“Hump! So you actually have the guts to show your face here?”  Marionette puffed out her chest and signaled the two girls by her side.

The two grinned. One by one, they began to push the girl’s shoulder on each side until she bumped against the fountain.

“What’s more, you shamefully go behind other’s backs and flirt with the prince. Even though he already has a fiancé!” her eyes boiled with rage. She walked in front of Leila as she looked down upon her “He is destined to be with me! You, a mere marquise’s daughter, actually try to snatch him away from me!?”

“That’s right!”

“How dare you!”

The two underlings did everything to get onto Marionette’s good side.

From the shadows, Charlotte couldn’t help but face palm.

(Really, I knew she was a self-centered, haughty, arrogant and annoying brat from the profile I read, but I didn’t know she was this delusional!)

Even Leila who was the one being pushed to a corner like this felt awkward. She knew that what she was doing was wrong, but she loved him with all her heart and so did he. Even though he already had a fiancé and this was that said fiancé’s party, but hearing the girl’s self proclamation, she really questioned her intelligence.

Marionette had at some point begun to ramble on and on about how great she was. When she finished, she fiercely glared at the meek girl in front of her. “Since you aren’t welcome, then there is no need for you to show your face any longer!”

With the final push, Leila was unable to resist and was about to fall into the fountain. It was cold, and if she fell in now, she could catch a cold. But, she had already stumbled and was about to fall in!

Back inside the hall, after the dance with Charlotte, Leo got forced to dance with the other noble girls. His engagement hadn’t been officially released to the public, so some of them might not know. Some of them on the other hand still tried to get his attention even after knowing.

When he finally managed to get away, Leo looked around for Terence.

“Yo, had fun?”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Behind him, he was able to recognize that annoying voice that always teased him.

“Terence, have you seen Leila?”

He frowned “No, I don’t think she arrived yet.”

“What? She isn’t the type to be this late. …what about Lotte?”

“If you mean Lady Charlotte, then I haven’t seen her either.”

No matter how long he waited, Leila still hadn’t come. Then, they overheard a group of girls gossiping.

“Hey, have you heard?”

“*giggle* are you talking about Marionette and that girl Leila?”

“Yes yes! It seems like Marionette is finally going to teach that girl a lesson! Fufufu~”

That didn’t sound very good.

Leo and Terence exchanged glances and split up to look for Leila.

When he finally found her, he saw Marionette push Leila into the fountain. He was about to scream out and catch her when suddenly, someone else beat him to it.

The only thing he though at that moment was (Fast). He didn’t even notice when she arrived.

Just before Leila was about to fall into the fountain, Charlotte could no longer watch and leaped towards them. She grabbed the girl’s wrist, her hair almost touching the water’s surface as she pulled her back up with one tug.

“Tsk. What is the meaning of this?” she clicked her tongue and glared at the group of girls in front of her. Yes, they had done it now. If they had only simply kept pushing her and saying mean things, then she would have left them alone. But, using violence, inside the Ionesse mansion, that was a no no.

Her sudden appearance startled them all. Even Leila stood there frozen and immediately lowered her head upon recognizing her identity.

“L-lady Charlotte!?”

The two underlings stuttered and even Marionette who had acted so haughty just a moment ago was trembling under her gaze.

Charlotte had found out that in the past, the two of them had always been on bad terms. But, when their gazes met, a different fear crept over her heart. This was a completely different glare from the past, where she, Marionette always stood tied with her nemesis!

Thinking that they didn’t hear her properly, she repeated herself as she unfolded the fan in front of her mouth with one arm over her chest. It was the perfect pose of an intimidating young noble girl “I asked; what is the meaning of this? Are you perhaps deaf?”

They still didn’t answer. Charlotte then turned her head to look at the meek girl standing behind her, her head still lowered. Only when those eyes had left her did she finally speak.

“Charlotte! Even though we may hate each other, you do know who that girl is, don’t you!?”

Enemies they may be, but Marionette believed that, if someone else also tried to snatch away her fiancé, then surely she would cooperate with her to get rid of their common enemy, even if only temporarily.

When she heard those words, Leila began to shake. She could feel Charlotte’s gaze on her and she didn’t dare to look up.

-snap

Charlotte closed her fan and then looked back at Marionette; an evil smile with a face full of plots against that girl. Charlotte frowned.

“Whoever she may be, at the moment she is one of my guests. I will not have anyone harass my guests, even if it’s another guest. If you have a problem, then settle it elsewhere. You actually have the audacity to ruin my birthday? Are you prepared for the consequences? Hmn?”

She folded her arms over her chest and raised her chin up arrogantly. Yes, she was really annoyed that someone was ruining the atmosphere in her garden when she wanted to rest!