“What?”

Gillian’s eyebrow twitched and moved.

He was a Duke Krembell, who was usually meticulous about managing his expressions.

Yet today, he showed such a face.

Ellen thought it was somehow amusing and spoke,

“Well… I hope that the next time we meet, your seal will be on that document.”

Ellen and Gillian’s eyes met.

His eyes were full of doubt and bewilderment about the situation.

It was an unfamiliar look she had never seen in her previous life.

Is it so bewildering that I do not act according to your thoughts?

If so, why did I live my entire life according to your thoughts?

Her heart felt cold. The feeling of something sticky spreading between her chest was extremely unpleasant.

Ellen looked away from Gillian and, without any particular farewell, turned around and left the office.

Gillian, who was blankly watching her back, belatedly shouted toward his butler.

“…James!”

He said no other words, but the meaning was clear.

‘Stop that woman from leaving.’

The butler of the duke’s house, James, who had been momentarily stunned by the absurdity and bewilderment, hurriedly chased after Ellen and shouted.

“Madam!”

James grabbed Ellen’s wrist.

But the surprising thing did not end there.

The Duchess suddenly shook off his hand and, with a fierce spirit, scolded him.

“How dare a mere commoner lay a hand on a noble’s body!”

“…The master is calling for you. Please go back inside.”

“I have no reason to obey that order, as I no longer intend to be a Krembell. I’m going back to Crient, so just return.”

“Madam, if you do this…”

James continued to hold her.

Then Ellen, with a very blatant sneer that she had never shown while staying at Krembell, said,

“Madam? Have you ever truly served me as your madam?”

“Madam, what are you saying…!”

“Stop the ridiculous pretense and go tend to Krembell’s affairs as befits your duty. I’m going back to Crient, and if you bother me again, I will surely cut off your wrist.”

At that fierce threat, James turned pale.

He couldn’t just let the madam go, but he also couldn’t just grab her arm like he did a moment ago.

But while he hesitated, Ellen was already leaving through the front gate of the ducal residence.

‘This is really a big problem!’

James sighed as he watched her figure receding into the distance.

* * *

Crash!

The crystal ashtray hit the floor.

“Can’t you even do that right?”

Gillian spoke with a frown marked by irritation.

“Why did that woman suddenly go mad? The woman who was quiet until yesterday, why did she suddenly do such a thing today? Tell me what you know.”

At the duke’s question, James hung his head low.

It seemed that the problem with the servants was quite significant, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it in front of his master.

In fact, it was something he wanted to deny, but the guess was likely correct.

But his master was not the type to wait patiently for an answer.

“Do you not have a mouth? If it’s a useless part, it can be cut off without issue.”

The cold, hardened voice was menacing.

James finally opened his mouth with a trembling voice.

“…It seems there was a problem with the servants. It is my oversight. I am sorry.”

“Servants? Why? In my eyes, there are no better-managed servants than here.”

Gillian asked with a questioning look.

A routine prepared on time.

Meals that did not deviate from his taste and a neatly organized appearance.

No matter how he thought about it, there was no problem with his mansion.

While Gillian was smirking and wondering what creative answer would come out, James, who was watching his mood, corrected his misunderstanding in a cautious voice.

“It’s just… the suggestions madam made regarding the punishment of those children were all rejected by the master.”

“…What?”

At Gillian’s questioning, James quickly recited the answer his master demanded.

“To speak of the most recent incident, a maid spilled tea on madam, and madam suffered a minor burn on her arm, but the master rejected the punishment of the maid.”

At those words, Gillian, the one who had asked, felt a bit taken aback.

Did a maid cause harm to the lady of the house and continue to work unscathed?

“…Are you saying that even though such a report was submitted, I rejected the punishment?”

Had he not seen the detailed report?

He thought so and asked, but the answer was far from what he expected.

“Yes. If you are referring to that incident, that is correct.”

Gillian felt dizzy and rubbed his temples.

He had been busy with many things he had started.

If it wasn’t something he had to solve, he either made the same decision as before or completely ignored it.

“…That means there are other incidents as well. Tell me.”

“As similar incidents accumulated, all the veteran servants familiar with serving the family were assigned to the master, and inexperienced ones who still needed to adapt were assigned to the madam.”

Basically, those who served him were impeccable.

Therefore, he remembered reading documents submitted by his wife a few times, but he thought she was an overly sensitive and tiring woman and threw them away.

He had only thought the butler would educate and supervise them properly.

He hadn’t known such things were happening.

“…You don’t think you did well, do you, reciting it all in front of me like that?”

“I am sorry.”

At this moment, all James could do was apologize to his master.

But he too felt wronged.

If the master had taken better care of his wife, they wouldn’t have acted that way.

Every task has a priority, and here, the duchess was just pushed down the list a little.

Of course, saying that would not be tolerated, so he just shrank back.

Gillian, at a loss for words, wiped his face dry and spoke.

“…Negligence is grounds for dismissal. Starting with you, and all those maids who worked like that. I will replace all the staff, so investigate and report!”

Gillian shouted, and at the furious duke’s command, James hurriedly ran out.

* * *

Ellen blankly stared at the people passing by.

The city she had run out to in a fit of anger was as lively as ever.

She had experienced death and returned, this miracle and this anger were all confusing.

She was staring at the street, seemingly lost, but soon she pulled herself together and patted her cheeks.

‘No, time is precious. First, I must think and act…’

She decided to head to a carriage house to arrange for a carriage.

‘Where should I go? To see Father… the merchant guild? No, too obvious. Going straight to the estate… they will surely send people to catch me. That won’t do either.’

Gillian was extremely reluctant to let the family’s commotion be known outside.

So for now, he wouldn’t make any actions that could be exposed outside.

But conversely, that meant if she did something noisy enough to be known outside, he would immediately take action.

‘A place outside Krembell’s territory, but not suspicious.’

If she tried to go too far, it could give Gillian an excuse to act.

For now, she should pretend it’s just a small incident, a little happening, as if she just came out for a breather.

‘The capital would be suitable. There is a road leading there without passing through Krembell’s territory from our estate.’

But she didn’t want to go to the Crient residence in the capital.

Gillian would find her too quickly.

Then where?

‘Ah, yes. There was that hotel.’

A place she had visited with the Crown Prince.

In the past, the Crown Prince would sometimes sneak out of the palace for some reason.

On those days, he would coax the duke into coming out with him, and the place they visited was that hotel.

At that time, the Crown Prince seemed to think that pretending to be the ducal couple’s servant was a thorough disguise.

Wearing clothes that were a mystery as to where he got them, he wandered around pretending to be their servant, but because he would crack jokes or burst into laughter, he never looked like a servant.

‘In this vast land, the only place that comes to mind outside of my connections is there.’

And it’s a place she visited with someone who was killed by her husband.

Ellen moved her steps with a self-mocking smile.

Fortunately, there was a coachman waiting at the carriage house.

The coachman glanced at her appearance, who was visiting alone, and asked,

“Where are you going?”

“To the capital. This is the fare.”

Ellen pulled out one of her wedding jewelry she had brought with her and handed it over.

The coachman, confirming it was real gold, beamed and quickly climbed onto the carriage.

The carriage started, and they headed straight for the outskirts of Krembell’s territory along the main road.

The open view over the canal, which was the outer boundary, was dazzling.

The dazzling reflections and the scent of the wind blowing over the river.

A strange excitement began to bubble up inside Ellen’s chest.

She was delighted by the open river and sky with nothing blocking her.

“Why didn’t I do this sooner…”

Escaping was such an easy thing.

The foolish woman who thought loving was the same as loving herself was murdered.

Now she was Ellen Crient.

A woman who would build a new life.

It finally felt like her chest was filled with breath.

Ellen, alone, burst into a meaningless laugh.