Estella had never been one to believe that a person’s disposition could be gleaned from their appearance, but since finding the memories of her previous life, her outlook had changed slightly.

The very nature of this world as a novel meant that it was molded by someone’s will. Characters in stories sometimes reveal their personalities through their appearance. And Estella’s suspicions were proven true when the other ladies called out the uninvited guest’s name.

“Miss Ellen……?”

Before coming out here, Estella had thought about a storyline of sorts. Adriana had been thoroughly humiliated at her first social gathering as Diego’s fiancée. A few people realized she wasn’t used to socializing and decided to humiliate her. Adriana had been humiliated solely because she was Diego’s fiancée, so why shouldn’t she experience the same?

“Perhaps, if you don’t mind, we could switch seats? I’d like to hear more about what Miss Estella just said.”

The answer was yes. Estella’s gaze lingered for a moment on Ellen’s dark smile. Her voice was friendly, but there was an undercurrent of pressure to get out of the way when she said something nice or it wouldn’t be fun. Behind Ellen, a group of young ladies had joined her.

Eventually, the young ladies at the original table slowly got up from their seats. They gave Estella a quick wink and disappeared.

The appearance of a new face didn’t faze her. She knew the woman called Ellen very well.

Ellen Rueda, was the quintessential villainess from ?Contract Marriage to a Dangerous Duke.? She had a crush on Diego and was struggling with his iron wall, but when Adriana came into the picture, she began to unleash her pent-up anger.

In the beginning, when Diego didn’t have feelings for Adriana, he turned a blind eye to Ellen’s behavior. He told her that if she blackmailed him to get the job, she could keep it herself. Adriana is disappointed that Diego seems to be testing her. This only served to make him more defensive.

Of course, Estella had no intention of being caught in the act, nor would she allow Diego to turn a blind eye to her plight. With a blank look on her face, Estella asked.

“Hello, everyone. I’ve never seen you all before, so if you don’t mind me asking, may you introduce yourselves?”

“I’m Ellen, Countess of Rueda, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

As Ellen trailed off, the other young ladies began to introduce themselves as if it were a gift that came with the territory. Ellen looked bored, but as soon as they were done, she looked back at Estella. With a mischievous grin, Ellen said.

“I was listening to what you were just saying with great interest. You’re such a good talker, I could hear you even though I was sitting some distance away.”

The chatter around them died down, as if Ellen had noticed Estella’s move to the table. She didn’t need to look to know that all eyes were on her.

“I’m embarrassed that you had to listen to my unremarkable love life. I don’t recall my voice being loud enough to be heard over the table. Miss Ellen, you have quite the concentration.”

Estella replied in a gentle voice, wondering why she was eavesdropping on someone else’s conversation. The corner of Ellen’s mouth twitched at the unexpected preemptive strike. She didn’t hesitate to reply.

“Don’t you find it intriguing? A rise in status always provides an interesting thrill.”

“Do you think so? It seems like it might be just a temporary satisfaction.”

Estella shot back, her demeanor relaxed. It was true that Ellen had a rational fondness for Diego, but his family name hadn’t played any part in that choice. It was more Ellen’s than Estella’s desire to find a way up through marriage. She hadn’t even gotten to be Diego’s fiancée like Estella had.

Ellen’s expression hardened at Estella’s point. Ellen raised one eyebrow in response.

“After all, isn’t it natural for people to desire what they cannot have? From the perspective of the social elite, it may seem quite unpleasant, but that’s how it is.”

Ellen added with a smile of conversion.

“In that sense, the Bertha Ducal family seems to be a very rare family that directly works for the marginalized class.”

In other words, after Anna, the previous Duchess, another strange woman had crept into the House of Bertha. When Estella shows signs of fighting back, Ellen’s maneuvering becomes outright brazen.

For a moment, Estella wondered how she should react here. The simplest thing to do would be to stay quiet and endure the humiliation, but she didn’t want to be criticized for taking a seat she didn’t want.

Estella inclined her head slightly to the left.

“Miss Ellen, is the lady’s scheming due to her pride as a high-ranking noble, or is it because of the pain of unrequited love?”

“Wha, what?”

“I thought I should understand the intention in order to respond appropriately. It’s not like I committed any other rudeness when we’ve just met.”

Ellen rolled her eyes in disbelief. Each of the young people who followed her added their own version of ‘How shameless!’ and ‘What did you do right!’ to the mix. It was such a typical comment that Estella let out a small, out-of-place laugh. In the book, it was annoying, but in person, it was hilarious. She wasn’t seriously offended because it was something she wouldn’t have done if the author hadn’t willed it.

The other woman, on the other hand, became even more indignant when she realized that Estella was laughing at her. Ellen snorted loudly and said.

“If I tell you why I’m offended, would you at least have the decency to leave?”

Why one guest, not even the host, would want to kick out another was beyond me. As a fictional villainess, Ellen had a lot of status, and no one in the room was going to stop her. Even Maria, the hostess, was watching the proceedings, unable to intervene. Ellen’s eyes narrowed slowly, as if she were enjoying the stiffness of the atmosphere, and then widened fiercely.

“Or are you going to go to Diego and tell him everything that happened today?”

Things got even more exciting when Ellen said Diego’s name out loud. She could feel a buzz around her. Ellen steepled her fingers and leaned her chin on the back of her hand. She smiled and spoke with an elegant twang.

“I wonder if you’re going to go to him and whisper in his ear every time something like this happens.”

Estella watched Ellen in silence. She wondered what else Ellen would say. She couldn’t tell if she was enthralled by her story or if she thought Estella’s spirits were dead.

“They say social circles are another battlefield, and while your status, or that of the man next to you, can be a weapon, it’s not the whole story. This is not a world where you can run like a colt with your background. Relationships take work, and you haven’t earned it yet.”

“…….”

“Why, are you going to go to the Duke to confess that you’re being bullied, that the young people here are beneath you, that you don’t fit in, that you need to do something to help you fit in?”

Ellen frowned. It was a rather insensitive thing to say, coming from someone who had already made so many friends.

Estella sipped her tea with a grimace. Ellen scrutinized her posture for any imperfections, but contrary to her suspicions of a lack of sophistication, her manners were on par with the ladies of the capital. Ellen realized in hindsight that Estella had once been Berta’s tutor, and her voice, when she spoke next, was just as noble.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“What did you say?”

“I’d rather be a snitch like you said than be laughed at the face like this.”

Ellen asked, and Estella explained in a sweet tone. But Estella didn’t stop there, she looked around the table at each of the young ladies, one by one. It was a little nerve-wracking to think that she was the only one here on her side. Not that Estella hadn’t prepared herself for this.

“Miss Diana?”

At Estella’s call, the young lady seated to her left looked up. Seemingly taken aback by the suddenness of her name, Diana’s face crumpled and she said nothing. Estella spoke up in a low voice.

“I understand that your father is heavily invested in the weaving business, but did you know that Berta has a controlling interest in a ranching cooperative down south?”

“What does that have to do with…….”

“I heard that you’ve recently signed a large contract with the royal family, and if you don’t get your raw materials on time, you’ll be in quite a bit of trouble, won’t you?”

Understanding what Estella was saying, Diana stopped talking. She knew that her father had spent a great deal of money to connect the businesses he was investing in with the royal family.

When people gather, individual sense of responsibility tends to diminish. The leader of this group was Ellen, and under her guidance, Diana took her seat at the table without much hesitation. It was certainly unexpected for me to be threatened by a woman from a rural area in the north. Diana’s face grew white.

Estella turned her attention to the lady, who sat to her right this time. As soon as Estella’s eyes met hers, the other woman flinched.

“Miss Emilia.”

“Yes……?”

“Did you know that your mother’s family, the Pagot family, pays a toll every year to the next estate to sell their specialty crops?”

Emilia nodded dazedly. Estella’s mouth curved into a small smile.

“Marquis Linette, whom you pay tolls to is none other than the Berta family’s longtime friend and helper. Perhaps there will be a slight change in pricing from now on.”

Estella wasted no time in turning to the next young lady. The woman who introduced herself as Chloé was already stiffening.

“Miss Chloé?”

“What, what!”

Chloé exclaimed, reflexively adjusting the hem of her skirt. Estella lifted her index finger and rubbed it under her right chin.

“You are particularly disappointing, Miss Chloé. I heard that when the Celestino family was on the verge of bankruptcy because of their debts, they were only saved by the Berta family by delaying the collection of their funds.”

Chloé’s eyes narrowed at the mention of a business relationship she didn’t recognize. Apparently, her parents didn’t want their only child to know about the family’s troubles. Chloé’s cheeks flushed, and she exclaimed.

“Bankruptcy, how could that be? That’s a lie!”

“Oh, you don’t even know? That’s too bad. Go home, ask your parents, and get back to me. You can decide then if you want to write a letter apologizing or send me a dueling letter saying you were tricked.”

When she finished speaking, the room became noticeably quieter. Only Ellen remained, glaring at Estella with an intensity that threatened to tear her apart.

She couldn’t have been more than twenty years old, and her jealousy was fierce for such a young mind. She was no match for Estella, who had lived more than fifty years in her previous life.