“I’m sorry, my lady. I’ll go freeze it again.”

“Ugh, why are there only such dim-witted maids around? I’ll have to hire new ones.”

“Mother. From what I heard, it hasn’t even been half a year since you hired the maids.”

At the implication that she was going to waste money in another pointless place, the Countess opened her eyes sharply. Though it didn’t work on Thea at all.

“Mother, I heard everything from the butler.”

“What?”

At her tone and expression that acted like she knew nothing, exhaustion washed over Thea. At this point, she could comfortably reveal what was on her mind, but the Countess, her mother, was desperate not to expose her shame.

Even to her own daughter.

“The Flutter of a Small Angel.”

“So what about it?”

“You rented it from the Grand Duke’s family, agreeing to pay three hundred gold per month, right? It’s been three months since you brought it into this household. Father was dragged away because you didn’t pay even once during those three months, wasn’t he?”

“No. I definitely brought them three hundred gold every single time! Do you think I would start something without having that kind of money?”

The Countess gulped down the cold water in front of her like her insides were burning, then opened her mouth again.

“I don’t know where something went wrong… I clearly sent three hundred gold the day before yesterday, but the Grand Duke’s family is making excuses that they didn’t receive it.”

“Did you confirm that the Grand Duke’s family actually took it properly?”

At Thea’s question, the Countess seemed to think carefully, then made an aggrieved expression.

“Of course, the Grand Duke’s butler came and took it himself.”

“You received a receipt after handing over the money, right?”

“Of course, dear. It should be in my room right now.”

“Then let’s stop eating and check the receipt first. Whether that receipt really has the Grand Duke family’s seal on it.”

If so, everything could be resolved simply.

Originally, when high-ranking nobles conducted money transactions, small errors were common. Since everyone had great wealth, sometimes they said they hadn’t received it even when they had. 

Thinking a similar incident must have happened this time, Thea urged the Countess, who was still stamping her feet, and when they came into the room.

The room was a complete mess. Like someone had deliberately scattered everything.

The one who reacted to that scene was none other than the Countess.

“Wh-what is this!”

At the shrill scream, the maids who were outside hurried in.

“Countess, what’s wrong!”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Oh my, what is this! The House of Yut has been robbed!”

The last maid to enter briefly explained the situation. At that sight, Thea squeezed her eyes shut and opened them.

For a noble family’s security to be this lax.

“Mother.”

“What is it?”

“Where did you put the receipt?”

“I hid the receipt very deeply. Probably, even a thief couldn’t have taken it.”

The Countess hurried toward the dressing room and stopped walking in the place where the most miscellaneous items were piled up.

The Countess hugged one of the boxes to her chest.

That was the box the Countess had brought when she married into the family. It was a very shabby, moldy box, and no one seemed to have thought she would put the receipt in there.

The maids’ expressions changed subtly.

From that scene, Thea could tell the receipt was safe. If the closest maids had those expressions, whoever played thief would feel the same way.

“Mother, hurry and open it.”

“Yes, let’s do that. Anyway, this box is set up so only you and I can open it.”

At the words that it couldn’t be opened unless you were the mother or her direct blood relative, an older-looking maid made a disappointed expression.

‘So it’s you.’

That was her. The culprit who caused this mess. She must have worked in this household for quite a while, so why did she do it? Even at a glance, the current situation wouldn’t benefit that old veteran.

No matter how much she thought about it, her brow furrowed at the reality that didn’t make sense when the Countess’s bright voice was heard.

“Here it is! Thea, look carefully. It’s definitely the Grand Duke family’s seal, right?”

At the urging, Thea stealthily checked the seal.

“Yes, it is.”

It was the Grand Duke family’s seal. And it was the Grand Duchess’s seal at that.

‘Why did this happen?’

They just needed to take the money. She wondered why they caused such an incident when there was nothing to gain from a poor count’s family in the first place.

As Thea’s expression changed for the worse, the Countess clasped her hands together and glanced at her.

Since words didn’t immediately follow, she seemed anxious and didn’t know what to do.

“Mother.”

“Yes, go ahead and speak.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll speak well when I have an audience with the Grand Duchess tomorrow with this receipt.”

“You’re going to step forward and speak?”

“Then are you going to step forward and speak, Mother? She definitely won’t listen.”

Even though both were count families, the difference between Yut and Winter was immense. Yut had little more than its name, while Winter possessed both wealth and power. It was obvious to anyone that it would be better for Thea to take the lead.

“Everyone pretend you didn’t see or hear what happened today.”

“Yes, listen to Thea.”

“The same goes for you, Mother. You can’t go anywhere and say that Count Yut was dragged away by the Grand Duchess.”

“I absolutely won’t say anything.”

At the repeated promise, Thea finally smiled and left first. She didn’t want to stay in a stuffy and dizzying place any longer.

After walking for a while, the place she arrived at was a hill where fireflies roamed.

Since it was a place only those in the know visited, it was a good place to be alone with her thoughts.

Thea took a huge breath and exhaled on the hill where the wind blew gently.

Finally, it felt like she could breathe. How could there not be a single day that passed without a problem?

Beyond her blurry vision, the House of Yut’s mansion looked precarious today—that must be her imagination.

She was comforting herself that the feeling that it could collapse at any moment was all just delusion when—

She never expected another guest to visit this secret place.

“Thea.”

At the tone filled with loneliness, she gently stroked her long hair with her hand. She wondered why he was speaking with emotions like he’d been betrayed.

Rather, she was the one who should feel such emotions.

When she didn’t answer the name called in this incomprehensible reality, the uninvited guest who stepped one step closer began to gently prod her again.

“Why didn’t you reply? I kept waiting.”

“You’re the one who came without any notice. Not replying means I don’t want to meet you.”

“Didn’t you miss me? We haven’t seen each other for a whole week.”

“It’s only been a week since we haven’t seen each other. When did we ever face each other frequently?”

In an atmosphere that seemed like she would pick things apart meticulously, Thea cut off the conversation at once. And she thought he wasn’t the type to come to this mansion without notice, yet there was a sense that he’d shown excessive kindness.

“Acel. Did you not like the last words I left? Is that why you keep creating meetings like this?”

“That’s not it.”

“If that’s not it, then don’t come any closer. Our ending is already decided.”

The time we should face each other wasn’t here, but at the temple to see each other’s faces for divorce. He couldn’t be unaware of that fact.

When she stared at him like asking why he came here, he replied with a face full of exhaustion.

“You know that’s not what I want to say. Now it’s time to come back. To my side.”

“To… your side.”

“Yes, it’s time to return to where you originally should be.”

At Acel’s words about where she originally should be, her body stiffened.

A place to return to. Wasn’t she leaving to find a new nest because she had nowhere to go?

Yet now his hand pulling her like it was natural was ridiculous.

Was he feeling regretful now that she was trying to leave?

At Acel’s absurd behavior, Thea said with veins bulging in her neck.

“Why, did you think I was a caught fish but I’m not, so you’re getting thirsty?”

“What are you saying?”

“Or are your nights lonely? I know you have quite a few women to keep your bed warm… They must not have been as good as me.”

Nothing was scarier than physical intimacy. She thought carelessly that just like she thought of him every night, he must do the same.

“Am I wrong?”

“I can’t say you’re wrong, but it doesn’t seem like something to bring up here, my lady.”

To him reproaching her in disgust, Thea opened her eyes wide. If it wasn’t that, she wondered if there was another reason.

“Ah, right. I should go back. The debt on my body isn’t just a penny or two. Before we were husband and wife, we were debtor and creditor, weren’t we?”

It wasn’t sarcasm but words without any emotion, truly like she’d realized reality, and Acel’s expression changed into a mess that couldn’t crumple any further.

“My lady, your words are too harsh.”

He raised his voice and let out a deep sigh. He was glad she wasn’t like a doll, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to be this broken.

Something was wrong with Thea. Very wrong.

In a situation where he couldn’t even grasp where to start turning things back, he decided to get through this moment first.

“Why are debtor and creditor coming up? We’re both Winters. I must look like I’m going to collect money from you.”

At the tone full of displeasure, Thea clutched her stomach.

“Ha, ha, ha!”

After making deflated sounds, when she finally turned her body back to its place, she let out a crumbling laugh.

It had been a long time since she’d watched such a funny, ridiculous, desperate-looking play.

She couldn’t understand why the person who caused it was acting like they were the victim. All of this was h*ll that you created.

Thea slowly turned her back to look at him.

“Why are you trying to make me carry guilt? What… did I do so wrong to you?”

I just fulfilled my duty as a wife.

It was the same now.

“No matter how much time passes, I don’t think I’ll be able to understand you.”

I could pretend to understand, but perfectly understanding was impossible.

And even if you pretend it’s not true now, the past won’t change—you can’t not know that, so why do you keep pretending it’s not?

Thea raised one hand to cover her vision, feeling like her eyes would become bloodshot.

If she didn’t do this, she felt like she’d really go crazy.

The humiliation and betrayal she felt after coming to her family home, which she thought was a fortress where she could rest, came and went every time she blinked, and she wanted to shout that you don’t know me gasping for breath like I’m about to suffocate, but she swallowed it again.

No matter how much she said, it wouldn’t get through.