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Marlon towered over Lobelia, his piercing gaze meeting hers as he confronted her about her recent meeting with the empress in the rose garden.

“I heard that you met the empress in the rose garden,” he said, his tone flat and menacing.

Lobelia’s confidence wavered as she stumbled over her words. “Y-yes, I did. She offered me the position of court representative.”

Marlon’s eyes narrowed. “And what did you say to the empress to warrant such an offer? What did you promise her?”

Lobelia took a step back, her eyes darting nervously. “I-I didn’t promise anything! She just asked about my reasons for leaving the county, and I told her that nothing bad happened.”

Marlon’s expression darkened. “The position was meant for Aina. Do you know how much effort I put into securing that for her?”

Lobelia bit her lip, struggling to hold back a smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know-”

“Of course you didn’t,” Marlon spat. “You’re only concerned with your own ambitions. If you had any loyalty to Ephelantia, you would have declined the offer.”

Lobelia’s eyes widened. “But you said that if I accepted, it would bring glory back to the county.”

Marlon let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t think the empress would offer it to you so easily. This puts me in a difficult position.”

Lobelia watched as Marlon’s mind raced, his anger giving way to contemplation. “What are you going to do?” she asked.

Marlon turned to her, his eyes burning with determination. “I’ll find a way to salvage the situation. But if you even think about backing out of the offer, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

Lobelia gulped, her amusement fading as she saw the gravity of the situation. “I understand,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lobelia maintained a neutral expression as Marlon poked her shoulder with his index finger. She resisted the urge to flinch and shake off his touch, knowing that it would only provoke him further. Marlon had a habit of getting overly aggressive when he was angry, and Lobelia didn’t want to risk pushing him too far.

“The reason why the empress gave you the position of court representative must have been because I had been steadily working on it. The stupid empress must have thought that I cared for you like her daughter, so she gave you the position,” Marlon declared, his tone laced with frustration.

Lobelia knew that Marlon’s guess was completely wrong, but she pretended to listen attentively, nodding along with his words.

“I don’t know if I said this, but the position is not yours,” Marlon continued, his finger still poking at Lobelia’s shoulder. “So don’t do anything. Study quietly at the academy, and wait until that stupid empress gets fed up with you and leaves the position of acting court representative.”

Lobelia nodded obediently, knowing that it was better to appease Marlon than to argue with him. She had no intention of showing her face as a court representative, anyway. Lobelia had other plans.

Marlon seemed somewhat relieved by Lobelia’s compliant response, and he removed his hand from her shoulder. He let out a deep sigh and scanned the room, his eyes eventually settling on Lobelia again.

“You like playing with men. No, I’m not interested even if you date ten men at the same time. Blood says you can’t lie, and the gypsy inside you must be crying out that you can’t live without a man,” Marlon remarked, looking at Lobelia with a mix of disgust and pity.

Lobelia suppressed a smirk. Marlon’s outdated views on women and their desires were comical to her. But she knew better than to voice her opinions to him.

“But never, never, ever again block Aina’s path,” Marlon warned, pointing a finger at Lobelia.

Lobelia remained silent, lowering her head in submission. Marlon didn’t press the issue, assuming that Lobelia had acknowledged his command.

“If you do one more crap here, you will have to come back to Ephelantia,” Marlon threatened, his tone stern.

Lobelia’s inner laughter intensified. Marlon had no idea what she had planned. By the time he caught on, it would be too late.

“Oops,”

With a sudden start, Marlon halted mid-step and cast a sidelong glance at Lobelia. His mind had been preoccupied, but the mere sight of her stirred a faint curiosity within him.

“What happened at Countess Dora’s party?” he inquired, almost as if the thought had occurred to him only then.

Lobelia’s expression darkened, as if she had been expecting the question. “Something unfortunate, I’m afraid,” she replied, her tone dripping with melancholy.

“The nobility seem to think you insulted them.”

Marlon’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? I would never do such a thing.”

Lobelia offered a practiced excuse, one that she had no doubt concocted long before Marlon had even asked.

“I was just so happy to have been invited to the salon party,” she explained, “but the duke warned me that not everyone would be pleased with my presence. He told me that if anyone showed any hostility towards me, I should recite their love affairs and retreat quietly. I had no idea they would take that as an insult.”

Marlon’s expression softened, but his disappointment was palpable. “I see,” he murmured. “Well, I suppose that’s that. Will you be busy for the next few days?”

Lobelia’s eyes flickered with a hint of trepidation. “Why do you ask?”

Marlon shrugged his broad shoulders, slipping into his overcoat with a graceful ease. “I just thought I might take some time for myself, that’s all. It seems I won’t be attending any more of those tedious social functions, at least for the time being.”

With that, he turned on his heel and strode off, leaving Lobelia standing there alone in the empty room.

Lobelia feigned surprise as Joachim walked in, putting on a mask of composure despite her inner turmoil. His concerned expression tugged at her heartstrings, but she forced a small smile onto her lips.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking.”

Joachim’s eyes bore into her, searching for any sign of distress. Lobelia looked away, feeling the weight of his gaze like a physical presence. She couldn’t let him know what was really going on – not yet, anyway.

As Joachim spoke, Lobelia found herself drawn in by the sincerity of his voice. He seemed to genuinely care for her, and the thought sent a flutter through her chest.

“I meant what I said last time,” he said firmly

.

Lobelia’s heart skipped a beat. What did he mean? What had he said? She searched her memory frantically, trying to recall their previous conversations.

Joachim took a step closer, his eyes intense.

“You don’t have to go through this alone, Miss Lobelia. I’m here for you.”

The words hit her like a ton of bricks. Lobelia felt her resolve crumbling, the weight of everything bearing down on her. She wanted to tell him everything, to confide in him and seek his help. But she couldn’t – not yet.

Forcing a small smile, she took a step back.

“Thank you, Joachim. That means a lot to me.”