Mila was the only person in the Zahard family who treated Erin with warmth and was someone she felt concerned about.
So when they met at events like today’s reception, they would often exchange pleasantries in a quiet place away from Helena and Gael.
Seeing her, Erin had various thoughts. Mila was the illegitimate daughter of a local branch family.
However, just three years into her marriage, her father got involved in some trouble and passed away, causing the family to crumble in an instant.
Since then, her position in the Zahard family had become ambiguous, and her life in the Zahard family would not have been easy.
“Are you doing well, sis?” Erin asked Mila affectionately.
“Yes, I’m doing as well as always,” Mila replied.
The expression “as always” itself meant that she wasn’t doing well.
Nevertheless, she was smiling.
“Enjoy yourself today. Just for today, ease your mind,” Erin said.
“I’m already having a great time, especially with that song, I love it,” Mila replied.
The sound of an opera singer’s voice could be heard even from inside the hall.
“Sis.”
“….?”
“If you ever need help, please talk to me. Don’t worry about anything else, you have to come to me if you need anything.”
“….I’m really doing well. But please send me a letter once in a while.”
“….”
She forced a bright smile and said.
She couldn’t be doing well.
The people of the Zahard family would not leave her alone to live her life peacefully.
“It’s not for any other reason. Send me a letter with just a simple greeting, not from the Zahard family but from you. I think of you sometimes.”
“I will send them often. Let’s keep in touch.”
Erin hesitated for a moment, but didn’t say anything more to her.
When she heard about Lady Quiness’s divorce, the first person that naturally came to her mind was Mila.
Her married life had not been smooth, either.
But unlike Lady Quinnes, who ended her unhappy marriage with a divorce, there seemed to be no end for Mila.
“In the original work, it couldn’t happen, but this time, please.”
She hoped that this time, with Helena and Gael, she wouldn’t end up in ruin.
She especially hoped that this time, she could help Mila break free from her unhappy marriage and stand up for herself.
Deciding to intervene in the original storyline, she wanted to help lead Mila’s life in a different direction from the original.
But it wasn’t the time yet.
There would be a moment in the future when she could really be of help to her.
“No one will come this way. Take some time to enjoy the breeze here.”
Erin said with a gentle smile.
“I will do that.”
Erin left her there and returned to the ballroom.
***
On the other hand, Aiden was confronting the elders in the reception room.
Elders Diarn, Hunen, Tenern, and Siron were seated across from Aiden.
The atmosphere was quite different from when they were in the ballroom. More accurately, Aiden was overwhelming them.
The elders, who had been confidently discussing the divorce issue, were now silent.
“We didn’t know you were worried about us. But are you okay?”
“…?”
“Aren’t there any chances that I might start doubting?” Aiden opened his eyes narrowly, carefully observing the elders’ expressions before continuing.
“The elders want me to divorce Erin.”
“…!”
“Then I would feel upset.”
Aiden looked at the elders and smoothly raised the corners of his mouth.
By slightly infusing humor, the already tense atmosphere became even more dangerous. Aiden was overpowering the elders.
Their previously confident demeanor had disappeared.
“You mentioned the honor of Lienster, didn’t you?”
Deliberately evoking the elders’ words, Aiden’s gaze slowly swept over them.
One of the elders who met Aiden’s eyes quickly averted his gaze, clearly showing his tension.
Aiden’s lips twitched and he lazily began to speak.
“You seem to be so concerned about the family’s honor. Then I guess I don’t need to worry about anything else.”
“….”
There was no one to answer Aiden’s question. They didn’t want to accidentally slip up and become a target for Aiden.
“I appreciate your concern for my wife and me, but it’s no longer necessary.” Aiden continued speaking politely while looking at them coldly.
“I have never mentioned divorce officially, nor have I ever thought of it, so everything was just baseless rumors.”
The elders had come to grasp at straws nonetheless, and Aiden was about to start addressing them in earnest. “Should we keep going with all this noise?”
“….”
“I’m worried that the elders might end up hearing unnecessary gossip,” Aiden’s voice gradually lowered, becoming more meaningful.
It was as if he was deliberating on which of them to single out. Aiden’s slowly moving gaze finally came to a halt at one place.
Aiden twisted his lips and smiled subtly.
“For example, the fact that Diarn embezzled funds,” causing the elder of Diarn, who had been hushing up his son’s wrongdoing, to hastily avert his gaze and clear his throat.
“Or that Justin Hunen’s independent business venture turned out to be a fraud, resulting in enormous losses,” causing Hunen’s elder to tightly shut his eyes.
The secrets flowing out of Aiden’s mouth, no matter what they were, would become a fatal flaw for the Lienster family if revealed.
“It would be best if such words didn’t spread, wouldn’t it?” Aiden spoke kindly, showing great consideration for them.
“Shall we call it a day? Wouldn’t it be best to enjoy the rest of the reception?” Aiden looked at the elders and raised the corners of his mouth slowly.
However, their faces were either pale as if they couldn’t breathe or flushed with anger.
“…Seeing the two of you today, I am reassured. We will take our leave now.”
“Y-yes, that would be for the best.”
The elders hurriedly left, avoiding being detained by Aiden.
Aiden watched them disappear in a hurry and then turned around leisurely.
It was when Erin came back into the reception hall.
Gael and Helena were bustling around the hall.
It was only natural that their behavior was irritating to see.
Furthermore, more and more people were frowning as they looked at them.
If this continued, the evaluation of Erin’s reception was bound to be in jeopardy.
Erin gestured to Mona, who was nearby.
Then she quietly asked, so that no one else could hear.
“Mona, did you contact the guest I asked you to invite earlier?”
“Yes. They have confirmed that they will attend.”
“Right, that would be soon,” Erin’s expression narrowed.
“I can’t just let this continue.”
If they were just here to have a decent time and leave, Erin could have tolerated it for a day.
But the two of them didn’t come with that intention from the beginning.
Recent business dealings of the Zahard family had all incurred losses.
There was no more liquid funds left within the Zahard family.
So today, they were trying to lay the groundwork for as many people as possible, even if it meant sEring the names of Erin and Aiden.
What’s the worry? After all, the Zahard family and the Lienster family are connected by blood.
Would they really ignore their family if a really dangerous situation arose?
In the end, their business brings nothing but benefit and profit without any damage.
That was their typical way of speaking.
And that was the point that Erin could never accept.
So, she was thinking of persuading Helena and Gael to leave voluntarily.
“It’s about time to make them leave.”
It was when Erin turned her head towards the entrance.
“The awaited guest has arrived.
“Mr. Hafron Jag has arrived.”
As the voice announcing his entrance was heard, he confidently entered the room.
Hafron Jag.
He was quite a renowned figure in the capital.
Starting as a small merchant, he built his own business empire through trade and amassed immense wealth, eventually purchasing a title of nobility.
Thus, he held the legitimate title of nobility, but he did not receive acknowledgment from the nobles.
Naturally, in social circles, he was as good as non-existent.
Very occasionally, he was only invited by families associated with him financially.
Hence, Gael and Helena would not have even imagined coming face to face with him at this event.
Currently, Zahard family was in a considerable amount of debt to Hafron Jag.
The debt that had not been properly repaid for several months, despite the difference in their status, Gael and Helena could not assert themselves in front of him as long as there was an official debt relationship.
Hafron Jag approached Gael and Helena with a bright smile.
“Here you are. I’ve tried to contact you several times. Why haven’t you responded?”
“Well, I didn’t think I received your messages.”
“I find that hard to believe. Our relationship with you and the duke is something that cannot be easily severed.”
“…”
“I was worried that perhaps you had ruined your business and your health had deteriorated all this time.”
Hafron Jag smirked slightly.
“Looking at you today, it seems I don’t need to worry about that.”
With his sly remarks, Gael and Helena’s faces, which had been stiff, started to pale even more.
Undeterred, Hafron Jag continued to press them further.
“Since we’ve met today, wouldn’t it be a good idea to set a date for our next meeting? What if you fail to receive my letters again?”
As soon as he appeared, Gael and Helena seemed to be looking for a way to subtly leave the situation. However, Hafron Jag tenaciously held onto them and continued speaking.
“Haha. That’s an interesting thing to say. Is that so?”
“Well, then. Surely the Duke of Zahard wouldn’t fail to repay such a small amount of money.”
As Hafron Jag’s words grew sharper, Gael and Helena nervously glanced around. Helena even seemed to break out into a slight cold sweat.
“I almost made a big misunderstanding. In place of my apologies, how about we have a more detailed conversation right now?”
“Haha. I would like to, but I was just about to leave.”
“Are you leaving already? Please stay a little longer.”
“Let’s talk next time. Then I won’t miss your messages.”
Gael pushed Hafron Jag away and quickly walked away. Helena followed behind him.
Meanwhile, Mila, who had returned to the reception area, quietly observed the situation near the entrance and then followed Gael and Helena out.
Before turning, she gave a slight nod of thanks to Erin.
