I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS ANYMORE!
MOTHER...
YOU SHOULD AT LEAST RENT ANOTHER HOUSE FOR THAT WOMAN AND SEND HER THERE!
WHY DO I HAVE TO COMPLICATE MY LIFE LIKE THAT?
SHE IS THE WOMAN I LOVE AND HE IS MY SON, YET YOU WANT US TO LIVE APART?
YOU'D BETTER WATCH YOUR OWN STEP.
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR TITLE AS DUCHESS, THAT IS.
IT'S GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE EVEN THE SERVANTS RESPECT CLAIRE MORE THAN THEIR LONGTIME MISTRESS.
HOW DARE YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ME?!
OH MY GOD, NO! LEO!!!
LEO, ARE YOU ALRIGHT? LEO!!!
MOTHER...
CALL A DOCTOR RIGHT THIS INSTANT!
QUIET! ENOUGH OF THESE FOOLISH ANTICS!
YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS SHOWING YOUR FACE AT THE IMPERIAL BANQUET LOOKING LIKE THAT.
STAY HOME AND REFLECT ON YOUR BEHAVIOR. I'LL BE GOING WITH CLAIRE.
N-NO!
IF WE MISS THIS RECEPTION, THERE WON'T BE ANY PLACE LEFT FOR MOTHER AND ME HERE!
FATHER, I CAN GO!
NO, I REALLY WANT TO GO!
PLEASE, AT LEAST TAKE ME WITH YOU!
PLEASE!
I ONLY BROUGHT YOU ALONG BECAUSE OF YOUR STUBBORNNESS. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT STEPPING INSIDE THE BANQUET HALL LOOKING LIKE THAT.
WAIT OUTSIDE UNTIL IT'S ALL OVER.
HELLO, VISCOUNTESS!
WHAT A LOVELY SURPRISE. MY LADY!
IT'S ALL OVER.
THE WEATHER ISABSOLUTELY WANDERFULL TODAY MADAME!
LONG TIME NO SEE!
MOTHER AND I ARE GOING TO BE CAST ASIDE.
WHY ARE YOU CRYING HERE ALL BY YOURSELF?
A GIRL WHOSE NAME I NEVER EVEN GOT TO KNOW...
IF THAT GIRL HAD GROWN UP, WOULD SHE LOOK LIKE THIS WOMAN?
THEY REALLY DO LOOK ALIKE IN SOME WAYS...
NO, IT CAN'T BE HER.
THE GIRL IN MY MEMORIES HAD A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT HAIR COLOR.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!
I THOUGHT WE WERE JUST TREATING THE WOUND!
AND I DID TREAT IT.
WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT WORKS OR NOT IS NONE OF MY CONCERN.
YOUR CHEAP TRICKS MIGHT WORK ON OTHER LADIES, BUT IT WON'T WORK ON ME.
...CHEAP TRICKS, HUH...
THANKS FOR THE HELP, BUT I JUST WANT TO DO MY JOB IN PEACE.
SO PLEASE, STOP MEDDLING IN MY BUSINESS.
BESIDES, I ONLY HAVE ONE DAY LEFT TO WORK HERE ANYWAY.
WHATEVER YOU SAY. SINCE YOU ONLY HAVE A DAY LEFT.
YES, I'M BEGGING YOU.
CHEAP TRICKS...
THE REAL TRICKS START,
WHEN THOSE LITTLE FINGERS...
AND HERE SHE WAS, CLAIMING SHE'S HAD PLENTY OF RELATIONSHIPS.
Yet she acts like an innocent little lamb.
UGH, WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
HE ONLY TOUCHED HIS LIPS TO MY FINGER FOR A SPLIT SECOND.
ahhh, i'm losing it! completely and utterly losing my mind!
WHY CAN'T I GET THIS OUT OF MY HEAD?!
WHEN I WAS LITTLE...
MY PARENTS WOULD ALWAYS KISS MY FOREHEAD WHENEVER I FELT SICK.
OUR LITTLE GIRL HAS A HIGH FEVER.
GET WELL SOON. MOMMY WILL KISS IT AND MAKE IT ALL BETTER.
WITH SUCH TENDER CARE.
WHERE ON EARTH DID HE PICK UP THOSE KISSING TRICKS?
RIGHT, THIS IS ALL JUST BECAUSE OF EXTREME STRESS AND EXHAUSTION.
I'M SO WORN OUT THAT MY HEART ONLY SKIPPED A BEAT BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN......DISPLAY OF AFFECTION.
MISS VIOLETA!!!
A FRIEND OF MINE REALLY WANTS TO MEET YOU.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE LUNCH WITH US?
YES, OF COURSE.
HER NAME IS ISABEL ALVAREZ, AND SHE WORKS IN A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.
SHE WAS SO EAGER TO SEE YOU!
WHAT FOR?
I TOLD HER YOU'RE A RELATIONSHIP CHEAT-SHEET CONSULTANT.
SHE'S DATING SOMEONE RIGHT NOW, SO SHE PROBABLY WANTS TO ASK FOR YOUR ADVICE.
OH, LOOK, THERE SHE IS.
ISABEL! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG? WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR AGES!
HELLO. MY NAME IS ISABEL ALVAREZ.
LADY VIOLETA HERNANDEZ.
In this chapter, tension inside the house escalates; the mother confronts the father, who refuses to live separately from the woman he loves and his son, and she is threatened over the duchess title. It is said that even the servants respect Claire more. Leo is injured, the imperial banquet is attended with Claire, and the child is forced to wait outside and bursts into tears. Meanwhile, Violeta, who treats his wound, is shaken by a kiss placed on her finger and meets Isabel Alvarez at lunch.
