Elicity did not want to blame Alex, but in truth, she could not help but resent him in the early years of their marriage.

Alex had never once kissed their daughter, who was the spitting image of himself, as if she had been cast from the same mold. He never made an effort to spend time with her, either.

Yet, foolishly, Elicity had continued to hope that Alex would one day look at Bella. She had waited desperately, for months and years, hoping that those eyes—red as frozen rubies—would thaw, if not for her, then at least in front of their daughter.

It took her a long time to realize that it had been a foolish wait.

Bella, on the other hand, was different from Elicity. Her daughter had been wise from a young age, though tragically so. She had quickly learned to discern between what she could and could not have and, in doing so, had given up on her father’s love far too soon.

Elicity believed that the twisted relationship between Alex and Bella was entirely due to Alex’s busy schedule and his ignorance as a father.

After all, as the Duke of Madonia, he was truly occupied with his duties, and she had heard that he had grown up under a violent father, never having received proper love himself.

Of course, it was all just rationalization.

But if she did not at least rationalize it this way, Elicity would not have been able to endure the sight of her husband neglecting their daughter. No matter how much she thought about it, she could not understand it.

How could he abandon his own daughter to such loneliness?

Her eyes stung with unshed tears.

‘Her mother forced her to become queen, and her father was cold to her…’

Elicity could not bear the thought of the Isabella from before her regression.

—I hate you and Father for making me a queen.

Every word of the thirty-year-old Isabella’s resentment had pierced Elicity’s heart like iron nails.

Even if she were to die and be reborn hundreds of times, those nails would never disappear. That was the nature of a child’s pain—it left wounds in their parents’ hearts forever.

Suddenly, Elicity wondered if this new life, granted to her by divine intervention, was not an opportunity but rather a punishment.

Because at every waking moment, she was haunted by the image of Bella, dying while resenting her.

It was a torment so unbearable, so agonizing, that it felt like a divine retribution.

A punishment befitting a mother who had driven her beloved daughter to her death.

“……”

Elicity let out a bitter laugh before lifting her gaze to her husband.

She may be a sinner, but fortunately, the ‘present’ Alex was not. He was still young, with plenty of time to mend his relationship with their daughter.

Elicity clasped Alex’s hands together and placed hers over them. Their hands, joined in a straight line, resembled a prayer to the heavens.

“Dear, your coffee must have gone cold.”

“……”

In her husband’s eyes, a warm hearthfire burned. Seeing the small, gentle flames flicker, Elicity offered a faint smile.

“Bella takes after you and loves sweets. I imagine that one day, she’ll enjoy her coffee with as much cream as you do.”

“…I look forward to our future tea times, then.”

“Yes. So let’s continue having tea together. And let’s go on outings as well. Of course, you’ll have to make time for that.”

“I will.”

The answer came without hesitation.

Alex grabbed Elicity’s hand and pressed a deep kiss onto it.

His lips were so scalding that Elicity felt as though she were being branded as a sinner.

“No matter what happens, I must make time. After all, it’s an order from you and Bella.”

She could feel his heated breath against the back of her hand.

Soon, he lifted his face. His eyes had darkened considerably, reminding her of the incident in the study not long ago.

Fearing that she might instinctively push him away again, Elicity closed her eyes.

However, when she felt the sensation of his firm fingers brushing against her cheek, she had no choice but to open them again.

Through her now-clear vision, she saw her husband’s eyes burning with desire.

“Dear.”

Elicity felt her conscience and morality quietly raising their heads once more. But at the same time, she also felt a desire to move closer to her husband.

Caught between these conflicting emotions, Elicity felt utterly lost. She did not know which choice would be the wiser one.

As she hesitated, Alex gently lifted her chin.

Startled, she stiffened, and he carefully ran his thumb over her lower lip.

“Elicity, I—”

But then—

Knock, knock.

It was a small sound, but there was no way they could have missed it.

Whoever was at the door had clearly hesitated before knocking.

Flustered, Elicity quickly slipped out of Alex’s arms.

Alex, watching his wife retreat with cheeks flushed as red as a tomato, clenched his hand in frustration before lowering it.

“…I told you not to disturb me when I’m with my wife.”

Alex’s voice dropped dangerously low. It was the kind of tone that suggested he was ready to rip Lowen—the one who had knocked—limb from limb.

“But, Your Grace, it’s an urgent matter…”

Elicity was not particularly pleased that her moment with Alex had been interrupted either.

Although, in a way, Lowen had saved her from her own wavering emotions, it was still undeniable that she would now have to part ways with her husband.

‘What, is it a royal decree or something?’ she grumbled inwardly.

“What, is it a royal decree or something?”

“Yes.”

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, it turned out to be true.

“It is a royal decree.”

***

It was an order for Alex to enter the palace.

Normally, after a battle concluded, a grace period of one to two weeks was given. However, Alex had been summoned much earlier than expected, leaving everyone in the ducal estate surprised.

Nevertheless, the capable Duchess remained calm, assisting her husband in preparing for his departure.

“Hey, doesn’t it seem like the Duke and Duchess have been getting closer lately?”

“Yeah, yeah. When His Grace left, Her Ladyship looked quite downhearted. I think they must have developed feelings for each other.”

“They really suit each other. Didn’t the master once say a long time ago that he wouldn’t register in the Zeroden family records unless he was with the madam? Honestly, isn’t this love?”

The maids, carrying piles of laundry like mountains, were chattering and laughing as they headed toward the water pump.

In the middle of their conversation, one of them suddenly stopped and focused her gaze somewhere.

“Oh my, look over there. There’s a child.”

“Oh, that’s Lucas. You didn’t know about him yet? Gardener Jean found him abandoned on the street not long ago. He took him in out of pity and asked for him to work as a stable boy.”

“I see…”

But the maid couldn’t shake the feeling that the boy didn’t seem pitiful at all.

Even in the way he tended to the horses, there was an air of nobility about him. It felt as though he didn’t belong in a place like this.

“A stable boy? He seems like someone who’s meant for far greater things…”

And the maid wasn’t the only one watching Lucas.

“Oh dear, young lady, this is really bad…”

“Shh, Hans! Be quiet.”

Bella stomped her small foot in frustration. The stable keeper, Hans, was at a loss, caught between his duty and his young mistress’s insistence.

Right now, Bella had slipped away from her morning reading session, feigning a stomachache, and was secretly spying on Lucas from the stable.

“No, I mean, no matter how handsome that stable boy is, you’re still a noble lady! What are you doing?”

Hans felt guilty as he thought of his gentle lady, the duchess.

“Young lady, if the madam finds out, you’ll be in serious trouble. No matter how much she loves you, she won’t tolerate such improper behavior.”

“I am a noble lady! Of course I know that. That’s why I’m just watching from a distance. But…”

Yes, but… For some reason, Bella couldn’t stop looking at that stable boy. And it wasn’t just because he was handsome.

The intelligent young lady knew that if she wanted, she could meet handsome boys whenever she pleased.

Of course, she’d have to wait until she was older and gained more freedom of movement.

But this stable boy… there was something different about him, something beyond just his appearance.

Bella, being as sharp-minded as she was, didn’t particularly like the phrase “for some reason.” But when it came to this boy, she felt it was the perfect description.

For some reason, she just wanted to be near him.

Ever since she first saw him, even her beloved books and map-reading sessions had started to feel trivial.

‘I want to talk to him…’

What should I do? Bella bit down on her thumbnail in contemplation.

***

Elicity was busy.

Her husband had been summoned to the palace much sooner than expected, pushing all her planned tasks forward.

Though she occasionally blushed when recalling past events, she was so swamped with work that she barely had time to think about her husband.

“So, did my husband arrive at the palace safely?”

“Yes, madam. He is expected to return in one or two weeks.”

“Have you found out why His Majesty summoned him so soon?”

“Well… it seems that an envoy from the Kingdom of Salita has arrived.”

“An envoy?”

The accursed nation, Salita.

It was the most powerful country on the Romancia continent and had once invaded the Kingdom of Madonia.

However, they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the knight order led by Alex.

Though Salita continued to enforce colonial rule in other regions, they never dared to touch Madonia again.

‘Was there any significant event happening around this time…?’

As Elicity pondered, a rigid voice from her memories suddenly echoed in her mind, making her shoot up from her seat.

—Isabella Zeroden shall be designated as the Princess Consort of Salita. The Zeroden family must obey the royal decree.

It was an order she could never forget.

Around five years ago, the ‘Salita-Madonia Mutual Defense Treaty’ was signed, sealing a vow never to go to war again. As part of the agreement, both nations pledged to unite their heirs through marriage.

However, Salita’s prince was only thirteen years old at the time, and Madonia had no royal princess of a matching age.

Thus, Salita sought a ‘high-ranking noble girl’ from Madonia. That girl was none other than Elicity’s daughter.

Back then, Salita had pressured Madonia to hand over a princess consort, and as the weaker nation, Madonia had no choice but to comply.

—If you refuse, your title will be demoted, and a portion of your estate will be confiscated, regardless of your achievements.

A merciless decree was issued to Alex, and he had no choice but to comply.

No matter how much of a war hero and duke Alex was, he had once been a fallen noble who had climbed his way up.

Given the coercion involved, she should have felt repulsed. But in her past life, Elicity had foolishly rejoiced.

She had always wanted Bella to become the Queen of Salita. She believed that would bring Bella happiness.

But she had been wrong.

Bella had died.

Her gaunt face, her wrists as thin as twigs… The image of Bella’s final moments flashed through Elicity’s mind, making her shut her eyes tightly.

She would rather die than witness her daughter’s suffering again.

A growing sense of unease pounded in Elicity’s chest.