For quite a while, Michelle talked with other Young Ladies and slowly made them believe that after losing her memories, she was gullible and easy to use.
All the Young Ladies might have been kind to her while she interacted with them, but Michelle couldn't be more sure that all of them hated her. But Michelle didn't mind it. For those she wanted to befriend, she could do it, and with those she only wanted to use she didn't care whether they liked or hated her.
While talking, Michelle kept up the gullible appearance and acted innocent, swaying the hearts of the Young Ladies she wanted to befriend and at the same time, slowly manipulating those who hated her, so they would direct their hatred at "someone else".
Very quickly, a circle was formed around Michelle out of Young Ladies who weren't really from powerful families, but were competent and had quite the influence in the social circle. Having been an assassin in her past life, Michelle had mastered the art of deceit and seduction to be able to trick and lure her targets, so swaying the Young Ladies was just a small warm up for her.
The Young Ladies who slowly started to feel closer to Michelle, started asking her more and more questions and slowly, laughter filled the circle until they started talking about the Crown Prince.
Michelle perfectly acted clueless and ashamed "because of the three Young Ladies who came to cause trouble for her before the Emperor entered the banquet hall". Having already grown closer with Michelle a bit, one of the girls, Ivona Beltrez, nearly blew up in anger when she remembered the three Young Ladies, but she contained it and didn't go confront them.
But still feeling angry, she turned her gaze towards the Crown Prince's lover, Leonia Phelerion.
Leonia Phelerion was well known in the high society for being kind and sweet, and everyone was good to her, but unlike her delusions that she actually held some power, she was completely powerless in the social circles of all scheming Young Ladies and Madams.
Ivona Beltrez decided to use this fact to vent her anger, and make things difficult for the Crown Prince, who "dared to traumatize and hurt" Michelle.
Michelle raised an eyebrow as she saw Ivona's expression change. From the start, Michelle found Ivona quite similar to herself and genuinely wanted to befriend her, so she gave Ivona a few signals, letting her know that Michelle was only acting and wanted to talk with Ivona privately later, and it was clear that Ivona understood these signs clearly, but for some reason, she started acting as if she was completely fooled by Michelle's façade, and was about to slap the Crown Prince and his lover.
Michelle kept her gaze on Ivona's back as Ivona walked towards Leonia Phelerion with an enigmatic smile, looking happy and ready to male friends, but Michelle could see that it was just a façade. Ivona was just like Michelle, wearing a mask to trick people to act like she wanted.
Unlike Michelle, all the other Young Ladies were worried about Ivona, because they didn't understand what she was up to. When they saw her smiling at Leonia Phelerion, they all felt confused.
Some had guesses that she was turning her back on Michelle, and some, who were a bit closer to her than the others, were guessing that she was planning to cause some trouble, but were worried about her, since Leonia Phelerion was the Crown Prince's lover, and he would definitely protect her if something "happened to her".
When Ivona reached Leonia Phelerion, she glanced at Michelle for a moment with her eyes narrowed into a meaningful smile. Then, she spoke up. "Hello, My Lady!" Ivona smiled kindly, but her eyes remained so cold that Leonia Phelerion felt a cold shiver run down her spine in fear, but she couldn't explain why.
"I have a concern I wish to speak about with you..." Ivona continued speaking while her eyes were constantly cold, causing Leonia Phelerion to choke on fear. She was about to collapse as she was already turning pale, but suddenly, a soft jade-like hand touched her shoulder. When she looked back, she saw the face she abhorred so much because it was more beautiful than hers.
The clear akin without a single pebble or impurity. The rosy lips just asking to be kissed. The naturally long and thick eyelashes and eyebrows. And that gullible expression. All that made Leonia Phelerion want to hurl in envy and jealousy.
Her complexion was no longer pale, and all the fear she felt from Ivona disappeared. Her face turned red in anger, and her eyes turned dark with venom. She no longer acted like the sweet Young Lady she was known as. And all that was seen by the Emperor and Empress.
Both of them being experienced, they knew about Leonia Phelerion hiding her true self behind a mask, but they never thought that her true face would be so drastic, for her eyes to spill so much venom even when trying to contain it. At the same time they both glanced at the Crown Prince and then at each other, wordlessly asking each other if they should step it or let it be.
Standing behind Leonia Phelerion, Michelle had a gentle smile on her face as she had her hand placed over Leonia's shoulder. "My Lady, you look a bit pale. Are you okay?" Michelle feigned concern and asked, acting like she didn't recognize Leonia.
Seeing Michelle's gullible expression, a twisted idea appeared in Leonia's mind, but before she could say something, Ivona spoke. "My Lady, I didn't know you were feeling sick. Please apologize for my rudeness. We can discuss the concern some other time." As Ivona spoke, her discreet cold gaze caused Leonia to instantly remember the fear and go pale again.
At the same moment as Ivona directed her cold and dominant gaze on Leonia, Michelle did the same from behind, letting Leonia feel so much terror that she nearly fainted. She swayed back a bit and nearly fell, bit her back crashed into Michelle.
"My Lady!" Michelle's eyes widened in perfect act of concern. "You should sit down! Lady Ivona, please help me support her!" she grabbed Leonia under her shoulder and "supported" her a bit, but at the same time, she intensified the coldness in her eyes, mixing even a bit of blood thirst into it.
Seeing what Michelle did, Ivona was a bit surprised. She herself couldn't exclude blood thirst, so she only intensified the coldness in her eyes as she too stepped forward to "support" Leonia.
Feeling blood thirst from one side and piercing coldness from the other, Leonia couldn't even speak. That attracted the attention of everyone and as Michelle and Ivona "led" Leonia to sit down on a sofa, the Crown Prince rushed there.