The incident began with Ariella.

Upon discovering Ilenia’s pregnancy, she flew into a rage at Calante Castle.

Unable to contain her anger, she fell ill, but was still determined to see for herself. This unyielding determination, so typical of the Marquis of Calante’s only daughter, prompted the Marquis to summon her fiancé, Daniel.

The Lukehardt seasonal estate had been sealed off completely, closed to outsiders.

But there was one exception: A Lukehardt.

Daniel Lukehardt was the duke’s favored eldest son. Not a single person living under the Lukehardts’ wealth and authority would dare stand in his way.

Although Delphius was the master of the estate, the servants’ true allegiance lay with the Duke of Lukehardt.

They were fully aware that they were defying their master’s orders, but they could not bring themselves to stop Daniel completely.

“My lady… will you be all right?”

“If not me, then who will receive them? At the very least, I should step in for the sake of that poor butler who looks ready to faint.”

Ilenia let out a quiet breath. The faint scent of lemon lingered on it from the candy she had been sucking on.

Steadying her weakened body, she finished dressing and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

“I tried to cover it as much as I could with makeup…”

Anna trailed off, hesitating. Despite using powder to try and conceal the dark circles under Ilenia’s eyes, she hadn’t managed to hide them completely.

Ilenia awkwardly rubbed at the color on her cheeks, trying to bring some life back to her pale face.

At first glance, she didn’t look too bad. She didn’t look ill or like she hadn’t slept for days.

And yet, she couldn’t calm the anxiety thrashing inside her chest.

“Look at them. How utterly lacking in grace.”

“Just look at their behavior—no sense of decorum at all.”

Almost instinctively, Ilenia popped another lemon sweet into her mouth. The sharp sourness stung her tongue and cleared her head slightly.

Now that Delphius was gone, she was the sole master of the Lukehardt estate.

She had to keep her composure.

With Anna’s help, she managed to get to her feet. Her legs were weak and unsteady, but once she forced herself to move, they supported her well enough.

‘I won’t have to entertain them long. Just a brief exchange of pleasantries… that’s all.’

Repeating it to herself over and over, she gently covered her lower abdomen.

“Ilenia.”

The first to greet her was Daniel. With a bright smile, he gestured for her to take her seat, looking every bit the master of the estate.

“It’s been a while.”

The moment her eyes fell on Ariella beside him, a wave of nausea rose in her throat—but she managed to force a smile.

“…Since Delphius is away on a business trip, I hope you’ll understand that I’m receiving you in his place.”

“Please don’t say that, Ilenia. We’re already family, aren’t we?”

Sitting in the drawing room, Daniel greeted her with a faint smile.

It was the first time she had seen him since the wedding.

He was Daniel Lukehardt, the eldest son of the Lukehardt family.

Back then, she had been too tense to truly take him in. Now, however, it was clear just how different he was from Delphius — so much so that it was hard to believe they were related.

If there was any resemblance, perhaps it lay in the slight lift of one eyebrow when he smiled. Aside from that, even their hair and eye colors were different, making the contrast all the more striking.

Daniel looked at her and offered a gentle, composed smile.

“I should have arranged a gathering like this sooner. I apologize for only coming to visit now.”

“Please don’t worry. There will always be time.”

Ilenia slowly shifted her gaze.

Toward the one who had not taken her eyes off her even once since she entered the drawing room.

The moment their gazes met, the woman lowered her bright blue eyes slightly, then curved her lips into a delicate smile.

“To meet you again like this, Lady Lukehardt.”

“…It’s an honor to see you again, Lady Calante.”

Ilenia returned her smile just as gracefully.

Considering those present, it was not an unpleasant start to their tea gathering.

“I’m ashamed to say this, but my morning sickness has been quite severe, so I was unable to prepare any refreshments. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“As I mentioned earlier, please don’t trouble yourself, my lady. We came simply to congratulate the Lukehardt family. And… to make up for the time we haven’t had the chance to meet.”

Daniel glanced briefly at Ariella.

As if prompting her—reminding her she had something to say.

Ariella, who had been pressing her lips together, hesitated for a moment before twisting them slightly and speaking.

“Are you really pregnant?”

“Yes. It’s been about two months now.”

In an instant, Ariella’s expression twisted.

“Ah… well, congratulations on your pregnancy, Lady Lukehardt.”

“Thank you, Lady Calante.”

Though she offered her congratulations, the look in her eyes remained sharp and hostile.

Anyone could see it was given reluctantly. But whether her words were sincere or not… it made no difference to Ilenia.

She accepted Ariella’s greeting as though merely skimming its surface, without letting it truly settle.

“Haha. Since it’s still early in your pregnancy, you must feel a bit disappointed with Delphius being away.”

As if to cut through the awkward tension between the two women, Daniel spoke lightly.

“They say the early stages are the most unstable—both physically and emotionally.”

“He takes such good care of me that I hardly have time to feel anxious. We’re bound by a deep trust, so I’ve had no reason to feel uneasy.”

“That’s a lie. As if Delphius would ever say something like that.”

“Ariella.”

At the Calante lady’s sharp words—piercing straight through her carefully constructed reply—Ilenia pressed her lips together.

Because, more than anyone, she was in a situation where she felt anxious… and needed Delphius.

“Or perhaps your nerves are just strong enough that you’re perfectly fine without him. Ah, that must be why you can shamelessly act as the lady of this estate.”

“Ariella. That’s enough.”

For a gathering intended to celebrate a pregnancy, the atmosphere was unnecessarily tense, particularly given Ariella’s hostile glare.

Yet Daniel offered nothing more than a mild reprimand. He didn’t make any real effort to stop her. Instead, he simply turned to Ilenia every now and again, smiling politely.

Ilenia wanted to leave as soon as possible.

The seat beneath her felt like a bed of thorns.

She pressed her fingers into her thigh quietly, forcing herself to stay still.

“By the way, where did Delphius go? The Ruhati Empire? Or the Citadel Kingdom?”

Daniel’s eyes gleamed as he observed her carefully.

“Well, wherever it is, there must be somewhere that would welcome him. After all, he has a talent for making money. The world is changing — these days, it favors those who can move vast sums of wealth over those who simply possess rank and privilege.”

The times were changing.

Lineage, dignity and authority no longer held the same weight.

It had long since become an era in which those who controlled capital lived far more lavishly than impoverished nobles.

‘What a vulgar world.’

As if everything—dignity, title, honor—could simply be bought with money.

Crude. Tasteless.

Just like her husband’s family.

“Since you’re Delphius’s wife, you should at least know where he’s gone, shouldn’t you, Ilenia?”

“Ah… I’m not entirely sure of the details…”

‘As expected.’

Delphius’s wife was exactly as she had seemed at their wedding.

Naive. Innocent.

She was the perfect person for Delphius to control.

He stopped pressing further and offered a soft smile. Looking at her as though she were pitiful and deserving of sympathy, he let a faint look of regret settle on his face.

“I see. Delphius has never been one to speak much about what’s on his mind. Still, I thought he would at least confide in his wife, if not his family… it seems I was mistaken.”

He folded the corners of his eyes as if in apology. Perhaps the means to bring Delphius down was not so far away after all.

This naive, overly kind wife, the thought that she might be holding the key took firm root in his mind.

“What is it that you like about Delphius, my lady?”

“…Pardon?”

“I only met you for the first time at the wedding, so I was curious how the two of you came to be. Delphius, who had never shown interest in women, suddenly marrying… it was so unexpected that I assumed he had simply chosen someone at random.”

“Ah…”

“But seeing how graceful and composed you are, my lady… it feels almost a waste for you to remain merely as Delphius’s wife.”

Between his half-lowered eyelids, his eyes gleamed sharply.

Like a serpent savoring its prey, his voice slithered close to her ear, low and insidious.

“Or perhaps… you were bound to him through some form of coercion.”

“…!”

“Something like that. I do tend to worry, you see. If such a thing were to happen within the Lukehardt family… as the eldest son, it would only be right for me to intervene, wouldn’t it?”

Daniel smiled faintly as he looked at her.

“Wouldn’t you agree… Ilenia?”