***Bang!***
"Oh!" one of the ladies cried out, startled.
On stage, mages competed with one another, displaying increasingly impressive feats of magic. The audience erupted into applause again and again.
"I didn't even know Countess Montague had such connections."
"Exactly! Thanks to her, this evening has been truly exciting."
"You flatter me," Juliet replied with a soft smile.
In just a couple of hours, she had managed to charm the young aristocrats gathered at the reception.
The wedding celebration had turned out to be far more formal than she had anticipated—and a little entertainment amid the tedious ceremony had proven a welcome salvation.
Winning the public's favor was a task Juliet handled brilliantly.
*After all, every vote is equal. And if we can win over the lesser nobles, that will be enough...*
"You think so?" Elliot, the Duke's secretary, quietly clarified. He had quickly grasped her intention.
It seemed the titled aristocrats who had decided to bring the matter of the Marquis of Guinness's inheritance before the assembly for discussion had forgotten entirely about the "common" votes. But in reality, all of this was merely a power struggle between a handful of influential houses.
Most nobles acted by inertia, adapting to the prevailing mood.
Juliet, who had grown up immersed in high society, possessed a keen understanding of the balance of power: who was worthy of attention, who merited a smile, and who was best ignored altogether.
Though Elliot had initially sighed in frustration, the choice to rely on Juliet had proven sound.
The subtle hint that associating with her could attract the Duke of Carlisle's attention was the icing on the cake—everyone, without exception, was eager to impress that man. His influence was undeniable.
The task had turned out even easier than Juliet expected.
But Roy's face, standing across the same room, had noticeably darkened.
"Juliet."
"Hm?"
He approached unexpectedly, silently—and it made her wary. But she answered with a smile.
"Hello, Roy."
"You still haven't changed your mind?"
"No. Next time, I'll visit the Katya forest myself."
She spoke softly, calmly—but Roy's gaze remained hard.
"I already told you. He will only bring you pain."
There was a controlled edge to Roy's voice, even as he tried to restrain himself.
"Why are you so stubborn about staying with him?"
He remembered their conversation at the temple. He had told her the truth then—and Juliet's expression had shown it. She hadn't known.
Of course, the Carlisle family's reputation had long been dubious. And yet—if she had truly learned the full truth, if she had realized she had been deceived... she would have severed ties with Lennox without hesitation.
"Wait, Roy."
The smile vanished from her face. She understood what game he was playing.
"Do you honestly think I would leave Lennox if I found out I couldn't have children?"
Roy fell silent.
"Unbelievable..."
Juliet let out a short, bitter breath—as though he had said something truly absurd.
"Who do you think I am?"
She looked at him, disappointment and hurt mingling in her gaze.
"Do you think I'm with someone solely for the sake of having a child?"
"No..."
Roy felt his insides plummet. He had never seen her look at him like that before. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what he had done wrong—but he could already feel her slipping away.
"Romeo Pascal."
"Y-yes?"
He shuddered. She had never called him by his full name before. And her eyes... they were **ice**.
"I'll say this only once. Listen carefully."
She met his gaze with unwavering intensity.
"If you ever try to manipulate me again—no matter your reasons—I will never forgive you. Understand?"
Roy was stunned. He didn't understand where all this fury was coming from.
But Juliet knew.
He may not have wished her harm. But she had already lost a child—before she had even had the chance to hold it.
*Vipers that kill the mother at birth...*
That was the cursed fate he had reminded her of.
*"Do you know what a viper is?"*
When she had realized Roy had weaponized this very thing to push her into breaking with Lennox, her anger had been inevitable.
"Juliet, I'm sorry..."
He seized her hand.
"I'm sorry. I... I just... can't stand him. But I shouldn't have done that."
He squeezed her hand tightly, pressing it to his cheek.
But Juliet only narrowed her eyes. She wouldn't let this go so easily.
"I understand. Now let go."
"Then... will you forgive me?"
She frowned.
"There won't be a second time."
---
## — An Unlikely Ally —
Like a devoted puppy, Roy followed Juliet down the hallway.
But she didn't turn around—walking confidently, ignoring him entirely.
"Countess Montague! There you are!"
Just moments ago, the noble ladies had been enthusiastically watching the mages' performances. But when they noticed Roy trailing Juliet, their faces flushed pink.
"Oh, Lady Juliet. And who is this gentleman?"
"Oh... he's just..." Juliet began, then paused deliberately.
"This is my friend, Roy. Allow me to introduce him."
She lightly touched Roy's arm as he walked beside her. He looked slightly surprised—but upon hearing her words, he immediately smiled.
"Ah, I see! So this is the one...?"
"Yes, yes! You're from the Katya forest, aren't you?"
"I saw you last time!"
The ladies' faces brightened immediately, and the atmosphere filled once more with lighthearted chatter and smiles.
"And who is that lady over there?" Juliet asked, gesturing with delicate uncertainty toward an unfamiliar woman seated a short distance away.
"Ah... that appears to be Viscountess Dalton," one of the women whispered. The others immediately leaned in, murmuring amongst themselves.
"Do you know Viscount Dalton? He's a... *reseller*."
Viscount Dalton was notorious for purchasing stolen goods and selling them on the black market—practices frowned upon in aristocratic circles.
"They say he was in the South just a few days ago."
"In the South?"
"Yes. Rumor has it he worked as a steward on the lands of the Marquis of Guinness. But..."
"The Marquis of Guinness, with his passion for luxury! He even participated in auctions, buying up rare treasures."
"Once his connection to the conspiracy was revealed, he fled in haste."
"The Marquis's steward?" Juliet raised her eyebrows slightly. She glanced at Viscountess Dalton and the man standing beside her—clearly her husband.
The couple were visibly out of place. Most guests, especially those wary of the Carlisle family, kept their distance.
But Juliet had her own thoughts on the matter.
*He worked for the Marquis? Perhaps he knew Dahlia...*
*If, of course, Dahlia was truly connected to the Marquis of Guinness. But after Dolores suddenly developed memory problems and couldn't even recall Dahlia's name, there were simply no other leads.*
Juliet strode resolutely toward the couple.
"Good evening, Viscount Dalton."
She greeted them as warmly as she could manage.
"I am Juliet Montague."
"Oh, yes... Countess, a pleasure. I am Viscount Dalton, and this is my wife."
He bowed quickly. His wife looked slightly bewildered but remained beside him.
"May I sit with you?"
"Ah... of course! Please!" the Viscountess replied, a hint of trepidation in her voice. She seemed genuinely touched by Juliet's attention.
"The Countess is so kind..." she murmured.
After a brief exchange, having calmed somewhat, the Viscountess was the first to speak.
"Actually, my husband *did* work for the Marquis of Guinness... but not anymore! Please don't misunderstand."
She made excuses hastily, though Juliet hadn't asked. Everyone knew the Marquis had been involved in a plot against the Duke of Carlisle—and they feared the shadow it would cast on them.
"Don't worry," Juliet replied with a reassuring smile.
"I approached you precisely *because* of his connection to the Marquis."
"Pardon...?"
"Did you happen to see a woman like this while you were in the South?"
Juliet carefully described Dahlia's appearance: orange-tinted hair, violet eyes. She always appeared in the white robes of a priestess. Juliet remembered this clearly. And Dolores had mentioned a woman in white beside the Marquis.
"Young... dressed as a priestess..."
"Hmm... no, I don't recall anyone like that."
Juliet paused, then rephrased carefully.
"Were there any women around my age among the Marquis's guests?"
"Guests?"
"Yes... those whom the Marquis received especially generously..."
Juliet hesitated.
*In my past life, when I was briefly the Marquis's wife, I knew about his secret room in the mansion. Perhaps someone lived there.*
But the Viscountess only shrugged, looking puzzled.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about that."
Nevertheless, Juliet didn't lose hope. Such opportunities were rare—and she wasn't about to let this one slip away.
The Viscountess seemed confused, not understanding why the Countess was asking such questions. But she was clearly eager to win Juliet's favor.
"Oh, by the way... speaking of secret places, I'm not sure about guests, but I *can* tell you about the valuables the Marquis guarded like the apple of his eye."
"Valuables?"
"Yes. I once had the chance to visit his secret room. You can access it through the office."
"Oh, really!" Juliet exclaimed with feigned surprise.
*In truth, I know exactly where the hidden mechanism is.*
"He kept all his most precious possessions there. But I remember one thing above all—a **tiara** made of pure gold, studded with jewels. So beautiful..."
Juliet froze.
"Wait... a tiara? The kind you wear on your head?"
"Exactly!"
Her heart plummeted.
*Gods...*
Just recently, Knight Milan had recounted how the Fran couple had fled years ago, taking with them a family heirloom—a magnificent tiara passed down through generations of the Carlisle family.
Juliet had never seen it—neither in her previous life nor now. But she knew it was priceless.
*Was it really the Marquis of Guinness who ordered Gaspard to steal the key to the Montague family vault?*
*Perhaps the Marquis had a passion for collecting treasures from ancient noble houses.*
*If Dahlia and the Marquis were truly allied... then the tiara should still be in the South...*
---