This doesn’t make what you did—neglecting me—disappear, does it?

If words could erase everything, she wouldn’t be this exhausted.

Unable to understand his behavior today, Thea pressed her lips shut and stared at him.

She wondered what he hoped to gain by pulling this ridiculous stunt.

But soon she understood the reason. Why he was so flustered was clear.

“Are you trying to be nice now because you’re afraid I won’t take care of your father anymore?”

“Why would you say such a thing…”

“If that’s not it, there’s no need to be affectionate. Don’t worry about your father. I’m already looking for a suitable caregiver—I should find one within the week.”

At her steely resolve to never return to how things were, Acel swallowed hard. What a misunderstanding.

He’d simply said the room wasn’t ready yet because he didn’t like how musty it was, but she seemed to take it like he was finding fault with her.

He couldn’t even tell where things went wrong anymore.

‘Even if I say it’s a misunderstanding…’

She wouldn’t listen. No, she wouldn’t have listened even if he explained.

Just when Acel’s throat tightened at this disastrous reality of his own making, Dr. Brown came rushing breathlessly into the bedroom.

“Madam, you’ve arrived?”

“Yes, just now.”

“Perfect timing. I wanted to see you.”

His face brightened like someone meeting their savior, and Thea understood why Dr. Brown had come here.

The fact that he’d come on a day he wasn’t scheduled meant either something major had happened to her father-in-law, or his mind had deteriorated so badly that Dr. Brown had no choice but to come.

Judging by his expression, it seemed to be the latter.

Thea asked, her face showing complete exasperation.

“Why are you… gasping for breath like this? What’s going on?”

“Now that you’ve returned, Madam, I came to ask what I should do about the former Count.”

She fell silent at his request for instructions. This wasn’t what she’d expected. She needed time to understand what he meant.

But that lasted only a moment.

Soon she understood and gave Dr. Brown the answer he wanted.

“You must be worried about how to give my father-in-law his medicine. Makes sense—things would still be following my last orders, so you’d have reason to worry.”

When Thea replied indifferently, Dr. Brown shook his head quickly.

That wasn’t it.

Watching this sequence of events, she finally let out a bitter laugh, slowly looked between Dr. Brown and Acel, and realized their true intentions.

Both wore similar expressions—it would be strange not to notice.

The doctor wanted to hear her say she’d continue caring for her father-in-law.

And so did Acel.

“This place never changes. It really never changes… I’m sick of it.”

With every step, painful traces of the past fluttered up, and she saw a parade of idiots who couldn’t do anything without her.

“Sick of it… Madam.”

Once again, he glanced at Dr. Brown, suggesting there were too many eyes watching. Thea responded without her usual ladylike restraint.

“Why? Isn’t it sickening enough? I’m not a saint or the Virgin Mary—how can I serve with a smile?”

“That’s not what I meant, Madam.”

Wasn’t he telling her to quietly do her job like she always had?

“Honey, I’m human too. I can’t live like a dead mouse forever. I think I told you this last time?”

When exhausted, people react. She’d endured everything for his sake until now, but not anymore.

Her body might be bound here, but her heart had already flown far beyond the cage.

‘Whatever he says…’

Would it even reach her? Pleasant words only worked once. Repeated too many times, they became nothing but noise. Why didn’t he understand that?

His words sounded like nothing but noise to her.

When she turned her gaze back to Dr. Brown—

She saw him dripping with sweat. Probably because of the cold atmosphere flowing between the couple.

There was no reason to drag an outsider into their fight, so she softened her expression and said, “From now on, a new caregiver will come, so ask them. They’ll probably answer much more kindly and professionally than me.”

“You’re saying you’ll hire a caregiver?”

To Dr. Brown’s flustered question, she raised her chin like there was no problem. Honestly, this shouldn’t be unexpected.

“Why? Is there an issue?”

“No, it’s not that, but… isn’t this rather sudden?”

“You heard me earlier—I can’t keep clinging to this forever. I hurt my wrist caring for Father and couldn’t use my hand for quite a while.”

At her words about needing to live her own life, the doctor fell silent. He wanted to argue, but the atmosphere was too rigid for objections.

Arguments and rebuttals were useless cards in the current situation anyway. The person in question wouldn’t listen.

When the lady of a household left for a long time and returned, everyone instinctively recognized she wasn’t the same as before.

Yet those who pretended not to notice and played dumb were utterly ridiculous.

Did they think they could turn their backs on such an obvious reality?

It was time to show them they couldn’t.

“Of course. I can’t let my pretty hands get more damaged. Lately, whenever a cold wind blows, my knuckles ache so much I don’t think I can wring towels in cold water anymore.”

She raised her slightly plumper hand from the Yut estate and waved it gently in the air for them to see. Even to them, her current hands must look quite lovely and beautiful.

The hands that were always soaked in foul medicine and frozen in cold water were nowhere to be seen—of course they’d be pretty.

Why hadn’t she done this sooner?

These were hands that would recover after just a few days of rest, yet she’d overworked them terribly.

Hadn’t she learned painfully at the Yut estate that sacrificing herself until her body broke down for the family’s sake was foolish?

All sacrifice earned was being sold to another family or treated like a convenient disposable item.

Never, never would she return to those days.

‘Why would I go back to that state?’

She bit down hard and looked at the two men who couldn’t say a word. Both seemed extremely uncomfortable with this situation.

Because something they’d never experienced was happening before them.

This was reality. No matter how much they shouted or got angry, nothing changed.

‘They were just pretending not to know…’

She thought they’d merely covered their eyes, but they kept pushing in. How far into the abyss were they trying to drag her?

* * *

Three days after the small argument.

Thea paused while organizing documents at her office desk and mulled over what had happened last time.

Dr. Brown couldn’t withstand their icy atmosphere and fled, saying he’d come back another time, and Acel also escaped the scene with the excuse of having work left.

“What was I hoping for?”

What did she expect to come from Acel’s mouth?

Kind words? A gentle smile?

“…How ridiculous.”

To hope for affection from someone she shouldn’t expect it from.

A few days apart seemed to have created strange expectations, so she decided to take a walk.

Clearing her head might help a bit.

And the weather looked pleasantly cool—perfect for walking.

Thea reached for the coat hanging on the rack when her casually turned gaze caught sight of beautifully wrapped bread and snacks.

Three days ago, late at night.

A gift had come to Thea when she was about to go to bed. The butler brought it, and what had he said at the time?

That Acel had personally stood in line to buy it?

“I’d have to be able to believe that.”

She knew well he wasn’t someone who’d stand in line to buy a gift for anyone.

Yet supposedly, for his wife’s gift, at a crowded bakery—

At a place swarming with commoners, he’d stood there.

Anyone who knew his usual behavior would scoff. Forget disliking crowded places—he didn’t like mixing with commoners.

Maybe that’s why she couldn’t bring herself to touch it.

At best, it seemed like he was telling her to eat and get back to work. If someone else had given this gift, she would’ve tasted it long ago…

Thea placed a lukewarm gaze on the wrapping, then turned away without regret, left the room, and came down the stairs with quick steps.

The whole way down, the statue still seemed to watch her, but unlike before, she didn’t feel embarrassed or want to hide.

Maybe because she thought of this as a place she’d leave anyway. It just felt like a statue standing there.

The moment she stepped beyond the entrance to go outside, someone urgently called for Thea from behind.

“Madam, where are you?”

It seemed wrong for a walk. She let out a deep sigh and turned around to find the butler drenched in sweat.

“What is it?”

“You need to come for a moment.”

At his request to come without explanation, Thea frowned slightly but quickly agreed.

“I can’t stay long. I was just about to go for a walk.”

“It probably won’t even take ten minutes.”

“Then I suppose I should go. Where to?”

At her question, the butler kept wiping his sweat with his hand as he replied.

“The sickbed where the former Count lies.”

“Father asked for me?”

“He didn’t ask, but I thought you should go, so I mentioned it.”

From his answer, Thea understood it wasn’t an emergency. If it wasn’t urgent, she didn’t want to face him, but seeing the butler’s flustered state, she felt she had no choice but to go.

“I’ll go since you’re asking, but there’s nothing I can handle for him.”

“Still, it will be great comfort to the master.”

“I suppose so. He thinks so highly of me that just seeing my face would please him.”

For better or worse, they’d seen each other’s faces constantly. He’d want to see her since they hadn’t met recently. She nodded and soon found herself standing before the sickbed.

She saw wrists and fingers thin like dried twigs, and a head made bare from severe hair loss.

“Father.”

When Thea’s low voice wrapped around the sickbed, his tightly closed eyes opened and began searching through hazy pupils.

Even at this scene, she stood silently, and her father-in-law’s voice, ready to break, tickled her ears.

“A-Acel. Where are you, my boy?”

“Father. He’s not coming. I’ve told you many times.”

“I have something… I need to say.”