Dorothy Antrue was drinking tea and chatting with her friends on the terrace.
The weather was sunny, and the young ladies, dressed in colorful dresses, were all beautiful and charming.
At that moment, Dorothy quietly put down her teacup and spoke.
“Have you heard the rumor?”
“What rumor?”
Dorothy smiled softly and brought her hands together next to her cheek.
“The rumor about Ariadeline.”
‘Ariadeline? ‘That’ Ariadeline?’
The young ladies of similar age focused their attention on Dorothy’s words, trying to discern her intention in bringing up the topic here.
“Are you talking about the sinner, Dorothy?”
At the word “sinner,” Dorothy’s smile deepened. The young ladies’ eyes moved quickly.
“I’ve also heard the rumors from Madame. But is it really true?”
“Well, I don’t think it’s possible…”
Dorothy lowered her hands and spoke like a mischievous child, planning something fun.
“Shouldn’t we verify it ourselves before making hasty assumptions?”
“What do you mean?”
Interest started to blossom on her friends’ faces as well.
“Don’t you think we should see it with our own eyes?”
Dorothy’s eyes sparkled. Her friends, knowing well that Dorothy had once lost her partner to Ariadeline, exchanged glances and nodded.
“Could it be…”
“Just the right time, actually.”
Dorothy effortlessly pulled out a letter from her pocket, like an actress delivering her line.
The seal was unmarked, but the name ‘Ariadeline’ was clearly written on the outer envelope.
“I received a reply from her.”
“Oh my, did you send her a letter first?”
“You can’t just believe rumors. If she truly repented and became kind, wouldn’t she have easily accepted a simple request?”
“Of course, of course.”
With sparkling eyes, they tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter.
It contained a neatly written invitation for Dorothy Antrue to visit the Duchy of Denaves.
“So she really is staying at the Denaves estate.”
“I wonder what the Duke is thinking.”
“Bring a sinner, especially an ex-wife he divorced a long time ago.”
“Well, I’m sure he has his reasons….”
Aside from their lowly curiosity about Ariadeline, they were wary about the Duke of Denaves. It was only natural; he was a Duke of the Empire, someone not to be challenged.
Dorothy smirked, crumpled the letter in one hand, and tossed it on the table.
“Do you think we’ll ever have the chance to meet the Duke?”
After all, Ariadelin had been treated poorly, even when they were married. Dorothy’s friends, understanding the hidden barbs in her words, nodded in agreement.
“I wonder if we’ll even catch a glimpse of the Duke’s robe.”
“Will they even serve us tea?”
“Um…”
At that moment, one of Dorothy’s friends cautiously raised her hand. Her face was filled with the unique curiosity of a noble obsessed with gossip.
“Could you take us along, if possible?”
Dorothy raised her eyebrows, as if she hadn’t considered that. Generally, it was rude and inappropriate for an invited guest to bring another guest. However…
All of the young ladies’ sparkling gazes were directed at Dorothy.
A bright smile appeared on her lips.
“That sounds fine. The kind Ariadeline would overlook something like this.”
Ariadeline was now a sinner—someone they didn’t have to be polite to.
Ohhohoho. They began to chatter excitedly, fanning themselves with their fans.
“When is the date?”
“Does she even have a dress to wear?”
“Didn’t Madame say she had another dress made recently?”
“Madame claimed to have visited the Duchy of Denaves directly. Can we believe that? Didn’t everyone just misunderstand things?”
“A sinner like her should have refused, even if the Duke is gracious enough to offer.”
They laughed and gossiped freely about Ariadeline, who wasn’t there.
Amidst this, Dorothy sat quietly with a smile, recalling the day she lost her partner.
‘What? You’re saying you won’t be my partner?’
Marquis Dolorante nodded calmly at her astonished voice. Then, with his gentle green eyes and soft voice, he spoke clearly.
‘I’m sorry. I’ve decided to be the Duchess’s partner.’
‘But what about the promise you made with me?’
He was someone she had held in her heart. A man she could only look at with admiration. A man who was always surrounded by people and whom she couldn’t approach carelessly.
She had always watched him from afar, but it was just a few days ago that she finally gathered her courage and asked him to be her partner.
When he nodded with a smile like a spring breeze, she felt like she could fly. But now, she felt as if her wings had been forcibly cut and were being thrown to the ground.
‘Why, why her of all people?’
‘Watch your words. Nevertheless, I feel sorry for you.’
Dorothy could only watch his retreating figure with clenched fists. There was no way that such a kind man would reject her like this.
When she asked him to be her partner, he accepted, but now he has suddenly become Ariadeline’s partner.
‘Ariadeline…!’
It was clear that the woman, known as the villainess, had used some trick.
The villainess who torments the saint, Dorothea. A pathetic person who blames others for not being loved.
As a close friend of Dorothea, Dorothy had assessed Ariadeline in this way.
And when she saw Ariadeline walk in confidently, having stolen someone else’s partner, Dorothy could only grit her teeth on the day of the banquet.
While Dorothy was scrambling to find another partner, it became widely known that she had been rejected by Marquis Dolorante.
Dorothy knew well how to protect herself. She blamed the villainess and shed tears.
‘The Duchess of Denaves took my partner away.’
People readily sympathized with her, pointing fingers at the villainess who tormented the saint.
‘She’s probably treating Dorothy badly because she’s a friend of Dorothea.’
‘To steal someone else’s partner just because she couldn’t pair with her own husband?’
‘She’s so despicable.’
People sympathized with the Count’s daughter, known as the current Emperor’s teacher, and easily pointed fingers at Ariadeline, labeling her a villainess who was not loved by her husband.
Dorothy quietly stared at the crumpled letter she had tossed aside.
‘It’s time to repay the humiliation from that time.’
Dorothy looked around at her friends and said,
“Doesn’t it seem like it will be a joyful day?”
All the young ladies sitting there nodded with sparkling eyes, like hyenas.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Dorothy and her friends made thorough preparations. Their dresses and makeup were perfect, and the weather was gloomy, as if tailored for Ariadeline.
It looked like it could rain at any moment. Dorothy glanced back at her friends.
Scarlett, Amy, and Angela. Her three friends followed her closely, as if they were her attendants. They gathered at Dorothy’s house and took a carriage to the Duke of Denaves’ residence.
“I’ve prepared a gift for Ariadeline.”
“Oh my, really?”
“Even though she’s a sinner now, you’re still so considerate.”
“Dorothy has a very kind heart, perhaps because she is close to Her Highness Dorothea.”
“Dorothy, the new carriage you got is so wonderful and beautiful!”
The atmosphere among the four of them was warm and cozy. They’re like comrades who were about to go on a hunt together for the same prey; their bond was unmatched.
Soon, heavy rain began to pour down on the rattling carriage. Dorothy clicked her tongue as she looked out the carriage window.
“Oh my, the weather today is…”
Boom!
A flash of light flickered beside Dorothy’s smile.
“Just perfect.”
It’s the perfect weather to meet a villainess.
The carriage hurried along, arriving soon at the Duke of Denaves’ residence. They discreetly looked out the windows, checking if the place was ready to receive guests.
In front of the main building stood Ariadeline, with three maids behind her.
“Oh, just three maids?”
“Just three?”
They whispered among themselves. The carriage soon stopped, and the coachman opened the door.
The young ladies, pretending as if they hadn’t said anything, put on innocent-looking expressions and got out of the carriage one by one, like a bunch of prim and proper ladies.
“Welcome, Lady Dorothy Antrue. But…”
Ariadeline looked around at the women who had gotten out of the carriage. There were four of them, including Dorothy.
“There are more guests than I was informed.”
Despite Ariadeline’s pointed remark, Dorothy responded boldly with a bright smile.
“Everyone has been worried about you, Ariadeline, and wanted to see you. I must have forgotten to inform you. But…”
Dorothy raised one corner of her mouth even higher.
“It’s okay, right?”
“…Of course.”
It would be very difficult for a sinner to send back a noble who had come all this way anyway. Dorothy already knew that Ariadeline would not be able to refuse.
i hope that duke receives the same humiliation as our fl endured!! poor thing!!!