12 O’Clock Marionette

The day after the tea party, Nigellia arrived at the estate.

I had expected powerful figures to be slow-moving, yet here she was, wasting no time.@@novelbin@@

"Did you enjoy the tea party?"

It was a simple question, yet I struggled to keep my expression composed.

My heart pounded—I could only hope it sounded like nervousness over the exam and nothing more.

Surely, she hadn’t found out about Cruello’s involvement… right?

"I heard you nearly ran away with some viscount’s daughter."

"What?"

"Am I wrong? They say that during your escape, Cruello found you, overwhelmed you with gifts, and finally won you back."

"People sure love writing fiction."

I meant that wholeheartedly.

The moment I had returned home, Minuet had scolded me so severely that I ended up crying while writing letters of apology—one for every attendee at the tea party.

The message was simple: I deeply regret leaving so abruptly. Circumstances regarding my fiancé left me no choice.

The person who suggested blaming Cruello for it? Cruello himself.

He had said it would stop people from asking too many questions.

And yet, the rumor still spread like this.

It was so ridiculous that I decided to let it go—because it was entertaining.

"Anyway, it doesn’t matter, does it? Attending the tea party wasn’t part of the exam."

"That’s obvious."

We sat across from each other on the sofas in the reception room.

"Do you remember what tea you drank there?"

"Black tea."

Wait—was that too vague of an answer?

I quickly tried to salvage it, pulling every bit of knowledge I had.