“Sister, Melina. Why are you standing behind like a sinner? Come and sit down.”

Despite Elicity’s words, Chelsea glanced at Calix for his reaction.

Calix tilted his head as if he were an incredibly generous husband.

“Well, you both must be exhausted from the long carriage ride. Sit down and rest.”

“Thank you, dear.”

“Thank you, Father.”

At their obedient response, Calix smiled in satisfaction. Elicity thought her brother looked like a master handling his slaves.

Three cups of tea were placed on the table, and the truly unpleasant conversation began in earnest.

“Wife, say something. My sister is teaching Bella mathematics, can you believe it? As an experienced mother, you should set her straight.”

“Oh, dear… how could I dare speak to the young lady? She is your sister, after all.”

At the soft, timid voice, Calix burst into laughter.

“Haha! You’re so humble. That’s what I love about you.”

Then he turned to Elicity and frowned.

“Look at your sister-in-law, Lity. How graceful and virtuous she is. A model noblewoman of Madonia.”

“……”

“There’s no need for me to say it, but you can already imagine how well your sister-in-law is raising Melina, can’t you? Melina.”

This time, Melina became the target. At her father’s words, Melina quietly lifted her head.

“Yes, Father.”

“Calmly explain your daily schedule from yesterday.”

What followed was truly shocking.

What Melina was learning wasn’t unusual for a noble young lady, but she was practically imprisoned in her room.

She couldn’t even take a walk in the garden, nor could she leave the barony unless it was a special occasion.

At that level, it was practically abuse.

Elicity could no longer hold back.

“Brother, Melina isn’t even allowed to walk in the garden? Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?”

“That’s only natural. What if she happens to lock eyes with some filthy street boy while walking around? I can’t trust the knights, the servants, or the coachmen. As a father, it’s my duty to protect my daughter.”

“That’s not protection, that’s oppression.”

Clicking his tongue, Calix turned back to Melina.

“Melina. Do you think my methods are wrong?”

At Calix’s words, Melina quietly shook her head.

“No, Father. Not at all. Your will is the law.”

“And you, wife?”

“I think the same.”

Chelsea also lowered her head and murmured softly.

At this point, Elicity was at a loss for words.

It felt like everyone in the room had gone mad.

But the next thing he said felt like a blow to the head.

“I actually thought you were raising Bella similarly until recently. You made her do embroidery, flower arranging, and piano, and you never let her meet boys. But why the sudden change?”

For a moment, Elicity felt an overwhelming wave of shame and self-reproach wash over her.

Before her return, she had controlled her daughter as much as her brother did, all to make her the queen of Salita.

Only now did she truly realize how foolish she had been. Elicity clenched her fists.

“Well, looking back, I was being an idiot.”

“I… idiot? Elicity, what kind of vulgar language is that?”

“How you raise your daughter is none of my concern. But don’t you dare say such nonsense about my daughter.”

“What do you mean, nonsense? It’s the right way to—”

“Isabella.”

Elicity ignored Calix’s words and turned to her daughter.

Bella had widened her eyes in surprise at her mother’s sharp tone.

“Now, we don’t listen to bad words, do we? Go with Olivia.”

Bella, though sensing something was strange between her mother and uncle, was only ten years old.

She simply tilted her head in confusion before taking Olivia’s hand and leaving the drawing room.

Once Bella was gone, only Elicity and Calix’s family remained in the room.

Unable to contain his anger, Calix started huffing.

“What the hell happened to you? You weren’t like this before.”

“Well, I guess I was an idiot.”

“What?”

“I had an experience so repulsive it made me regret everything.”

People only realize their mistakes after losing something.

With a sigh, Elicity smiled bitterly.

“You’ve really gone mad, haven’t you?”

But Calix, who knew nothing, openly sneered at her.

“Even Mother said you’ve changed. You used to be so obedient and well-mannered…”

“Yes, I have changed. And since I can no longer meet the expectations of you or our parents, don’t bother coming here anymore.”

“……”

At her firm response, Calix’s eyes narrowed.

“Well, fine. That’s all good and well. But Elicity—”

“……”

“No matter what, cutting the allowance you give us to a tenth is a bit much, isn’t it? Do you realize how much I’ve done for you since we were kids?”

Once again, Elicity felt a suffocating weight pressing down on her chest.

She thought this ordeal had ended after the fight with her mother, but now her brother was dragging it out endlessly.

Being tied down by family members worse than enemies disgusted her, and the thought of herself being dependent on her husband like a parasite made her feel unbearably nauseous.

Before she knew it, Elicity burst out in fury.

“How much you’ve given me? It would be more accurate to ask how much you’ve taken from me.”

“Taken? What have I ever taken from you?”

It was truly exhausting. Elicity placed a hand on her forehead and let out a sigh.

“I don’t want to argue about this anymore. Just be grateful for the money you still get, even if it’s been cut to a tenth. It’s not like you actually work for it.”

Be grateful.

That word made Calix’s face turn red with rage. His temper was shorter than a hat string. He shot up from his seat.

“‘Be grateful’? Becoming the Duchess of Zeroden has made you insufferably arrogant!”

His attitude, as if he were about to strike her at any moment, made Chelsea quickly grab his sleeve.

“Honey!!”

But he had already lost his temper. Calix shoved Chelsea aside.

She tumbled over with her chair, hitting her side hard against the floor.

“Mom!!”

Melina shrieked in terror and rushed to Chelsea’s side. Elicity did the same.

“Oh my God, Chelsea!”

As Elicity helped Chelsea up, she suddenly looked up at Calix.

The man standing before her, breathing heavily, looked like nothing more than a beast.

The corners of his eyes twitched with fury, his lips curled grotesquely, and his teeth clashed together violently beneath them.

Come to think of it, he had always been violent since childhood. If she ever displeased him, even slightly, he would slap her or pull her hair.

“Mel… Melina…”

A small whisper came from below. Elicity turned her gaze downward again.

Her niece, Melina, and sister-in-law, Chelsea, were trembling as they stared at Calix.

Elicity could now easily imagine what they endured at Lawrence Manor.

But Lawrence Manor was not the Duchy of Zeroden.

Serad, who stood beside her, had already drawn his sword. One word from her, and he would strike Calix down without hesitation.

Elicity straightened her posture and sharply rebuked him.

“That’s right, as you said, I am the Duchess of Zeroden. Do you have any idea where you are—”

But Calix must have truly lost his mind. Or perhaps he believed his little sister wouldn’t dare retaliate against him.

Because, without hesitation, he lunged at her.

“Madam, it’s dangerous!”

Fortunately, Serad reacted swiftly, moving to block him.

And then—

A storm-like gust of wind surged through the drawing room, and the impact was so great that Elicity’s hairpin came undone.

Then, a familiar back came into view through her blurred vision.

“…Ah.”

…Alex?

It was her husband.

As if by magic, he had appeared before her, radiating a murderous aura so chilling it was palpable.

“How dare you…”

His voice simmered with restrained fury.

And in the next instant—

With lightning speed, Alex slammed Calix against the wall.

It happened too fast for her eyes to follow.

As Elicity stood there, dazed by the surreal turn of events, her brother let out a strangled scream, struggling against the grip that pinned him.

“Ugh—ack—save me. E-Elicity! Please, sa—ugh, ugh!”

Melina and Chelsea’s sobs echoed in the room.

Elicity absentmindedly tucked her stray hair behind her ear, lost in thought.

‘Could it be… is Alex actually trying to kill my brother right now?’

Her mind couldn’t process the situation properly.

Her husband was furious—there was no doubt about that.

But a husband trying to kill his wife’s brother? She had never imagined such a scenario.

As she stood there, stunned, her sister-in-law and niece’s desperate cries rang in her ears.

“My Lady, please save my husband! I don’t care about myself!!”

“Aunt, please forgive my father! Please?”

“Elicity.”

But then, a voice—low and cold enough to send chills down her spine—pierced through the commotion.

“I can’t forgive him.”

“…”

“How dare he try to lay a hand on my wife? Even tearing him apart limb by limb wouldn’t be enough.”

Then, he turned his head, his burning gaze landing on Chelsea.

It was so terrifying that she collapsed onto her knees.

“Baroness, I don’t care what happens to you or your daughter. The problem is that this bastard tried to harm my wife. So why do you think you have the right to beg for mercy?”

“Y-Your Grace…”

Chelsea, realizing something had gone terribly wrong, immediately prostrated herself before him.

“Your Grace, please, just this once—please spare him! He is still your wife’s brother!”

“Shut up.”

“Ugh…ugh!”

Under Alex’s grip, Calix squirmed.

He looked like a helpless wild animal caught in a hunter’s trap.

A beast that only knew how to be cruel within his own home but was utterly powerless before a stronger force.

Her brother, seconds away from being killed by her husband.

Her sister-in-law, pleading desperately for his life.

Her niece, sobbing helplessly.

‘…Brother.’

Her vision blurred.

Her brother and husband’s figures wavered before her eyes.

Why was her brother so foolish, so violent? Could he not have been a kinder person?

Why had things come to this, where her husband had no choice but to do this?

For the first time in a long while, Elicity was overcome with self-pity.

But she couldn’t let her husband kill her brother.

Pressing down the throbbing pain in her chest, she stepped toward Alex.