It's Only Natural to Hate Your Wife
Kalian's eyes were in turmoil.
The words that seemed to pierce straight into the depths of his heart sent a throbbing pain through his chest.
And immediately afterward, a wave of denial crashed over him.
'Did I start to have feelings for Esika?'
Her natal family, Brigette, was nothing more than a petty marquis house that only cared about money and status.
A woman from a family that didn't match the Klaus Duchy in rank or prestige, just as his mother had warned.
"The Duke of Klaus is no different from being sold for a fortune in the marriage market."
"The once-mighty Klaus is nothing but a shadow now."
After his marriage to Esika, people whispered behind her back, growing tired of the endless gossip.
Yet for some reason—whether from sheer obliviousness or a pure heart—Esika remained cheerfully unaffected.
She demanded parties, flaunting luxurious dresses and jewels brought from her own family.
She also tormented the long-time servants of the household, and everyone whispered that her arrogant attitude was as if she had bought the entire Klaus Duchy with her money.
So it was only natural that her mother hated her.
Her petty, shallow behavior made Kalian sick to his stomach.
He avoided her because he could no longer bear the sight of her constantly chasing after him, clinging to his side.
In his heart, he wished she would fall ill and die.
"That's utter nonsense."
Kalian's dry lips trembled.
The words Esika had spoken moments ago kept echoing in his mind.
"Could it be that you have developed feelings for me?"
"..."
The corners of Esika's mouth lifted.
At some point, Esika had stopped smiling whenever she looked at him.
Yet when he said he had no interest, she smiled as if she found the words unbearably delightful.
An inexplicable wave of deep displeasure washed over his mind.
"Then please go. To a woman who has no interest in..."
Through the window, Esika's blue eyes, bathed in moonlight, were cold as ice.
"What's the point of wasting time?"
"..."
Kalian stood rooted in place, as if a mosquito had bitten his foot, staring at Esika.
Esika's appearance had not changed—neither in the past nor now.
Yet that merciless, indifferent gaze and the tone devoid of any trace of emotion...
It was not hers. It was not the Esika he had known.
'There is no way. This woman is Esika.'
Kalian pressed his hand to his forehead for a moment, frowning, then turned away.
The sharp pain was felt either in his head or his chest—he could not tell.
His purple eyes swirled with deep confusion.
***
"Sella said cautiously to Esika, who was having breakfast.
Her face, dotted with freckles, was flushed with color.
"There is a command to move back to the room you were using before."
Esika, eating salad, asked without much concern.
"What's the matter with the Duchess?"
"Not the Duchess... it's the command from His Highness the Duke."
Esika's hand, still calmly spearing a piece of food with her fork, stopped.
'A command from Kalian?'
Kalian Klaus had been a cruel husband.
Before recovering Yeong-ryeong's memories, he had not known, but he... despised Esika.
There had been rumors that he had accepted the bride only because of money, and Kalian had been sensitive to such things.
Thinking he had forced himself to marry a woman who did not match his physique, he had no reason to respect her.
He had left the abuse of his wife by the Duchess unchecked.
Since he shielded the servants whenever there was conflict between Esika and them, the servants would never ignore her.
Thus, Esika's married life had been extremely unhappy.
"......"
Esika continued spearing food with her fork.
Perhaps this was a gesture of reconciliation for the recent quarrel.
And if she had not recovered Yeong-ryeong's memories, if she had remained the innocent Esika who knew only love, she would surely have been overjoyed.
Esika loved Kalian so deeply that she would have eagerly eaten even rotten bread if it had been his goodwill.
That emotion of love had clearly remained in Esika's memories.
However...
"Sella... the fork..."
Looking down, she saw that the fork had bent in half.
It seemed she had applied force without realizing.
Sella's face had stiffened in surprise, but Esika straightened the fork neatly again.
And resumed eating.
'How interesting.'
Esika now was different from before.
Since she had wronged him, she would receive a just punishment.
Having looked down arrogantly and trampled on the weak, she would be trampled in turn.
No matter how much one beats a person and forgives the crime with a few cookies or candies, it cannot be forgiven.
'You are still deluding yourself, Kalian.'
Yeong-ryeong had been the type who enjoyed the process of revenge more than the result.
And the goodwill that felt like throwing food to a dog only fueled her will even more.
"I have something I need to attend to for a while. Move the luggage."
After finishing her meal, Esika told Sella.
Watching Esika quickly change into her maid uniform, Sella answered promptly.
"Understood, Madam."
***
"That... what kind of nonsense is that!"
Yuri glared at the maid with a pale face.
The young maid continued with a frightened expression.
"His Highness the Duke ordered to move back to the room he originally used... saying that a room not suitable for the status could lower the dignity of the Duke's family... he said..."
The largest bedroom in the Klaus residence belonged to Kalian, and the next largest and best located was the Duchess's.
And the third largest bedroom... that had originally been Esika's.
Yuri recalled the moment she arrived at the Klaus Duchy upon being summoned by Esika.
Entering the beautiful landscape of the old mansion, lost in thought, she had seen the spacious and luxurious room that Esika was using.
Seeing Esika smiling in a gorgeous dress within the magnificent mansion's beautiful rooms, Yuri had made her decision.
She would take everything from that girl.
When Esika was moved to the servant's quarters because she had earned the Duchess's hatred, Yuri had laughed inwardly.
The maid who served her was also uncomfortable, but the empty Duchess's room had made her dream of entering there in the future.
"No way! Why would His Highness the Duke!"
Yuri widened her eyes and shook the young maid's shoulder.
"Maid... I'm scared. I told you earlier."
"There must be another reason. His Highness the Duke said that he doesn't care about Esika! How much does he hate Esika!"
"Ah."
Only then did the young maid say as if remembering something.
"By the way, you visited the Madam's room last night."
"The servant's room?"
Yuri's eyebrows furrowed.
Even before and after Esika moved to the servant's room, Kalian had never visited her room once.
Kalian had been a man who was thoroughly indifferent to Esika.
He had been terrified of even the things Esika touched.
"No... way..."
But Kalian had come to Esika's room with his own feet?
Yuri bit her nails anxiously with a pale face.
The maid who had been watching her lowered her head and turned around.
"Esika, what exactly are you doing."
Yuri's eyes sparkled with jealousy and anger.
If the gap between them widened, her dreamed future would become nothing but a bubble.
"How did she drop Esika's reputation to the bottom and even rise to the position of maid?"
"......"
Yuri clenched her fist and stood up from her seat.
The wound from hitting her head still stung.
She could not stay like this.
***
"Make the length this much, and make the blade a bit more blunt."
"You are really picky, young lady. Well, it's good to have a clear order."
Today, Esika had entered the weapon shop wearing her maid uniform.
She had come to buy a sword she would use.
She had scouted the route when going to Marshal's tea party last time, so she could find it easily.
'Size and shape like the black blade I used when I was Yeong-ryeong... *Exciting.'
Of course, the weapon shop owner would not have thought that the maid in front of him would use the sword herself.
When Esika nodded silently, the weapon shop owner who had finished the writing said.
"Come to pick it up in three days."
The cost of the sword had been paid with the money from selling pearls.
Recalling the feeling of holding a sword after a long time, Esika could not help but smile.
Leaving the shop with that smile, an unexpected voice came from in front.
"...... A weapon shop."
"......!"
"There are several blacksmiths employed in Klaus, interesting."
Esika's blue eyes shook.
The person standing in front was none other than Crown Prince Resvan.
He was wearing clothes different from the original black uniform and the knights' clothes, probably hiding his identity while doing some business.
Since even the knights who had to follow him during outer outings of the Crown Prince were none, and meeting him at this exact moment was surely damned coincidence.
"...... You are the knight from last time. Nice to meet you."
Esika hid her inner confusion and greeted by bowing as a maid.
Slowly raising her eyes, she met Resvan's eyes staring at her.
"I came to the shop for a moment to choose a sword to give to my lover."
And she lied calmly.
Resvan's eyebrows twitched slightly.