She didn’t even glance at the paper he pushed towards her, seemingly daring her to read it. Rosie just frowned and asked rather stiffly what it was.

“What exactly do you expect me to do with that?”

Callios tilted his head slightly.

“As I said earlier, I’ve trusted you this entire time.”

“…And?”

“I trusted you, so it never occurred to me to look into the internal finances.”

That much was true. Callios had always focused solely on matters outside the estate, never involving himself in internal affairs, not even in the slightest. In fact, she had once wondered if this was really acceptable.

During the five years he was away, the duchy had fallen entirely into the hands of the first wife, Isabella, and her legitimate son, Pante.

Isabella and Pante were indeed timid, but only when it came to Callios. Those who prey on the weak always know exactly who they can trample on and who they cannot.

To them, Rosie Benedict was easy prey.

This was the one thing Callios, who had only ever lived as a strong figure, had never been able to understand.

He shook the paper roughly, as though he were shaking someone by the collar. His jaw clenched hard as he forced out his words.

“The money I sent to you—all of it leaked out.”

“…Is that so?”

“I told you. I did send it.”

‘What’s the point of realizing this now?’

Rosie thought, staring at him for a moment before finally taking the paper. She skimmed through it quickly and, sure enough, it was exactly as Callios had said.

‘This is my first time actually seeing it.’

They had locked everything away in the vault and blocked her from approaching it.

They hadn’t even bothered to disguise their tracks. There hadn’t been a single attempt to cover up the manipulation — it was bold to the point of mockery.

‘They must have been certain that even if I found out, I couldn’t do anything about it.’

They acted as if they were the true masters of the duchy, not her.

But what did any of that matter now? Rosie no longer cared who would become the next ruler. It was all coming to an end anyway.

When she looked up, Callios was saying things that were becoming increasingly incomprehensible.

“I cannot give anything to someone who hasn’t fulfilled their responsibility.”

“…What does that mean?”

Callios signaled to the chief steward with a glance, then stepped towards her. Beneath his sharply defined nose, his tightly set lips parted slowly.

“If you truly want to leave me—”

His jaw tightened as if he were holding something back and his throat bobbed as he swallowed deeply.

Pressing his clenched fist against the wall just behind her, he spoke in a low voice, close enough for her to feel his breath.

“There’s a condition.”

Rosie had a bad feeling in her stomach. She swallowed dryly. Callios stared at her pale, slender neck as he made a proposal that bordered on coercion.

“From this moment onwards, you have three months to restore the duchy’s depleted finances.”

“…What?”

“If you do that, I’ll acknowledge that you’ve fulfilled your duty as the duchess and I’ll give you what you want. And one more thing.”

He lowered his head and whispered against her ear.

“I’m planning to return the Moavis estate I own… to you.”

Rosie flinched at the ticklish warmth of his breath. More than that, the contents of his words shocked her.

“When did you even purchase the Moavis estate?”

“You don’t need to know that. Just answer, will you do it or not?”

She pressed her lips together and stood still, calculating rapidly.

Would the Moavis estate be returned to her if she agreed to a divorce without a fight? It sounded tempting, but utterly absurd.

By any reasonable standard, it was a cruel deal: she was asking a noblewoman, who had never dealt with external affairs, to repair years of financial ruin in just three months.

Callios’s lips curled in satisfaction as he took in her bewildered face. The Rosie he knew was delicate. Given her temperament, there was no way she could repair such a massive deficit in such a short time. Even if she tried to start a business, she had no experience.

What could she possibly do?

But the words that fell from Rosie’s lips shattered every assumption he had.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

The smug smile faded from Callios’s face.

“…What?”

“I said I’ll do it.”

“……”

“I accept your terms. If that’s the only way.”

His face went cold. Rosie delivered the final blow with calm clarity.

“So keep your promise, Callios.”

***

That conversation had already happened several days ago.

“He truly said that, my lady?”

Jenny asked quietly as she trimmed Rosie’s nails. Rosie rested her chin on the armrest of the chair and nodded.

“Yes.”

At the time, Callios’s expression was as though someone had driven a blade straight through him. In their five years of marriage, she had seen more reactions from him in recent days than ever before. And all this had come about just as they were finally on the brink of separating.

‘And now I know, he really did send that money…’

He would reclaim the allowance he had given her to maintain her appearance from Isabella. She already knew exactly where it would go: she wouldn’t spend any of it on herself. Every last penny would go towards repairing the duchy’s finances.

Jenny hesitated, worry clouding her face.

“Then… how will you restore the money, my lady?”

“There’ll be a way.”

Rosie summoned the fragments of future knowledge she still remembered.

‘There was something else; something bigger than the matter with the young lady.’

Rosie murmured with a shadowed expression.

“First things first… a disaster will strike soon. We should prepare.”

“What? A disaster?”

Rosie brushed it off with a thin smile, admiring her freshly trimmed nails.

“You don’t even have to look far. There’s already a disaster happening inside the duchy.”

“…That’s true.”

Jenny agreed, looking troubled.

The atmosphere in the duchy had become grim. Callios had summoned several attendants, one by one, and killed them all.

The reason: They failed to do their part.

He’d even gone as far as to call them secretly, as if worried Rosie might try to stop him.

Rosie bit her lip uneasily.

‘What on earth had he ordered them to do…?’

None of this had happened in her previous life. Unexpected bloodshed swept through the duchy, but Rosie remained calm.

First, she needed to reduce Isabella and Pante’s influence. The priority was to plug the leaks.

‘Come to think of it… it really was strange.’

By all accounts, they should have feared Callios more. After all, he was the master of the duchy and its strongest force by far.

However, she had been too preoccupied with surviving each brutal day to consider the long-term future.

‘What exactly happened…?’

After much thought, she chose an attendant who she thought might tell her the truth: the one who had helped her destroy Isabella’s terrifying room not long ago.

The young man entered her private chambers and immediately knelt with his forehead touching the floor.

“You summoned me, my lady.”

He had once served directly under Isabella. Better to turn him completely to her side now.

“What’s your name?”

“Ide.”

“All right, Ide. I’m going to ask you about the duchy. If you know anything, tell me everything.”

He hesitated, then slowly met her eyes.

“…Is there something difficult to say?”

Silence fell. Then, as if steeling himself, Ide opened his mouth.

“No. I’ll tell you everything.”

It had been five years ago, the night Callios left for his first campaign.

That night, Isabella and Pante gathered the servants and said: “Decide whether you’ll become our eyes and ears, or follow the duke, who hardly pays attention anyway.”

“And then?”

“They took everyone’s families as hostages and threatened them.
And….”

He stopped again. Rosie waited patiently, and Ide eventually continued.

“They said the duke would die during the campaign. And when that happened… they would expel you, my lady, and become the true masters of this place.”

Rosie let out a disbelieving laugh.

“And everyone actually believed that?”

“…Yes.”

“They really underestimated Callios.”

Even now, despite her hatred, Rosie had to acknowledge Callios’s capabilities. After all, he was the man who had clawed his way from illegitimate son to ruler of the duchy.

Although he had never got involved in its internal affairs, she had always believed that he would return alive, whatever happened.

‘During the first three campaigns, I was constantly afraid that I would receive news of his death…’

Those nights spent praying for his safe return now feel like a distant memory.

Family was like that.

Rosie looked quietly at Ide, who was still bowed to the floor.

“Your family too is being held hostage?”

“…Yes.”

Seeing his dark expression, Rosie knelt down so their eyes were level.

Rosie didn’t care that the hem of her dress brushed across the floor.

“Why did you help me? I mean the lie you told the duke. You’ll have to be honest.”

Ide lifted his head. His eyes glinted between his slightly curled dark hair.

“There’s a rumor going around among the servants, my lady. That something big is about to change.”

They may not have been educated, but they were quick to read the situation. It seemed that the icy wind stirred up by Callios had already taken hold in the duchy.

The master, who had never previously interfered, had suddenly started acting independently. Callios hadn’t died on a brutal battlefield as Pante and Isabella had predicted. It was obvious who they should pledge loyalty to now.

Rosie thought he meant Callios, but Ide said something she never expected.

“I believe you will be the one to change the duchy, my lady.”

Rosie blinked in surprise.

“Me? Not the duke?”

“Yes.”

“I see…”

Rosie gave a faint smile and gently patted his shoulder, as if comforting a loyal dog.

“Thank you… for believing in me.”

At that moment…

Bang!

There was a loud crash, neither a knock nor an act of courtesy.

Rosie flinched in surprise, and the servant beside her stared wide-eyed at the door.

“Open it. I know who’s inside.”

That brutally low voice!

Callios.

Rosie froze in alarm, unable to move. Outside, his voice sounded again, even lower and colder.

“No. I’ll open it myself.”

The door swung open violently and Callios strode in, taking long, heavy steps. His dark cloak, hanging high from his broad shoulders, billowed ominously behind him.