At a congratulatory reception for Renee with political elites and rival families, her husband Simon appears in ragged clothes and is immediately shamed by relatives and guests. They call him filthy, demand he stay in a corner, and accuse him of embarrassing the family; Simon protests, "My clothes are clean." The crowd's polite praise for alliances fractures into whispering humiliation. Renee had asked to speak; now surrounded by expectant dignitaries, she rises to make an announcement. She begins, "People, listen to me. There's something I want to announce," leaving the room tense and the episode hanging on her reveal.