RETURN OF THE FEMALE KNIGHT

11. This is the Beginning

Yerim couldn't speak at the sudden focus of attention.

At that moment Marissa's hardened face came into her view. Yerim couldn't forget that this tea party was hosted by one of the most powerful women in southern society. She wouldn't be the one to ruin this.

While Tzuyu and Jennie were distracted by the unexpected development, Yerim quickly took note of the situation. She didn't understand why Lalisa would knock away the teacup, but Yerim quickly improvised a new plan.

She was going to bury the Blaise sisters here. Roseanne had dared to mock her. The humiliation she received today was too much for her to back down now, just after she had added the salt as a trick.

At the sound of the teacup shattering the party had turned dead silent, but now murmuring voices began to fill the air. Everyone's attention was turned to Marissa, who was approaching them to see what had happened.

She arrived right behind Lalisa and was about to ask what was going on when–

"...Heugg.

Suddenly Yerim dissolved into tears.

Tzuyu and Jennie looked the most embarrassed to see her cry. Marissa's face was set as she to look at Lalisa, Roseanne, Tzuyu and Jennie gathered at the table. It was no small issue that Yerim, a noblewoman, was crying at her gathering.

"What is going on here?"

Yerim was the first to answer with a choked voice.

"Lady Lawrence spilled a cup by mistake, and I only asked Blaises to drink tea together as an apology...heugg."

Yerim's eyes were wet with tears as she covered her mouth with both hands. Marissa rushed a handkerchief to Yerim in an attempt to soothe her.

"Oh, dry your tears, young lady."

"Then Lady Blaise knocked the cup to the floor and it broke...I was–I was so embarrassed and hurt..."

Yerim accepted the handkerchief offered by Marissa and wiped her tears away. Then she pretended to hold back her sobs and spoke again.

"Lady Blaise, have I done something wrong?"

She clutched the handkerchief to her heart. The curious crowd turned to Lalisa and Roseanne. Marissa glowered at Lalisa, looking colder than before.

"Lady Blaise, is this true?"

Tzuyu's and Jennie's expressions of worry turned to relief as the situation turned into an advantageous direction. Only Roseanne's face was anxious at the sudden change in mood.

"Um, sister...."

At Roseanne's shaky voice, Lalisa held her sister's small hand. Then Lalisa looked straight at Tzuyu, Jennie, and Yerim in front of her.

The reason why she didn't remember this incident immediately was because she was still relatively young here. In the future where she experienced hardship after her family was killed, the memory of being tricked into drinking salty tea was laughably trivial. When Lalisa worked as a mercenary, she was always at risk of poisoning and even nearly died to it at one point. To drink this cup of salty tea was nothing to lalisa. If she had drank this alone, she would have laughed over it. But...

But not with Roseanne. She could never forgive Yerim tricking her beloved sister into drinking it. If she could wield her sword here, Lalisa would have defeated them with her strength without a single hesitation.

Then she would cut off at least one arm just to teach them a lesson.

However, this was high society, and Lalisa's sword fighting skills were not of help. In this situation she felt more comfortable with strategizing and competing fairly with her skills.