“Surely, you didn’t think I’d be intimidated by such a low-level threat, did you?”

Zeroph Mellet clearly didn’t understand Aneta’s character—at all.

It was no surprise, given that he had never shown his face before, suddenly appearing and claiming to be her grandfather.

“Baron Mellet, let me make this clear. I have no intention of complying with your demands, no matter how dirty your tactics may be. So go ahead and do as you wish. But you’ll have to deal with the consequences yourself.”

Aneta not only reaffirmed her position but also issued a warning. Then, as if she had nothing more to say, she turned away.

“I won’t be seeing you off. Farewell.”

“Y-you… you!”

Zeroph Mellet, his forehead veins bulging in anger, pointed a shaking finger at her retreating and shouted. But Aneta, accompanied by Tyr, left the drawing room without a second glance.

As soon as the door closed, crude curses erupted from inside. Aneta, however, paid no attention and continued walking.

She desperately wanted to see Carlos.

***

The time she spent face-to-face with Zeroph Mellet hadn’t been long, yet it felt like it had drained her of all her energy.

It was likely due to the mental strain he had caused. Still, what drove her to hurry toward the palace was one thing—Carlos.

Fueled by the sole desire to see his face, Aneta forced her heavy, reluctant steps forward.

As time passed, her nerves grew increasingly frayed. But the sharp edges piercing her heart melted away when she saw Carlos’s face.

The instant Aneta closed the door and entered his office, she was swept into his arms, his gaze radiating warmth as sweet as honey.

“I missed you, Carlos.”

Burying her face in his broad chest, she allowed herself to embrace him fully. Carlos held her securely, offering her a sense of stability and peace.

Aneta leaned comfortably against him, feeling his hand gently stroke her hair.

“You don’t look like you’re in a good mood. Did something happen?”

“Something did. Didn’t you hear who came to the manor?”

“I was only told that a guest had arrived and you’d be late. Who was it to leave you like this?”

“Former Baron Mellet.”

At the mere mention of Zeroph Mellet, Carlos furrowed his brow.

Seeing his reaction, Aneta understood why the staff had not revealed the visitor’s identity to him.

If Carlos had known, he would’ve dropped everything and rushed back to the manor. It wasn’t hard to guess.

“What did he want from you?”

“The usual. Money. He asked me to repay his debt.”

Aneta recounted the pitiful story Zeroph Mellet had tried to sell her. As her tale went on, Carlos’s jaw grew visibly tense.

The world was vast and full of people without an ounce of shame. Zeroph Mellet was one of them. But rather than vent his anger, Carlos chose to comfort Aneta instead.

“You’ve had a hard day, my love.”

He kissed her forehead gently.

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

Knowing her personality, he doubted she would’ve backed down quietly. He wouldn’t have let it slide if a single hair on her head had been harmed.

As he silently vowed to deal with the situation, Aneta reassured him that she hadn’t been hurt.

“He tried to intimidate me with his red face, but Tyr stepped in to stop him. The man’s all bark and no bite. As soon as Tyr growled, he backed off immediately.”

Aneta clicked her tongue in irritation.

“The nerve of him, daring to threaten my wife. He must have a death wish,” Carlos muttered through clenched teeth, grateful that Tyr had been by her side but seething with anger at the thought of the encounter.

Of all days, why did he have to show up today? He felt guilty for not being by her side.

“What should we do about him? If there’s anything I can do, just tell me,” Carlos asked gently.

Aneta hesitated for a moment. Should they suppress Zeroph Mellet’s schemes with force before he could act, or should they wait for him to move and respond accordingly?

After weighing the pros and cons of both options, Aneta ultimately chose the latter.

If they opted for the first approach, it might create gossip that didn’t exist before. Even a worm will squirm when stepped on. Zeroph Mellet would undoubtedly spread slander, targeting not just Aneta but Carlos. She couldn’t bear to see his name dragged through the mud.

“Keep an eye on the Mellet family’s situation and movements for me,” she said.

“Is that all you need?”

“For now.”

It was obvious why Zeroph Mellet had chosen to resort to threats and gossip. Regardless of their truth, negative rumors could accumulate and significantly blow a person’s or family’s honor.

Given the countless rumors Aneta had already endured, it was clear that his chosen method could be highly effective.

However, there was one thing Zeroph Mellet had failed to consider: his misdeeds toward Elena were already widely known.

Even if Aneta refused to assist her maternal family, the backlash against her wouldn’t be as severe as he imagined.

Aneta simply needed to wait for him to act, then counter his moves with the truth—decisively and effectively.

As she sorted through her thoughts, Aneta let out a deep sigh.

“It seems I’m destined to suffer because of my elders. How could my blood relatives be so disgraceful? It’s embarrassing to face you.”

She had thought things were finally peaceful for a time, only for this new trouble to arise. Her mood had been ruined since morning.

“You’re the victim here, Aneta. You have nothing to be ashamed of in front of me. And don’t forget—we’re married now. What you go through is what I go through. Don’t try to handle everything on your own. When things get tough, I want you to lean on me more.”

Carlos tightened his arms around Aneta, pulling her closer into his embrace.

“If you don’t, I might get really hurt,” he said softly.

“I thought I was already relying on you enough,” Aneta replied.

“You might think so, but I feel it’s not enough yet. If it involves you, no matter how small the matter, I want to know about it and be involved. Is that selfish of me?”

Carlos nuzzled his face into her shoulder.

As his hair brushed against the nape of her neck with his warm breath, Aneta instinctively shrank back slightly but replied with a smile in her voice.

“No, I don’t think it’s selfish at all.”

“Then promise me. Promise you’ll tell me everything.”

“Alright, I promise.”

Aneta placed a gentle kiss on Carlos’s head. In response, he immediately lifted his head and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

The two passionately explored each other’s lips without hesitation or concern for who initiated it.

***

From that day forward, Zeroph Mellet made it his mission to visit the Duke’s estate every day, attempting to garner sympathy from others.

Although the knights, acting on Carlos’s orders, never allowed him past the gates, he refused to give up.

Zeroph Mellet would loudly lament his woes, pleading desperately for help each morning. The threatening tone he had once used to intimidate Aneta was nowhere to be seen.

His pitiful behavior even earned him sympathy from a handful of people, who questioned why the Duke and Aneta ignored their maternal family when they could afford to help.

However, those voices were few and far between, exactly as Aneta had predicted.

Still, the rumors became a topic of casual gossip, something people chatted about over drinks, twisting and embellishing the story as they pleased.

The silver lining was that, unlike the previous scandal, no false accusations or baseless rumors were being spread this time.

The fact that the families of those sued suffered significant blows made it natural for people to hold their tongues.

No one dared to mention the Mellet family in front of her. However, there was one exception—someone who freely brought up her situation.

“I heard the news. You’re having trouble because of your maternal family?”

Vernon, who had dropped by her office and made himself comfortable in a seat, asked casually.

“How much debt are they in to cause such a fuss?”

“Carlos discovered that after losing their entire fortune of 1.8 billion, they still have 3.4 billion of debt left.”

At first, they hadn’t fallen into debt.

However, even after losing all their wealth, they didn’t come to their senses. They continued their extravagant lifestyle and, in an attempt to recover their initial losses, borrowed money for another investment.

When Troil Mellet’s second investment failed, the Mellet barony was buried under a mountain of debt.

They even tried borrowing money using Aneta’s name but failed. Everyone who mattered knew how much Aneta despised her maternal family.

“Are you going to give them the money? You could easily cover it without breaking a sweat.”

“No. I have no intention of giving them any money. It would be less wasteful to throw it away.”

Vernon nodded as if he had expected her answer.

“Do you have a plan, then?”

“Right now, I’ve assigned a representative to compile a detailed record of the money Adenauer lent to the Mellet family. Once that’s done, I will file a restraining order against the Mellet barony.”

Aneta explained the solution she had been considering since Zeroph Mellet threatened her.

Everyone was aware of how Zeroph Mellet was causing a commotion in front of the Baltimor Duke’s estate daily.

Resolving the matter should be straightforward as long as she can prove that her family has already fulfilled their obligations toward the Mellet family.

“I can’t say for certain, but my mother might be able to help with this,” Vernon added.

“…Your aunt? What do you mean by that?”

Surprised by the unexpected mention, Aneta urged Vernon to explain in detail.

“There’s something I haven’t told you. Before my mother left the capital, she asked me to promise her something. She told me that if you ever find yourself in trouble because of the Mellet barony, I should let her know immediately.”

Vernon stroked his chin, recalling his mother, Liliette.

Liliette deeply desdained the Adenauer marquisate but didn’t harbor any ill will toward Aneta.

She wasn’t the kind of person who would hate an innocent niece. She had even expressed pity for Aneta, who was unfortunate enough to be born to someone like Derek Adenauer. That much was certain.

So, it wasn’t surprising that she had left such a message before her departure.

“My mother knows something about the Adenauer marquisate and the Mellet barony. So, if you’re okay with it, I’d like to let her know about this situation. What do you think?”

In the past, Vernon would have contacted Liliette without consulting Aneta. But their relationship had changed, and now he sought her opinion first.

“I’d be grateful if you did.”

From Aneta’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse.

She readily agreed.