As the carriage stopped in front of the De Clare mansion, Vivian descended, wearing an expensive, yet very reserved and demure, dress. Following her were a group of knights and her personal maid.
Branded as a troublemaker since the last incident—and the few others—Vivian could no longer move around without a heavy security detail following her on every occasion, on orders from Count Julian himself.
Yet, since she was not in a position to be locked in the house, Vivian's participation in the social life of the Elgardish Empire was vital for the success of her business brand. Count Julian understood how critical marketing efforts were to bring new innovations to light, and while Vivian was not planning to be the one doing the marketing, part of her "punishment" was to intensely do her own marketing, no longer relying on Isabella, Valentine, or the Conglomerate promoters.
