By the time Vaniel’s mouth had gone dry, Helena entered the study. Vaniel inwardly let out a bitter laugh. It was a much shorter wait than usual. She could feel Helena’s impatience.

Helena sat down across from Vaniel and urged her.

“Vaniel, what did the Grand Duke say yesterday? Tell me quickly.”

“He said the wedding will be held in two weeks.”

“Nothing else? Did he mention any plans to visit the Count’s residence? Or when he will be leaving the capital?”

“He said he would return to the Grand Duchy immediately the day after the wedding.”

“What? No! You didn’t agree to this, did you? Leaving right away! I’m already displeased about preparing a wedding in just two weeks, and now he’s leaving immediately?”

Anger was evident in Helena as she snapped at Vaniel. For Helena, who always pursued perfection, two weeks must be the worst number.

“I tried to dissuade him, but he said he absolutely had to depart the day after the wedding because he has business to attend to.”

In truth, she hadn’t tried to dissuade him, but Vaniel told this lie to suppress Helena’s anger.

“Then what about the reception after the wedding?”

“He probably won’t be able to attend. He said he doesn’t have time.”

“What did you say!”

Helena shouted and jumped to her feet. The shelf beside her shook.

-Crash.

A vase fell from the shelf and shattered.

Helena bit her nails and paced restlessly around the study.

She approached Vaniel, thrust her face close, and grabbed her shoulders.

‘Ah…’

Vaniel swallowed a groan at the pain in her shoulders.

“For this business to succeed, we need the Grand Duke. You must attend a reception with the Grand Duke no matter what. No matter what. Do you understand?”

Flashing eyes glared at Vaniel.

“You know I’ve requested meetings with His Grace the Grand Duke several times, but he has never granted them.”

“Vaniel! Do you know how important this business is? I’ve invested all the available cash the Count’s family can mobilize. People invested in us because they trusted the Grand Duke. And now, with the Grand Duke’s recent attitude, more people are becoming suspicious…”

As if the mere thought was horrifying, Helena gripped Vaniel’s shoulders tightly and shook her.

“If he can’t attend the reception after the wedding, find a way to make him attend any reception beforehand. Understand?”

The retort ‘This has nothing to do with me’ rose to her throat. But if she said that, the hand on her shoulder would fly to her face. She didn’t mind being hit, but she disliked prolonging her time with Helena.

“Yes, Mother.”

As if coming to her senses at Vaniel’s compliance, Helena released her grip on Vaniel’s shoulders. Fixing her disheveled hair as she sat down, Helena looked at her chewed nails and said.

“I lost my composure for a moment. You may go now.”

Vaniel’s white, translucent skin was red and swollen with nail marks and injuries, but Helena’s concern was solely for her own nails.

“Yes. Please rest.”

The strong scent of roses stung her nose. Vaniel rose elegantly from her seat and took steps forward.

Fearing someone might stop her, Vaniel quickly returned to her room and locked the door. She leaned on the sofa as if collapsing and exhaled the breath she had been holding.

“Haah…”

You endured well again today.

A warm and cool spring breeze wafted through the open window. The fragrant scent of flowers carried by the wind enveloped Vaniel. She closed her eyes and inhaled the fragrance.

Just a little longer to endure.

Suppressing her churning emotions, she bit her lip tightly. She relaxed her body and lay down on the sofa. The spring breeze continued to brush against Vaniel’s body. Her loosened hair stroked her cheek in the wind.

Drowsy. Peaceful. Her mood gradually improved. But unfortunately, the peace ended briefly.

-Click.

-Bang, bang, bang.

“Miss! Why did you lock the door!”

Lin’s voice pierced her heart.

‘Right. Peace is a luxury for me.’

Vaniel was often overcome with the feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff.

‘Hoo.’

After sighing and opening her eyes, Vaniel got up.

“Miss! What are you doing!!”

-Bang, bang.

Vaniel approached the door and unlocked it, causing it to burst open.

“The door was locked. I must have pressed the button when I came in. But Lin, a lady should knock politely.”

As always, a gentle smile graced her face.

Yui, a Nurua woman and Helena’s maid, applied medicine to Vaniel’s wounds.

Yui, who had been responsible for Vaniel’s injuries since she was young, initially felt sorry for Vaniel, but with the repetitive and frequent occurrences, her annoyance outweighed her pity.

Of course, Vaniel’s shoulders were covered with nail marks. But compared to the injuries Yui had seen over time, these were very minor wounds. So Yui made no effort to hide her annoyance at being called to treat such small injuries.

“Done?”

Although Vaniel was the young lady of the Drenarpin Count family, she did not receive precious treatment. Since Helena, the mistress of the household, disliked Vaniel, even the servants who once pitied her gradually began to ignore her. Eventually, they became openly disrespectful in front of her.

When the treatment was finished, Yui left without a word, and Lin raised her fist at her retreating figure.

“That! Miss, you should teach such a disrespectful woman a lesson!”

“How would I teach her a lesson? Beat her with that fist?”

“No. We should tie her up and whip her at least.”

Lin, fuming, was infuriated by Vaniel’s calm expression.

“Miss, you can’t act like such a soft persimmon even after you’re married. As soon as you arrive at the Grand Duchy, you need to put the head maid in her place. Understand?”

Although Vaniel rarely got angry, she didn’t simply tolerate disrespectful people. The reason Vaniel endured was because she was someone who would leave anyway.

Vaniel had thought for a long time. She could not be a member of this household. So she always wished to leave.

Although it was an engagement forcibly imposed by Helena for her own benefit, Vaniel was satisfied that she could leave this place. Moreover, the position of Grand Duchess, desired by all women. Is this the reward for enduring all the verbal and physical ab＊se? Vaniel scoffed at herself.

After forcibly sending away Lin, who had been chattering for a while, Vaniel was alone in her quiet bedroom.

She lay on the soft bed and closed her eyes.

What nightmare would visit her today?

***

The wedding was now a week away.

Vaniel had sent letters to the Grand Duke asking him to attend a banquet with her, but he had not given a definite answer.

She had almost given up, but she couldn’t tell Helena the truth.

The banquet hall, decorated with numerous flowers and artworks, was beautiful.

Given that it was hosted by Marchioness Pitt, who boasted of her nobility by sponsoring artists, it seemed many people had attended.

Beautiful melodies flowed from the hands of a young, handsome man whom the Marchioness was said to be passionately nurturing recently. The soft sound of the violin echoed throughout the reception hall.

Since entering the reception hall, Vaniel had been avoiding Helena’s eyes.

“The Grand Duke promised to come today, right?”

“Yes, of course. He said he would be late due to some business and told me to go ahead.”

“Don’t disappoint me, Vaniel.”

Meeting Helena’s flashing eyes, Vaniel smiled as usual. But inside, Vaniel was burning up.

The wedding was only a week away. Even Helena wouldn’t cancel a marriage decided by the Emperor’s order. Of course, if the Grand Duke didn’t come today, there would be verbal and physical ab＊se from Helena for seven days. But that was okay. Since Helena couldn’t stop Vaniel from leaving for the Grand Duchy after the wedding, she only needed to endure for seven days.

“Oh my. With the wedding so close, you came? Vaniel, are you alone again today?”

Courtney, the only daughter of Marquis Ember, approached Vaniel, who was standing alone.

“Hello, Courtney.”

“Still beautiful as ever today. Like a flower blooming alone in the desert, Vaniel.”

Courtney mocked Vaniel, who was isolated and alone, by comparing her to a flower.

“Vaniel, when you become the Grand Duchess, you’ll need to change your attitude. You can’t stay alone forever, you know? A wife who isn’t welcomed in social circles isn’t welcomed at home either.”

“Thank you for the advice, Courtney.”

“…Well, we’ll see how long you can remain so aloof.”

Glaring at Vaniel, who wore a beautiful smile, Courtney turned and left.

Vaniel hadn’t always been alone.

When she was a young lady, she mingled with quite a few friends. But was it because she acquired such an extraordinary fiancé? Or because someone who had long harbored feelings for that fiancé had significant influence in social circles? After her engagement, Vaniel became thoroughly isolated.

Standing alone in a corner of the reception hall, Vaniel was more beautiful than anyone. Young, spirited noblemen would approach women they found attractive, even if they were engaged. But no one approached Vaniel. No, even if they wanted to, they couldn’t.

Because she was the fiancée of the Grand Duke of Istua.

“Vaniel. What’s going on?”

A sharp voice pulled Vaniel out of her thoughts.

Looking around and speaking quietly, Helena clearly seemed to be forcibly suppressing the urge to shout at her.

“You… it’s already 7 o’clock. I told the investors that the Grand Duke would come today… quickly contact the Grand Duke. Don’t just stand here blankly.”

A loving mother comforting her daughter who was alone. With a smile on her face, they would look harmonious from a distance. But up close, she was a heartless mother selling her daughter for profit. Vaniel laughed bitterly at her situation.

Her emotions surged violently, unlike her usual self.

“Ha. I have no way to contact His Grace the Grand Duke.”

“You…”

“You should manage your expression, Mother. With so many eyes watching us.”

Was it because she could leave in a week that the untreated pus was finally flowing out? Vaniel twisted her lips, not even aware of what she was saying.

“Fine, Vaniel. You’ve grown bold because you haven’t been beaten for a long time. Let’s see when we get home.”

“Long time? Wasn’t it just a month ago? When you tore my back with a whip.”

At Vaniel’s retort, Helena’s eyes filled with rage.