A Plan Gone Awry

"Roze Hertz."

Thankfully, it was Clayton who stopped Lloyd from escalating further. He looked at Lloyd with an icy gaze and spoke in a low voice.

"Get in the carriage."

"But…!"

Lloyd tried to argue back, but the tantrum of a rebellious adolescent was no match for the commanding presence of a man like Clayton.

In the end, Lloyd, like a pup lowering its tail before a lion, bowed his head and slowly walked toward the carriage.

He didn't forget to cast a look of apology at Dahlia for not being able to go with her.

As Clayton followed to board the carriage, he turned and stared at Dahlia.

It wasn't a gaze of disregard, nor one of apology. Their eyes met momentarily in midair.

The meaningless stare-off ended as Clayton climbed into the carriage.

"Haa…"

Watching the carriage carrying the two men leave the estate, Dahlia let out a low sigh.

She had been tense, worried that Lloyd's unexpected outburst might ruin her plan.

Having achieved her goal for the day, Dahlia thought about retiring to her room for some rest and turned to leave.

"Dahlia."

The Dowager was waiting nearby, clearly having witnessed everything that had just transpired.

"What brings you here…?"

"I heard you were being mistreated. I couldn't just sit idly by."

"…What?"

It seemed the Dowager was referring to everything from Roze entering the estate to Clayton attending the party with her instead of Dahlia.

But the words "couldn't just sit idly by" sent a chill down Dahlia's spine. She tried to suppress the ominous feeling and responded.

"What do you mean by 'couldn't just sit idly by'…"

"Ana."

"Yes, My Lady Dowager."

As soon as the maid named Ana bowed, a luxurious carriage appeared in the distance.

It was far more opulent than the one Clayton and Lloyd had departed in.

"That's…"

As the sudden appearance of the carriage amplified her foreboding, the Dowager approached with a pleased smile.

"You're all dressed up like this. It wouldn't make sense not to go to the party."

Then she gently stroked Dahlia's cheek.

"This is a special carriage I borrowed from my family. Use it to go to the palace."

"…Excuse me? The palace?"

"We can't just let this go unanswered. Go and put that brat from the Hertz family in her place."

Only then did Dahlia realize the Dowager's intent. She forced an awkward smile and tried to object.

"But without a partner, I can't attend the party…"

"Don't worry about that. No one would dare question why you came alone. Remember what I said before? I prepared a gift for you. So don't fret—just go."

The Dowager gave Dahlia a firm push on the back, resembling a fairy godmother from a storybook.

In the end, Dahlia reluctantly climbed into the carriage. A quick glance around revealed an almost encouraging atmosphere among the onlookers.

'I'm doomed.'

Feeling resigned, Dahlia slumped back against the seat. Refusing wasn't an option from the start.

Had she not dressed up, she could have used her disheveled appearance as an excuse. But now, she was dressed impeccably—ready for the palace at any moment.

What was meant to evoke pity had turned into a self-inflicted trap.

Dahlia's heart grew heavier as the carriage carried her toward the palace.

'What do I do now?'

The thought of attending a party alongside her husband and his mistress made her head spin—it was an absurd and humiliating combination.

The only consolation was that none of the three cared much about public opinion.

Sigh…

Yet, she couldn't stop herself from letting out a sigh.

Confused as to where everything had gone wrong, Dahlia's carriage finally arrived at the palace.

Stepping out of the now stationary carriage, Dahlia gazed up at the grand palace building.

'Ah… I really ended up here.'

In this damn palace.

She stared blankly at the palace's overwhelming grandeur.

Originally, her plan had been to stay home while the male lead, accompanied by the mistress, would spend the entire party distracted, worrying about her.

But now that she was here, she had no choice but to adjust her plan.

'Fine. Now that it's come to this, let's turn this crisis into an opportunity.'

In the social world, Dahlia had no close acquaintances except Rachel; she was essentially a loner.

As someone from a humble baron's family, she was often ignored unless under the Duke's protection.

And today would be the day everyone learned that the Duke's love, which had supported her thus far, had ended with the mistress's arrival.

'Once I go inside, everyone will laugh at my predicament and look down on me.'

They would call the love that transcended status a lie and think of her as pathetic for failing to deal with even a single mistress and attending the party regardless.

If she were lucky, she might even face overt ridicule.

That was exactly what Dahlia wanted—for everyone at the party to mock her, scorn her, and ridicule her to their heart's content.

If she was left alone, unable to join any group and sitting miserably in a corner, the male lead wouldn't be able to help but notice her.

As she gazed at the lively palace, Dahlia refined her perfect plan and began walking slowly.

At the entrance, Dahlia announced her title and name to the attendant. He briefly looked surprised but quickly masked his expression.

"Duchess Dalia Seyer has arrived."

With the attendant's announcement, the massive doors opened, and all eyes turned to Dahlia as she entered.

With each step she took down the staircase, she could feel the burning gazes following her.

Among those stares, the most intense one came from Clayton.

From the moment she appeared, Clayton couldn't take his eyes off her.

His gaze held both surprise at her unexpected arrival and faint irritation at her defiance in coming despite his instructions.

Dahlia deliberately ignored his gaze and silently crossed the room.

As she walked past the crowd, whispers buzzed all around her.

Never before in history had two women simultaneously attended a party as partners to the same man. It was bound to be the scandal of the year in high society.

"My goodness. Didn't Duke Seyer say the Duchess was unwell? That's why he had no choice but to bring Lady Hertz, right?"

"Exactly! But that was all a lie, wasn't it? Does this mean the Duke brought another woman as his partner while his wife is here? Unbelievable."

As expected, the room erupted into a flurry of gossip the moment she appeared.

Snatches of conversations about Clayton, Roze, and herself reached Dahlia's ears, and she couldn't help but smile inwardly.

'Good. Yes, keep talking! Then I'll just shed a few tears and play the tragic heroine.'

She assumed that, with the current mood, it wouldn't be long before someone openly mocked her.

Even before incidents like this, minor characters like the Marchioness of Borsen frequently tormented the heroine.

So Dahlia deliberately stood in the most conspicuous spot, waiting for someone to pick a fight with her. But instead…

The remarks of the noblewomen who approached her were rather strange.

"You're so young, Duchess, and yet you've endured so much hardship."

"Exactly. I never imagined the Duke of Seyer would be so unfaithful."

Hmm?

"They say the woman beside him is Lady Hertz from the Hertz family? I heard she's frail, but she doesn't look it at all."

"The Hertz family has always been associated with scandalous rumors about Seyer men. It's as if seducing married men runs in their bloodline."

Huh? This isn't how it's supposed to go…

The people were flocking to her, but their words were entirely different from what Dahlia had anticipated.

Normally, they would have criticized her for failing to keep her husband, mocked her lowly background, and treated her as a foolish woman. So why…?

"You mustn't engage with people like that."

"Yes, Duchess. Don't let it bother you. Come enjoy the evening with us."

The noblewomen gathered closely around her, preoccupied with criticizing Clayton and Lloyd.

And in this group, the role she seemed to be playing was…

Like the leader of a clique of villainous socialites in romance novels—essentially the boss of a high-society bullying squad.

'Hey, weren't you all busy ignoring me before? What's with this sudden change?!'

She had assumed things would go more smoothly without Rachel around, but somehow, everything was veering in an unexpected direction.

As a result, the one who actually looked pitiful in this situation was…

'Lloyd…'

Lloyd, standing alone in a corner, smiling at her as if genuinely happy, looked the most pathetic of all.