‘If you dislike it enough to frown, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place.’

Derick, openly displaying his displeasure, turned away. Then he silently walked off toward somewhere.

Elisia glared at his retreating back and placed a hand over her stinging heart, letting out a deep sigh.

“Unbelievable.”

After muttering quietly, she hurriedly moved her feet, afraid she might lose sight of him.

Second Prince Hugo, who had been watching them from among the crowd, observed the two with an interesting smile.

“So my friend’s words were true.”

With eyes sparkling with curiosity, he decided to invite them to the imperial palace in some way soon.

***

The confrontation between the Princess and the Grand Duchess around this time last year.

The Princess, raised with excessive indulgence, was arrogant, haughty, and extremely proud.

In contrast, the Grand Duchess was a notorious villainess known not only throughout the Empire but even among the demon race.

When these two clashed, the incident was something one would rather not imagine.

The result ended in the Grand Duchess’s victory, but that didn’t mean the Princess would simply let it go.

That’s why Derick expected the Princess to seek revenge this time. Given her personality, she wouldn’t just sit back and take it.

So how would Grand Duchess Elisia respond? With this thought, he didn’t approach even when he saw the two women confronting each other.

The Princess repaid Elisia exactly as she had done last year. She even poured wine over her, which was a particularly cruel act.

‘I didn’t expect this.’

The issue was Elisia. She didn’t engage in the Princess’s fight and ended it there, as if there was nothing more to deal with.

“Hah.”

He was angry. Not at Elisia, but at the Princess.

The Princess who poured wine over the Grand Duchess. Elisia who simply smiled and ended the situation despite being soaked.

Derick felt his insides boiling.

‘Why?’

That woman normally never let anyone who provoked her get away with it. Hadn’t she clashed with the Princess once before?

But this time, she just let it go. As if it was nothing.

‘Why are you just standing there?’

He shouldn’t care what happened to Elisia. Yet strangely, this time he was angry.

As a result, the magic that had barely calmed within him gradually awakened. It was desperate to clash and collide. His body was captured by a faint heat.

‘Elisia Adelheit. I won’t let you go so easily.’

At that moment, Elisia staggered and was about to fall. Derick’s body moved quite naturally.

The moment he instinctively took her into his arms.

The rage of his magic, which had been running wild like an unbridled horse, stopped.

No, that wasn’t all. He had unconsciously tightened his embrace, holding her firmly in his arms.

‘Embrace rather than hands. The deeper the contact, the more effective it seems.’

So what should he do now?

Derick openly stared at Elisia, who was sitting as far away from him as possible.

She was once again pretending to sleep with her eyes closed.

With the naive belief that she could deceive his eyes.

***

A week had already passed since the Princess’s birthday celebration.

‘What was that?’

Yet one scene kept circling in her mind, making it impossible for Elisia to concentrate.

The strange incident before returning.

She couldn’t forget Derick who had refused to let her go from his embrace.

Since then, she had encountered Derick only once. That was when he visited her bedroom.

The reason for his visit was obvious. To use her to calm his magic.

‘What was that?’

For a moment, the memory of embracing Derick, who had been dominated by magic and destroying everything around him, flashed by.

‘Derick wasn’t himself then, just like that time.’

Though he was a man who exuded coldness on the outside, his embrace was strangely broad and warm.

Suddenly, Elisia came to her senses and chuckled.

“Enough. He’s a man I’m going to divorce anyway.”

As Elisia tilted her head back, she could see the sky outside the terrace. Looking at it with a blank face, she felt like she had forgotten something.

‘What was it?’

It seemed just on the tip of her memory.

At that moment, someone knocked. Blinking, Elisia raised her head and told them to come in. As expected, it was Eva who opened the door.

“My lady. I apologize for disturbing your rest.”

“Oh, no. What is it?”

“Well…”

Eva hesitated and nervously glanced at Elisia, who just tilted her head questioningly.

“A guest has arrived.”

“A guest?”

“Yes. They’re here to see you, my lady.”

“Me? Who is it?”

“It’s Lady Chloe Adelheit.”

“Who… ah.”

Elisia jumped up from her seat.

“Oh, right. Where is she now?”

“I’ve shown her to the reception room.”

“I understand. I’ll go there shortly.”

As soon as Eva left, Elisia stood motionless in the middle of the bedroom.

That something she had forgotten.

It was Chloe Adelheit.

‘That’s right. She said she wanted to stay at the Grand Duke’s mansion for a while.’

She had been so preoccupied with the memory of being embraced by Derick after the party that she hadn’t thought about it.

“What should I do?”

She hadn’t even asked Derick yet.

‘Is that man even in the mansion right now?’

It would be good if she could ask him directly. But she wasn’t sure if he was in the mansion.

After briefly holding her head, Elisia moved her feet.

There was no use in worrying anyway. She could quickly find out by asking a maid.

“I didn’t expect her to come first.”

She must have been quite urgent. Thinking this, she headed downstairs and soon arrived in front of the reception room.

It might have been her imagination, but the two servants standing in front seemed to be watching her reaction.

‘Why?’

Her confusion was brief. A familiar voice from inside made Elisia stop in her tracks.

“It’s been quite a while since your visit.”

“Have you been well, Your Grace?”

“Did the Grand Duchess call for you again?”

“Ah, no. Today…”

Derick’s voice sounded much kinder and gentler. It was a tone of voice Elisia had never heard since becoming her.

She was about to stand outside with her arms crossed and eavesdrop, but seeing the servants’ uncomfortable expressions, she let out a deep sigh.

‘Hey, I’m not jealous. I’m just curious.’

Indignation rose within her, but she couldn’t say that to the servants.

‘Anyway, Derick’s original lover is Chloe.’

In the original story, Elisia constantly tormented her half-sister Chloe out of boredom. She often summoned her to the mansion, pretending to build friendship, but actually treated her like a maid and was spiteful toward her.

Derick felt sorry and pitied Chloe. Feeling compassion, he saved Chloe several times, and through that connection, the two gradually fell in love.

Knowing this, Elisia didn’t want to interfere with their time together.

‘But I can’t just stand here alone forever.’

After deliberating, Elisia nodded as if to indicate she was going in. One of the servants knocked on the door. The ongoing conversation abruptly stopped.

“The lady has arrived.”

Before the words were finished, the servant opened the door.

Inside the reception room, Derick and Chloe were sitting facing each other.

Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise, unable to hide her bewilderment. In contrast, Derick quietly stared at Elisia with his lips pressed into a straight line.

‘Why do I feel like I’m the intruder?’

Perhaps due to the subtle atmosphere, Elisia felt somewhat annoyed. Without realizing it, she chewed on her lip.

‘Whether they exchange glances or hold hands, it’s none of my business.’

Though that’s what she thought, she strangely felt hurt by Derick.

She was well aware of her position. After all, she was the villainess who would eventually have to disappear, and the woman who would become his loving partner was right there.

‘Seems like I’m the only one concerned about that embrace.’

She had been embarrassed by that thought all the way to the reception room. But seeing her husband sitting next to the woman who would become his lover made her feel not just disappointed but upset.

“I didn’t expect you to come so early.”

She forced a smile as she greeted Chloe. The woman fidgeted, clearly at a loss.

Her flustered reaction was plainly visible.

“I-I’m sorry. It’s just, given the situation…”

While listening to her, Elisia’s eyes met Derick’s.

‘Why aren’t you leaving?’

At first, his watchful gaze made her uncomfortable. But soon she thought she understood why he had arrived first and was stubbornly staying.

He was afraid Elisia might torment Chloe behind his back.

‘I won’t harm her, so would you please leave?’

She gave Derick a sidelong glance. He didn’t budge.

‘By the way, when did Derick fall for Chloe?’

She tried to recall the original story but gave up. Even if she remembered, nothing would change.