#7.

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“My goodness. Look who’s here. The duchess has arrived!”

Rosana’s affected voice made everyone in the living room turn toward the entrance.

Marie, who happened to be carrying tea, nearly dropped her tray in surprise when she saw the person who had just entered.

‘Miss Ellin?!’

Wearing a form-fitting dark purple dress and a hat adorned with flowers and feathers, she embodied the very essence of a noble lady.

She was no longer the provincial young lady in a faded floral dress with her hair braided on both sides.

Marie wasn’t the only one surprised by Ellin.

The servants who had lived with Ellin at the baron’s residence for a long time also murmured among themselves.

They might not have recognized her as Miss Ellin if Rosana hadn’t called out to her in a loud voice.

“How long has it been since your wedding, and you already carry yourself like a duchess. Ellin.”

Isabella, sitting on the sofa, extended her hand affectionately toward Ellin.

Janice looked at Ellin with envious eyes, while Royce stared at her blankly, unable to believe what he saw.

Her aura was completely different from the Ellin he had known.

Ellin felt uncomfortable in this place, knowing how the Nilson family was looking at her.

Nevertheless, she approached Isabella with a natural grace.

Though her status had risen, she kissed the back of her great-aunt’s hand just as before and gently rubbed it against her cheek.

“I was worried you might have already left.”

“I was just about to get up. This old woman couldn’t impose any longer.”

She had arrived just in time, with her great-aunt’s carriage outside preparing to depart.

“I thought I wouldn’t see you, but I’m glad I get to before I leave. Ellin.”

Ellin helped her great-aunt rise from her seat and offered her arm for support.

“This old woman wants to take one last walk around the garden with Ellin before leaving.”

When Isabella spoke, closing her wrinkled eyes gently, the other family members made sour faces.

The small garden was charming with pink moss phlox blooming throughout.

Walking among them, the two women exchanged affectionate farewells.

“About your mother-in-law. She’s no ordinary woman. That fox-like woman will smell something. So don’t act naively and keep your wits about you.”

Ellin stopped walking at Isabella’s words.

Her great-aunt’s advice sounded significant.

Could she possibly have noticed something?

“What do you mean by ‘smell something’? What kind of person is the old duchess?”

Rather than answering Ellin’s cautious question, Isabella made even more cryptic remarks.

“Still, Melissa Linderto isn’t completely unreasonable. I can guarantee that. If you win her heart, she’ll become your strongest supporter.”

“……”

When Ellin tilted her head, not understanding what she meant, Isabella placed her hand over Ellin’s as if making a final request.

“Ellin. Don’t be intimidated, don’t pretend to be something you’re not, just be yourself. That’s your most powerful weapon.”

“……”

Ellin simply stared at Isabella.

“Understood?”

Only then did Ellin smile faintly and nod once.

After their final farewell, Isabella boarded the carriage bound for Castia.

The Nilson family stood in a row to see her off, just as they had when she arrived.

When the carriage departed, an awkward atmosphere settled among those who remained.

Ellin watched the carriage disappear into the distance with a regretful expression for quite some time.

Her heart felt empty, like her strongest ally was leaving.

“Ellin. Let’s go inside.”

Rosana gently took Ellin’s arm.

Seeing her become excessively kind, Ellin felt rather repulsed.

“I have something to get from my room.”

When Ellin quietly pulled her arm away from Rosana and turned around, Rosana glared at her.

“Becoming cold just because you’re a duchess now.”

Ellin entered the house and headed straight up the stairs toward her room.

She didn’t even glance at Royce, who had been trying to speak to her.

A moment later, when she came down with a small metal box tucked under her arm, everyone looked at it with curious eyes.

“Ellin. You’ve come home, won’t you at least have a cup of tea before leaving?”

Janice muttered mockingly beside Rosana,

“Now that she’s become the precious duchess, would she even consider insignificant people like us as family?”

A faint smile appeared on Ellin’s lips at Janice’s words.

Janice herself had never once thought of her as family.

“Yes, Ellin. Since you’re here, have at least a cup of tea before you go.”

Ellin hesitated briefly at the baron’s words, then went to one side of the sofa and sat up straight.

Only then did the people who called themselves family begin to gather one by one around the table.

In reality, her only true family was Eddie, who was in the hospital.

“Someone saw the duke at the train platform early this morning. Is that true?”

Janice probed Ellin with curiosity.

Everyone looked at Ellin, waiting for her answer.

“Yes. He had an important business trip scheduled even before the wedding.”

Ellin responded calmly, meeting Janice’s eyes with composure, as if asking what the problem was.

A regretful sigh escaped from Janice’s lips.

“No matter how important the business trip, how could he think of leaving his bride alone right after getting married?”

Ellin smiled at Janice, who was crossing her arms and shaking her head.

“You’re worried about me? You really are like my sister, Janice.”

The air grew chilly, and Rosana stepped in to smooth things over.

“The duke is the busiest man in the Kingdom, so that’s understandable. By the way, shouldn’t we visit your place sometime? When would be good?”

The baron rummaged through a drawer, seemingly waiting for his wife’s words.

“Actually, I haven’t told you yet, but your father is planning a new business venture. So I thought we could discuss it with you……”

When her father looked at her nervously while handling some documents, something surged within Ellin.

She found it utterly disgusting how they were treating her like a cash cow just one day after her marriage.

Of course. What else could she expect from these people?

“Since when have you consulted me about business? If it’s such a good venture, you should just proceed with it.”

Though she responded gently, biting her lip, her lips trembled with anger.

“The duke is a businessman too, isn’t he? I thought he might be interested if he saw it, so I wanted to tell you first. Ellin.”

Ellin stared at her father with wide, incredulous eyes.

“Yes. Do you know how much people are gossiping about this severely mismatched marriage? Even we feel upset hearing it.”

Ellin turned her gaze to Rosana, as if asking what she meant.

“If your father does well, won’t that enhance your reputation too? It’s for the good of the whole family, so you should be giving your full support. How can you be so cold?”

Ellin couldn’t help but laugh cynically at Rosana’s complaints.

She picked up the metal box she had placed beside her and prepared to stand, saying:

“Didn’t you use up all the inheritance my mother left for me as Janice’s dowry? Isn’t that enough?”

“Ellin!”

“You…… How could you say such a thing!”

The stepmother and Baron’s faces contorted.

Janice glared at Ellin with shocked eyes, and Royce also looked uncomfortable.

“Haven’t you considered that people might be gossiping about the shamelessness of the baron’s family, sending a daughter without a penny of dowry to marry into the duke’s family? And now you want me to mention your business to the duke? Did you entrust money to him?”

“Ellin. My good daughter, why have you changed like this?”

The baron looked at Ellin with a shocked face.

“Who do you think made me this way?”

Ellin stood up and took a deep breath to calm her rough breathing.

She was equally shocked by her family’s incredible audacity.

“Let me tell you once more. You’d better not think about using me to gain advantages from the duke’s family. If you consider me your daughter, please don’t embarrass me any further.”

Ellin left those words and walked toward the entrance.

The Nilson family left in the living room looked devastated, as if a bomb had been dropped.

The baron and Rosana trembled with pale blue faces, while Janice laughed loudly in disbelief and shouted:

“Now that she’s become a duchess, she doesn’t even see her family anymore! Let’s see how long that petty pride lasts. She’ll just end up being thrown out anyway!”

Janice continued her curses without pause.

“If she gets thrown out of that house, don’t let her set foot in this home again. Let her go to hell!”

“Janice!”

The baron scolded Janice, glancing at Royce, alarmed by her curse-like words.

“Father, you saw what she did!”

“Janice!”

Finally, Rosana also stopped Janice’s harsh words.

Royce shook his head, unable to control the excited Janice, and looked out the window with a complicated expression.

Ellin’s carriage was leaving the house.

* * *

A few days later, Ellin stood by the window with a tired face.

Despite her gloomy mood, the morning sunlight was so bright it hurt her eyes.

She hadn’t been able to sleep well since returning from her family’s home, her mind troubled.

‘They’ll try to get close to the duke somehow to squeeze something out of him. That’s exactly the kind of people they are.’

She recalled how excited her father and stepmother had been when they saw she was marrying the duke, after they tried to sell her off to an old viscount.

What a windfall! Those gleaming faces.

Thinking about her family’s dark intentions made Ellin’s chest tighten.

How could they still think only of tormenting her even after she had left that household?

“My lady, the old duchess has invited ladies for an afternoon tea party.”

When a maid came to inform her from behind, Ellin erased her dark expression and forced a smile in response.

“I see.”

The maid who left the room whispered to Monica, who was walking with a vase.

“The new lady seems dejected.”

“She has reason to be. The duke leaving the mansion right after the wedding has already become gossip. People are whispering that they’ve already grown distant.”

Monica sighed softly and gazed at the vase in her hands.

Somehow, she felt the new duchess might become like the flowers in this vase.

Beautiful and steadfastly keeping her place, yet no one is looking at her.

“The duke really… Even during the honeymoon, could business be that urgent?”

Monica, who had been listening to the maid’s complaint, quickly composed herself.

“Shh! The old duchess is coming.”

They quickly stepped aside, seeing the old duchess approaching, perfectly composed from early morning.

“Is the duchess awake? Tell her I’d like to see her now.”

Melissa commanded while adjusting her elegantly styled hair.

* * *