Dertosse’s face, grinning like a puppy that had just gotten a bone whenever someone praised him, was quite a sight to behold.

“That’s right. I’ve been… too easily pushed around by the women in this family.”

“That’s why I acted that way toward Illia. She tried to hit me and threatened me, but… I thought that if I drove her out like that, she wouldn’t come back.”

“Then… what you did to my sister…”

“It was all for you. But if even that bothers you…”

Her voice trailed off, and she lowered her gaze to the floor.

She felt the emotion carried in his deep exhale and grew certain.

“No.”

He had no choice but to listen to her. From this point on, Dertosse would not be able to say a single word against anything she did.

In the end, he would have no choice but to leave her alone to do as she pleased.

Because he would fool himself into thinking it was the right path for him.

“What do you mean, no?”

“I think you’re right, Evie. Yeah… come to think of it, even that day, my sister showed up out of nowhere and it put me in an awkward spot… and in the end, I got swept along again and spent three hours calming her down, over and over.”

“Poor Dert.”

“Yeah. It feels like I’ve always been pushed around by Mother and my sister. You’re right, Evie. The only one who truly cares for me is you.”

She walked over to him and gently stroked his hair.

“That’s right. I’m the only one who truly cares for you. Everyone else wanted something from you. But I never once did.”

“…You’re right.”

“On the contrary, I was trying to do right by you… and even Mother treated me that way.”

“You’re right. She did. She really did. That’s true.”

Dertosse had been muttering to himself, but now he nodded firmly, as though he had finally made up his mind. Then he took her hand in a strong grip.

“You are the only one I can trust. The only person who doesn’t act out of self-interest. That’s right, Evie. Only Evie.”

“So… even if it’s a little hard to watch, can’t you let me handle things my own way for now?”

“Of course. Even if my sister comes next time, I won’t waver. I’ll only listen to Evie and do as Evie says.”

“As I thought, you’re the only one who believes in me.”

And I’ll shatter that belief into pieces. Just as you did to me.

The way you betrayed me when I trusted you with my whole heart, keep nurturing that trust you have in me. I’ll break it so completely you’ll never be able to put it back together. Because that… will be fun.

“Right. Evie. Keep doing what you’re doing. Like before. About my sister too… yeah. If she causes another scene, you can throw her out for my sake.”

“You trust me that much? If that happens, Illia will definitely… go to you directly.”

“I’ll hold my ground too. If my sister comes, I’ll turn her away.”

“But… you’ve always valued family more than anyone.”

“No. That time has already passed. Mother reached out to me desperately, more than once, but I never went to her. I’ll do the same. So trust me and keep doing what you’re doing.”

She let her lips tremble softly, as though the situation pained her.

“My poor Evie. You’re worried, aren’t you.”

“Yes… I’m worried about you. I’m fine with being cursed at or even hit a little if it’s for your sake. But… Dertosse, I’m afraid you might get hurt…”

“No. If anyone dares to hit you, you can throw them out by force. I can’t lose you.”

She looked at him with eyes that lit up, as though deeply moved.

This is why a fool who’s only halfway clever is so easy to handle.

“Alright. If things get hard, I can come to you anytime, right?”

“Of course. Anytime.”

“Dertosse. I’m so glad you’re my husband. I feel like I’ve been blessed.”

A smile spread across his face in turn. After going this far, Dertosse would think he had come out the victor.

That he had perfectly deceived her.

That this fool of a wife, not even knowing her husband was having an affair, was doing every dangerous thing for the marquisate’s sake. He would probably enjoy it.

‘On top of that, he’ll be pleased that he’s finally shaken off Mother and his sisters and can have a family entirely his own.’

The Dertosse of the past had been under no small amount of stress because of his overbearing mother and sisters. Even before becoming the Marquis, and even after coming of age, marrying, and inheriting the marquisate, there was not a single thing Dertosse could do as he pleased.

He had brought a woman named “Evian” home and married her in secret, desperate to break free from his family’s grip and become a Marquis in his own right, yet nothing had changed.

He was still weak before his family, and without some kind of trigger, he couldn’t even bring himself to push back.

‘That trigger would be me.’

That was why Dertosse had handed everything over to her more easily than she expected. If it ever became a problem later, he could simply say, “Evian did it,” and wash his hands of it. So she smiled at him with genuine cheer.

‘Use me all you want. But you’ll come to regret the choice you made.’

“Evian. Whenever you need me, just say the word.”

“Okay!”

“More than that, is the baby really alright? Which physician have you been seeing? Since this child will carry on the marquisate, I’d like you to see a more capable one.”

“…I’m sorry. Dertosse. There are still too many uncertainties.”

“Ah… but you can trust me, can’t you?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust Dertosse. It’s that I still can’t trust everyone in this household. That’s why I’m being extremely careful.”

Only then did he nod.

“…I understand. After everything you’ve been through with Mother, that makes sense…”

Dertosse looked ready to add something more, but in the end he simply gave a light nod.

“Thank you for understanding, Dertosse. Now go, it’s getting late. You must be tired.”

“It’s a shame to part like this every day.”

As always, he moved those repulsive fingers of his, roaming over her body. And as always, without ever growing tired of it, she shook his hand off coldly.

“Later. Once I’m in a stable period, we can spend as many passionate nights together as you want. I’m so sad that I can’t spend the nights with you either.”

“Is that so? Lately I’ve been wondering if maybe Evie has started to dislike me.”

He’s right. He has a sharp eye for this sort of thing.

Even so, she had no intention whatsoever of pretending to be taken with him.

“How could that be? My world begins with Dertosse.”

“That’s right. I’m all of Evie’s world.”

Looking somehow proud of himself, he nodded and gave her shoulder a light pat.

“Then I’ll be going. Evie.”

“Yes. Dertosse.”

In the end, after their long, drawn-out conversation, he walked out the door without even knowing what he had lost. Only then did Mary and Karla come inside.

“Will you be retiring for the night, my lady?”

“No. I have some documents to go through, and I’ll sleep after I’ve looked them over.”

“Please let us know if there’s anything you need.”

A month was shorter than she had thought for bringing the marquisate to ruin. The day she had gained the right to oversee everything in the marquisate had not been long ago, which made her feel all the more impatient.

Creating the means to shake the family’s foundations without Dertosse noticing required careful, delicate maneuvering. Because of that, she reviewed every document of the household the butler had handed over to her, and could only get to bed late each night.

And now, before she knew it, night had come again.

All the sparring with Dertosse had left her drained with fatigue. So she thought she would review just a few documents first and then go to bed.

But when Mary, who had gone to the window saying the night air was cold, came back without closing it and draped a shawl over her shoulders instead, she caught on immediately.

“The night air seems cold. Karla, would you go and bring some tea? Pick something carefully so she can sleep soundly.”

“…Pardon? Oh, yes…!”

Karla, who had been hesitating, hurried out.

“Someone must be coming.”

“You caught on exactly right.”

“Good timing, actually. I had something to say. I need you to find someone. Find them quietly and move them to a new place, just as quietly. I’d like some money given to them as well, enough to get by for a while.”

“The physician’s family, my lady?”

“That’s right. His real name is Rezef Illeman. He was the heir to the Illeman county, a family that had to be destroyed on the grounds that he caused the death of Einol Sloan, the previous Marquis of the Sloan marquisate. A tragic affair.”

At her words, Mary stroked her own chin, as though something had clicked.

“I remember now. I had heard rumors that the Marquis Sloan died after receiving poor treatment from a physician, though I didn’t know which family he belonged to. I didn’t expect it to be connected to that physician.”

“And so the Illeman family fell. The Count of Illeman passed away, and the remaining family members scattered. Rezef handed over everything he had as reparations, but their greed was excessive.”

“I see.”

“Einol Sloan was ninety years old. A man who had long been bedridden due to a chronic illness. So his children had deliberately sent physicians to examine him, and the physicians who had examined him and prescribed medicine were made to pay reparations on the grounds that the Marquis’s condition had not improved.”

She had been carefully writing out the details on parchment, and she met Mary’s eyes, who stood before her watching with curiosity.

“In the end…”

“The Illeman county simply had bad luck.”

“…Oh.”

“Of course, he doesn’t know this. Physician Rezef doesn’t know.”