When Ellen descended to the first-floor lobby, she saw a familiar face.

It was Alvin, who was in charge of cleaning the third floor where the Duke’s office was located.

The reason she could immediately spot a familiar face in the bustling lobby was simple.

That familiar face had fixed his gaze on her as soon as she entered the first floor.

But Alvin remained silent, merely staring at her until she was right in front of him, offering no greeting or acknowledgment.

They were always rude, but today it was particularly excessive.

Watching this behavior, Ellen finally spoke up reluctantly.

“Why are you just standing there staring? Lead me to where the carriage is.”

Alvin’s suddenly jerked up.

His eyes widened, and he sprang up as if propelled by a spring, saying,

“I-I’m sorry, ma’am! I’ll, I’ll escort you.”

Alvin felt as if someone had kicked him in the gut, unable to regain his composure from the tension he had been holding in.

Seeing the captivating lady in a red dress approaching from afar, he idly wondered which noble family she belonged to, thinking the master’s attendants must see such ladies at every party. But as the lady continued to approach him, he became inwardly tense.

Gulp. He swallowed dryly, unable to remain calm as the beautiful lady seemed to have business with him.

But when the lady actually spoke to him, it was natural for him to be surprised.

But what truly shocked him wasn’t that the beautiful lady spoke to him.

What startled him most was realizing that this lady was the Duchess of Krembell.

Alvin was bewildered.

He wondered if this was indeed the lady he knew.

But the lady, walking gracefully and elegantly without a single misstep, was undoubtedly the Duchess he served.

It took Alvin a long time to recover from his bewilderment.

Luckily for him, he wasn’t the only one who reacted rudely.

From the moment they arrived at the Duke’s residence, everyone they encountered, from the guards at the entrance to the maids of the mansion, showed similar reactions.

In hindsight, it was understandable.

The Duchess had always worn modest, monochromatic dresses befitting her image as a cultured and virtuous lady, was never seen with heavy makeup, and always wore neat shoes.

So it wasn’t surprising that the woman in front of them seemed like a completely different person.

Who would associate the glamorous and elegant lady with the Duchess of Krembell?

The Duchess they knew was always neat and restrained.

Regardless of his impressions, Alvin, who recovered quicker than others, escorted her to the Duke’s office on the third floor.

“Your Grace, the lady has arrived.”

Upon his announcement, the Duke’s voice invited them in.

As Alvin opened the door, Ellen passed him and entered the Duke’s office.

Once she was fully inside, Alvin quietly closed the door, leaving only Ellen and Gillian in the office.

Ellen looked straight ahead.

She saw Gillian raising his head.

His eyebrows showed displeasure, and his mouth was set in a hard line.

Sensing his irritation, Ellen had a vague feeling that he wouldn’t give her the answer she wanted today.

She waited for him to speak.

“……?”

Something was off.

He had raised his head sharply as if ready to shout, yet he remained silent.

Puzzled, Ellen met Gillian’s eyes.

For a moment, she thought she saw some kind of agitation in his eyes.

‘…I thought he would yell immediately. Did he really prepare the papers?’

Ellen briefly scanned Gillian from head to toe.

Hands. Desk. Bookshelf. Her gaze searched around Gillian.

But there was nothing that looked like divorce papers.

“What on earth did you call me for today—”

“I replaced the servants who were causing issues. I admit there were problems I hadn’t noticed.”

…What?

Ellen’s mind momentarily froze.

His unexpected admission.

‘Is this man really…?’

She stared blankly at the man in front of her.

Then, an explosion of question marks flooded her mind.

Why now? So easily? At this point? Why not before…!

Overwhelmed by a wave of emotions, Ellen found herself bewildered, staring at Gillian.

She suddenly doubted if the man in front of her was the one she knew.

Perhaps some kind of miracle had befallen him.

Or maybe he was always capable of changing so easily, and her foolish handling in her youth led to such a tragedy.

If so, what about me?

While lost in such thoughts, she was brought back to reality by Gillian’s voice.

“I’ll leave the management of the servants to you from now on. If you have any more complaints, talk to me directly in the mansion instead of creating tiresome noise.”

Having said his piece, Gillian sank deeply into his chair.

However, Ellen stood there, neither speaking further nor leaving.

Even though enough time had passed for her to have left, Ellen remained in place, prompting Gillian to glance at her again and speak.

“Why are you still here? And what’s with that outfit? If that’s another complaint, I’ll overlook it within the mansion, so be mindful.”

Gillian made a dismissive gesture, signaling her to leave.

Only then did Ellen finally come to her senses.

After seeing the familiar gesture he used to declare his separation from her.

“…Such authority should be given to the new Duchess of Krembell you’ll bring in. If you won’t sign the papers today, I’ll take my leave.”

As expected, he couldn’t change so easily.

He would solve problems self-centeredly, without her input in the resolution.

Amused by her brief hope and scanning around him, Ellen turned and grasped the door handle, saying she would leave.

“What exactly is your complaint? Why don’t you speak clearly!”

Suddenly, Gillian slammed the desk and stood up.

Rising with a shout, he glared at her with piercing eyes.

But Ellen simply gazed at him with deeply sunken eyes.

Seeing his face, she realized she felt no emotion, which was surprising.

Realizing this, she understood that the emotion she felt towards him was more disbelief than anything else.

“I’m speaking clearly now, but perhaps you can’t understand.”

“Do you think talking about divorce is speaking clearly? It seems your head is twisted, not your mouth.”

“I told you my complaint is you, and as you said, I lack the grace to remain in the Krembell family, so for the sake of that noble honor, please divorce me.”

“Does Count Crient know about this? I wonder who you think pushed for this marriage.”

Gillian spat out his words with a bitter sneer.

“You have nowhere to run anyway. I admit I didn’t pay enough attention. I’ll acknowledge my mistake, so let it go.”

But Ellen, looking at him with a blank stare, turned around and spoke.

“…Next time we meet, I hope the papers are signed.”

“Ellen Krembell!”

Ignoring his shout, Ellen left the room, and Gillian immediately called for his butler.

“James!”

“Yes, master.”

“This is an order as the head of the family responsible for the household. Ensure the lady’s safety!”

Ellen realized what was about to happen.

As her father and she feared, Gillian had decided to imprison her in the mansion.

The butler quickly summoned the family’s knights, and Ellen was taken away under the guise of protection.

“…So this is the method you resort to. I’m ashamed of my past self.”

To have loved someone like you.

With those final words, she was once again trapped in that dreadful mansion.

* * *

Knock, knock.

As Gillian tried to calm his rising anger by drinking a chilled beverage, he heard a small knock at the door.

“…Come in.”

“Count Crient has arrived. I’ve shown him to the first-floor parlor for now.”

“What?”

Gillian responded with an annoyed tone.

Crient, Crient… Lately, that name grated on his nerves.

“Did he say why he came?”

“He mentioned it was about your daughter… And here are the letters that just arrived from the post office.”

For Count Crient, the daughter could only mean Ellen Krembell.

He accepted the items James handed him.

“…Crient?”

On top was an envelope sealed with Count Crient’s insignia.

“Yes, I thought it might be related to his visit today…”

Gillian, with evident annoyance, opened the seal on the letter.