The servants couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

Although the Count’s daughter had visited the mansion occasionally, this was the first time she had stayed at the Grand Duke’s residence indefinitely.

Moreover, the mansion was in disarray, perhaps because the mistress of the house, the Grand Duchess, had completely changed her attitude since falling into the water.

Elisia had been different for almost a month now. It should have been enough time to get used to it, but everyone failed to adapt to the Grand Duchess who constantly defied expectations, and they only watched her cautiously.

“Treat the Lady with no discomfort.”

This time was no different. The Grand Duchess’s order was unlike her usual self.

Previously, she would have said “ignore her” or “don’t treat her like a person” and dismissed the Count’s daughter, but now they couldn’t make sense of it.

“The mistress has definitely become strange.”

“We must follow her orders.”

“She must have really forgotten everything.”

“How convenient. Forgetting all the past with just memory loss.”

Despite their grumbling, they had no choice but to bow their heads and follow orders.

Elisia knew their reactions but deliberately pretended not to notice.

‘Well. I suppose it looks that way to them.’

The convenient excuse of memory loss.

The pretext of forgetting everything doesn’t erase past actions.

The memories of pain that remained with them would be eternal.

“The Count’s daughter is such a nice person.”

As she waited for them to pass by while staring at the ceiling, one of the maids spoke up. Elisia rested her head against the wall at the somewhat excited voice.

“His Grace also has a different atmosphere when he’s with the Lady.”

“Right. Don’t they look good together?”

As the mistress, she shouldn’t overlook their gossip. The hierarchy within the mansion was more important than anything else.

But Elisia couldn’t help but partly agree with the maids.

‘Actually, Derick’s atmosphere hasn’t changed that much.’

Derick Elphias had always been cold and cruel, with almost no emotional changes. The man himself was brusque.

The fact that he had become sharp and sensitive like a well-honed blade was all because of Elisia.

Elisia had made all his nerves stand on edge, causing the mansion’s atmosphere to become unsettled.

In contrast, Chloe didn’t provoke Derick. So Derick had simply returned to his usual self, rather than having changed.

“It would be nice if the Lady were the mistress.”

“Hey, be quiet! You’ll get in big trouble.”

“Why? You thought so too.”

So they even think like that.

‘My departure would actually help the peace of the mansion.’

An inexplicable bitterness filled her heart. She wanted to quietly step back, but with no way to turn around, she had no choice but to face the maids.

Unable to wait any longer, Elisia revealed herself with a sigh.

“M-My lady.”

The maids hurriedly closed their mouths at her appearance.

Elisia smiled brightly while examining each of the three maids. Their faces had turned pale.

‘Should I just pass by, or should I get angry?’

She didn’t want to cause a commotion and provoke Derick. It was already a delicate situation where she needed to live quietly until the divorce.

But she couldn’t just ignore them gathering and gossiping about her. That too would seem like a disturbance to Derick.

‘They should have done it quietly in their own rooms.’

Elisia quietly opened her mouth.

“Chatting is fine, but it’s better to be quiet in places where others can hear.”

She spoke with a chilling expression without realizing it herself.

The startled servants fled as if their tails were on fire. Elisia sighed as she watched their pathetic retreat.

“I know.”

Muttering quietly, Elisia moved toward the garden.

“I know.”

Why did she feel this way?

From the day she had possessed this body, she never intended to play the role of Grand Duchess. She had planned to be there like a scarecrow and leave without looking back after the divorce.

So why did she feel this sense of hurt?

After Chloe came to the mansion, she could feel how differently Derick treated her and Chloe.

The comparison was so visible that it kept lingering in her mind, tormenting Elisia.

‘Be kind and gentle to me too. Don’t glare at me like an enemy.’

Startled.

The moment that thought came to her, Elisia stopped abruptly. She came face to face with Derick entering through the main gate with Kevin.

‘Of all times.’

Her heart sank. At the same time, she felt relief.

Recognizing the reason immediately, Elisia swallowed a bitter smile with difficulty.

Because it was his aide beside him, not Chloe.

“Good afternoon.”

Elisia greeted him as naturally as possible. She struggled to hide her face, which was about to stiffen due to her recent thoughts.

Derick, who had been staring at her, ordered Kevin to leave. He bowed his head and entered the mansion first.

“Good timing.”

“Pardon?”

“Follow me.”

“Are you going for a walk too, Your Grace?”

Derick, who had already turned his body, came back outside.

She quietly glared at his back as he acted arbitrarily without answering her question.

‘As always. So self-centered.’

Following behind him, she quickly realized his intention. Elisia looked down at her right hand.

‘We haven’t had contact for several days.’

Derick had been very busy, perhaps because of the Unity Festival. Only Elisia had been idle.

Because of that, there hadn’t been time to calm his magical power. It had been about a week since she had seen his face.

Perhaps that’s why his handsome face felt both welcome and annoying.

“The Harmony Festival is coming up soon.”

She spoke first simply because she was curious. Definitely not because she was glad to see him. Elisia muttered to herself.

“Will you take Chloe too?”

“Well. Isn’t the Lady staying here to avoid the Count?”

“That’s right. Ah, will the Count participate too?”

Derick, who had been looking straight ahead while walking, turned his head to the right. He nodded slightly as if he had belatedly realized that Elisia couldn’t remember anything.

“He said he’d come reluctantly.”

Answering as if it was bothersome, Derick glanced at Elisia.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the pergola. Derick sat down first on the bench prepared inside. Elisia sat a little distance from him and carefully extended her hand.

Derick looked down at her hand and eventually placed his palm on top of hers. His expression became somewhat more peaceful.

‘He seems a bit better.’

The moment their palms touched, Elisia felt her heart tickle. She felt the ironic desire to both remove her hand and deepen the contact.

No matter how much she tried not to be conscious of it, her gaze kept going to Derick’s masculine hand.

‘It’s still amazing.’

Why did she have this ability?

The only thing connecting them was the blood contract, but it didn’t seem like that was the only reason Derick’s magical power was suppressed. What could be the reason? As she was lost in thought.

“What are you plotting?”

Derick’s low, sunken voice echoed quietly in her ear.

“What do you mean?”

“The reason you brought the Lady into the mansion.”

“It’s just what I said before. I felt sorry for her situation. We have many empty rooms. Besides, you gave permission, didn’t you?”

“You…”

Derick was about to say something but stopped. He seemed to be thinking about something for a moment.

He didn’t continue his words but turned his head and rested his chin on the pergola windowsill, looking outside.

Thanks to this, an awkward silence descended for a while.

Elisia blinked her eyes with her gaze fixed on the floor, feeling strange.

‘What was he going to say? I’d prefer if he just got irritated like usual.’

Derick’s atmosphere was very peaceful as he continued to press his palm against Elisia’s while looking out the window.

Despite his usual expressionless face, he looked somehow comfortable during the moment of contact with her, as if he had regained stability.

That’s why she felt strange. She also felt her heart tickling.

‘Why do I have to feel this way?’

He was a man who had deeply hated Elisia Adelheit. That probably hadn’t changed much even now.

But at some point, he began to casually extend his hand to her, and his sarcastic remarks that grated on her nerves had decreased.

‘Has he started being nice to me because I’ve become more useful to him?’

She recalled Derick’s voice from the day they accepted Chloe, saying he had given her a room because she had become useful.

Once again, her heart sank. For reasons she couldn’t understand.

“I heard you’re disposing of jewelry and dresses.”

After a long silence, Derick spoke again. His gaze was still directed at the garden. All Elisia could see was his profile.

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“Along with one villa.”

“You heard accurately.”

There was no inflection in Derick’s voice. It sounded like he was just asking out of curiosity, which made it comfortable for Elisia to answer.