# 31
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Devrin glanced at Evelin for a moment, then said, “Okay,” and left the reception room.
Now, only Evelyn and Rachel remained in the room.
Rachel was confused for a moment because Evelyn stopped her, but she quickly saw it as an opportunity. It wouldn't be a bad idea to warn Evelin while she had the chance.
With a cold look, Rachel relaxed her previously rigid posture and leaned back in the chair.
Since Dyffrin wasn't there, there was no need to feign politeness.
Rachel looked at Evelyn with a crooked smile.
“Why did you stop me? Do you really intend to console me?”
Her tone was rude, as if she were addressing a maid. However, Evelin did not tremble.
Rachel thought to herf,
'Did you take some kind of medication or something?'
Otherwise, there is no way a person can change radically. Evelyn was very introverted and shy.
Evelyn slowly raised her eyelids and looked at Rachel. Her amber eyes shone with a slightly cold gleam.
“I want an apology.”
"apology?"
Ha, Rachel let out a gasp of disbelief.
“I know you tried to use someone to attack me at the royal party.”
Rachel was stunned for a moment and fell silent.
'How could she know that?'
The plot had been planned in secret, so there was no way anyone could know about it.
'Could it be Karina? But she would never betray me, especially because of her father.'
However, Rachel soon realized that it didn't matter whether Evelyn knew or not.
Since she was only saying it face to face, she probably didn't have any other evidence, just suspicion.
'Well, that doesn't matter.'
Since Evelin already knew, Rachel could act more freely.
“Then why should I apologize for that?”
Rachel fiddled with her well-manicured nails and stared at her.
“In fact, I feel like I'm the one who deserves to apologize to him. For taking a place that should have been mine.”
“Oh, do you mean where the Duke’s daughter-in-law is?”
"Yes. I should have been Dyffryn's wife. If it weren't for that damned will, it would have been me."
Rachel's lips curled into a graceful curve.
“But I'll get it back eventually.”
“You saw that the Duchess sent me a message to deliver the news, right? This is your position in the Duke’s house. No one cares about you. You have less presence than an old maid.”
Rachel barely stifled her laughter. She wanted to laugh out loud, but it would have been heard outside.
"It's a bit disappointing that the Duchess thinks of me this way, but what's more important is Dyffryn. As you can see he's been very nice lately."
Rachel's smile slowly disappeared at Evelyn's monotonous response.
She had been ignoring the pulsing feeling from earlier, but Evelin's words seemed like a sudden sharp stab.
As Evelyn said, Devrin has been acting like a completely different person since the party.
'The Differin I know would never act this way.'
He valued dignity and politeness, so he did not easily show his feelings to others, especially not in public.
But at the party, when he scolded Krishna, there was a hint of anger in his tone. Today, he publicly showed his displeasure with her as a guest.
“Even if I were to give up this position to you, it would be difficult given his recent behavior. I don’t think Dyfrin would agree to a divorce easily.”
“So instead of attacking me, why don’t you try to improve yourf to attract Differin’s attention more actively? Who knows, maybe upon seeing your efforts, he might take pity on you and give you some attention.”
“Of course, you will have to endure the shame of hanging out with a married man.”
Evelyn laughed lightly.
By contrast, Rachel's clenched fist trembled with humiliation.
Then Evelyn delivered the final blow.
“It would be wise for you to remain silent from now on. It is not out of kindness that I did not tell Devrin about your involvement in the party incident. I am just sticking to that fact for now.”
“Do you think Differin will believe you?”
“Well, it's a good opportunity to test the waters.”
Her tone was full of confidence.
Rachel's face darkened.
She wanted to slap Evelin or throw tea in her face, but they were in the Duke's Palace.
If she did, Evelin would either have a red mark on her face or come out soaked in tea, and Devrin would notice immediately.
But she couldn't sit still. She had to do something to suppress the lava-like anger boiling within her.
Then Rachel noticed Evelyn's perfectly styled brown hair.
'Yes, hair.'
Firmly, Rachel reached out and grabbed Evelyn's hair.
"You wretch who grew up in a Baron's house without a proper upbringing, can't even tell right from wrong. Do you even know who you're talking to? I'm Rachel, the esteemed daughter of the Marquis of Binford."
“With one word, I can make you paralyzed without anyone knowing, even if you are Devrin’s wife.”
The threat of making her paralyzed was an exaggeration. But that didn't matter now.
What matters is to crush and trample this arrogant woman's spirit so that she can never speak out of turn again.
Rachel stared sharply at Evelyn. While her face did not show fear, her silence suggested that she was definitely…
“Ah!”
Evelyn pulled Rachel's hair in return.
Rachel's face twisted in pain, and she screamed.
“Are you crazy?”
Evelyn was pulling much harder than Rachel.
In panic, Rachel opened her eyes wide, but Evelyn did not loosen her grip.
“If someone challenges my beliefs, I will reward them doubly.”
“You... you crazy...!”
Rachel couldn't bear the pain, so she finally let her go first. Evelyn also let Rachel's hair down.
Evelin looked at the strand of platinum blonde hair in her hand and mumbled.
“Oh my god...it looks like your hair is weaker than I thought.”
Rachel's face turned bright red. Just as she was about to scream out loud...
Crackling sound.
The reception room door opened.
From inside, Devrin and Rykal heard Rachel's shrill, scream-like voice.
"There was a noise coming from the reception room. What's going on?"
Dyffrin asked, looking at Evelyn and Rachel. Evelin's hand held a tangled lock of golden hair.
Rachel quickly assessed the situation, and with a face on the verge of tears, reported to Dyffrin.
“Lady Evelyn suddenly grabbed my hair while we were talking. I was so shocked that I screamed.”
Rikal interrupted.
“Lady Evelin would not do such a thing without reason...”
Rachel's gaze turned cold for a moment.
She did not like it when a mere viscount spoke. But with Differin around, she continued her sad act.
“Of course, Lady Evelin might have misunderstood something I said and got upset...that's why...”
“I was trying to remove a bug from Lady Rachel's hair.”
Evelyn interrupted Rachel's words with a deeply apologetic expression.
“I thought Rachel would be startled, so I tried to remove it without saying anything, but the bug hid in her hair, and I accidentally pulled it out.”
Rachel suddenly realized how distraught and angry she felt.
'Where did she come up with such a lie...!'
But Evelyn did not stop there.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Rachel. I heard that a disease that causes hair loss has been spreading among women lately... I didn't know you had it. If I had known, I would have been more careful... I have no excuse."
Even in her most recent actions, Evelyn never used the word “bald.”
Rachel stammered angrily, her face red.
“A disease that causes hair loss...! I do not suffer from such a disease.”
"There's nothing shameful about having an illness, Miss Rachel. I've heard that timely treatment can restore your hair."
“I'm not...!”
Rachel was about to scream when she looked around. She realized that Devrin and Rykal were staring at her.
Feeling more embarrassed than angry, Rachel stopped talking and gathered her things.
“…I have to go back now, my parents might be worried.”
Her face was still red, but Dyffrin didn't bother to stop or console her.
She said goodbye to Rachel at the entrance, and Rachel accompanied her to the carriage in Dyffrin's stead.
When Rikal opened the carriage door, he said:
“If you may allow me to give you some advice, pomegranate fruit is said to be good for hair loss.”
Rachel glared at Rickal angrily before getting into the carriage and slamming the door shut.