Barbara never imagined Daphne would respond like this.

She judged that somehow she needed to soothe and pacify her. She repeatedly promised herself that once Daphne’s anger subsided, she could torment her all she wanted later.

Barbara cleared her throat and softened her voice.

“Daphne, emotions are uncontrollable, aren’t they? That’s why they say love is blind. Falling in love with someone is just like that.”

It was unclear whether she came to comfort or to provoke.

Daphne found it ridiculous.

But then again, Barbara had always been this way. She acted as if she had been born solely to torment her.

“Daphne, for the sake of our history together, you should be generous and understanding.”

Barbara tried her best to suppress her temper, but her expression betrayed her.

The corners of her upturned mouth were caked with powder, and deep wrinkles formed around her distorted eyes.

She looked so bizarre and pitiful that Daphne almost wanted to show her a mirror.

Daphne spoke as if disappointed.

“You’re right. Emotions are difficult to control. But if we consider our history together, it should have been Leonhardt making the effort, not me. I can’t marry someone who doesn’t know that people of noble birth shouldn’t act on their every whim.”

Barbara was once again at a loss for words.

For every comment she made, Daphne had two or three retorts. And now she was being stubbornly unreasonable on top of it.

But her attitude was so brazenly confident that Barbara found herself speechless.

“You can’t do this to us. Our families aren’t the kind that can simply cut ties with a single stroke. Don’t act recklessly. I am still your mother-in-law.”

“You almost were. How fortunate that I realized it now. I nearly formed a terrible connection.”

“W-what? A terrible connection? You’re now……”

Barbara was so shocked she couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Since even bad connections are still connections, may I offer you some advice?”

Not only had she called it a terrible connection, but now she dared to offer advice.

Barbara’s mouth fell open involuntarily. Seeing this, Daphne continued without hiding her contempt.

“With things having come to this point, do you still think you have any standing? When ties with me are severed, who do you think society will blame?”

“Since when has keeping a mistress been considered a flaw?”

“Perhaps because someone pretended to be ill to delay the wedding, which led to the mistress situation.”

Only then did Barbara close her mouth.

Unlike her, whose hands trembled slightly, Daphne continued without changing her expression.

“Think about why you’ve been able to treat me so carelessly all this time. Isn’t that what your head is for?”

“W-what?”

“It’s truly disappointing that you’re being so stubborn and unreasonable. You are a Duchess. Reconsider what truly benefits your family. Your head isn’t just there for you to slather with hair dye.”

Daphne pointed to her own head.

Hearing from Daphne the same insults she regularly received from her husband, Barbara felt something snap inside her.

“Where did you learn such manners! Did your mother teach you that? Do you think a mere marquis’s daughter can treat a duchess this way and get away with it?”

Expressing her anger without restraint, Barbara poured the cold tea directly at Daphne.

Even drenched with tea, Daphne didn’t so much as blink. She looked almost pleased about it.

“Thanks to your rudeness today, the damages for breaking the engagement won’t be settled reasonably. Be prepared. And don’t forget to be grateful. This is an opportunity for you to learn how to conduct yourself in the future. That is the last consideration I’ll show you.”

She stood up and looked down at Barbara, who was trembling from head to toe.

“I won’t see you out. Take care.”

“Hey!”

Barbara shouted loud enough to shake the entire house.

At the same moment, the door burst open and Christine entered. She stopped abruptly upon seeing Daphne covered in yellowish tea.

It was obvious who had done this.

Christine’s face turned bright red. Without a doubt, she had never been this angry before.

Though she didn’t know who her father was, Daphne was the daughter she had painfully given birth to. Even the most incompetent parent would feel a surge of anger seeing their child attacked.

After hearing that Daphne had always accommodated Leonhardt to please his family, Christine felt incredibly sorry for her. Moreover, after Zenos had stirred up trouble and left, Christine was already in a state of anger.

“You dare touch my daughter?”

She muttered in a low voice.

The normally gentle Christine entered a state where she couldn’t see anything clearly for the first time.

She looked around, then strode purposefully toward a nearby vase. She lifted it and poured its contents directly over Barbara’s head.

Splash!

The vase was quite large and contained a lot of water. Barbara spluttered as she tried to wipe away the endless stream of liquid.

Christine had always maintained her elegance. No one could have imagined such an impulsive action from her. Daphne was more surprised that Christine could lift something so heavy.

Still holding the vase, Christine spoke firmly.

“Daphne is not only the daughter of a marquis family no less prestigious than a duke’s, but also a member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Gael. She is not someone you can treat carelessly.”

With the vase tucked under her arm, Christine issued an order of expulsion.

“Get out.”

She looked ready to strike with the vase if Barbara didn’t leave.

“Do you know why I tolerated your family’s behavior all this time? Because my daughter liked your son. But now there’s no need for that anymore!”

Seeing Christine’s demeanor, it really seemed like she might strike with the vase.

Daphne approached and gently took the vase from her. Then she called for Anton, who was waiting outside.

“The vase slipped and the Duchess’s clothes got a bit wet. Please bring her fresh clothes……”

“S-slipped, you say?”

When Barbara sputtered this question, Daphne tilted her head.

“Tsk, tsk, I guess you didn’t see because it happened so quickly. It definitely slipped.”

Before Daphne could finish speaking, Barbara jumped to her feet. She practically ran out of the room.

In the hallway, several maids had gathered to clean. They were so startled by Barbara’s sudden appearance, completely soaked, that they covered their mouths in shock.

But to Barbara, who was too traumatized, it looked like they were struggling to hold back their laughter. Just like the servants at the ducal residence always did when she was thrown out of Gustav’s office.

Snicker.

She even heard phantom laughter. It was like a nightmare unfolding in someone else’s home.

It felt as if someone was tearing at a wound deeply embedded in Barbara’s soul.

Barbara rushed outside in a daze.

After receiving such unexpected treatment, all she wanted was to go straight home. But the coachman, who hadn’t received any signal, hadn’t arrived on time.

She had to stamp her feet impatiently until the carriage arrived at the main entrance.

The coachman, who arrived in a hurry, was wide-eyed at her appearance, but Barbara was beside herself. She forgot about being escorted and opened the door herself to climb in.

After the carriage departed, Barbara finally burst into tears that she had been holding back. The coachman clicked his tongue as he heard the increasingly loud sobbing.

“There’s going to be chaos again today.”

⁕⁕⁕

Daphne watched from the window. When the carriage completely disappeared from view, she asked Christine:

“Why did you do that?”

“Huh? Well……”

Christine couldn’t answer for a moment.

She was so angry that even she couldn’t express exactly what she felt. In such situations, it seemed better to speak honestly whatever came to mind.

“Daphne, that day when Leonhardt came, you said it was fine, didn’t you? I felt so ashamed and sorry then. How could I, as a mother, fail to understand my daughter’s feelings first……”

“You do that for your sons at least.”

Christine was once again rendered speechless.

“Don’t get involved. You shouldn’t interfere with what I’m doing.”

Daphne warned coldly and turned away. Watching her, Christine called out with determination.

“I’ve been too indifferent. I know I can’t make any excuses. But Daphne… it wasn’t like that from the beginning.”

Daphne’s steps halted as she was about to leave.

“After meeting your father, everything happened so suddenly that I was overwhelmed. A proposal right after my previous husband died. But I had no choice.”

Christine continued, hoping somehow her feelings would reach her daughter.

“When your father fought off pirates just to win me, I’ll admit I was actually thrilled. So my heart opened a little and I married him, but it wasn’t the same with your brothers.”

At least Ludwig was more mature than others his age. He accepted his father’s remarriage calmly. But that was all—he maintained a certain distance and treated her like a stranger.