It was true.
She didn’t want to live the same life again, not even for a second, so she ran away from her family. This was precisely why she had decided to have separate bedrooms when she married Cadel.
‘I won’t fall in love with him again. So there’s no reason to worry about being hated by him like before.’
She needn’t concern herself with the woman before her, Violet. She would no longer be deceived by her cunning lies and schemes.
Ultimately, Violet was still the same person she had been when she first arrived: someone with whom Cadel had no relationship.
‘Yes. Just like the beginning.’
Just as she had shown no interest when Cadel spoke about Violet before they got married, she needed only to remain indifferent now.
If she did not love Cadel or feel jealous of Violet, and simply accepted them both for who they were — him as himself, her as herself — that would be enough.
As this idea took root in her mind, the heavy discomfort in her heart eased.
Once her heart felt lighter, her decision changed.
“Continue calling my husband by his name, as you always have.”
Jaina lifted her teacup, which had cooled slightly in the meantime, and addressed Violet.
She noticed the immediate change in Violet’s expression, but pretended not to see it as she took a slow, measured sip. After setting the cup down with deliberate care, she raised her eyes to meet Violet’s.
Violet was staring at her, wide-eyed, as though completely taken aback. But the instant their gazes locked, Violet’s expression changed once more.
If it had to be named, it was the look of someone who believed she had won.
Jaina had expected as much.
How dare Violet look at her like that!
It was perhaps Violet’s brazen insolence that allowed irritation to creep back into the space that Jaina had only just cleared of emotion.
A faint, crooked smile curved the corners of Jaina’s lips.
“My husband came to me and said that you were like a sibling he grew up with—like a sister.”
Violet undoubtedly wanted to be Cadel’s partner.
As expected, the moment Jaina said ‘sister’, the brightness on Violet’s face vanished and she hardened instantly.
Jaina had merely repeated what Cadel had told her.
There was not a single lie — only the truth.
“My husband said that your mother was more of a mother to him than his own. So I came to understand. In that case, you must be like family to him. Besides, you have stood by him in his times of distress.”
“……”
“So allowing you to call my husband as you always have—it seems that, in its own way, is consideration for him. So you may address him as usual.”
When permission was granted as though it were an act of magnanimity, the already rigid expression on Violet’s face gradually drained of color.
It was only natural.
Jaina had simply mirrored the tone Violet had once used to provoke her. While Violet began every sentence with ‘Lord Cadel’, Jaina simply replaced it with ‘my husband’. And while Violet had once claimed to understand that the marriage had been unavoidable, Jaina changed the meaning by mentioning Violet’s mother and talking about family bonds.
Every word had been carefully chosen. Every nuance was deliberate.
‘I only need to give her the same in return.’
Sometimes, a person only understands the weight of their actions when they find themselves in the same position.
Therefore, Jaina decided to treat Violet exactly as she herself had once been treated — just as Violet had once driven her to the brink of jealousy by slowly eroding Cadel’s affection.
Of course, if Violet stopped provoking her, none of this would be necessary. Jaina had no desire to waste her time needling Violet without cause.
Once she had resolved the matters demanding her attention, she intended to return to the spirit village that had become her sanctuary. It would be best if their paths did not cross again during her remaining time at the Grand Ducal estate.
Jaina rose slowly, her gaze never leaving Violet. Violet stood there, her face drained of all color. No — glaring was the more accurate word.
The thought that Violet could look at her like that, standing before the Grand Duchess solely because Cadel thought she was special, twisted something painfully in Jaina’s stomach.
She was human, after all. It was inevitable that old emotions would still hurt.
Jaina closed her eyes slowly, then opened them again and deliberately pushed those unnecessary feelings aside. She called out.
“Amelie.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Amelie approached at once.
“From now on, when I have tea in the greenhouse garden, I would prefer that no one be allowed inside.”
Although she was speaking to Amelie, her eyes remained fixed on Violet. At this, Violet’s pale face tightened ever so slightly.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Without saying another word, Jaina turned and walked past Violet, who stood there as if rooted to the spot.
Jaina and Amelie left the greenhouse garden, leaving Violet behind, motionless like a statue.
***
‘That damned b*tch!’
The moment she returned to her room, Violet grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it on the floor.
How dare a mere saintess, someone who didn’t even know her place, act as Grand Duchess? Violet had intended from the beginning to break her spirit. Yet somehow it was she who was left humiliated.
When had that woman ever carried herself with such poise? Had the Grand Temple trained them to imitate aristocrats?
Violet let out a bitter, scornful laugh as she glared at the crumpled pillow on the floor.
There was no doubt that Jaina had deliberately called Cadel ‘my husband’ at every opportunity. Emphasizing that they were like siblings and implying that Cadel did not see her as a woman had also been calculated.
Siblings? Ridiculous.
She and Cadel were a man and a woman.
It was true that he had not yet touched her, but that was only because he was not ready. Just look at him. Was he not so naïve as to sleep in separate rooms from his wife?
Violet had known Cadel since childhood. She understood better than anyone how indifferent he was towards women, and how little interest he showed in them.
This was why she hadn’t felt particularly threatened when Jaina arrived at the estate as Grand Duchess.
A saintly woman who was naïve about men, paired with a grand duke who was equally inexperienced with women — Violet was certain there was no chance they would spend the night together before she did.
And she had never intended to let that happen.
For a long time, she had quietly been making plans to win Cadel’s heart before Jaina ever could.
‘That vicious woman.’
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
She had thought that, because Cadel was so naïve, she needed to take a slow and patient approach. She hadn’t rushed. Instead, she had planned to devote herself to him, taking it step by step until he grew accustomed to her presence.
But then, without warning, a Grand Duchess appeared.
She must have been clinging to Cadel from the outset, trying to win him over. Otherwise, why would he suddenly declare his intention to marry a saint?
Violet bit down on her lower lip and turned her gaze towards the window. She had prayed for rain, yet useless snow continued to fall endlessly. It wasn’t even that cold yet.
How strange.
‘The rain must come soon.’
Once the rainy season began in the north, the downpours would last anywhere from a week to almost a month.
During that time, Cadel would stay in her chambers. He would work in his office from morning until evening, but once his duties were finished, he would always return to her bedroom to rest.
‘I wonder how that confident face of hers will twist when the time comes.’
The corner of Violet’s lips curved upward with a faintly cruel smile.
‘You said we were like family, didn’t you? I’ll make it perfectly clear whether Cadel and I are truly like family, or if we’re just a man and a woman.’
She was certain of it.
As long as Cadel stayed in her room, she was convinced that she could push Jaina to the brink of despair.
No matter how loveless their marriage was, no woman could remain untouched by the knowledge that her lawful husband was spending his nights in another woman’s room.
Jaina, in particular, was not the type to confront Cadel directly and demand the truth. There was no love between them to give her the courage to do so. Moreover, as a saintess not born into nobility, she lacked the confidence or social standing to question him freely.
If Violet chose her words carefully and wove in a subtle lie, Jaina would never dare confirm it with Cadel herself, and her downfall would only be a matter of time.
‘You may be holding your head high right now. But in the end, you’re beneath me.’
Violet had always believed that no woman would ever outrank her within the Grand Ducal Castle. Yet that certainty was shattered the very next day.
She had learned that Cadel would be accompanying Jaina to the Empire.
Forgetting his firm warning never to approach his office, Violet hurried there without hesitation.
While Jaina was away in the Empire, Violet planned for Cadel to wake up in her chambers and spend quiet afternoons and evenings with her. Jaina needed to know that.
Only then would her pride truly be broken.
In truth, it would have sufficed for Cadel simply to remain with Violet while Jaina was away. After all, what the eyes do not see is far easier to twist in the mind. The imagination breeds misunderstandings far more readily than reality ever could.
This was why she had to ensure that Cadel would stay at the Grand Ducal Castle during the rainy season.
Violet quickened her steps.
He disliked her approaching his office, but that no longer mattered.
She would do whatever it took to persuade him not to accompany Jaina to the Empire.
Translator
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Xesene
Violet is really annoying to read. She did plan all those things, is vile, and maybe has a connection. Her prayer could cause rain to make her more of a Villainess. But seriously, she must of trained Cadel to overlook so many obvious signs of destroying his wife. Scratch that, he’s just naturally dense. Also, Jania should slap him to make him not come with her. He should suffer in the rain right besides Violet. Stay with the poison that destroyed his former life. Of you learn nothing then life repeat and he should suffer that. Course, I might just be charged that everything fell into place just like Violet wanted in the former life cause Cadel is…. Cadel.