As soon as the Empress made her introduction and requested an explanation, Valentina was smart enough to not wait around and try to taunt her guests. The atmosphere was heavy with a sense of tension and it was clear that, even if these people weren't here to help her, antagonising them wouldn't fix anything either. Instead, the Archduchess decided to be as forthright as she could, all while avoiding discussion of some less obvious things.
The truth was, the fewer people trusted with the full story, the better. Even if the plots and machinations might threaten everyone at the table, it was unlikely that the dukes would pass up an opportunity to take advantage of Valentina's weaknesses. Who was to say if anyone there was already aligned with those working in the background, but even if they weren't, that didn't mean that anyone present could be trusted.
