ETVEWHF 2

Chapter 2

Rowina and Kristine didn’t get along. To be precise, Kristine just hated Rowina plain and simple.

Except for one specific incident, the book didn’t offer much detail about Kristine, nor did it dive into Rowina’s inner thoughts. So, I tried to piece together what Rowina actually knew.

First of all, Rowina’s marriage to Howard had broken an engagement with a family the Blackwoods had been close with for years, completely shattering that relationship. Kristine had been keeping a sharp eye on her ever since, and having a daughter-in-law who refused to be submissive must have grated on her nerves to no end. So, she asserted her authority through subtle power plays, like demanding that Rowina come pay her respects every single morning and night.

Shortly after Rowina got married, Kristine’s husband, Tom Blackwood, died of heart disease. It was this exact incident that turned the tension between mother and daughter-in-law into total warfare.

—Mother, please don’t cry.

Rowina had blurted out something utterly reckless back then.

—To be honest, I don’t understand why you’re so sad that Father passed away. You used to say you wished he would just drop dead from keeping all those mistresses.

—Excuse me? Are you out of your mind?

—Shouldn’t you actually be happy?

That was the day Kristine slapped Rowina across the face.

No one in the book knew about Rowina’s emotional condition—not even the readers. The only person who knew was me, having inherited Rowina’s memories. But even I had no clue why she would say something like that. I couldn’t divine her true intentions or emotions, after all. I could only guess that Rowina, completely blind to the complex and contradictory nature of human feelings, had simply asked out of genuine curiosity.

One thing was for sure, though: Kristine definitely viewed it as a direct attack on her authority.

“Fine, let’s set the morning greeting aside. Howard is returning today, so shouldn’t you be getting all dressed up instead of lounging around like this?”

I pulled back the duvet and stepped out of bed. “I don’t think my husband really cares whether I dress up or not.”

If the novel was anything to go by, his mind was probably filled with thoughts of his former fiancée whom he had reunited with on the battlefield—so much so that he wouldn’t even notice his wife.

“Howard is distant because you’re so cold. You already have sharp features and no clue how to please people, so shouldn’t you at least take care of your appearance?”

I wanted to snap back, ‘Is that why your husband took mistresses even though you dressed up so well, Mother?’ but I bit my tongue. Saying something like that would be a point of no return.

“Besides, we don’t know what time Howard will get here today, so you should be ready from dawn. He is your husband, isn’t he?”

Howard Blackwood was returning today.

I let Kristine’s nagging fly out the other ear and focused on that single fact.

In the story, Howard offers a polite divorce settlement, but Rowina refuses. A series of events unfolds after that, leaving Rowina divorced, penniless, and kicked out onto the streets.

…The problem was, I couldn’t remember the exact details of how she ended up divorced. Maybe it was because I read the book when I was so young.

Suddenly, the sharp thud of a cane slamming against the floor broke my train of thought.

Startled, I snapped my attention back to Kristine. Clad in black clothes that looked like mourning attire, her hair still jet-black without a single strand of gray despite her age, she was radiating pure fury.

Kristine rang the call bell, and two maids immediately stepped inside.

“Wash Rowina and get her ready.”

“Yes, Dowager Lady.”

Letting out a quiet sigh, I gave a small nod and followed the maids to the bathroom.

“Creepy little thing,” I heard Kristine mutter under her breath from behind me. “Cassy should have been my daughter-in-law…”

With those final words, Kristine slammed the door shut. Yet the lingering traces of her anxiety and anger still hung heavy in the air.

I could sense the maids holding their breath, anxiously darting glances at each other. I looked at the tiptoeing servants and asked, “What are you waiting for? Hurry it up.”

“W-We’re so sorry, My Lady!”

Once inside the bathroom, I yielded my body to the maids and sank back into my thoughts.

Cassy Weatherbill. She was Howard Blackwood’s former fiancée—and the woman he would marry after divorcing me.

Back in the living room, Kristine let out a frustrated huff and rubbed her arm.

Her daughter-in-law really didn’t have a single redeeming quality. No matter how much Kristine pulled rank or asserted her authority, Rowina never walked on eggshells around her, nor did she ever try to flatter her. She treated her mother-in-law with basic courtesy according to etiquette, but that was strictly where it ended.

One look into Rowina’s eyes said it all: the girl didn’t respect her as a elder in the slightest. And yet, unlike her cold gaze, her behavior was utterly flawless on paper. She had never even shown greed for the family’s assets.

Does that make her think she can be even more arrogant?

There was only one time Rowina had made a comment that crossed the line—whether intentionally or by slip of the tongue—at her father-in-law’s funeral.

Kristine vividly remembered the look on Rowina’s face after taking that slap to the cheek. It wasn’t confusion, nor was it hurt. It was a look of pure resignation.

Rowina was the one who had wounded her with words, yet Kristine was left feeling like she was the villain.

Even when Rowina dutifully came for her morning greetings—which other households didn’t even bother with—or accepted house arrest without a fuss, her dull olive eyes never showed a flicker of emotion. It was as if she were saying, ‘You will never break my spirit.’

“Ah, My Lady, there you are.”

“Dr. Morgan!”

Morgan walked in carrying a teacup on a silver tray.

“Are you planning to switch careers to a servant now?” Kristine asked.

“Haha. It was time for your medicinal tea, but you weren’t in your room, so I came looking for you.”

“Why didn’t you just send a maid…?”

“I am simply fulfilling my duty to look after the health of the Blackwood family.”

Kristine let out a soft chuckle and took a sip of the tea.

A few months ago, she had asked the family doctor to brew her a herbal tea good for stress and nerves. Living under the same roof with family members she couldn’t stand seeing every day made it feel like it wasn’t helping much, though.

Dr. Morgan had been the family physician at Sidecliff Mansion since before Kristine got married. Having known him for so long, she relied on him and trusted him quite a bit.

“…”

The medicinal tea was a dark green. Just looking at it reminded her of Rowina’s icy eyes, which always brought an oppressive weight with them.

Yes, looking at that girl felt like standing in front of something that wasn’t quite human. The uncanny valley comparison felt strangely fitting. Even though Kristine was older and higher in status, she couldn’t shake that feeling.

That was precisely why she tried so hard to firmly etch their difference in status into Rowina’s mind.

Three years had passed like that. Living under the same roof for three years usually built some sort of begrudging affection, but Kristine still found Rowina deeply uncomfortable.

I wish they would just get a divorce.

At that moment, a rumble of thunder shook the air outside, and rain began beating against the windowpane.

“It’s raining, My Lady.”

“Tsk. Rain on such an important day?”

And so, the day of Howard Blackwood’s return began.

Soaking in a bath infused with aromatic oils, my body finally began to relax.

“I’ll help reduce the puffiness, My Lady.”

Through massage, the swelling in my face, shoulders, and arms was eased away, and a touch of perfume was lightly spritzed into my hair. Then, they sat me down in front of the vanity.

The maids carefully opened jars of cream and smoothed them onto my skin. In the mirror, makeup was layered step by step over Rowina’s face—eyebrows, cheeks, and finally her lips.

Now I see why everyone is so terrified of her.

Dr. Morgan and the maids all walked on eggshells whenever Rowina so much as glanced their way.

Looking into the mirror, a cold beauty stared back at me. Her olive-green eyes, looking both arrogant and utterly detached, were settled in a low, quiet gaze. Given Rowina’s personality, she probably never smiled either. It was the kind of face that naturally intimidated people, and wearing it felt strange.

“Are you finished?”

“U-Um, we still need to style your hair. We’ll finish up quickly…!”

Fear. Nervousness.

I simply offered the maid a slight smile.

The maid looked startled, zoning out for a second before snapping back to reality when her fellow maid nudged her arm.

Rowina had always preferred having her wheat-blonde hair pinned up into a neat updo. There was no need to break a habit she had kept up for so long.

Once I was fully prepared, I stepped out into the living room, finding the bedroom too suffocating.

“Rowina?”

With his slightly muted ash-blonde hair and thin-framed glasses, the man standing in the distance was unmistakably Nigel Blackwood.

“You look pretty today.”

“……”

“Did you get all dressed up just to see my brother?”

The corners of Nigel’s lips curled upward, though his eyes remained entirely cold. There wasn’t a trace of the heavy, lingering desire from yesterday.

What on earth happened over the last three days?

To make matters worse, I still had no idea how Rowina ended up being kicked out penniless after refusing the divorce in the original book. Was it just a detail I forgot because I read it so long ago, or was it never mentioned in the text at all?

Suddenly, a theory crossed my mind.

If those three missing days were connected to the events of the book… what if her affair with Nigel was the very cause used to force her into a divorce?

“Personally, I prefer your hair down,” Nigel added smoothly. “Just like yesterday.”