Countess Emmanuelâs evening party was a big success.\n\nThe topic, of course, was the hunt that took place at Grand Meryl-Anne the other day. Everybody was eager to hear the anecdote about how others took turns to target the cornered little foxes with their hunting rifles. As the cherry on top, Pamela Francisâ hair had apparently turned as white as an old womanâs overnight. It was obvious that this was simply an exaggeration to liven up the venue, but if you looked at it from another perspective, this meant that âââ it was okay to joke about Pamela like so. Emilia laughed her heart out. That cheeky girl had fallen to being just a loser.\n\nHowever, what she couldnât understand was Constance Grail. The guests of that evening party were making a fuss about how that dull Viscountâs daughter was almost like Scarlet herself. What a joke.\n\nNo other person like Scarlet Castiel could exist in this world.\n\nShe was the lowest, the worst âââ and the most special of all.\n\nWell, whatever. Emilia shook her head to get rid of her idle thoughts. Those things didnât matter anymore. After all, the person herself was long dead.\n\nOnly those who survived would be the winners in life. Emilia thought so strongly. That was why she was the winner. She had grasped the happiness in her hands. By the time she had become Emilia Caroling, she had achieved more than Lily Orlamunde, who she couldnât even dream to match up to before, and of course, more than the infamous Scarlet Castiel.\n\nShe sent the invitation to the foolishly honest Grails. If the girl in the center of the recent scandal attended her evening party, things would definitely end up livelier. The worldly-minded guests would surely greatly appreciate Emilia Gordwinâs capabilities.\n\n\n\nâGood day, Emilia.â\n\nIt was Aisha Huxley who called out to her suddenly. She was wearing dark eyeshadow and bright red lipstick, and her body was as thin as a stick like usual. Ten years ago, she was a gloomy girl with face full of freckles, who always used to look down, but people really did change with time. There was not even a shadow left from the fanatical girl, who once used to devotedly worship Scarlet.\n\nâGood day, Aisha âââ Oh my?â\n\nWhen she returned the greeting, she noticed a gentleman standing close to Aisha. It was a handsome man with a slender figure. Seeing that Emilia was lost for words, fufufu, Aisha laughed with satisfaction. âDid you notice?â She tilted her purposefully.\n\nâHe is myâŠclose person.â\n\nEmilia could barely squeeze out âis that soâ as a reply to Aisha, who seemed very much proud.\n\nâââ\n\nLike Emilia, Aisha was also married. She had a son and a daughter. Before her marriage she was the daughter of Earl Spencer, but now she had married into the family of Viscount Huxley. In other words, her position wasnât much different from Emilia, who was a Baroness. Rather, Gordwin family was more well-off and even in terms of appearance, Emilia was much more charming than the sickly skinny Aisha. Then, why âââ\n\nWhile she was in the hall, stirring a cocktail, Emilia noticed the man in question. He had eye-catching good looks and sophisticated bearing. She couldnât help following his every move with her eyes.\n\nAisha didnât reveal the manâs identity to Emilia. He was probably a semi-noble with low status. No, he mightâve even been a commoner. Even when she thought of it like this, it didnât make Emiliaâs mood better. It was frustrating. How could somebody like Aisha catch such a fine man? If it was her, sheâd âââ by the time she had noticed it, she had already left her empty glass to the waiter and was following the man.\n\nShe went up the stairs and came to the deserted corridor. Just as she was about to call out to him, Emilia noticed that there was a prior guest. She reflexively hid behind the pillar. It wasnât Aisha. This person was a more alluring and beautiful woman. Emilia slightly opened her eyes wide and smiled devilishly âââ See? Itâs just as I thought!\n\nAs expected, there was no way anybody could be serious about a woman like Aisha.\n\nWith the same feeling as tearing off a butterflyâs wings, Emilia decided to watch over the situation. Leaning against the man, the woman put her mouth close to his ear and whispered as if sighing.\n\nâââKilliki Killikuk\n\nThe man narrowed his eyes at those words and his mouth drew into a smile. His boney fingers traced the womanâs earlobe. As they came close enough to kiss, gazing into each otherâs eyes, the man muttered something. The woman nodded. Still smiling, the man went in for the kiss. Forehead., cheeks, neck. Then, pulling her deeply opened neckline towards himself, he brough his lips to the womanâs chest.\n\nâOh my, how enthusiastic.â A tattoo of the Sun could be seen on the womanâs slightly exposed white breast. Seeing that, Emilia judged that the woman mightâve been a harlot. In that case, this mightâve just been the way their meetings were done.\n\nEmilia immediately lost her interest. The moment she was about to turn away, she caught glimpse of something shiny from the edge of her vision.\n\nIs that âââ a small bottle?  \n\nAfter the man put a small bottle the size of a pinky in the womanâs cleavage with an experienced gesture, he quickly separated from her. The woman also smiled and fixed her disheveled collar. Then, the two turned their backs to each other as if nothing had happened and went on their ways. \n\nâââI wonder what was that just now?\n\nHowever, the question disappeared as soon as it appeared. More important than that was the fact that Aishaâs man was having a tryst with a younger and more beautiful woman. She had to tell this to Aisha as soon as possible. As her friend, of course.\n\nWhen she suddenly lifted her face, Emilia realized that the woman was about to walk towards her with a composed face. She didnât know the womanâs name, but it was probably the same for the other person too. Their eyes met only for a second and they went past each other without a single greeting.\n\nAt the moment when they passed each other, a nostalgic sickly-sweet smell tickled Emiliaâs nostrils.\n\nâ\n<b>Notes:</b>\nThe word used for close person is actually ć„œăæč, so, technically, itâs something like âmy good personâ (?), I guess? So, a lover but without actually saying that itâs a lover? Or you know, âmy favoriteâ, something like that.\nOkay, Iâm actually not sure about the tryst part. The original says âă ăšăăăăăăŻăăăăè¶ŁćăȘăźă ăăâ. According to jisho, è¶Łć is âa plan, idea, design, plotâ, so I think Emilia thinks that since sheâs a prostitute, all this kissing and stuff is just what she does with all her clients and not just this guy specificallyâŠmaybe? Feel free to @me if you know a better translation for this line. \n\nSo Emilia can hear the woman whispering something, but she canât hear it when the man does it. Hmm.\n\n\n|| Table of Contents || \n