone could see that Riel was about to scar Iana's face with a brooch.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Charles shouted sharply.
Carrion hurriedly entered the investigation room and questioned.
"Riel, are you crazy? Can't you put that hand down?"
It was a crisis for Carrion.
Because the mistress from a maid background, whom he had designated as an investigator, was about to harm a noble woman's face.
As Carrion strode towards Riel, Iana chanted a small spell and released the Immobility Magic.
Slap-.
An excited Carrion slapped Riel's cheek.
Riel sat down on the spot and glared at Carrion as if to kill him.
"Did you just hit me?"
"What did you do so well that you're looking at me like that!"
It was Carrion's cowardly attitude of trying to put all the blame on Riel.
'He's trying to shift the blame to the childish jealousy of his mistress?'
Iana looked at Carrion and said firmly.
"I will formally raise an issue with the Dietrian County about this matter. Because Riel is Count Dietrian's mistress."
"What?"
As Carrion got angry, Charles, who was behind him, continued.
"Iana Ruise is under Ervin, so Ervin will formally raise the issue."
"......"
Carrion could no longer speak with an indignant expression.
Iana slowly walked towards the door of the investigation room.
Riel, who was sitting down, glared at Iana fiercely.
Iana looked down at such Riel and said with her eyes.
'Riel, you won't be able to become a Countess at least. Because you ruined all of Carrion's official duties.'
At that time, Riel got up from her seat and tidied her hair and clothes as if nothing had happened.
Riel arrogantly raised her head. Like a high-nosed young lady from a noble family.
"Iana, I will not forget what happened today. Never."
✦ ✦ ✦
That afternoon, inside the lodging in the detached palace.
An enraged Carrion shouted at Riel.
"Because of you, I can't charge Iana with the Crime of Noncompliance with Investigation. Why? Because if I did, she would bring up the absurd thing you did today and involve the investigation team."
"......"
Riel sat in front of the dressing table, looking in the mirror and wiping her burst lip with a handkerchief.
"Even if Iana is divorced and removed from the family register, she is still a noble. But what rumors would spread if a mistress from a maid background harmed a noble woman?"
"I thought Count could reverse that kind of scandal with his power."
Riel answered lightly to the point of being shameless.
"Are you saying this is my fault now?"
Carrion twisted his mouth in disbelief.
Riel got up from the dressing table and walked towards Carrion.
"Making the impossible possible is power and authority."
"......"
"Look at His Majesty the Emperor. He protects his mistress from a courtesan background no matter what she does to the Empress."
"Shut that seductive mouth."
"I am greatly disappointed in Count. That you are a powerless man who cannot even stop my small deviation."
As soon as Riel finished speaking, she went outside.
"That's real!"
Carrion glared at the door before slumping down on the sofa.
Knock knock.
At that time, the voice of the Imperial administrator was heard along with the sound of knocking on the door.
"Count, I have something urgent to report."
Carrion strode over and roughly opened the door and shouted.
"I told you not to let anyone in right now!"
The administrator opened his mouth with a frightened face.
"That is, we found evidence of adultery."
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