Return What You Received
During the afternoon tea with the dowager, Kalian Klaus's eyebrows twitched slightly.
On the palm of her hand holding the teacup, a small pink crack was visible.
“Have you injured your hand, Mother?”
The dowager smiled faintly at Kalian's words.
“It's nothing. Just...”
The garden where they drank tea was filled with the scent of roses.
“I gave her a little scolding because she acted impertinently after I took care of her.”
At those words, Kalian's pupils flickered.
Leona Klaus, the dowager of the Klaus Duchy, possessing mature beauty and elegance.
“You are the one who will become the next duke, Kalian.”
Every time she avoided work, she would whip her.
With her strictness, she had nurtured Kalian well and made him a proper successor to the duke.
Because of that, Kalian always deeply trusted and followed the dowager.
“Is that so. But to the extent that your hand is injured like this... it pains me.”
He believed that everything she did had a reason.
Even if it was a bit ruthless or something she couldn't show to the outside.
“This humble one has only the duke. If there is someone who will stand in the duke's path... I will stop it no matter what I have to do.”
Leona's fine voice was heard.
“I know. Those who think of me... are always only Mother.”
“However...”
Leona narrowed her eyebrows slightly, looking concerned as she asked Kalian.
“You don't seem to be in a good mood today. Is there something on your mind?”
At Leona's question, Kalian's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.
Leona, who always first notices the worries in her son's face, was doing so today as well.
“...No.”
Kalian set down the teacup.
The taste of the tea today was particularly bitter.
Esika's gaze came to mind.
Her cool, piercing blue eyes that saw through the soul were still staring at him unconsciously.
Recalling those blue eyes made his stomach churn again.
Kalian stood up from his seat and said.
“I need to prepare to welcome His Highness the Crown Prince, so I will rise first.”
“Ah, yes, you said you would stop by today as well.”
The dowager smiled gently.
“Go on, Duke.”
“Then have a peaceful time, Mother.”
Turning around, Kalian strode towards the mansion.
The dowager stared at Kalian's firm back for a long time.
Her lips, with a warm smile, gradually hardened.
Soon, the maid waiting behind came close to the dowager, knelt, and opened the medicine bottle.
“This will leave a scar. It's better to apply it later like this.”
And she began to apply medicine to her fine hand.
The medicine was carefully applied along the crack on the palm.
“How much effort I put in for you, my son should know as well.”
The dowager licked her lips coldly.
And after a while, she asked.
“How is the maid... now?”
“You mean Yuri Anesis.”
All the maids who had poured cold water on Esika Klaus and heard what she said from Esika, immediately told it to Leona Klaus.
And Leona's reaction was obvious.
“It seems she won't be able to move for about a week.”
Whipping subordinates was not a rare thing in the strict Klaus Duchy.
Yuri, who had been whipped by the dowager until her legs were bloody, could only escape the cruel punishment after fainting.
“Yes, a week should be enough for reflection.”
The corner of Leona's lips lifted faintly.
Even though she was the daughter of Anesis who couldn't even reach Brigette's level, she dared to say such ridiculous things?
Those who don't know their place need a harsh education, after all.
If the jewels that Brigette gave her when she was bored were useless, she would have disposed of them long ago.
“Daring to covet my son...”
Leona took a sip of the remaining tea in her teacup and licked her lips.
“...Until now.”
“Ahh... ahhuk...”
In the dark room, Yuri was crying while pressing her both legs, which were covered in blood, with a white cloth.
The dowager's whipping was truly horrific.
Even though blood was splashing, she didn't blink once and kept beating.
Even though she begged and wailed, she didn't stop her hand.
Only after she fainted could she escape that horrific moment.
“No... ahhuk...”
And the condition of her legs after waking was horrific.
Not only bruises, but numerous wounds were torn open.
It was the first time she had been beaten by someone and injured.
If this continued, she would definitely have scars.
Then she wouldn't look pretty in Kalian Klaus's eyes.
“Because of that damned Esika...”
The resentment was directed at Esika, not at Leona who had beaten her.
Yuri, clutching her painful legs, her eyes filled with tears sparkled.
Knowing full well that this would happen, she had well told the dowager's maids to listen to what she said.
“I will definitely kill you...”
Creak-
At that moment, the door opened.
She had asked the maid to get wound medicine that wouldn't scar, so it seemed she had brought it.
Yuri, who half-lifted her head, thought while looking at the maid's dress hem.
The maid was holding a bucket, probably because she had brought a lot of medicine.
“Quickly, the medicine...”
“Fufu.”
But Yuri flinched at the laughter-like sound that cut off her request for medicine, like air being let out.
Soon, her face looking up hardened.
“...Es...ika?”
Esika, with her silver hair tied high, was standing in front of her with a smile.
Esika opened her lips with a very happy face.
“Poor Yuri.”
Yuri's face was trembling.
Why was Esika in front of her in the maid outfit?
Upon seeing that face, anger began to surge.
“It seems the future mother-in-law is taking good care of you.”
“You... you...!”
Yuri glared at Esika and spat.
“Do you know how much pain I went through because of you? Because you said such things!”
“Ah, the wife of the Klaus duke? The position you desperately wanted... my place?”
Yuri was even more irritated by Esika's gaze looking down on her.
“I'm different from you. If I stand by his side, I won't do the pitiful and foolish things like you, losing the duke's favor. Even if the dowager doesn't recognize me now...”
“Is that what you want? For that, you sharpened the blade behind my back while wearing my friend's face...”
Esika continued.
“You hit me in the back. What a great effort.”
Esika's calm gaze stimulated Yuri's jealousy.
Things that she struggled to get but couldn't reach, Esika always easily obtained.
Even the position of wife of the perfect man, Kalian Klaus.
“One day, I will take everything from you.”
Yuri said, grinding her teeth.
“...However, Yuri.”
Esika slightly bent her upper body to match eyes with Yuri.
And with a smile, she licked her lips.
“To me, the Duke of Klaus is a golden carriage filled with horse dung.”
“...What?”
Yuri's eyes around trembled.
'That crappy horse dung carriage, I'm going to push it off the cliff.'
She wanted to say this while looking at her distorted face, but Esika held back the words.
Knowing that she would go into the kitchen, it would be better to watch leisurely with legs crossed.
Yuri's appearance of crying pitifully from the broken horse dung carriage would not be pleasant to see.
“What are you saying, you...”
Anyway, she has the personality to always repay what she receives.
“Ah, I brought water to disinfect for you.”
Esika lifted the bucket she brought high and poured the water on Yuri's head.
The water flowed down Yuri's head and soaked her whole body.
Just like when the maids poured water on Esika's body.
“Aaaah!”
Yuri shouted loudly.
And she grabbed the wet cloth wrapped around her wounds.
Because the pain of burning flesh was rushing in.
“It hurts! Aaaah!”
“It's good disinfectant salt water.”
At Esika's words with a faint laugh, Yuri's wet eyes shook.
If she poured dirty salt water on such severe wounds, there would definitely be horrible scars.
“No! No! Ugh!”
Yuri tore off the wet cloth and wailed, but the salt water seeped into the wounds and increased the pain.
The wounds were coming with burning pain.
“Please! I hate it! Aaaah!”
Esika happily watched Yuri's struggling body in pain, then turned her body.
Even with her eyes closed, her wailing voice could be heard far away.
“Ah, after all, maid outfits are comfortable.”
Esika stretched with a refreshing face.
If it was herself from before, she would have been disgusted, but since she could walk around freely like this, she thought she would wear it usefully for a while.
'Then, shall I go to the kitchen...'
When she left Yuri's room and turned the third corner with light steps.
Thud-
Esika, who flinched at the suddenly appearing solid thing, reflexively stopped her feet.
Her body swayed, and she tried to take a dodge, but something grabbed her waist strongly and pulled her.
“...”
Then she looked into the eyes of the large-built man supporting her waist.
Esika's pupils flickered, and the man's eyes supporting Esika also flickered faintly.
A man with jet-black hair and brilliant golden eyes.
The crown prince of the empire, Lesban Deon Rusein.
He was embracing Esika's waist.