You’re just like me. You have to lower yourself, bow your head, and endure. You have to bear it.

Ellienne bit her lip, then for the first time in her life, mustered her courage and parted her dry lips.

The red lips the maids at the ducal estate had carefully painted had faded, leaving only a bloodless pallor.

“I apologize for displeasing you. However… even though I’m a war trophy concubine, I will surely be of use to Your Grace the Grand Duke. Please accept me graciously.”

At that moment, Madam Küsen stepped forward. Even looking at Karadion, called the war-mad Grand Duke, she showed no sign of fear whatsoever.

“I greet you, sir. I am Madam Küsen, head maid of House Nosent.”

Karadion, only now noticing Küsen’s presence, raised one eyebrow on his otherwise expressionless face. Madam Küsen bowed even deeper and continued.

“Duke Nosent has sent the young lady of House Nosent as Your Grace’s concubine to honor the Grand Duke Helios’s great achievements and to pray for peace and stability in the North. Please accept the Duke’s loyal devotion.”

“Why didn’t Duke Nosent come himself and only send his daughter?”

“My apologies, but the Duke has contracted a contagious disease and cannot move freely. He said he would visit Your Grace as soon as he recovers.”

Father caught a contagious disease? It was a blatant lie.

Ellienne couldn’t help but be shocked by Madam Küsen’s audacity in spouting falsehoods before the Grand Duke without batting an eye.

Duke Nosent had left for the capital to protect his mining operation rights, to gather the support he needed to turn public opinion in his favor.

Grand Duke Karadion was the kingdom’s guardian sword who enjoyed the King’s favor, but at the same time, many hostile forces envied, resented, and feared him.

Duke Nosent planned to seek out royalty and high nobles who wanted to suppress Grand Duke Karadion’s power and consolidate their strength. Ellienne was merely a chess piece to buy time.

Madam Küsen respectfully presented a letter she had prepared to Grand Duke Karadion with both hands.

“He instructed me to present this letter to Your Grace in his stead.”

Karadion, frowning, gestured to his aide Rold standing beside him. Rold received the letter from Madam Küsen, tore it open to check for anything suspicious, then handed it to the Grand Duke.

Karadion quickly read through the letter and sneered.

“So the war trophy concubine is collateral for House Nosent’s mining operation rights.”

Karadion’s gaze swept down over Ellienne’s face with a cold look, and he curled his lips.

“…I’ll keep you as a concubine for a while. While you’re in this castle, stay quiet like you don’t exist.”

Ellienne stood there blankly, unable to say anything. Just keeping her feet planted on the ground and maintaining her balance was exhausting.

Madam Küsen bowed her head respectfully. She glared at the dazed Ellienne and urged her on.

“What are you doing, Lady Ellienne? You must thank His Grace immediately.”

A shadow of despair slowly fell over Ellienne’s clear eyes. She barely managed to part her dry, cracked lips.

“I… I sincerely thank Your Grace the Grand Duke for your mercy.”

Ellienne put strength in her knees and bowed properly to the Grand Duke.

“Ah…”

In an instant, her vision grew distant and the strength drained from her legs. The taut string of tension snapped all at once.

Mental shock, oppressive pressure, and extreme physical exhaustion crushed her shoulders all at once. Ellienne collapsed onto the cold northern ground like a puppet with cut strings.

Through her fading vision, watching Karadion’s cold expression, Ellienne fell into a deep abyss.

* * *

One month earlier, at House Nosent in the northern region.

A splendid ball was being held in the central hall of House Nosent.

The clear laughter of noblewomen and young ladies in beautiful dresses, the clinking of champagne glasses, and the beautiful orchestral music flowed all the way to the vast garden.

The music passed through the garden and reached even the deepest, most secluded annex on the northern side of the ducal estate. But surrounded by deep silence and darkness, no sound could be heard there.

The annex of House Nosent was always silent, quiet like a dead mouse. In the worn bedroom located in the deepest part of the annex, only the scratching sound of a pen could be heard.

Below the window, at a large desk, Ellienne was diligently transcribing from parchment and an original book. Behind her, governess Madam Küsen watched with a cold expression.

“The Lukbelr Collection of Maxims is a precious book for cultivating a proper mind and pure heart. Copy it exactly as the original, without missing a single letter or sentence. Only then can you purify your foolish and immoral body and mind.”

Madam Küsen’s voice was cold and cynical. Ellienne flinched every time she heard that voice. She answered meekly.

“Yes, Madam.”

Ellienne focused on transcribing again. Her right hand held a quill pen to write, while her left hand held a penknife to sharpen the quill or scrape away errors for corrections as she transcribed.

Ellienne’s transcription was slow but meticulous. Each letter, each stroke was drawn in an elegant, classical, and delicate script.

Madam Küsen made her transcribe collections of maxims or etiquette books containing a young lady’s refinement under the pretext of training her spirit. In the half year Ellienne had been confined to the annex, she had already transcribed over a dozen books.

Madam Küsen pulled out the pocket watch she always carried at her waist to check it.

“If you don’t finish today’s portion, there will be no meal. Remember that.”

Lunchtime had already passed. If she didn’t finish today’s transcription, her portion of food left in the kitchen would be cleared away. She grew anxious. She had only eaten watery barley porridge for breakfast.

Perhaps because her mind grew urgent, she put too much strength in her hand and the pen tip wavered. In an instant, black ink spread faintly on the parchment. Seeing her mistake, Madam Küsen clicked her tongue.

“You can’t even do a simple transcription properly. This is why one’s origins can’t be helped. Now, continue.”

Ellienne couldn’t say a word in protest and endured silently. Madam Küsen’s blade-like words hurt like they were stabbing her heart, but she couldn’t help it.

“Even though it’s the Duke’s mercy, why must we treat such a young lady like a noble lady? This is why the Duchess suffers so much.”

Madam Küsen muttered to herself loud enough for Ellienne to hear. She glared coldly at Ellienne, then turned and left.

Bang—with the loud sound of the door closing, she was alone again.

Ellienne lifted her trembling hands and began transcribing again.

It was an undeniable fact.

Ellienne was a bastard child with half-blood, not the complete bloodline of House Nosent.

Her mother had been a maid to the Duchess. One the Duchess of Nosent, Madrian, had brought from her family home.

While the Duchess was pregnant, Duke Nosent forcibly violated that maid, and Ellienne was born.

When the Duchess learned of the Duke’s adultery, she flew into a rage. Madrian, descended from a distinguished ducal family with royal blood flowing through her veins, felt fury and humiliation that Duke Nosent had touched her maid.

The Duchess, who miscarried from the shock, cursed and persecuted Ellienne and her mother even more. Ellienne’s mother, also frail, died within three years.

The bastard Ellienne grew up among the maids, while during that time the Duchess repeated pregnancy and miscarriage three or four times, becoming hysterical.

She cursed that losing her babies was all because of the wicked snake-like Ellienne.

When Ellienne turned five, Duke Nosent ordered that she be raised as a ducal lady. Since there were no heirs at the moment, he publicly announced he would temporarily accept even a bastard.

The Duchess absolutely opposed accepting a bastard into the ducal bloodline at that time.

Duke Nosent appeased his wife, promising instead to adopt a son from Madrian’s family.

The Duchess hated her unfaithful husband, but she was a noblewoman with exceptional political acumen and calculation to her bones.

In the male-centered noble society, a husband’s infidelity was considered merely temporary amusement, and it was customary for wives to be tolerant or turn a blind eye.

Moreover, the Duchess had already suffered her third miscarriage, and the doctor had warned that at this rate, she might never be able to have children.

Even if she came from an excellent noble family, it would be meaningless if she couldn’t bear children. The Duke might bring in another woman under the pretext of producing an heir.

The Duchess suppressed her boiling desire for revenge and accepted Duke Nosent’s promise with a radiant smile like a rose hiding thorns.

She selected a boy with outstanding qualities from her family to adopt, and he was currently studying at the Royal Academy in the capital.

Ellienne received education as a ducal lady, learned etiquette and manners, and wore splendid dresses and jewelry. But beyond the Duke’s sight, she was being abused.

The Duchess confined Ellienne to the annex from the age of five under the pretext of treating her, claiming she had poor health and was a stubborn, wicked child.

The Duke was busy attending the royal court and the House of Nobles, and was indifferent to his bastard daughter. All education and authority over Ellienne was thoroughly left to the Duchess.

Ellienne saw her father the Duke’s face only once a month, at the family dinner.

Having barely finished today’s transcription, Ellienne opened the bedroom door and went out. Usually, a tray with food was placed in front of the door at mealtimes.

“Ah, the food… it’s gone.”

There was nothing outside the door. Ellienne frantically looked around, but there wasn’t even a trace.

Madam Küsen must have mercilessly had the food taken away, saying she hadn’t kept to the time.

Ellienne let out a bitter laugh at the sense of futility. Starving like this was so routine that even hunger felt dull now. But if she didn’t eat something, she wouldn’t be able to do the remaining transcription work at night.

Ellienne began walking, swaying like she might collapse.