“What? Not permitted to leave? What are you talking about?”

Drisena’s eyes widened as if she had been struck.

Her expression made it clear that she could not comprehend what she had just heard. Confusion flooded her face.

“I thought we had settled that matter the other day. I thought the investigation I was under would be discontinued. Wasn’t that the agreement?”

They had certainly discussed it.

When she asked Siliad to stop the investigation, didn’t her daughter-in-law say so herself? That he should focus on another matter instead and abandon the investigation into Drisena?

It was true that their conversation had been interrupted when Martiana rushed out upon hearing the news of Ramelata’s arrival.

But still.

Even if another inquiry were to take place, Drisena had been told that she would be required to attend. Her movements had never been restricted before.

And yet now—

— she was being told that she could not leave at all.

For Drisena, who had only been waiting to receive her allowance so she could hurry back to her playground, this felt like being struck by lightning.

“Perhaps your memory is not what it used to be. I don’t recall saying we would simply end it without conditions.”

Martiana frowned faintly, lowering her gaze to the papers in front of her.

Despite what Drisena had shouted, she seemed intent on continuing her work. She picked up her pen again, looking determined.

It was as though she was saying that if this conversation was not conducted properly, she would not participate in it at all.

Whether intentional or not, Drisena saw her daughter-in-law as insolent.

And so her voice rose.

“Watch your tone when you speak to your mother-in-law. Are you mocking me?”

“Of course not.”

“You are! Honestly—when you said you would resume your role as lady of the house, I stayed quiet to see how well you’d manage!”

“So you’ve decided to go over my head, have you?”

Drisena planted her hands on her hips and raised her voice.

She had kept silent for several days — perhaps four. During that time, she hadn’t left her room once. It was her way of protesting. A protest against Martiana reclaiming authority over the household.

But it was more than that — it was a power struggle.

Martiana had no intention of surrendering the control she had wielded for all these years. In fact, she had initially refused to hand over the account books. When asked for them, she ignored the request and held them tightly to her chest.

She had expected Martiana to come to her and beg. But that wretched girl did nothing of the sort. Rather than seeking her out, she simply walked through the estate, inspecting everything herself.

Even worse, she said this boldly.

“Mother, if you refuse to provide the records, I will ask Siliar to intervene.”

She is truly shameless.

If her son were involved, he would undoubtedly side with his wife. And yet she still dared to speak to him like that.

But what choice did Drisena have? She held no real leverage.

Ultimately, she handed everything over, although it was no secret that she had torn a few pages in anger.

“What exactly are you trying to imply? I gave you everything you asked for. And this is how you repay me — by persecuting me? Do you take me for a fool?”

Her allowance had been cut by more than half. Now she was being told that she could not even leave the estate.

She felt suffocated and driven to the brink.

So she shouted, hoping to crush her insolent daughter-in-law’s spirit.

Unfortunately, it had little effect.

“Mother.”

Martiana, who had been watching her quietly, finally spoke.

“I said I would put the matter behind us. But not unconditionally. Don’t you remember?”

“What?”

“I clearly stated the condition for halting the investigation. If this condition is not met, I will have no choice but to request that the investigation continues.”

“Condition?”

Drisena’s brow furrowed. Her flushed eyes darted as she searched her memory.

Had there truly been such a thing?

‘Nonsense. That’s a lie—’

Ah.

Wait.

Something came to her mind.

It had not benefited her, so she must have pushed it aside.

That was it.

“You’re demanding that I apologize to you?”

That must be it.

What audacity!

Drisena pressed a hand to her forehead and clicked her tongue.

As soon as she had finished speaking, Martiana nodded.

“Yes.”

She looked Drisena directly in the eye.

This was not the same woman who had once kept her head lowered and been confined to her room for years.

In Drisena’s memory, her daughter-in-law had always been weak. But the woman before her now was not.

“This is absurd. You expect me to apologize?”

No.

“I refuse.”

Drisena answered without hesitation.

She meant it.

She had no intention of submitting to her daughter-in-law.

She could not think of anything she had done wrong. No matter how hard she tried, she could not think of anything for which she should apologize.

Who had asked her to live like a walking corpse? Of course she was unpleasant to look at. Was it so strange that Drisena had wanted her sent away?

“You should reflect on yourself. I have done nothing wrong. Did I behave that way without reason? You were the one out of your mind. Who in this world would willingly live with a madwoman?”

“My fault?”

“Yes, yours. Take a look at your own behavior. The same applies to this budget issue. If you understood propriety, you would have consulted me first. You wouldn’t have sent a notice like this.”

Drisena waved the envelope again as she vented her grievances. Her voice trembled with long-suppressed indignation and resentment.

Martiana simply watched her.

As though she had nothing to say, she kept her gaze fixed on the paper fluttering before her eyes.

When Drisena’s tirade finally faded, Martiana opened a ledger beside her.

A short sigh escaped her.

“If that is how you feel, then I suppose I have no choice.”

She dipped her pen into the ink.

Then, with a clean stroke—

She drew a line through the number twenty thousand.

“You—what are you doing?”

“I said you would not leave the estate. In that case, the budget should be adjusted. Twenty thousand would be excessive. Ten will suffice.”

“Wh-what? What did you say?”

“Is that still too much? Shall I reduce it further?”

Martiana tilted her head slightly, her pen poised.

Drisena stamped her foot in alarm.

This was not how it was supposed to go.

“Are you mad—no, wait, my dear. Let’s not do this. Ten thousand? How can anyone live on ten?”

“If you reconsider, do let me know.”

“I’ve reconsidered! Of course I have. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

In her haste, Drisena grabbed the hand holding the pen.

It wasn’t out of remorse, but because she was afraid that Martiana might change the figure mid-sentence.

When money was at stake, what use was pride?

There was nothing more delightful in this world than wealth. Getting what she wanted came first.

“I apologize. I spoke carelessly. Will you accept it?”

“……”

“Will you? Let us think of this kindly, hmm? How could anyone live on ten thousand? You agree, don’t you?”

Drisena bent forward over the desk and pleaded.

She seemed as though she might climb onto it if necessary.

The desperation in her eyes bore no resemblance to the woman who had been shouting moments earlier.

“I accept your apology.”

Martiana nodded simply.

Drisena’s face brightened at once.

“Truly? Then we’re agreed? You’ll inform Siliar accordingly?”

“Yes.”

“Then this allowance—”

“I won’t reduce it further.”

“Oh? Reduce—”

“It’s fortunate, isn’t it? That I didn’t lower it to five thousand. You made a swift decision.”

Martiana smiled gently as she neatly wrote ‘ten thousand’ over the crossed-out ‘twenty’.

However, to Drisena, that smile looked demonic.

***

“Ahhh!”

A sudden scream echoed through the estate.

It was loud enough that Siliar—who had just been about to leave—startled and stepped out into the corridor.

“What’s going on?”

“It seems the Dowager Duchess has taken offense at the Young Madam.”

Having recognized Drisena’s unmistakable voice at full volume, the butler ventured a guess as to where it was coming from.

The source of the commotion was Martiana’s chambers.

Siliar quickened his steps, feeling uneasy.

He had never heard a cry like it within these walls before.

Still, this was the estate. It could not be as serious as the incidents he had dealt with at the guard station.

“You! Just wait! I won’t let this go!”

Perhaps not.

Siliar slowed down and blinked at the scene before him.

As the butler had said, his mother stormed out of Martiana’s room, her face flushed with fury.

Martiana stood there, watching her calmly.

“Martiana.”

He approached his wife, who remained just outside the doorway.

“What happened?”

“Mother apologized to me.”

Ah.

The matter from the dining room.

With those words, Siliar pieced it together.

He did not know what had been said, but he could easily guess.

His mother’s pride must have been hurt by having to apologize to someone she thought was beneath her.

That alone would explain her outburst.

He let out a quiet breath and studied his wife’s face carefully.

“And you?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you all right?”