Elicity quickly covered her swollen cheek with her hand.

Alex murmured quietly.

“This won’t do.”

His voice was very small and calm, yet it seemed to be condensed with something unknown. Elicity thought that it wouldn’t be surprising if something big happened next.

Indeed, his strides toward his mother and sister were growing larger. Elicity quickly walked up to him and grabbed his arm.

“Honey!”

Alex turned back to her. She could see the light returning to his darkened eyes.

Elicity looked back and forth between her mother-in-law and her husband, speaking in a trembling voice.

“I don’t want Bella to know. So let’s talk about this later, later.”

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Bella was too busy wiping her runny nose on Elicity’s skirt to notice them.

Alex pressed his lips together briefly but soon nodded.

“Butler, take Bella outside.”

“Ah, understood!”

As if he had been waiting, the butler quickly carried Bella out. The head attendant also led the rest of the hesitant servants out of the drawing room.

As soon as the space was filled with silence, the stepmother frowned.

“Alex, we are guests. Driving out the servants who should be attending to us—have you become ill-mannered in the time we haven’t seen each other?”

“Mother. This is my house. No one has the right to interfere in whether I dismiss my servants or not.”

“Oh, brother!”

Bianca shouted.

“How could you say that to Mother? She is old now. Please don’t shock her any further.”

“She still has enough strength left to strike my wife, doesn’t she?”

“Alex!”

The Countess of Reten slammed her cane against the floor.

“How dare you raise your voice in front of your mother? And furthermore, it is not a husband’s place to interfere when a mother-in-law is educating her daughter-in-law!”

“T-That’s right, Brother. Though Mother was excessive, a man should not intrude in women’s affairs. In Madonia, men and women have their distinct roles.”

“Bianca is right. It is the matron of the household—me—who educates the daughter-in-law and granddaughter. A man meddling in women’s affairs only brings disgrace to the family!”

“Mother, Sister…”

His voice began to resonate heavily against the floor.

Having watched Alex for years, Elicity could tell that he was very angry right now.

At the same time, she found it hard to believe that her mother-in-law and sister-in-law had been this foolish in the past.

The one holding the purse strings of the Reten family was her husband. Instead of groveling to him, they were shouting at him. That was a mistake.

These two were foolish—far too foolish.

And if they were this foolish, then how much more foolish had she been, bowing her head to them in her previous life?

Elicity felt a headache coming on.

But there was no use in regret. She let out a breath and blocked her husband.

“Alex, honey. They’re right.”

“…But, dear.”

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”

Elicity smiled softly and stepped forward.

Her mother-in-law, who had crushed her throughout her married life, was still as arrogant as ever. Her expression clearly said, What can a mere thing like you do?

Elicity could only sigh.

“Mother, you are correct. Women have their own world. I, too, have been taught that a daughter-in-law should serve her mother-in-law well.”

“Yes, at least you understand.”

“But Mother, isn’t my legal mother-in-law the late Duchess Rosetta of House Zeroden? Since my husband was adopted into the Zeroden family.”

Her mother-in-law’s mouth fell open in shock, while her sister-in-law’s eyes widened, but Elicity did not stop.

“If you insist on invoking the etiquette of in-laws, then I must follow Madonia’s customs absolutely. I have no legal ties to you two, members of the Reten family. And since I am a duchess while you are a countess, it is only proper for you to speak to me with honorifics.”

“What? What nonsense are you saying? I am your mother-in-law!”

“No, the one I should formally serve is the late Duchess Rosetta, who was always so kind and benevolent.”

For a moment, Elicity fell into the past.

Years ago, when Alex was adopted as the heir to the Duchy of Zeroden, Elicity had nearly been divorced.

Since neither his parents nor his half-siblings could benefit from his rise in status, his wife—a fallen noble—was nothing but an eyesore.

The King of Madonia had even urged Alex to divorce her so he could marry his fourth princess.

Of course, Alex had refused. But her in-laws had felt differently.

Having royalty join their family was a great honor, after all.

The one who had stopped them had been the beautiful and gentle Duchess Rosetta.

—Sir Alex loves Lady Elicity. If we are to welcome him into our house, then we must welcome Lady Elicity as well. I, too, am fond of her.

Elicity had been so grateful. It had been a blessing beyond her worth.

But just a few days after she entered the ducal manor, Rosetta had died of an epidemic.

‘I should have repaid her kindness, but instead, I forgot her so easily because she was gone… and let myself be a slave to these people.’

Elicity raised her head again, filled with self-reproach.

Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law both stared blankly, utterly stunned.

“Countess, Lady Reten. Do not tell me what to do. We have no legal relationship. From now on, I will only think of my daughter.”

The drawing room fell into a silence so deep it was as if a mouse had died.

Even Bianca, who was usually quicker on the uptake, and the Countess, who had been ensnared by her own words, were left speechless.

It was Alex who finally broke the silence.

“What a perfectly reasonable statement, Countess Reten, Lady Reten.”

“Oh, Brother. Why are you acting like this too?”

Bianca’s lips quivered.

But Alex turned his back resolutely. His gaze shifted to his aide.

“Lowen, it’s time to sort out the mess in the family finances.”

“Pardon?”

“Withdraw the Zeroden knights stationed in the Reten County immediately. Also, transfer the income from the Langsend Mine, which had been deposited under the Count of Reten’s name, to an account under my daughter’s name.”

“What…? Dear, what are you saying?”

“And as for the Countess of Reten’s monthly dignity allowance… Oh. The household budget is managed by the mistress of the house, isn’t it? Elicity, you take care of it.”

The cynical tone finally made the two women realize something was seriously wrong. They urgently tried to stop Alex.

“D-Dear, you’re mistaken. I am your mother.”

“Brother, that’s right! If you do something like this, what will people say about you?”

But Alex remained firm. He coldly shook off the hands clinging to his sleeve and dusted it off as if dirt had tainted it. His slightly furrowed brow and twisted lips, combined with his striking features, conveyed an unmistakable contempt without the need for words.

Seeing the shock on his mother-in-law’s and sister-in-law’s faces, Elicity also felt momentarily flustered. However, her husband did not waver. With a frozen expression and a voice like ice, he concluded,

“Lowen, escort the Countess of Reten and Lady Reten outside.”

“……”

“As quickly as possible.”

Leaving the two frozen in disbelief, Alex approached Elicity. His gaze, in stark contrast to before, was as warm as the afternoon sun.

When Alex extended his arm to her, Elicity instinctively took it, looping her arm through his.

She was astonished that her husband had sided with her instead of his mother. The overwhelming joy left her so breathless that he almost felt unfamiliar.

Without a word, Elicity matched Alex’s pace as they stepped into the hallway

Her mother-in-law’s indignant cries about how he could do this to her rang through the air, but Alex’s voice soon drowned them out.

“Elicity, I’m sorry. I’d like to escort you to your room, but I must head straight to the knights’ headquarters. Lowen will ensure my mother and sister leave immediately, so please go upstairs and rest.”

“Oh… I-I see.”

As they reached the stairs, his arm slipped away. It felt as if she were waking from a dream, returning to reality.

Watching Alex walk away down the corridor, Elicity felt a sudden pang of regret. She was surprised at herself—she rarely felt any disappointment when he distanced himself before.

Her confusion quickly turned into embarrassment. Shaking her head hastily, she climbed the stairs.

***

According to Lowen, Alex truly had withdrawn the knights from the Count’s residence and changed the mine’s ownership from her father-in-law and brother-in-law to their daughter.

Since her husband had acted, she couldn’t just sit idly by.

Elicity decided to reduce the monthly allowance sent to the Reten family to one-tenth. Even with six mouths to feed, the amount they had been receiving was excessively generous. Besides, the taxes collected from the Reten territory were more than sufficient for their livelihood.

As she methodically attended to the paperwork, Elicity placed a hand over her chest.

Thump, thump.

Her heart, still pounding rapidly, showed no signs of calming. It was a lingering reaction from earlier.

‘He stood up for me.’

People used to joke that husbands were not their wives’ allies but ‘someone else’s ally.’

Elicity had somewhat agreed with that sentiment before, but not anymore.

Alex had stood by her, rejecting his mother and sister. Unlike in her previous life. She had no idea what she had done to make him change like this.

‘More importantly… I should have thanked him, but all I did was mumble.’

She had been too overwhelmed by emotion to say anything when he had defended her.

Would she get another chance?

Just as she pondered this, pressing a hand to her throbbing temple, Olivia entered the study and placed a cup of coffee before her.

“My lady, here is your coffee.”

“Oh. Thank you, Olivia.”

“Is something troubling you?”

“Well…”

Just as Elicity was about to speak, there was a knock at the door.

It was already nearing midnight.

‘Who could it be at this hour?’

Elicity exchanged puzzled glances with Olivia.

At that moment, a familiar deep voice tickled her ears.

“Elicity, it’s me.”

“!!”

Alex.

It was Alex. Elicity nearly dropped the coffee cup she had been holding.

Why would a husband seek out his wife in the middle of the night?

Only one possibility came to mind.

With her mind turning blank, she barely managed to move her lips.

“Olivia… see my husband in as you leave.”