“We will be disposing of all the clothes you’ve had until now. Therefore, it is His Grace’s order that Miss Schleicher purchase new clothes for herself.”

Ah, now that she thought about it, he had said he would throw away all her clothes. Diez nodded while holding the leather wallet.

Normally, noble children don’t use cash when making purchases. Despite this, giving her money was perhaps a way to set a limit on what she was allowed.

It wasn’t unreasonable.

After all, she could hardly claim to represent the Klaus duchy and ask for things to be billed separately.

“When should I go out……”

“You have three hours, so choose appropriate clothes or whatever you need. The driver will escort you to the city.”

The servant turned his back without even a nod and walked away from her. Diez looked down at the wallet in her hand, filled with new emotions. To be able to go outside. It was something she hadn’t been allowed to do even once during the past five years…….

Although she wasn’t completely free to leave this mansion, she felt somehow excited. It had been so long since she’d gone outside the mansion. And to be able to go to the city, no less.

Just as she was about to put on her coat and leave, maids who had been watching her from a distance approached. The way they looked at her with their arms crossed made her feel uneasy.

“Is something the matter?”

“Miss Schleicher, what did you just receive?”

One of the maids who had been staring at the wallet in Diez’s hand snatched it away without hesitation.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Diez cried out in astonishment as the wallet was taken from her in an instant. Of course, the maids blocking her way didn’t budge an inch and only mocked her.

“Oh, so it can raise its voice too?”

“Why are you so angry? We just want to take a quick look.”

“Give it back to me.”

She was furious. She knew she was in a position to be disrespected by the servants, but this was too much. Diez had never done anything to provoke hostility from the maids. What reason could there possibly be for such treatment?

“I said give it back.”

“My, look at this. This must be about five years of our salary.”

The maids completely ignored Diez and even started dividing the banknotes among themselves. Her whole body seemed to tremble. More than having the money stolen, she felt sad and bewildered that she had to endure such treatment without recourse.

Why do I have to suffer like this?

“The Duke gave that to me.”

When Diez spoke, suppressing her rising emotions, they snorted.

“So what?”

“She thinks mentioning the Duke will scare us.”

“You know what? Even if we take everything from you, the Duke won’t say a word. You’ve been living so well until now, why are you suddenly getting angry? Surely you didn’t expect the young master to be any different?”

The maids, giggling among themselves, selected just a few banknotes as if bestowing a favor and threw them at Diez’s feet.

“Here, take these at least. We’re giving them to you because we pity you.”

The slightly crumpled banknotes fluttered to the floor. By the time she came to her senses, the maids had already gone far away. Diez closed her eyes tightly, then opened them and slowly bent down to pick up the banknotes.

They were right.

Even if she protested, nothing would change.

It was also clear that Jürgen would not treat her any differently.

‘I have no choice but to endure. As they said, that’s how I’ve lived all this time.’

She was a person without a voice. She couldn’t blame others. It was all Diez’s own doing. It was her fault for living with her head bowed as if she were a criminal, thinking she had been sold to pay off a debt.

Come to think of it, there was no reason to live so dejectedly.

But it couldn’t be helped. For the past five years, she had never been able to hold her head high in this place. She was a tool and mistress for satisfying the late Duke’s peculiar s*xual desires. Her family had said it would be a much better future than being sold to a brothel, but in reality, her days were no different from being sold as a pr*stitute.

Though she had never directly had relations with him, that was the only exception. What the Duke demanded of Diez was, in some ways, worse.

A Duke with sadistic s*xual tendencies.

And a living doll to receive those tendencies.

The servants couldn’t possibly be unaware that Diez cried every day as she was whipped under the Duke. Knowing that fact, they wouldn’t want to treat her as an equal person either.

Nothing would change even if she felt wronged. After composing herself and picking up the banknotes, Diez headed outside. As the servant had said, a car was waiting for her.

It was surprising enough to be granted permission to go out, but to even provide a car…

‘What could the Duke be thinking?’

“Shall we go?”

The driver said briefly as he opened the car door. At least his businesslike expression showed no contempt for Diez.

“Thank you.”

Diez sat close to the car door and looked down at her hands.

Not a single word passed between them during the entire journey to the city.

* * *

“We’ve arrived.”

When he spoke, Diez lifted her head abruptly to look outside. Ah, had they finally reached the heart of the city? Although it was an outing she had dreamed of, she felt awkward and strange about mingling with people.

As she hesitated, a pointed look came her way, seemingly  asking what she was waiting for. Diez swallowed hard, opened the door, and stepped onto the path leading to the bustling street.

The sensation of stepping on the well-paved road felt unfamiliar. It didn’t feel real, as if she had just woken up from a long dream. The high-end salons lining the roads, the gentlemen and ladies in fine clothes moving between them—all of it.

While returning to the ‘real world’ was one thing, what made Diez happiest was something else entirely. The people passing by showed no interest in her. No one glanced at her, and there was absolutely no one whispering behind her back.

Five years had passed since Diez Schleicher had disappeared into the shadows of the Klaus mansion.

It seemed no one noticed that she had finally returned here.

It was these facts that made her most comfortable.

Diez felt her heart lift unconsciously as she wandered through the busy streets. Though she thought she had been confined to the Duke’s mansion for quite a long time, the scenery she remembered remained unchanged.

‘Three hours should be enough time to look around a bit.’

Everything maintained its place. The dressmaker’s shop she loved most, the jewelry boutique where she and her friends had excitedly discussed whether they could get wedding rings made there.

Just as Diez was about to enter the dressmaker’s shop she had frequently visited before her family’s downfall, she hesitated.

Since she had been almost a regular, the shop owner would surely recognize her.

‘Would they also know that I was sold to the Duke’s mansion?’

The moment that thought occurred to her, Diez unconsciously found herself backing away. Even if they knew nothing, they would surely be curious about the young lady who had disappeared for five years only to return now.

Besides, Diez didn’t have enough money to buy even one dress there. It was because the maids had taken most of her money.

After brief deliberation, Diez finally turned away and decided to look for a more affordable dressmaker’s shop. While heading toward the outskirts, Diez discovered another clothing store and carefully opened the door to enter.

Ding. As the door opened, a small bell rang with a clear sound. Inside the small dressmaker’s shop, there was a subtle scent of wood.

“Welcome, Miss.”

A woman who appeared to be an employee approached her with a smile.

“Are you here to pick up clothes?”

“No, I’d like to have something new made.”

Even as she said this, Diez felt anxious. Would there be anything I could afford with the money I have?

There should be……

“Please wait a moment. I’m just finishing up with a customer who arrived earlier.”

The employee guided her to a chair located near the entrance. She asked if Diez wanted tea, but Diez declined. She didn’t want to drink tea first when she wasn’t even sure if she could afford to have clothes made.

As she sat quietly looking out the window, the sound of several people’s footsteps approached from inside. It was clear that the customer who had arrived earlier to have clothes made had finished their business.

“Miss, please come this way. I’ll take your measurements first.”

Just as Diez was about to respond, she froze in place. The customer who had arrived at the dressmaker’s shop before her was none other than her father.

He, too, had not expected to meet his daughter who had been sold to the Duke’s mansion here. Wilhelm Schleicher stared at Diez in surprise, frozen like a still frame, before finally opening his mouth to speak.

“Diez, why are you here……”

Meanwhile, Diez stood pale and rigid, unable to say anything. It had been five years since she’d seen her father. She should rightfully be shedding tears of joy, but reality was not like that at all.

She only felt bewildered, as if her mind had gone completely blank.