The hall was filled with chatter. It seemed like everyone was enjoying their time.

Angelina stared at Alice, completely dumbfounded. Alice was beside her devouring a who cake! It seems she has quiet an addiction to it...

Angelina is confused. She couldn't help but wonder how Alice wasn't overweight from the amount of cake she was eating.

Angelina's eyes shifted to the direction of the wife's table. Her gaze immediately fell on Marchioness Bailey.

The Marchioness was quietly sipping her tea. Angelina sighed in her heart. The Marchioness as cold as ever.

Just as she thought this, she noticed the Marchioness's gaze fell upon her.

Remembering the Marchioness's cold eyes when she was imprisoned, Angelina unconsciously averted her eyes and avoided the Marchioness's gaze.

"Arianna, how are you enjoying the food?"

Angelina turned to her right and saw Marchioness Chandler talking to Arianna.

"It's not bad at all, mother. Is there something you need...?" Arianna patiently waited for her stepmother's response.

"Haha. It is my honor to know how much you care about me." Marchioness Chandler laughed.

Then she added, "I just wanted to talk to you. Nothing much. Apologies If I bothered you, dear"

"Mother isn't bothering this daughter at all. This daughter is more than happy to chat with mother" Although Arianna wasn't smiling, it was clear there was a hint of a smile in her eyes.

Angelina was quite shocked. She didn't expect Arianna to be close to her stepmother.

After Marchioness Chandler went back to her seat, Angelina turned to Arianna and asked,

"Is my lady close with the Marchioness?"

"Of course. She is a very kind person. She is always helping me" Arianna replied.

"Is that so..." Angelina furrowed her brows. It looked like a normal conversation at first glance, but Angelina felt that something was strange.

But looking at Arianna's face that wasn't filled with a single trace of worry, she sighed and shrugged off her small suspicion.

"Is something wrong..?" Arianna asked politely.

"No no. This one is merely surprised." Angelina gave her a reassuring smile.

"Alright then" Arianna seemed to have believed her.

**********************

After a while, all the married ladies returned to the main hall.

The Emperor and Empress sat on their grand throne, as they looked down on the people below them.

Angelina stayed with her usual circle. Accompanying her was Alice, Rienne, Arianna, and some other daughters of nobles.

But there was something quite odd. There was a new person sitting at their table.

"Pardon me for asking but....why in the world is she here!?" Riemme had to go back herself from screaming.

"Lady Rienne, forgive me for disrupting you. I Know you don't like me..." Evelina's teary eyes made her look extremely pityful.

But unfortunately for her, Evelina failed in gaining pity. As most of the people at their table were ladies who hated Evelina.

"Lady Rienne, please refrain from clashing with lady Evelina. Despite your dislike towards her" the lady who didn't dislike Evelina, the one who brought her to their table in the first place, pleased with Rienne.

In the end, Rienne merely harrumph and looked away. Doing everything she could to avoid speaking with Evelina any further.

The atmosphere was quite awkward. Most of the noble daughters merely sipped their tea and observed. Angelina, Rienne, and Arianna were the ones who also did the same.

The only one who even tried to keep on a conversation with Evelina, was viscount William's daughter, who was the lady who brought Evelina to their table.

Viscount William's daughter was quite fond of Evelina, so she was friendly towards her.

Aside from her, no one else spoke.

The air around their table remained awkward and gloomy, before a certain someone approached them.

"Brother Rulias!" Evelina smiled and greeted Rulias happily.

"Lady Evelina, i don't think I've seen you spend time with these certain ladies before." His eyes were obviously directed at Rienne and Angelina.

Facing his gaze, Rienne frowned and looked away. Seeming to have completely no intentions of speaking to him.

Seeing her rudeness and indifference, Rulias's smile turned into a frown.

"Oh? Alright then, lady Rienne. Coincidentally, I too need some fresh air." Angelina pretended to responding to Rienne.

After Rinne turned away from Rulias, she was facing Angelina, and their distance was quite close. So Angelina's act managed to fool the others. Exept for Arianna and Alice, who both sat close to them.

"Huh? Oh! Yes!" Rienne didn't understand at first, but after two seconds, she eagerly nodded and agreed.

Angelina smiled, took Rienne's hand, and fled together from the table.

Seeing the two flowed from him, Rulias's frown deepened.

*********************

Angelina, or Lilith basically grew up in the palace. She thought of it as her second home.

Due to this, Angelina easily found a way to the outside garden. It wasn't the main palace garden. But it was still a garden.

The sky's color used to be beautifully blue, now it was quite dark, as they were approaching the end of the banquet.

"Thanks for managing to get me out of there, Lina. I would've died if I spent another second with the b*tch and bastard." Rienne said while she tried to catch her breath.

"There's no need to thank me, Rienne. I too couldn't stand being near Evelina for another second." Angelina said. She looked around the garden and felt a sense of deja vu.

She remembered when she led Chase here and confesses her feelings. Only to be coldly rejected.

She never felt such humiliation and shame before that moment.

"Lina? Are you alright?" Noticing Angelina's frown and her gloomy expression, Rienne poked her back and asked.

"It's...nothing..." Angelina smiled and shoved that hated memory to the back of her mind.

"Rienne"

A cold voice came from behind them. The two turned back and saw Rulias's cold face.

"Hmph!" Rienne harrumphed, lifted her gown slightly, and turned to leave.

"Rienne wait!" Rulias stretched out his hand to grab her wrist. But before he could, his wrist was grabbed by a white and slender arm.

"Young lord, please stop bothering lady Rienne. Isn't it quite clear that she is extremely disturbed and does not harbor any intentions in speaking with you." Angelina said. Her gaze cold and voice stern.

"You!- stop intruding! It's none of your business!" Rulias screamed with a raged expression. He rasied his other arm to slap Angelina. But he again was stopped.

"Argh..!" Rulias staggered a few steps. He fell to his knees in pain.

"Y-you...b-b*tch! How....how dare you...!"

"Oh my god..." Rienne stared at the two with shock and astonishment in her eyes. She couldn't believe...she couldn't believe that Angelina actually kicked him in the crotch...!

"Rienne, you can return back inside." Angelina turned to her and smiled.

"What...but..." Rienne's gaze fell on Rulias, who was kneeling and groaning in pain.

"It's alright. I'll handle this."

"Uhmm...okay..." Rienne hesitantly left.

"Y-you... Your gonna pay for this...!" Rulias got up slowly and ran to Angelina with his back hunched.

'oh...?' Angelina felt his intentions was clear. She was standing in front of a lake. It was obvious what he was going to do.

Just as he was merely inches away from her, Angelina grabbed his shirt and swiftly swung him behind her.

With a huge splash, Rulias fell into the lake.

"Woops..." Angelina smirked.

Being caught of guard, Rulias choked some of the water. He coughed multiple times before extending his hand out, attempting to get up.

Only for Angelina's foot to stomp on his head, and kicking him down back into the lake.