the atmosphere between phileine and the other people is hostile at the gala. except for gulpje, phileine has offended everybody else. even max is furious at her because he finds out she has slept with lt. eventually phileine realizes why everyone is mad at her. she gets on the stage and delivers a speech in which she says sorry for the first time in her life to everyone who she has treated rudely. she ends the speech with: "sorry that i exist."