“Who knows? I may one day wish to reclaim what is rightfully mine. And when that happens, you won’t have anywhere left to go, will you?”

Terian reached for a scone and pushed it towards Yuis with her right hand, her words sinking in like poison.

“Go ahead, Yuis. You used to like eating what I left behind, didn’t you?”

Yuis couldn’t understand. After all, Terian was the one who had vehemently rejected marriage to Edric, the infamous warhound of the North.

As Lady Johannes of Darec, Terian had aspired to marry Hetar’s crown prince instead, which had sent Yuis, her former maid, into ruin.

And yet now, she dared to act as if Yuis had stolen something from her.

Yuis had never wanted any of this.

It was Terian who had forced her into this life, throwing her into Kalang’s grasp and scheming to marry her off against her will.

Even though her husband treated her with gentle courtesy and the estate’s servants welcomed her warmly, Yuis continued to live with the anxiety that Terian had instilled in her.

And now, to hear Terian speak of taking back the position she had once so easily cast aside —

What would become of her if that were to happen?

As the sense of injustice surged within her, Yuis’s vision blurred.

‘Don’t cry. Please… don’t cry.’

She repeated the words to herself, forcing back the tears.

Edric’s voice echoed in her mind, urging her to protect her position as Duchess. But could someone like her, who had never been destined for this position, truly fulfil that role?

A bitter self-mockery surfaced as her tangled thoughts left her breathless.

Watching Yuis closely, Terian continued to speak in a soft, almost gentle tone.

“Did you know that, Yuis? Your husband came to see me before the wedding.”

She tilted her head slightly, her voice deceptively sweet.

“I wonder what would happen if the Duke of Descartes found out the truth about you?”

At these words, Yuis violet eyes wavered, unable to remain steady. Seeing her reaction, Terian smiled as beautifully as ever and drove the blade in deeper.

“Remember this, Yuis. You’re nothing more than a substitute warming the Duke’s bed in my place.”

The tears she had held back finally spilled over, tracing down her cheeks. Yet, strangely, the moment the tears fell, her vision cleared, becoming sharp and unclouded.

Terian watched her cry, wearing a smile of utmost satisfaction. This was perhaps the happiest Yuis had ever seen her during their time in Haneder.

“Do your best to keep him entertained with that pretty face and body of yours, though I doubt it’ll last long.”

With the light, graceful movements of a bird, Terian rose from her seat and stepped closer.

Lowering her face to Yuis’s ear, she whispered one final piece of venomous advice.

As Terian finished speaking, the sound of steady footsteps approached.

It was Isaac Lennox, who had stepped away briefly.

After casting a sharp glance at Terian, he stood by Yuis’s side and bowed politely.

“Forgive me for returning uninvited, but I could not stay away any longer.”

“It’s fine. Our conversation is over anyway.”

Terian folded her fan and smiled pleasantly before turning and leaving the room.

Yuis stared at the untouched scone and the empty seat where Terian had been sitting for a moment. Then, a handkerchief was gently offered to her.

“Are you all right, my lady?”

Taking the handkerchief, Yuis wiped her damp eyes.

“Thank you, Major.”

“No need, My Lady. I am only doing my duty.”

Their eyes met briefly. Isaac’s earlobes flushed faintly as Yuis’s gaze slowly drifted from the scar on his hand up to his eyes.

“Not just for today.”

Yuis’s voice softened.

“I’ve been meaning to thank you for a while now—for everything, even during the journey to Kalang.”

“No, My Lady. I am the one who is grateful.”

Yuis held her gaze on him for a moment longer, and Isaac calmly met her eyes—before suddenly realizing himself and lowering his head even deeper.

“Forgive me. I should have introduced myself properly from the start. I am Major Isaac Lennox, aide to His Grace. Please feel free to call me simply Lennox.”

“Ah… Yes, Major Lennox. Truly, thank you for everything.”

With those words, Yuis rose from the tea table and left. Isaac quietly watched her as she walked toward the garden path, unable to conceal the sadness in his eyes.

‘Why is Lady Yuis Johannes treated so cruelly by Lady Terian Johannes? Why does she simply endure it?’

Isaac had done his best to ensure her comfort throughout the journey from Darec to Kalang, but he knew the trip alone must have been exhausting for any noblewoman.

And yet, not once had she complained. She had always greeted everyone with that graceful, composed smile—so different from the aristocratic women he was used to.

Of course, like many others, Isaac had been skeptical of this political marriage at first, believing his superior, the Duke of Descartes, was at a disadvantage.

However, after spending time with her, his opinion of her gradually changed. It was clear that she was the most vulnerable person involved.

And so, after they arrived in Kalang, he had personally volunteered to serve as her guard—taking over whenever the other officers hesitated.

Looking back, perhaps that had been for the best.

Now, as he gazed after her, Isaac’s face was filled entirely with quiet sorrow.

The fact that she worried about offending a knight like him, asked if she could address him informally, and expressed her gratitude, only made Isaac respect her more.

Given the Duke’s typically reserved attitude towards women, her kindness stood out even more.

***

It was the day of Edric’s first official visit to the Imperial Palace since the wedding.

The estate’s servants stood in neat rows to see him off as his carriage was prepared to depart for Haven Station.

At the very end of the line stood his wife, Yuis Descartes.

Edric approached her at his usual unhurried pace and bent down to gently kiss her on the cheek.

Yuis fidgeted in his arms whenever he did this; she was flustered and unsure what to do. Edric found this oddly delightful.

“Have a safe trip… Your Grace.”

The small, hesitant honorific tacked onto her words made him suppress a quiet chuckle. He answered with a simple nod.

Yuis stood where she was, watching his carriage roll away gently and shrink into the distance until it finally vanished from view.

Only then did she turn back towards the mansion.

Although the weather was growing warmer as summer approached, Edric maintained his perfect appearance without fault.

Upon entering the Emperor’s study via the palace’s grand entrance, he found Marquis Alfred and Emperor Richard waiting for him.

“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t this the newlywed Edric?”

Henry Alfred grinned mischievously as he teased him.

Clearly, it wasn’t going to be a quiet meeting today.

“I hear your bride is quite a beauty.”

Even the Emperor himself joined in the banter. Edric simply responded with a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth before taking his seat and placing a set of documents on the Emperor’s desk.

“She is quite beautiful. Perhaps that’s why Edric Descartes, who once treated all women like stones, finally gave in.”

“Perhaps so. Now, what’s this paperwork, Edric?”

“You need to see this, Your Majesty. It concerns the Descartes.”

The Emperor’s smile gradually faded as he flipped through the pages. By the time he had finished, his face had hardened, and traces of anger shadowed his expression.

“The King of Darec has made a fool of you.”

Surprisingly, Edric looked rather pleased as he said it.

A small smile with a hint of amusement appeared on his lips.

Richard stared at him with a complicated look before speaking again.

“Edric, you’re the one who’s suffered the most in all of this.”

“I’m not sure. It was a marriage I was destined to enter into, one way or another. It wouldn’t have mattered who the bride was.”

Sensing the strange tension between them, Henry picked up the documents and quietly read through them. After finishing, he put the file down and finally spoke.

“If you ask me, the real victim in all of this is Yuis Everett.”

Edric, who had been silently watching Henry, smirked faintly.

“That’s also true. She was forcibly dragged here and married off to a cold-blooded warhound.”

“No, no.”

Richard was firm.

“How can you call it a loss for her when the daughter of a fallen noble became the Duchess of Kalang’s only duke?”

The anger inside him simmered. He could easily march over to the King of Darec and break the man’s neck with his bare hands for deceiving him.