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If only she could attend the banquet where all the respectable nobles gathered, she would have something to talk about with the young noble ladies she occasionally met.
The thought that rumors might spread, saying, 'Could it be that she, as a Baroness, wasn't even invited?' made her feel humiliated and driven to the brink.
That's why she wanted to attend even more confidently...
"His Excellency said he would be tired, so he asked that you rest comfortably at home today."
While Elise was getting ready, Peyton had delivered the message to the butler and left for the Imperial Palace alone.
Enraged by this, Elise rushed to the Imperial Palace, but in her haste, she forgot her invitation.
And who knew that would be a problem?
'I don't have time to go back to the mansion.'
Growing impatient with the passing time, Elise desperately clung to the guards.
"Please, just this once, let me through. I'm not here to do anything bad at the Imperial Palace. If you let me through just for today, I'll make sure to repay you. Okay?"
"Hmm..."
But despite Elise's pleas, the guards only exchanged troubled glances and didn't seem inclined to let her in.
'If Peytan had been here, would they have stopped me just because I didn't have a measly piece of paper?'
No, of course not.
Peyton was, after all, a Duke of the Empire, so they would know his face, and this wouldn't have happened.
'Without Peytan, I'm nothing...'
Just as Elise bit her lip, overwhelmed with terrible helplessness and anger,
The sound of a carriage stopping was heard, and someone's footsteps approached.
"Open the gates. I'll vouch for the Baroness's identity."
Elise's eyes widened when she saw the owner of the voice.
"You are...!"
Finally, the music ended.
After exchanging final greetings with Idris, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
'I didn't make any mistakes... I think I did pretty well, right?'
If I was awkward, I would be unsure, but if I did well, I couldn't not know.
Even without looking at other people's reactions.
As I was basking in my own satisfaction, Idris's voice was heard from beside me.
"You were so worried, but there was nothing to worry about, was there?"
"It's all thanks to a wonderful partner who led me well."
It wasn't just flattery; it was the truth.
Whenever I felt overwhelmed by the attention of others, I danced while looking into his eyes.
Every time our eyes met, his gaze told me.
That I was doing well.
"Everyone is only looking at you, so I'm honestly a little jealous."
I chuckled at Idris's teasing.
Seeing him joking around made me realize that I had really done well.
Gaining confidence, I finally looked around to see the reactions of those around me.
There were various reactions, including disapproving glances and admiring gazes, but at least no one was pitying or feeling sorry for me like in my previous life.
And one person was looking at me with a different kind of emotion in their eyes.
'How does it feel to have your plan completely ruined, Peytan?'
I smiled sweetly at Peyton, who was seething with anger in the corner.
He even left Elise behind, probably thinking he could get sympathy votes and slander me.
'His pride must be hurt.'
Sympathy votes don't provide practical help; they're just gossip fodder.
"Shall we go over there and get something to drink?"
"Okay."
Just as I, having made a successful debut as a villainess, was about to retreat to one side of the banquet hall with Idris,
'Huh?'
Suddenly, the entrance of the banquet hall became noisy.
"Oh my, isn't that Lady Elise Fran? I thought she wasn't coming because Duke Farnese came alone."
"I know, right? I thought she would lay low because of the rumors."
Turning my head in that direction without thinking, I saw Elise entering the banquet hall.
But even more than Elise's appearance, there was someone else who caught my eye.
'...Deon Zahir?'
The Second Prince and Idris's half-brother.
Grand Duke Deon Zahir was escorting Elise into the banquet hall.
"I was late because of other matters, but I hope the climax of the banquet isn't over yet?"
He began to act like a good person, saying that he had brought Lady Fran because she was in trouble.
But the reason I was drawn to Deon wasn't because he suddenly appeared with Elise.
'What... what is this?'
Deon was sparkling.
Just like when I went to Idris to propose a deal.
'Does that mean Deon is someone who will benefit me?'
Why?
He was someone who chased after women to the point that he was still flirting with me even after marrying Peytan.
Just as I was confused because I couldn't understand the meaning of the sparkling effect, Idris spoke to me, noticing that my mood had changed.
"Letizia?"
"Ah... it's nothing. I'll go over there and—"
As I was about to take Idris and leave to one side of the banquet hall, I stopped in surprise when I saw his face.
Because...
'What is this...?'
Contrary to the sparkling Deon, Idris was starting to turn black.
The meaning of that effect was clear.
Just like how Elise's fake necklace looked black, it meant that he was a person of no value.
No, perhaps... it meant that he would cause me harm, beyond being worthless.
'But why suddenly?'
He was definitely sparkling when I first met Idris.
Just as I was flustered by the sudden change, a memory from my previous life suddenly came to mind.
The time when I was wandering the streets before I was dragged to prison.
I had watched the Emperor's procession from afar.
As I vaguely recalled that time, the blurry memory gradually became clearer, and the face of the person riding in the Emperor's carriage came to mind.
The Emperor at that time wasn't Ajef, but...
'It was Deon...!'
At the same time as I remembered that fact, my mouth dropped open without me realizing it.
How could I have forgotten?
'Six months from now, the Emperor will die.'
A sudden accident, or poisoning.
Amidst all sorts of rumors, the throne would be passed on to Deon.
A major investigation into the Emperor's death was launched.
As a result, suspicion turned to Idris, who had a bad reputation...
'In the end, Idris is imprisoned on charges of treason.'
Why haven't I remembered such an important memory until now?
But after carefully retracing the past, I understood the reason.
'Because my life was harder back then.'
At the time, I was wrongly accused of causing Elise's miscarriage and kicked out, wandering the streets in the freezing winter.
For me, it was more urgent to find bread and a place to sleep for tonight than the Emperor's death.
'Fortunately, Idris was acquitted just before I died, but...'
People couldn't let go of the suspicion that had once sprouted.
And I, too, thought that Idris was the villain in the original story, so it was possible that he had done it.
'But considering the relationship between the two in this life, it doesn't seem like Idris would have poisoned the Emperor.'
As I weighed all the possibilities in my head, Idris spoke to me again.
"If you keep looking at me like that, I'm going to get embarrassed."
At the familiar and affectionate voice, I chewed my lip for a moment.
Unlike what I had thought, he was a playful, kind, and considerate person.
However, the scars of the past held me back even when I saw that side of him.
'I decided not to trust anyone.'
Can I be sure that I know his heart inside and out?
No, more than that.
'The fact that Idris is the real culprit or not isn't important. The important thing is that everyone thinks he's the culprit.'
Whether he was the real culprit or wrongly accused.
It meant that being with him would lead to a mud fight where I would have to risk my life.
'Can I gamble on something as big as treason?'
Even if I didn't choose Deon, it would be a rational and wise decision not to choose Idris, at least.
It was at that moment, as I hesitated without readily taking Idris's hand.
"Who is this? Isn't this the Duchess Farnese?"
Deon, who had discovered me, approached me with a greeting.
As a result, the attention that had been focused on Deon naturally shifted to me and Idris.
It was obvious that he was intentionally calling me "Duchess Farnese" to incite resentment from those around me.
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