The letter began with a simple greeting, followed by the information that Terian would be attending the wedding and planned to stay at the Descartes’ estate.

As this had not been arranged with Kalang or Edric Descartes, Terian must have sent the letter directly to Yuis.

Yuis sighed, put the letter down and called for Laura.

After confirming that Edric was in his study, she rose and made her way towards him.

She had hoped to avoid seeing him; the thought of facing him made her feel uneasy.

But the name Johannes left her feeling utterly powerless.

She knocked softly before entering.

This was her first time stepping into his study.

As she opened the door, she saw him immediately, seated directly ahead of her.

He was wearing silver-rimmed glasses and didn’t lift his gaze from the documents in front of him.

It was the first time she had seen him wearing glasses.

He didn’t seem to wear them often, but when he did, his already sharp features appeared even colder and more severe.

Feeling a chill from his colder-than-usual aura, Yuis quietly drew in a breath.

His pristine shirt had not a single wrinkle, every button fastened all the way to the cuffs and collar, with a neat brown vest layered over the top.

He was always impeccably dressed.

“My lord.”

Her quiet voice filled the space between them.

Those cool blue eyes — a strange mix of leisure and chill — turned towards her.

Meeting his gaze, Yuis carefully made her request.

“Guests from House Johannes will be attending the wedding. May I allow them to stay at the estate?”

“As you wish.”

He immediately lowered his gaze back to his documents. But when Yuis didn’t move, he looked up again, narrowing his brows slightly.

Although he was the one looking up at her, she somehow felt smaller under his gaze.

“Is there anything else you wish to discuss?”

“No, thank you.”

Returning to her room, Yuis sat down and wrote a reply to Terian Johannes. After sealing the letter, her tension finally dissipated and she was overcome with fatigue.

Using her exhaustion as an excuse, she dismissed Laura and was left alone in the parlour.

Her hand reached for the teacup sitting to one side of the table.

The steam had long since vanished, leaving the tea cold and bitter.

Even then, her gaze lingered on her signature: Yuis Descartes.

The name still didn’t feel like her own.

***

Terian Johannes disliked Yuis Everett.

She found her doll-like face, which looked as though it would shatter at the slightest touch, her perfectly upright posture and her soft, pleasant voice irritating.

The fact that she had nothing yet exuded an air of calm indifference towards someone like Terian, who had everything, infuriated her.

Not only was she no longer a proper noble, she certainly hadn’t received a proper education or enjoyed any of the privileges Terian had always taken for granted, even when she had been one.

Sometimes, just looking at the pale neck of that wretched maid made Terian want to break it.

At first, she deliberately tried to torment her by constantly nitpicking, subtly isolating her, and making her feel unwelcome.

And yet, even then, Yuis Everett — who must have wanted to strangle her a hundred times over — never once allowed her true feelings to show.

Even when Terian showed her favour, she never seemed pleased.

When he rejected her, she didn’t resent him or shed a tear.

She remained calm and composed.

This irritated Terian to no end.

She vividly remembered the day Jerome, the eldest son of Count Remi, came for tea.

When Jerome fixed his gaze on Yuis, who was standing silently behind her, Terian was overcome with rage.

She knew that Jerome had sought Yuis out before leaving. She had expected it and kept a close watch.

Although Terian was engaged in marriage talks with the Prince of Hetar, she was well aware of Jerome’s cunning nature — he was always trying to get something out of her.

Hadn’t he even suggested they meet in secret?

The way Jerome looked at Yuis was all too familiar to Terian.

“What’s your name?”

“Yuis Everett.”

“Everett? Viscount Everett’s daughter? Then why are you working here as a maid?”

Yuis said nothing. The two locked eyes in a strange, tense silence for a moment.

Terian’s eyes narrowed as she observed them.

She knew that unyielding girl well.

As always, Yuis’s violet eyes were indifferent, while Jerome puffed himself up in front of her.

“I apologise, but I must excuse myself due to work. Please forgive my rudeness.”

This cold, dignified rejection left Jerome dumbfounded.

It was both amusing and infuriating.

The eyes that had once gazed at Terian were now fixed on Yuis.

Terian had never intended to see Jerome again, but he had no right to look at Yuis like that.

Her pale brown eyes glittered with burning fury.

In that moment, Terian found herself resenting Yuis Everett even more for stealing the attention that should have been hers.

When Terian invited Yuis Everett into her drawing room for the first and only time, served her tea and ruined her life, she had been satisfied.

Those tightly clenched lips, those violet eyes brimming with humiliation and the sharp creases marring her usually immaculately pressed uniform — it had all been extremely satisfying.

It was entertaining. Above all, Terian wanted to see how Yuis would live in Kalang as the wife of that cold-blooded man.

She wanted to witness Yuis’ humiliation and see her expression when Terian, now merely a guest, looked upon her.

That’s why she had come all the way here: to attend the wedding and bring friends who knew that Yuis Everett had once been her maid.

As Terian gazed at Yuis sitting in the seat of honour, she smiled with satisfaction.

Her eyes were lowered and her eyelashes trembled slightly with every blink. Her hand, holding the teacup, quivered faintly.

She was trying to appear composed, but her anxiety was impossible to hide.

“So, Yuis. How have you been?”

“Thanks for asking. I’ve been well.”

Terian watched Yuis carefully, exchanging glances with her companions, whose eyes sparkled with unspoken malice.

“Lady Yuis is truly lucky, isn’t she?”

“To become the duchess of a great empire like Kalang!”

“Marrying the duke of such a mighty empire — how extraordinary!”

Soft laughter followed.

“Oh dear, forgive us.”

“Even back when you were a maid, you looked perfectly at home here. But now, seeing you in such a grand mansion, you fit in even better.”

“With a pretty face like yours, I suppose anything would suit you.”

Their words were sharp and cruel. Though they laughed and spoke lightly, each word stabbed into Yuis like a dozen arrows.

They all knew her past. This place — the Descartes estate — was her husband’s domain.

Yet these ladies made no effort to hide their subtle cruelty, ignoring any consequences their careless words might bring.

Yuis had no choice but to smile. She smiled as best she could because there was nothing else she could do.

Standing slightly behind, Terian watched Yuis with amusement as she endured it all.

“So, Yuis, how is your husband?”

All eyes turned towards Yuis; the stares were curious yet contemptuous.

Yuis gently set down her teacup and smiled brightly, as if nothing were wrong.

She could only remember how gentle he had been on their wedding night.

“He’s a good man. Very kind.”

“That’s wonderful to hear.”

Terian replied, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

Noticing the faint redness gathering in Yuis eyes, Terian curled her lips ever so slightly. A sweet, delicate smile bloomed on her face.

“That dress is lovely. It suits you well. Did you pick it yourself?”

Caught off guard by this unexpected question, Yuis blinked, unable to grasp Terian’s intentions immediately.

The other ladies quickly joined in, echoing Terian.

“Well, Yuis is just so pretty, after all.”

“Even when she wore a maid’s uniform, she was hard to miss.”

“Where did you have that dress made? It looks similar to something from Heinen Atelier.”

Playfully wrinkling her nose, Lady Seymour — the daughter of a baron — said this, and Terian turned her gaze back to Yuis with a gentle smile.

“It’s from Heinen, isn’t it, Yuis?”

When Yuis remained silent, Lady Hestia, the count’s daughter, stepped in.

“Yes, why aren’t you answering? Is that too difficult a question for you?”

“Don’t tease her. She might not even know about the Heinen Atelier. She’s had such a hard life, after all. Poor thing.”

To welcome the guests from Darec, Madam Gion and Laura dressed Yuis in dresses brought from there.

The Heinen Atelier was not a place that a maid like Yuis Everett would ever have visited.

Terian was now using that fact to humiliate her.

“It’s all right, Yuis. You might not know this, but you should try to learn from now on, don’t you think? You wouldn’t want to be unable to answer if someone asked you, would you?”

Yuis struggled to figure out what to say as Terian tilted her head and smiled sweetly. Suddenly, she heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching.