IWRY 09

Chapter 09

“Lady of Bayern. It seems you’re feeling better now, so I will take my leave.”

“Pardon? You’re leaving already?”

Siere looked at Kaillens with eyes full of regret, but Kaillens gently removed her hand from his arm.

“I have urgent matters to attend to.”

“…I suppose I have no choice then. Your Highness, let us meet again next time.”

“…Very well.”

Kaillens kissed the back of Siere’s hand. Then he left the banquet hall without hesitation, as though carved from stone—ignoring Ariel until the very end.

Just where exactly do you intend to humiliate me to?

Ariel wanted to run up to Kaillens and scream at him immediately. To ask what she had done so wrong that he had to be this cruel.

But she was no longer in a position to do so. She was now the daughter of a marquisate suspected of treason.

The expression Ariel had managed to endure through every insult finally shattered because of Kaillens.

“Siere. Since there are many watching, it would be best to bring this situation to a close.”

A calm, noble voice echoed through the quiet banquet hall.

Ariel flinched and slowly raised her gaze. Standing where Kaillens had been, next to Siere, was a noblewoman.

The Duchess of Biastes, Melish Biastes—cousin of the Emperor.

She was also the woman who had raised Kaillens like a son after his parents passed away. And she had always been someone who kept her distance—and her hostility—from Ariel.

She had always believed Ariel was unworthy of standing beside Kaillens.

Because of that, Ariel had always found it difficult to face the Duchess of Biastes.

Of course, now that the engagement had been broken, there was no need to worry about her approval anymore—but her body seemed to remember. Her entire body tensed against her will.

The Duchess briefly met Ariel’s gaze, then turned to Siere.

Siere replied with lowered eyes.

“W-what? Ah… I must have disrupted the atmosphere of the party. I’m sorry, Madam.”

“No, Siere. The one who ruined the party is the uninvited guest who caused all this chaos. Why would you be sorry? It isn’t your fault. However, for the sake of the guests, it would be best to bring this matter to an end.”

The Duchess of Biastes gently comforted Siere with a smile she had never once shown Ariel.

It looked almost as if she were treating her as a future daughter-in-law—cutting off whatever pointless lingering attachment she had.

Ariel let out a quiet, derisive laugh.

The Duchess immediately seemed to notice and turned her eyes toward her, but Ariel didn’t care. In fact, the tension in her body loosened.

She had realized something clearly—she no longer needed to care about the Duchess’s approval.

Regaining her composure, Ariel smiled toward her.

“You’re absolutely right, Duchess. The party is already… a complete mess.”

Ariel looked around before turning back to Siere.

“Siere, I’m sorry. I forgot again that you’re not well-versed in art pieces. Given the circumstances… I hope you understand. Next time, I’ll be sure to bring something more suited to your taste.”

“You!”

Siere screamed as if she had snapped.

But she could do nothing further—because the Duchess of Biastes had firmly grabbed her wrist.

The Duchess pulled Siere behind her protectively and faced Ariel.

“Ariel.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

Despite the faint smile on her face, her voice was cold.

Yet unlike before, Ariel did not falter at all.

As she met the Duchess’s gaze without hesitation, the Duchess’s brows twitched slightly. But it lasted only a moment before she continued as if nothing had happened.

“Stop this misconduct and go home. No matter how difficult your situation may be, acting like this will only drag your family’s honor further into the mud.”

Misconduct?

Ariel almost responded immediately—that she had done nothing of the sort. That the accusation was too much.

Of course, given her current position, she could not openly oppose the Duchess of Biastes. But she could not back down either.

The Duchess of Biastes, who effectively controlled high society in place of the frail Empress.

If Ariel stayed silent here, she would truly be branded as a woman who threw a tantrum at Siere. The Duchess had more than enough influence to twist the truth.

On top of already being suspected of treason, she could not afford rumors that she had ruined a banquet out of spite after a broken engagement. That would do nothing for the restoration of her house.

Ariel steeled herself to speak—

But then a low voice cut through the air.

“Misconduct…”

A man’s voice, laced with a faint, amused smile.

Ariel turned toward the man she had almost forgotten—someone who looked ordinary, yet did not feel ordinary at all.

The man tilted his head as if speaking to himself, as though pondering something.

“Have the meaning of misconduct changed while I wasn’t looking? From what I’ve seen so far, the one who deserves that word doesn’t seem to be this side—but that side.”

His finger pointed at Ariel—then shifted toward Siere.

More precisely, toward the Duchess of Biastes, who was shielding Siere.

In other words, this unknown man had just pointed at a member of the imperial bloodline, the Duchess of Biastes.

Even if his intention was aimed at Siere, his gesture still landed on the Duchess.

Ariel looked at him in shock.

Wasn’t this man completely unrelated to her situation? He wasn’t even bound by any obligation to oppose the Duchess.

No—he didn’t even seem to belong to any known noble house.

Who is he?

The Duchess of Biastes stared at him silently.

The nobles held their breath, expecting her wrath to erupt at any moment.

But contrary to expectations, the Duchess said nothing. She only frowned slightly.

Just a faint trace of displeasure appeared—and then vanished.

Something is strange.

The Duchess of Biastes was not someone who tolerated disrespect.

Did she recognize him? If she did, if he was someone she could not easily punish… then his identity must be of extremely high status.

Yet no matter how Ariel searched her memory, she could not recall seeing him at any gathering.

A noble of high rank would have been unforgettable.

Who is he?

As Ariel narrowed her eyes in confusion, the man spoke first.

“It seems Your Grace may have misunderstood the meaning of ‘misconduct.’”

“I’ve been watching this long enough—how dare you—!”

Siere tried to rush forward, pointing at him, but the Duchess stopped her sharply, releasing her wrist as if discarding it.

“Very well. Perhaps I did misunderstand. Now that I think about it… Ariel did not exactly commit misconduct.”

The Duchess’s surprisingly compliant response shocked the nobles.

Except Ariel.

Not that she was not surprised—but she understood something.

The Duchess recognized this man.

And whatever the case, thanks to him, Ariel’s reputation had not been destroyed. The Duchess had just admitted she had been mistaken.

Then the Duchess turned her gaze toward Ariel.

A chilling, icy stare.

Ariel flinched without realizing it—until the Duchess’s lips curved upward.

She smiled, in a way that did not match her cold gaze at all, and spoke slowly.