Cordelia looked at Alicia, who was smiling mockingly, with indifferent eyes. Alicia wasn’t even a blood relative—merely the wife of her father-in-law’s closest aide.

And yet, in this household, she played the role of an unofficial sister-in-law and always spoke in this kind of roundabout tone.

She would sneer indirectly, speak as if she didn’t want what she clearly desired, and twist her words.

If someone were to ask whether all nobles were like that, Cordelia would have disagreed.

Speaking in a roundabout way was meant to refuse or offer something without offending the other party. But mocking someone else—regardless of status—was simply wrong.

“Has the formal dinner already begun, Alicia?”

“Hehe. Oh, no, not really.”

Only then did Alicia’s hazy green eyes sharpen. She began silently scoring everything Cordelia wore from head to toe.

“Cordelia, you were born into a far more distinguished count’s family, weren’t you? Lord Richard adores you for being such a refined and well-bred daughter-in-law.”

“……”

“So, you should make an effort to show your face early and be helpful to the family. Especially when you haven’t contributed much.”

Richard’s wife had passed away young, leaving no children. Honestly, if Lucas hadn’t shown up, it was possible that Alicia’s husband could’ve inherited the business as Richard’s closest aide.

From Alicia’s point of view, Lucas’s return had stripped her husband of Richard’s favoritism.

And then came Cordelia—bearing the Hastings name—who further fed Alicia’s inferiority complex.

No matter how ruined her finances were, a count’s daughter-in-law was still a source of pride for the family.

In the beginning, Cordelia tried not to let Alicia’s constant, petty jabs get to her.

“Even if there are internal factions within the family, I still wanted us to get along—at least on the surface.”

Having grown up as an only child, Cordelia secretly longed for the kind of close sisterly bond she could rely on. This made Alicia’s sharp personality all the more hurtful.

Nevertheless, Cordelia kept quiet for as long as she could.

She let out a cold sigh. She had tried not to reveal her sense of betrayal towards her husband in front of others, but her patience was wearing thin.

“Alicia. I apologize if my late arrival disrupted any preparations. But you don’t need to remind me of your own family’s position just to make a point.”

“What? When did I ever do that, Cordelia? I—”

“If you don’t remember, that’s fine. I only hope that, from now on, you won’t.”

Alicia’s face flushed red as her eyes widened in fury.

Though Cordelia outwardly appeared like a graceful woman who overlooked the trivialities of the world, Alicia had quickly realized something.

Cordelia had a soft nature—one that made her offer gifts out of guilt or step in to handle annoying household tasks on Alicia’s behalf.

She had enjoyed the comfort of Cordelia’s considerate nature all this time, but this was the first time she had been called out so bluntly to her face.

“Cordelia, are you implying that I—”

But just as they reached the end of the stairs.

“Welcome, Lucas. Cordelia.”

The very root of this subtle underground rivalry, her father-in-law, appeared with a cheerful grin.

With stylishly graying blond hair swept back and sharp blue eyes, the middle-aged man opened his arms to greet the couple.

Cordelia felt a chill of fear and betrayal at the thought of how much Lucas resembled that seasoned smile.

“It’s been a while, Cordelia. Have you been well?”

“It has been a while, Richard. Have you been keeping well?”

“Of course! Seeing my beloved daughter-in-law lifts my spirits. Come now, let’s go in.”

Richard pulled Cordelia away from Alicia’s arm and personally escorted her into the house.

Cordelia could feel Alicia’s sharp glare burning into her back.

This kind of attention from her father-in-law was nothing short of dreadful for Cordelia.

After all, he was the one who had benefited most from the downfall of her family.

The fact that she had ever been intimidated by such a man, and felt flustered by Alicia’s inferiority-driven remarks, made her feel increasingly foolish.

‘How pathetic I must have looked, trying to adapt and accept this family as my own.’

The mansion she once admired for its brilliance now appeared to her as nothing more than a place dressed in greed and deceit.

And today was no exception.

In the most luxurious dining room, an extravagant full-course meal with more than ten dishes was prepared—for just five people.

‘Even for a family dinner, this is excessive.’

Even as the daughter of a count, she had never experienced such extravagance within her own family. But this was Richard’s style, so there was nothing to be done.

As the course reached the point of steaks dripping with blood, her father-in-law slowly set things in motion.

“Come to think of it, hasn’t it already been your first wedding anniversary, Lucas?”

“Yes, Father, it has.”

“I’ve prepared a gift. Take it with you on your way home. And Cordelia, congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

‘Here it comes.’

Cordelia broke out in a cold sweat inside, but forced a calm smile toward her father-in-law.

“Haha. I hope your newlywed days with my son have been joyful. May a baby boy who takes after both of you be born into that household soon—I shall pray for it.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

“It might be a bit embarrassing, but I’ve also included some health supplements in the gift. I hope you’ll like them.”

“Yes…”

It was something she had heard several times even before their wedding anniversary.

Normally, she would’ve dismissed it as nothing more than a father-in-law’s blessing, but now, now, the thought crept in that this man could probably take a life and still act as if nothing had happened.

That realization sent a chill down her spine, making her fear him anew.

If Lucas had contributed to the growth of this family, then in what manner had he done so?

And to what extent had Richard supported such methods, regardless of how wrong they were?

Cordelia silently wrung the napkin in her hands.

But the attention focused on her soon shifted to the couple seated to Richard’s right.

“But Lucas here has been steadily climbing the ladder.”

Richard said, his reprimand punctuated by a sharp click of his tongue. At those words, Randolph flinched, his eyes blazing as he shot a deadly glare at Lucas.

“Lucas successfully handled the oil business, but you—lately, it seems you’ve done nothing worth mentioning.”

“Lord Richard—!”

“Even the wine business I entrusted to you. Prohibition’s been lifted, so why is the recovery so sluggish?”

“T-that’s because…”

“Sigh. Things went well when Lucas was still involved, but now that you’re handling it alone, it seems you’re having trouble.”

With just a single sigh from Richard, both Randolph and Alicia turned pale.

Watching this unfold made Cordelia feel like she was going to be sick but Lucas didn’t let the mood pass unchallenged.

“Don’t be too harsh on him, Father. They say great things take time to grow. Maybe Randolph is simply gathering strength for something grand.”

“You, Lucas—!”

“Come now, a toast to Randolph!”

Lucas threw Randolph a sparkling eye-smile as he raised his glass.

‘What are you looking at, you idiot?’

His mocking smirk seemed to say it all, and the sight of Randolph grinding his teeth in humiliation was deliciously satisfying.

However, when his gaze shifted toward his noble wife beside him, the smile faded.

‘Honestly. What self-control.’

She had clearly caught the subtext of the old man’s words—yet her expression didn’t waver.

No sign of paling, no trembling.

With her long neck, upright posture, and slightly lowered brows, she was an elegant woman with not even a single crack showing.

She’d been like that since he was fourteen—elegant to the bone.

Naturally, he should’ve been used to it, but something about it stirred a slow boil inside him.

Especially since she so easily left behind the wedding ring he gave her.

Eventually, the main course ended, and by the time le fromage was served, Richard spoke again, casually yet firmly.

“Once the meal is over, Lucas, come to my study. There’s something important we need to discuss.”

***

While father and son were away, the room with the two women of the household was nothing short of an icy battlefield.

Cordelia’s stomach was already churning from earlier—from that harmonious slaughterhouse her father-in-law had so enthusiastically kept stoking.

‘I’m not even pregnant, but it feels like I’m practicing for morning sickness.’

While she was lost in that absurd thought, Alicia who had been staring at her with cold, hard eyes in silence finally curled her lips into a smile.

“Ha. Unbelievable.”

Normally, she would’ve tried to maintain her dignity in some unspoken competition with Cordelia. But in this moment, her anger had clearly peaked enough to let the sarcasm drip without restraint.

“Cordelia! No matter how much Lord Richard dotes on you, how could you be so clueless?”

“Pardon?”

“I understand that you come from a noble family, but really now. Did your tutor never teach you how to read a room?”