"What... are you talking about?"
Elena's eyes shook involuntarily. This time, it wasn't acting, it was real agitation. Ariana, who gave Adolf a glance, said, "That' is not a good choice."
Elena flinched for a moment and stiffened her shoulders. But soon she proudly stuck her chest out. Adolf Schmidt. The eldest son of the Schmidt family, he was not a high-ranking member of the family, but thanks to his successive investment successes, he was currently one of the two richest men in the system. He loved Elena passionately, and above all...
'If you tease him a little and give him some leeway, he'll drool like an idiot and act like he'll give you his gall bladder.'
That's the kind of person Elena liked to deal with the most. Ariana swallowed a sigh, thinking she could read Elena's mind. Adolf would seem like a pretty good second-best option to Elena. However, he had a fatal flaw.
'Illegal herbal medicine cultivation and distribution. Stalking. Attempted kidnapping.'
He was a criminal who would soon be imprisoned after being exposed to a series of serious crimes. In addition, the maritime trading company that Viscount Schmidt had invested in soon turned out to be a group of great fraudsters and went bankrupt. Adolf was left to languish in prison, unable to even pay his son's bail.
"You have a knack for catching rotten lines, Elena."
At first, a man with a sexual dysfunction. Then, a criminal. Ariana looked at Elena with sorrowful eyes without realizing it. Then as if that was a signal, Elena held Adolf's hand even tighter.
"I thought you wouldn't believe me, Sister."
Elena muttered, lowering her gaze. Her voice trembled pitifully as if she was confessing something sad.
"I always... worried about you. I told you that men, especially the Marquis, were too kind to me when they were with you."
The expressions of those who heard her trembling voice became strange, but Elena, who was fluttering her eyelashes sadly, did not notice.
"When the Marquis came, you told you not to wear makeup and to only wear old clothes... But, Sister, I really had no intention of seducing the Marquis. I'm serious. Please believe me on this one thing...!"
At this point, a teardrop fell. Elena watched the tears that fell at the right time with satisfaction. She could hear the gossip around her growing more intense as the tear smoke was added. Elena was used to this situation. It was a technique she had often used since she was young.
"Elena! I told you that there were distinguished guests coming today. Why are you wearing such tattered clothes?"
"T, that's... Sister, she told me not to wear a dress..."
"What? Ariana, is that true?"
"Yes? No. Elena, I..."
"Oh, no, Sister. I understand. Until recently, I grew up as a commoner... How could a dress worn by precious ladies suit someone like me?"
"No, Elena. I told you that's not what I meant. Brother, what Elena was going to wear was a keepsake given to me by my mother. You can wear anything else."
"You could just wear that and wash it, but you don't know how to compromise and make a fuss in the house? Tsk!"
"Oh, no. It's wrong for Elena to covet the dress even though she's a commoner. It's not my fault."
"Ariana! Make sure Elena wears the best dress right now! The guests will be here soon, so hurry!"
Elena had learned from a very young age how to gain the upper hand over Ariana. It was about taking advantage of her position as the step-sister who arrived late. Whenever she pretended to be pitiful and cried, Edward would quickly get fed up and yell at Ariana to do whatever Elena wanted. Since the head of the household was like that, the servants also began to protect Elena more and more.
The more this happened, the more Ariana's position in the mansion diminished. Even after she grew up, nothing changed. The one who arouses pity and stimulates the protective instinct first wins. Ariana didn't know that, but Elena did, so the result was always the same. So this was a very familiar situation for Elena.
"..."
But something was strange. Elena glanced up at Ariana and was inwardly surprised. Ariana was smiling. Whenever Elena acted like this, Ariana was always embarrassed and busy denying it. The more people trusted Elena and didn't believe Ariana's words, the more embarrassed she became, and it backfired even more.
However, there was no sign of wavering in Ariana's expression now.
"Yes. That's your answer. To my advice."
Ariana said with a calm smile. Elena almost frowned at the unexpected answer.
"I understand."
"What is that..."
Elena was about to argue when she heard whispering voices in her ears.
"What has that woman been saying?"
"The Duchess has been restraining that woman by telling her not to put on makeup and to only wear old clothes?"
"Hmm... The Duchess? Why?"
Their gazes were looking her up and down as if evaluating her. Elena clenched her trembling fists.
"How can they be so different, even though they're sisters? The younger sister is much more charming!"
"Hehe, really?"
"Oh my, you must be so happy to have such a lovely younger sister, Edward."
The quiet and reserved Ariana and the flashy and outgoing Elena. Of the two, Elena was always the one who got the most attention. It was the first time in her life that she had been evaluated in this way.
'My sister is now a Duchess. That's why everyone is trying to flatter her.'
She tried hard to think that way, but the feeling of contempt did not go away. Only one person showed the reaction Elena wanted.
"Oh, Elena... There's nothing she can do. Your beauty is selfish."
Adolf comforted her, patting the back of her hand. Then, the whispers around her grew louder.
"Oh my, a couple that's both gone crazy."
"Why do they come all the way here to do that?"
Elena felt a surge of anxiety. This isn't right. If she had confessed that she was just a victim and shown a pitiful appearance, everyone would have been shocked and astonished. However, they seemed surprised now, but that was all.
No one reacted to Elena's pitiful appearance. They just watched like monkeys at a zoo. But there was one more person who showed the reaction Elena wanted.
"Are the things you said really true, Elena?"
Ariana asked with a serious face.
"Were all the things Lucas forced you to do? ... Even the things you two did in my dressing room?"
A stir. The most talked about part of the lyrics of 'The Aria of the Concubine' was definitely the part where the two made love in the dressing room. Everyone wondered if even that was based on a true story. When Ariana mentioned that part, everyone held their breath.
Elena secretly chewed the inside of her mouth. Judging from the fact that she kept mentioning the dressing room, she must have known since the day they had their secret meeting in Ariana's dressing room.
'And you didn't show it at all... It's creepy.'
The people who had been curious about Elena's tears also changed their gazes at the word dressing room. Feeling that the atmosphere wasn't going as she had wanted, Elena tried to continue.
"... I don't remember if it happened in the dressing room, but it's just like I said. It was all done by the Marquis of Pedegreen."
"If what you say is true."
Ariana bit her lower lip and continued.
"The Marquis was a much more evil man than I thought."
... Do you really believe it?
Elena hid her doubtful eyes and observed Ariana's expression. In the past, she would have thought that she had fooled her. However, now that she had learned all about Ariana's creepy side, she could not be sure.
Ariana took a step forward before Elena could observe.
"Then you should punish him immediately. Did you report him to the police?"
"I wanted to do that too, Sister. But as you know, the Marquis is a very high-ranking noble... and he has immunity."
Immunity. A privilege that allows you to avoid being investigated, let alone arrested, for a personal crime. Ariana shook her head at those words.
"Elena. If you were really treated so unjustly, you cannot just let it go. You have to make them pay."
"But immunity..."
"Immunity isn't invincible."
Elena was inwardly taken aback by the calm voice. Ariana looked back at the guests and said.
"Report Lucas, Elena. Maybe the people here will agree to the claim."
There was only one way to break immunity. If ten people listed in the nobles' almanac made the same claim, the police would have the authority to investigate even high-ranking nobles with immunity. Ariana looked back at the guests and said.
"Will you do that, everyone?"
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