One day, hell suddenly descended upon the once-peaceful Madonia.

The king of Salita, then a great power on the continent of Romancia, had begun an aggressive colonial campaign, invading neighboring countries.

The Kingdom of Madonia was a land of distinct four seasons, abundant rivers, and fertile soil. It was rich in resources and supplies, and its southeastern coast provided strong geographical advantages for active trade with other nations.

More importantly, it was a small yet formidable country that had historically produced strong knights and brilliant minds.

And now, the blade of Salita was pointed at such a nation.

Having enjoyed a long period of peace, Madonia had grown militarily weak and trembled in fear. They believed they had no chance against Salita’s overwhelming forces.

Many argued for surrender, or at the very least, a conciliatory approach.

It was then that the former Duke of Zeroden, who commanded Madonia’s knightly order at the time, stepped forward.

He declared that the knights of Madonia would fight and that they would claim victory.

People thought he was mad.

Yet, astonishingly, Madonia won.

And it was all thanks to one young knight.

He had not received prestigious swordsmanship training from an early age, nor was he the son of a noble military family.

He was merely the son of a fallen baron who had joined a low-ranking knightly order at the age of fourteen to avoid starving to death.

His name was Alex—a swordsmanship genius, the kind that appeared once in a century. And he was Elicity’s husband.

***

“Has the Duke of Zeroden still not sent a reply?”

“No, my lady. Since it’s the northern region, it takes time to deliver messages… And it’s also a dangerous area with the Tutanian tribe, so the journey takes even longer.”

At the steward’s words, Elicity anxiously paced the study.

“He should be returning soon…”

It had already been a week since she had sent a letter to her husband, who had gone north to subdue the Tutanian tribe.

In the past, she would have given up on waiting for a reply by now.

But this time was different.

Because she had returned to the past a week ago.

When she opened her eyes, she was no longer the aged woman she had been. She was in her twenties again.

Her long, wavy chestnut hair cascaded down her back. Her purple eyes, as fresh as summer grapes just plucked from the vine, gleamed with youth. Her fair skin was soft with the light hue of youth, and her voice carried a youthful lilt.

She had completely returned to being twenty-eight-year-old Elicity Zeroden.

The shock of seeing her young and vibrant reflection faded quickly.

The first thing she did was check if her beloved daughter, Bella, still existed.

Fortunately, Isabella greeted her with the same sweet smile.

‘Oh, God… Thank you.’

The next thing Elicity did was impulsive—she wrote a letter urging her husband to return immediately from the north.

She needed to discuss their daughter’s education and daily life with him.

Before her regression, Elicity had raised their daughter strictly, shaping her to become the perfect noblewoman fit to be the mistress of a great household.

She had hired numerous tutors, including experts in high-level etiquette.

But now, Elicity had made up her mind to do things differently.

“…But I wonder what His Grace will think of all this.”

Elicity gazed at the portrait of her and her husband hanging on the wall.

It was an accurate depiction of his youthful, striking features.

His neatly combed jet-black hair was as dark as the night sky. His smooth, tanned skin reflected his life as a knight.

His high nose and red lips were sculpted with divine precision, and the deep shadows around his eyes made his crimson irises—identical to Isabella’s—all the more intense.

The lifelike gaze in the portrait sent a slight shiver down Elicity’s spine.

‘His stare… Even in a painting, it feels overwhelming.’

She had no doubt that such sharp eyes had played a role in his rise from a lowly knight to the Duke of Zeroden.

She remained captivated by the portrait for a while—until a knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts.

“My lady, the young lady is here.”

At the mention of “young lady,” Elicity’s heart pounded.

Her lips parted instinctively.

“Let her in.”

The door swung open, and in stepped her youthful daughter.

“Mom!”

Her ebony hair cascaded over her shoulders like silk, her crimson eyes sparkled like rubies, and her plump, fair cheeks glowed with warmth.

Once, Elicity had dreamed of placing a tiara atop that head.

She had hoped for those red eyes to remain unwaveringly stern.

She had wished for those lips to issue cold, commanding orders.

She had believed that Isabella had to become the perfect queen of Salita—without a single flaw.

But how had her daughter looked in her final moments?

Tears welled up in Elicity’s eyes once more.

Through her blurred vision, she could see Isabella’s last moments before her regression.

—It’s because of you, Mother.

She still couldn’t forget the sight of her pale-faced daughter blaming her.

She had wept endlessly since returning to the past, yet her tears seemed as inexhaustible as a broken fountain.

But she couldn’t cry in front of her daughter.

Elicity quickly wiped her eyes and smiled brightly.

“Bella, come here!”

She opened her arms wide.

With a radiant smile, Bella ran into her embrace.

Elicity covered her daughter’s rosy cheeks with frantic kisses.

Everyone in the study stared in shock at their mistress’s uncharacteristically undignified display.

Even Emma Felberson, Bella’s etiquette tutor, wore a startled expression.

However, she soon regained her composure, as always, and flicked open her fan to conceal her twisted smirk.

“My lady, how improper… Haven’t I always told you? High-ranking nobles must maintain their dignity at all times. How much longer do you intend to act like a fallen aristocrat? You must raise Lady Zeroden differently.”

“……”

“It will be time for dinner soon. Your dress will get ruined. Release the young lady at once.”

The air around Elicity suddenly turned icy.

Emma was completely disregarding her.

In the past, Elicity would have silently accepted such remarks.

After all, she was indeed from a fallen noble family and had struggled with courtly etiquette.

But in hindsight, no matter her origins, she was now a duchess.

She was not someone to be disregarded by a mere tutor.

Especially not after having successfully raised her daughter to be the perfect queen of Salita in her previous life.

‘Yes… It’s time to start correcting everything that went wrong, one by one.’

Elicity rose from her seat and gave an order to the butler.

“Take Bella to the playroom. I need to have a word with Miss Felberson.”

“Pardon? Ah… Y-yes, my lady.”

Bella, looking puzzled, followed the butler out as Elicity waved to her with a reassuring smile.

Then, she turned her gaze toward Emma.

“Miss Felberson, if I remember correctly, I was supposed to have dinner alone with my daughter tonight, was I not?”

“That is correct.”

“In that case, I do not wish to maintain formalities when I am spending time alone with my daughter.”

Emma lifted her chin arrogantly.

“Madam, that is the sort of behavior one might expect from commoners. No matter how you were raised, you must observe proper etiquette. That way, at the very least, you will appear to be a duchess.”

“……”

“Do not worry. As long as you do as I say, there will be no issues. The same goes for the young lady’s education. After all, I am the daughter of the esteemed Felberson family.”

“I am well aware that the Felberson family is distinguished. That is why I entrusted Bella’s etiquette education to you.”

“Naturally.”

Emma smoothed down her pinned-up hair, her movements as graceful as a swan.

But Elicity regarded her with an icy gaze.

“However, you may step down now. Thank you for your service thus far.”

“……Madam, what did you just say?”

“I said I will entrust my child’s etiquette education to someone else.”

“Madam! When you were looking for a tutor last time, wasn’t I the only one who applied? Who is in a more desperate position here? And where else will you find a lady from such a prestigious family as mine?”

“That is for me to decide. Besides, any tutor would be preferable to Miss Felberson, who is well past marriageable age but remains single because her standards are too high.”

At that, Emma’s face turned bright red.

“Are you insulting me, Madam?! I came to this duchy out of pity for the young lady and yourself when no one else was willing to take the position!!”

“Surely not. We were merely in a mutually beneficial arrangement. Without a husband, you were simply draining your father, Count Felberson’s, wealth. And when the position of my daughter’s tutor became available, you saw an opportunity and took it, did you not?”

Emma’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Elicity pressed on, her words sharp.

“And did you say that I insulted you? I think it is far less insulting than when you mocked me—a duchess—as someone who was raised like a commoner, or when you assumed I was desperate. Should I summon your father, Count Felberson, and have this matter settled clearly?”

“!!”

A mere unmarried noblewoman in her late thirties could never hope to win against a duchess who had once raised a queen.

Emma, rendered speechless, furrowed her brows in frustration.

“Goodness! I came here out of kindness for the poor child, and yet you have no gratitude—only insults!”

She spun around abruptly and shrieked.

“I will leave this residence immediately! We shall see who comes here next! I doubt anyone will!”

“Miss Emma Felberson.”

Elicity clicked her tongue. She could hardly believe she had once hired such a foolish and arrogant etiquette teacher for her daughter.

“Even now, you still fail to grasp the situation?”

Elicity lifted her chin high, straightening her posture and gracefully folding her hands together.

“I am a duchess. No matter how much of a fallen noble I once was, that fact will eventually be forgotten. But the title of Duchess will remain. Just as I was able to dismiss you without hesitation.”

She had not understood this before. But after living as a duchess for over thirty years, she understood it well now.

She was a duchess. People might mock her behind her back, but never to her face.

And she resolved never to forget that again.