The Duke suppressed his rage and donned the mask of a caring father. To others, he had to be the perfect, ideal father.

“That’s right, Illeshia. You must have suffered all this time. I know everything. If you just listen to me, your difficult life will change completely. Trust only me, my daughter Illeshia.”

He felt no sense of dissonance until the head maid waiting outside came to take the limping Illeshia away.

Of course he didn’t. Duke Barea had never considered Illeshia Barea his real daughter, nor had he ever treated her as such. That wench was merely a doll who had appeared at the right time and only needed to marry Diego Ruperto.

※※※

“You finished your breakfast again today…… without leaving anything?”

“Yes. It was delicious.”

Ribeta smiled quietly. It was a pure smile without a trace of malice. Head maid Helga forced her twitching lips upward into a smooth smile.

“I used ingredients commonly eaten outside, and it seems to suit Miss’s taste well.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Helga. Please tell the cook that I enjoyed it and thank them as well.”

“Not at all. What would you like for lunch? Is there anything in particular you’d like to eat?”

“I’ll eat whatever Helga prepares for me.”

“Then I’ll take care of it properly. Also, Countess Caylerd says she’ll be arriving soon.”

“Understood.”

The moment the door closed, Helga’s expression changed completely. When she lifted the silver food cover, a cleanly emptied plate appeared. Fury and disgust swirled together in Helga’s eyes.

Even if she had a shameless commoner mother who didn’t know her place, still. Could she really be this brazen? A wench who wasn’t even worthy of being called a lady, not even as good as some pathetic baron’s daughter!

Helga was one of the few people in the ducal household who knew Illeshia’s true origins.

She found Illeshia irritating. Though she had been put in charge of her by the Duke’s order, the girl was someone she simply couldn’t warm up to. Even when the Duke suddenly brought her to the estate claiming she was his real daughter, it hadn’t been this bad. She was going to marry and leave the estate soon anyway, so there was no need to worry about her.

But after disappearing from the estate for a few days, she suddenly reappeared and immediately got under everyone’s skin.

This meal was a perfect example. The food Helga brought to Illeshia was absolutely nothing a noble lady would eat. Cold, hardened bread, salad roughly tossed with vegetables that weren’t fresh, meatballs crudely formed from the tough, lowest-grade meat used when making stew for the servants.

What Helga had been feeding Illeshia were things she’d brought after bullying the cook who trembled in fear, saying “What if something terrible happens if we serve this to Miss?”

‘As if something terrible would happen.’

What could a commoner-born bastard do to someone who had served the Duke faithfully for so long?

Helga had thought Illeshia wouldn’t be able to eat even half the meal.

After spending a day like that, she’ll bow down and come to me.

The authority of the head maid who had managed the household in place of the duchess who had passed away several years ago wouldn’t crumble just because a lady suddenly appeared. Especially not a half-wit lady who wasn’t even loved by her father.

But Helga’s expectations were spectacularly wrong. More precisely, from the time Illeshia reappeared. The returned Illeshia ate without discrimination. She devoured every meal without leaving anything, meals that an ordinary noble lady couldn’t endure for even one sitting.

She’d been away from the estate briefly to treat a chronic illness—had her appetite improved because her illness was cured? Naturally, there was no instance of her being unable to bear the terrible meals and bowing her head to Helga.

“Like a glutton……!”

Helga wanted to shout that every time she saw Illeshia sitting with an empty plate. However, even as head maid, she couldn’t go that far. So she came out of Illeshia’s room like this and stamped her feet while disgracefully muttering to herself.

“……Let’s see if you can keep it up.”

Ribeta was listening to Helga’s voice from inside the room. It had ended up looking like she’d thwarted Helga’s shallow tricks, but she didn’t feel pleased about it.

It was simply that to her, who had lived her entire life as a slave, the meals Helga brought were excellent. The fact that she could eat them at all made them so. A meal meant to humiliate someone could become a feast to someone else.

But more than that, she felt unpleasant because she could clearly see what treatment the runaway Illeshia must have received in the estate.

Dragged here against her will solely for marriage to a strange man, she would have suffered violence and contempt.

‘Even someone who was a lady couldn’t be free.’

She felt she needed to think deeply about what Diego had meant by “true freedom.”

That’s when it happened. Knock knock. The sound of knocking was heard. Ribeta, who had been lost in thought, straightened her appearance and opened the door.

In truth, head maid Helga wasn’t even the problem. Not compared to this person, Countess Caylerd.

“Good day, Lady Barea.”

“Good day, Countess.”

Ribeta greeted her with proper courtesy. Then Countess Caylerd smiled elegantly.

“Shall we review the movements you learned up until yesterday?”

Ribeta demonstrated the movements she had learned. From greeting methods to walking, how to receive an escort, posture when standing, how to smile, how to hold a glass, and so on.

Nerty didn’t say a word until Ribeta finished all the movements. Her sharply raised eyes and flashing pupils showed her determination to find fault somehow. If she couldn’t find any, she intended to create some.

“There, that’s enough. I can see you’ve made an effort, my lady.”

Nerty snapped her fan shut with a sharp sound.

“I can see your etiquette improving day by day. You seem to be working very hard, my lady.”

“It’s thanks to your teaching, Countess.”

“You’re too modest. Of course, it’s also important to set the right direction when making efforts. Since you have no experience in high society, my lady, there should be no problems if I, with all my experience, help you.”

Nerty smiled gently. Her trustworthy voice that made listeners feel secure and her friendly attitude were enough to win others’ favor.

However, Ribeta, who knew her true nature, didn’t trust her.

Ribeta steeled her heart while pretending to know nothing as she looked at Nerty. Then Nerty’s expression, which had been all smiles until now, hardened coldly.

“In fact, considering your commoner origins, even this level is excellent. So I’d like to offer you two choices, my lady.”

“Yes. Please tell me, Countess.”

“First, you could acknowledge your innate limitations and be satisfied with them. You may be lacking, but so what? No one would dare point fingers at you, my lady.”

Nerty lightly tapped Ribeta’s chin with the tip of her fan. Even if only half-legitimate, as long as Duke Barea acknowledged her, Illeshia was undeniably a lady. Considering their social positions, this was an absolutely unacceptable act.

But Nerty knew all too well how to exploit the special position of “etiquette instructor.”

“Didn’t I tell you to never lower your chin and head? Your back and shoulders are hunched forward, and your eyes lack clarity. You’re full of flaws, but it’s fine. If you accept yourself as you are, my lady, you could gain a reputation as a rough but honest lady. You wouldn’t need to work hard at learning etiquette either.”

Nerty struck Ribeta’s back and shoulders with her fan while pointing out her posture. Her bones ached from being hit by the fan’s hard ribs embedded with small jewels.

What was truly cunning about Nerty was that she only struck places hidden by clothing.

Ribeta asked cautiously in a small voice.

“Is my posture really that terrible?”

“Oh my, my lady. After everything I’ve told you, you’re asking that? Haven’t you been listening to my teaching properly? Or are you saying I’m finding fault for no reason? ……Surely…… you’re not saying your judgment is superior to mine, when I’ve successfully debuted countless ladies?”

Nerty widened her eyes as if genuinely surprised. Ribeta lowered her head like a criminal, avoiding her gaze.

Nerty was lying right now. To manipulate her as she pleased.

Countess Caylerd, Nerty Caylerd, was a woman famous in high society in many ways. From a powerless provincial count family, Nerty had properly entered high society when she married Count Caylerd.