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The noise in the tea party hall suddenly fell silent. Taking another sip of tea, Goyo glanced at the pale faces around her.

They were participants who hadn’t even exchanged greetings because they were welcomed by Rante the moment they arrived.

“…Excuse me?”

“It’s not just a light joke but a slander close to mockery. There’s no reason not to inform the person involved. It goes beyond defamation and into sexual harassment, so depending on their wishes, you might have to prepare for a lawsuit.”

“Madam!”

Perhaps becoming a marquess instead of a duchess felt like a downgrade in status. Rante Frittil, who usually knew how to keep a line even when mocking, had gone too far today.

Maybe it was because Goyo had never raised her voice before, or because Rubiette had fully aligned with the aristocrats and felt there was no need to be cautious anymore.

Or perhaps, as conservatives often do, they despised Bethelgius, who was known to be of common origin, and had come to mock the marquis couple all at once.

Though she was rising in the ranks among the aristocrats, Bethelgius’s true strength had yet to fully manifest.

Even so, Emily and Bella flinched, not expecting such a response. However, Rante Frittil raised her eyebrows and glared at Goyo.

“It’s just a rumor, a rumor. Isn’t it common for such jokes to circulate about a man who hasn’t even kissed a woman? It’s laughable to talk about sexual harassment over rumors.”

“It’s a pity. Because there’s a woman right here who knows that person isn’t a homosexual. You should have asked me first, rather than the ladies, with the ‘honest’ manner you so favor, whether we’ve even kissed.”

Goyo met Rante’s eyes as she continued in a calm voice.

“You should have kept your mockery in moderation. I overlooked your words so far because they were daring but did not cross the line. But today, you seem to be in an exceptionally good mood, given how you’ve failed to control your usually skilled speech.”

Goyo stood up. She had only sipped two mouthfuls of tea, proving that she didn’t come out anywhere just because she was bored.

“I’ll be leaving now. It seems there’s no one here who would welcome me further.”

“…Fine, go ahead and say it. Do you think the Frittil marquisate would be afraid to speak out against a mere common-born noble?”

“I hope your father, the marquis, shares that sentiment.”

Rante Frittil, who had been forcing a smile, glared at Goyo.

Meanwhile, Emily, who had been holding back, distorted her face. She even felt ashamed of her momentary hesitation.

Feeling sorry for Rante, who had to remain silent due to her family’s reputation, Emily spoke up in her stead.

“Madam, you might want to save some of that love for your husband. It’s good that you trust him, but it’s doubtful that the marquis would want to file a lawsuit and make an enemy of Frittil.”

“Lady Renier, that’s enough…”

“Oh, and you’re leaving something behind. Lady Vermus personally prepared it for you, didn’t she?”

Before Goyo could react, Emily, holding the teacup, swung her arm. Rante, who was late in trying to stop Emily, grabbed her arm, but the contents had already been thrown.

“Emily!”

“It’s tea prepared for you, madam, so you should take it with you!”

Goyo frowned slightly as the tea flew toward her face. She expected the damp feeling of tea soaking her face, but the red liquid ended up on another face.

“Kyaa!”

The tea aimed at Goyo soaked Rante’s face instead.

As Goyo blinked, watching Rante’s carefully styled hair get wet and her makeup wash away, a small whale flicked its tail in her vision.

The whale soon disappeared, but she knew exactly what it was.

Could it appear without being called by name? Goyo fleetingly thought as she met the astonished lady’s eyes.

It seemed so.

“Apparently, the tea wasn’t meant for me.”

“Rante!”

“Lady Frittil!”

Emily and Bella, who had shouted belatedly, approached Rante. Emily, who had swung the teacup, looked as if she was about to faint, shocked by the unexpected direction of the tea.

“Rante… Rante… I swear, I didn’t mean to splash it on you!”

As Emily tried to offer her handkerchief in apology, Rante mercilessly brushed it aside. With the red tea still staining her, Rante glared at Goyo as if she would devour her.

“It seems that Marquis Bethelgius holds Rubiette in high regard. Judging by the fact that he even gave you an artifact for attending the tea party.”

Rante seemed to think that the tea had splashed on her because of the artifact.

The young ladies observing the situation began to whisper among themselves as if they understood. Since there was no need to reveal the presence of a spirit, Goyo stayed silent.

“I, Rante Frittil, will remember this incident well.”

“It would be good if you also remembered that it was Lady Renier who splashed the tea.”

Ignoring Goyo’s words, Rante left the tea party. 

Emily and Bella, who were at a loss and stomped their feet, glared at Goyo once each before following Rante out.

None of the three greeted the host, Elly Vermus, but Elly seemed satisfied just with their departure.

Though she had lost the initiative, Goyo no longer wished to remain either. She briefly greeted Elly and then followed the maid who guided her out of the Vermus estate.

At the gate, the Bethelgius carriage that had brought Goyo was waiting.

Even from a distance, the luxurious radiance was clearly visible. I must have been foolish to think I would ride an ordinary carriage.

Just as Goyo sighed and started toward the carriage, an urgent shout rang out.

“Lady Bethelgius!”

Turning at the sound calling her, Goyo’s hands were suddenly grabbed. Startled by the unexpected contact, Goyo’s shoulders twitched.

“Just now, Ma…”

As Goyo tried to identify the person holding her hands, two men dressed in black appeared and pointed swords at the person in front of her.

Though her hands were quickly freed, Goyo was more shocked by the two dark figures than she had been moments before.

“Are you all right, Madam?”

“Oh… I’m fine. What about you?”

“I apologize for introducing ourselves in this manner. Under the Marquis’s orders, we have been assigned to temporarily guard you, Madam. We were instructed not to reveal ourselves to avoid inconveniencing you. We apologize for not speaking earlier.”

“No, it’s fine. I was just startled by the suddenness, but it’s only natural to have guards. However, please put away your swords for now.”

At Goyo’s words, the two men sheathed their swords, but they did not disappear as mysteriously as they had before. They moved behind Goyo, openly guarding against the person in front of her.

Though it bothered her, Goyo could finally take a proper look at the person who had grabbed her hands.

With long black hair, a tall and slender build, and striking yet somewhat androgynous features, it was hard to tell if the person was male or female. The tone of voice was also ambiguous, making it difficult to determine.

The person seemed to be a knight, dressed in a uniform with a sword partially drawn at the waist. They had likely been too slow to respond to the situation.

Looking flustered, the person sheathed their sword.

‘Come to think of it, this is the person who was in the corner of the tea party.’

I had only seen them in passing, but among the remaining guests who had been glancing at Rante and me, there seemed to be one guest in uniform with black hair.

It’s rare for someone to attend a tea party in a knight’s uniform, so it left an impression. The invitation had stated that only women would participate, so if they were a guest, they must be a woman.

My slightly uneasy feelings were relieved.

“I’m sorry, Madam. I was too excited and acted rudely. As a knight, I dared to lay hands on your noble person, and I beg for your forgiveness. My name is Rajin Eliom. Many people are often confused, so I should tell you in advance, I am a woman.”

“…I’m Goyo Bethelgius. I was startled, but it’s fine. So, what was the reason you called out to me, Sir?”

“Well… it was because of what happened just now. It’s the first time I’ve seen magic, so I got excited. I’ve been interested in magic since I was young, but it’s rare to see it in the middle of the capital. Unless you’re in the Magic Department, that is.”

“Magic?”

She wasn’t mistaken about the artifact after all…

“Isn’t it? I didn’t sense the unique magic of an artifact, so I thought it wasn’t one.”

“Broadly speaking, it is magic. Though I didn’t expect anyone to notice.”

“So it really was magic!”

Rajin’s face lit up with excitement.

“Though it’s rude of me to ask after already causing trouble, if it wouldn’t be an imposition, could we talk a bit more?”

“I’m sorry, but the carriage from the estate is waiting for me. I don’t want to keep people waiting in this cold weather.”

“I see.”

Rajin’s slightly lifted eyes drooped downwards. Her disappointment was evident, making her reaction seem more extreme due to her earlier excitement.

Is it really that disappointing? 

To Goyo, whose daily life was filled with magic thanks to her husband’s love of extravagance, it was hard to understand.

Goyo glanced up at the sun high in the sky. She had left the tea party before it even properly started, so she had plenty of time.

There wasn’t much to do even if she returned to the estate, so perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to stay a little longer.

‘And she’s a woman, too.’

“If you don’t mind coming to the estate with me, I suppose it wouldn’t be impossible to continue our conversation.”

*    *    *

Returning to the estate with Rajin, Goyo noticed the stiffened expressions of the servants and wondered if it was a mistake to bring a guest.

However, the sharp-eyed Lucullui quickly greeted them, saying, “Welcome back, Madam. And to the lady who accompanied you as well.” With those words, the servants’ expressions relaxed as if sunshine had broken through the clouds.

They must have mistaken her for a man. The Bethelgius bride, not even a month into marriage, nodded in understanding.

“Thank you for the welcome. I’d prefer to be addressed as ‘Sir’ rather than ‘Lady,’ though. I’m Rajin Eliom.”

“My apologies, Sir Eliom. I am Lucullui, the estate’s butler.”

After exchanging brief greetings, Lucullui personally escorted Goyo and Rajin to the drawing room. The experienced butler showed no sign of curiosity about why Goyo had returned so early.

He handed them two cups of coffee and matcha cookies through a maid before he and the maids left the drawing room.

The secret guards from earlier might have disappeared as well, though Goyo wasn’t sure. As she pondered briefly, Rajin spoke first.

“Your butler has a sharp eye. And quite the sense.”

“You noticed as well. I apologize.”

“Not at all. I’m well aware that I appear more masculine. It’s rather sad that even growing my hair out hasn’t helped.”

Ah. Unsure of how to respond, Goyo simply took a sip of her coffee.

“Hmm, I know it’s hasty of me to ask, but was it really you who performed the magic earlier?”

“Yes. Strictly speaking, it was the spirit.”

“A spirit?”