The Loving Mother and the Pathetic Wife

Esika Klaus's cold words made Kalian's eyebrows twitch.

"You think I'm a slave, don't you."

"Or a soulless object."

He looked like a man whose world, which he had believed in, had collapsed.

His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with anxiety and anger that he couldn't control himself.

"You were the one who refused to be bound to me."

"....."

"Now you're trying to bind me?"

Upon recalling how to free the bird he had neglected, his demeanor was as messy as that of someone hurriedly fixing a birdcage.

"You are the Duchess of Klaus. And the Duchess is……."

Kalian's breath became ragged.

"You shouldn't show such behavior."

He must be acknowledging it himself—the fact that he's doing something that doesn't make logical sense.

However, Kalian had never once said 'I'm sorry' to Esika.

In the Klaus ducal family, only Esika was the deficient and bad wife.

Only Esika...... always her own fault.

Esika looked clearly into his purple eyes and said.

"Your Grace was suspicious of why I was disguising myself as a maid. But aren't you curious about the situation where I ended up wearing this maid outfit?"

"......"

"The only dress I had got completely soaked in the maids' water punishment sent by the Dowager Duchess. It seems you found it very unpleasant that I dared to confront you during our tea time. So I ended up wearing it, and once I put it on, it felt comfortable."

Kalian's eyes were shaking.

"There was no way Mother would do that much."

In the early days of marriage, she cried several times in front of Kalian.

Every time she said the Dowager Duchess was tormenting her, Kalian showed a very displeased expression.

Of course, not to the Dowager Duchess, but to Esika.

She said that because Esika didn't handle it wisely, the Dowager Duchess punished her.

And she considered all of Esika's complaints as overreactions.

"It must be that you misunderstood the appropriate punishment your mother gave you for your education."

Kalian didn't change at all.

"Have the butler check how much of the necessities are provided to me. Whether it's enough to maintain the dignity of 'Duchess of Klaus' and fulfill my duties. Isn't the Duchess in a maid outfit so poor that she has to go out and buy the things she needs herself?"

Esika added one sentence at a time, Kalian's eyes flickered.

The look that seemed to say 'There was no way Mother would do that much.'

It remained the same. Kalian didn't change.

"I'll say this last. Your Highness."

Esika's lips quivered.

"Your Highness doesn't have the right to do this to me."

Kalian's heart, as if a stake was driven in, the ice-like words sank in.

Kalian wanted to retort as usual, and vent his anger at her as much as he wanted.

However, at the moment he realized that anger would be useless, everything felt meaningless.

Esika would no longer cry. It seemed she wouldn't be hurt no matter what he said.

The ice-like gaze was not a misunderstanding.

It was neither a tantrum nor anything else.

"I want to rest. Will you leave my room?"

Esika's voice was heard.

Her voice sounded tired, and Kalian's heart sank.

After sending him out, Esika closed the door with a cold gaze.

Immediately, she reached out and fumbled near her chest.

Her heart was throbbing.

As if proving that the man she had once loved passionately was Kalian Klaus.

Her mood was dirty.

'If I had recovered Yeong-ryeong's memories earlier.'

Esika looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Her magnificent silver hair and blue eyes, her spotless clear skin and red lips... everything was perfect.

'She probably hadn't married him.'

The Kalian who resembled the emperor of Yeong-ryeong, that guy.

Repaying what was received was Yeong-ryeong's life motto.

The sin of the Klaus who abused Esika could never be forgiven.

It was better to burn their houses even if it was troublesome, rather than watch the enemies prosper.

Is revenge the mother of revenge? After avenging, there's no satisfaction?

That's just self-consolation from those who haven't avenged.

One day, this Klaus would be pulled out upside down and shattered into pieces, and Esika planned to stand on top of him.

A banquet held on top of the enemy's grave is always enjoyable.

'It's too late. I'll dance while watching you cry, Klaus.'

Esika smiled coolly while looking at herself in the mirror.

And when she turned around.

Tuk-

Something fell to the floor.

Esika narrowed her eyes and bent down to pick it up.

A ring with a green emerald was made of gold.

It was the size that a man's finger could fit into, but she had never seen Kalian wearing it.

'Could it be... the prince's ring?'

When she was drinking tea and leaving, the prince had held her hand.

Their bodies had touched, and that's when the ring had slipped into her clothes.

Esika stared intently at the ring.

'Should I return it?'

But to return it, she had to meet him again.

Esika shook her head. Even if she returned it someday, she wouldn't deliberately take the opportunity to meet him.

Ttok-

After putting the ring in the drawer, the door opened and Sella entered the room carrying a large tray.

"Ma'am, I've brought dinner."

Seeing no mention of Kalian, it seemed they hadn't met.

"It's dinner with the same food as for His Highness the Duke and the Dowager Duchess. Here, there's also a health tonic."

The chef's food was truly excellent.

Meat cooked in the sous-vide method and fresh vegetables, soup, and dessert.

After marrying into the Klaus ducal family for 3 years, she had never dreamed of such food.

The Dowager Duchess had forbidden her from even eating with Kalian, criticizing Esika's table manners.

After entering the small room, she could only receive food from the maids.

"It seems decent."

It would have been impossible without recruiting the chef Hemos.

The situation was slowly changing.

Of course, even now, even if she ate one proper meal, she had to watch others' eyes.

But Esika was confident. Soon, they would be the ones watching her eyes.

Dalg-eok-

Esika continued her meal.

Sella occasionally filled her glass and served her meal.

'In the past, I really must have gone crazy... I never imagined I'd see someone as dignified as this.'

When the Dowager Duchess spoke ill of Esika, she mentioned her lowly status.

So the maids felt that they were no different from the lowly themselves or Duchess Esika Klaus, and thus supported the Dowager Duchess's torment more.

They felt it was unfair that some were maids and some were Duchesses, even though they were the same lowly people.

While watching Esika eat, Sella realized that she had really misunderstood.

From her gaze to her use of utensils, she was a perfect noble. Perhaps even more disciplined than the Dowager Duchess.

With one knife cut, the meat was sliced so cleanly... It was astonishing.

"Is this all? The budget usage list for the Duchess."

Kalian's stiff voice made the butler Hans sweat cold sweat.

He really hadn't expected this.

At this time, it should be time to eat with the Dowager Duchess.

But suddenly, he was looking for him and demanding the Duchess's budget usage list.

"......"

Kalian's eyebrows were hardened while flipping through the thin book.

"A hundred rags, fifty barrels of oil, a thousand sacks... Why is this in the Duchess's budget usage list?"

Hans trembled at Kalian's question.

"Ah... It seems it was mistakenly included. I'll correct it."

Kalian carefully looked from the beginning, the records when she first came to the ducal family.

The Dowager Duchess always criticized Esika's extravagance.

So this budget usage list must include the extravagant acts she had done.

"Have the butler check how much of the necessities are provided to me. Whether it's enough to maintain the dignity of 'Duchess of Klaus' and fulfill my duties. Isn't the Duchess in a maid outfit so poor that she has to go out and buy the things she needs herself."

'There was no way that statement was true.

While searching for evidence with rough eyes, Kalian's eyes stopped at some point.

He saw the dress and jewelry list. Robelia Dress Shop, Atwan Jewelry Shop.

This was the record of buying countless dresses and jewels from these two places.

Kalian's eyes sparkled.

'Again, you've lied a disgusting lie in front of me.'

"Hans, immediately bring the owners of these two shops."

Hans looked at him with bewildered eyes at Kalian's words.

Kalian smiled with a bright gaze.

"The Duchess bought thirty-seven dresses from the Robelia shop for three years, and twenty-six jewels from the Atwan shop."

"......Ah....."

"So they must remember. Which dresses the Duchess bought."

And if she showed them in front of her, the ones she found in her closet, the Duchess's face would turn white.

Thinking about this arrogant Esika who wore maid clothes saying there weren't enough thirty-seven dresses, and planning to kneel in late reflection, Kalian's mood was good.

However, Hans was not answering with a dark expression.

"Um... Your Highness."

Kalian's eyebrows twitched.

"Actually... this is not the list the Duchess bought... "

As a butler, it was unavoidable.

Esika wouldn't know the names of Robelia shop or Atwan shop.

"......It's the Dowager Duchess's dresses."

Kalian's face hardened.