“Ian, I appreciate you being here, but…”

“I get it. I’m supposed to be friendly, quiet, and just sit still,” Ian said, emphasizing each word. He still wore a smile, but if I pushed further, I might see some irritation. I smiled with an apologetic look.

“Sorry, I keep bringing it up. I guess I’m just nervous.”

“Why would you be nervous, Liv? It’s them who should be,” Ian said, gesturing toward the carriage approaching the entrance.

“They’re here.”

The couple emerging from the carriage looked older than I remembered, yet essentially the same. Baron Molly adjusted his attire and approached us to greet us first.

“Your Graces. It’s been a long time.”

“Welcome.”

The Baron maintained a composed demeanor, but the Baroness seemed visibly anxious. I stood beside Ian as we exchanged greetings, then glanced back. Joyce, who had stepped back, now approached us.

“Welcome, both of you.”

“Joyce,” the Baroness took Joyce’s hands. “How have you been? Are you feeling well?”

“Yes,” Joyce replied, though a note of unease was audible. The Baroness was about to continue, but the Baron interrupted, signaling for restraint.

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

“Yes, let’s sit down and chat.”

I led them to the dining room. Since the dinner was a formal affair, Ian took his seat at the head of the long table, while I sat opposite him. The Mollys and Joyce sat close to each other on either side, facing each other closely. As soon as the Baroness sat down, I saw her swallow nervously.

She must have been feeling anxious, too. In fact, while I arranged the seating according to table etiquette, it did appear as though Ian and I were observing their every move.

“Thank you for inviting us, Your Grace. It’s the first time I’ve seen you up close since Aster passed away,” said the Baron, breaking the silence. Aster was my father’s name. I responded with a smile.

“Yes, indeed. Seven years already, yet we never had the chance before. I wonder why that is?”

The Baron, unfazed, chuckled pleasantly.

“I’m just grateful to be invited now. It must be thanks to my daughter-in-law’s kindness.”

As if implying that our lack of interaction had been my fault for not inviting him. If he had acted as friendly as he did when my father was alive, I would have happily put him in his place. But he didn’t overstep. Politically astute and quick-witted, the Baron didn’t cross lines, which made me wonder if Joyce could handle him well. The Baroness, seated beside him, also added,

“It’s a relief to see Joyce doing well. Thank you for looking after her, Your Grace.”

“She’s my friend, after all.”

Ian only smiled silently, sticking to his agreement to stay quiet and calm. Joyce finally straightened her shoulders, as though recognizing it was her turn.

“Olivia has treated me like a sister, so I’ve been happy here.”

The Baroness looked relieved to hear Joyce speak, glad she was opening up.

“I’m so glad. Truly, I am.”

Since Joyce hadn’t said much, dinner passed smoothly with typical polite conversation among nobility. Looking at the couple now, it was hard to believe they’d subjected Joyce to such hardship. The Baroness, especially, was continually watching Joyce, clearly hoping she would come home.

After dinner, we moved to the parlor. I was beginning to think Joyce might leave things unspoken, when the Baron suddenly turned to Ian.

“I brought some fine cigars. Would you care for one?”

Typically, every noble house has a cigar room, a place for men to converse privately, and it seemed the Baron intended to take Ian aside. Perhaps the Baroness had something to discuss privately among the women. However, Ian smiled and declined.

“I don’t smoke.”

He then took a seat next to me, linking his arm with mine, settling in to remain, quiet and composed.

The Baron was taken aback by the outright refusal and couldn’t speak for a moment. The Baroness seemed eager to say something but kept silent with Ian sitting firmly in place. As the silence grew heavier, I sighed and said,

“Please don’t mind him; feel free to talk. He’s been busy with work and is a bit tired.”

The Baron quickly chimed in,

“I understand. Drafting new legislation is no small task.”

The Baroness, glancing over, hesitantly suggested, “You must rest. I hope we aren’t intruding…”

But Ian cut her off with a cheerful expression.

“I’m actually enjoying a rare chance to relax, thanks to your visit.”

Amid the delicate situation with their family possibly unraveling, Ian spoke of relaxation. Cracks were beginning to show in the Molly couple’s composed expressions.

In the past, I might have felt uncomfortable at Ian’s behavior, but now, not needing to impress the people in front of me, it just felt funny. The tension I’d felt earlier was fading to the point that I wondered why I’d been nervous in the first place. Joyce must have felt the same, as she finally took the initiative to speak.

“Mother, Father, didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”

“Oh, yes, we did….”

The Baroness replied with a smile, though her eyes darted to me and Ian, as if unsure about speaking in front of us. I gave her a casual smile in return, pretending not to notice. Finally, unable to contain herself, she spoke.

“Duchess, could you give Joyce and me a little privacy to talk?”

“Oh, is it something you can’t say with me here?”

“It’s not that exactly, but it’s a private matter, so we’d appreciate some… consideration.”

Ignoring the Baroness, I turned to Joyce and asked, “Joyce? Is it a problem if I stay?”

“Not at all,” Joyce replied with a smile. “Like I mentioned, Liv is like a sister to me. We talk about everything, so I’m fine with her here.”

“Fine or not, a lady shouldn’t go around discussing personal matters everywhere,” the Baroness snapped, clearly losing her patience. However, she was still trying to maintain her composure, so I simply observed as Joyce politely replied.

“I haven’t been going around telling everyone. Though, I won’t deny I’ve been tempted. As you know, I can be a bit immature.”

The Baroness turned pale at the hint that Joyce might indeed share her story widely. I felt a surge of satisfaction; Joyce was doing exactly as I’d advised. She continued calmly.

“Mother gave me a tough lesson, and I learned a lot. I’ll be more careful with my words from now on. I mean, one impulsive statement kept me confined to the mansion for over a year. I’d be terrified to say anything wrong again, knowing what might happen.”

“Joyce!” The Baroness raised her voice, attempting to silence her. Joyce, feigning shock, replied in a theatrical tone.

“Oh, you startled me! Why shout? You’ll give someone a heart attack!”

The Baron then spoke in a measured tone, “My dear, keep calm.”

The Baroness, her face flushed and shoulders trembling, swallowed her anger, and, with her husband’s admonishment, she clamped her mouth shut, glaring at the table instead. The Baron then took over the conversation.

“I’m glad to hear you’ve reflected on things. We didn’t restrict you for no reason, Joyce. How could we know whether what you said was true or not?”

The Baron sighed and addressed Vanon, who was standing nearby. “Could I have a drink?”

As Vanon went to fetch it, the Baron continued in a quiet tone.

“Joyce, you were chosen as our daughter-in-law with the utmost care. Do you think we would have decided the future matriarch of the Molly family without a thorough background check on your family history, lineage, and past? And we welcomed you with the best we had to offer. You’re aware of that, aren’t you?”

Joyce bit her lip, as if at a loss for words. Countless unmarried ladies envied her. For a whole month, newspapers celebrated her grand wedding and the Molly family’s wealth, reporting every detail, even their luxurious townhouse in the city center where they’d moved in after the wedding.

“Before you talk about us mistreating you, ask yourself—was there ever a time we didn’t treat you well? I always felt sorry because my son didn’t show you the attention you deserved. Once you have a child, you’ll understand that children seldom behave as their parents hope. We did our best to bring Louis back to his senses. You can’t exactly whip a grown child into compliance—what would you have done?”

The Baron sighed deeply, almost as if he were winded.

“We regret confining you, truly. At the time, we were terrified. You didn’t seem yourself; no sane person would say such things. When you mentioned being in love with another man, we couldn’t tell if you meant it or if it was a lie, and we feared a scandalous pregnancy. So we chose to keep you hidden.”

Joyce, struggling to contain her anger, replied, “I’m perfectly sane. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“Yes, I can see that. I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive us,” the Baron muttered apologetically, looking frail and weary. The Baroness burst into tears, speaking with a tone of accusation.

“Why did you say such things? When you talked of divorce, I thought you might be pregnant. I was crushed when you missed your period. I felt as if the world was ending.”

“That was just from stress. Honestly, I thought if I said that, you’d take it out on Louis, not on me.”

“You think he listens to anything I say? I wouldn’t be suffering like this if he did,” the Baroness wailed, clutching her chest. Sensing that Joyce’s resolve might be wavering, I quickly intervened.

“Please calm down, Baroness. I understand both of your feelings, but for now, Joyce will stay with me until the child is safely born.”

The Baron immediately objected.

“That child may well be the next heir to the Molly family.”

“To be honest,” I replied, “I’m concerned about whether the child would be safe if Joyce returned to the Molly estate.”