Chapter 7.

Returning What Was Given

During teatime with the Head Lady, Kallian’s eyebrow twitched.

A small pink crack could be seen across the palm of the hand holding her teacup.

“Your hand… Did you hurt yourself, Mother?”

At Kallian’s question, the Head Lady smiled sweetly.

“It’s nothing. It’s just…”

The garden where they were drinking tea was filled with the scent of roses.

“There was a child who became insolent because I indulged her too much, so I had to give her a little whipping.”

At those words, Kallian’s eyes wavered.

Leona Klaus, the Head Lady of House Klaus, possessed mature beauty and an elegant bearing.

“You are going to become the Duke of Klaus, Kallian.”

Whenever he was lazy, she would discipline him with a whip.

Through that strictness, she had raised Kallian into an outstanding man and turned him into a worthy heir of the ducal family.

Because of this, Kallian had always deeply trusted and obeyed the Head Lady.

“I see. But… knowing you pushed yourself to the point of injuring your hand like this makes me feel uneasy.”

He believed there had to be a reason behind everything she did.

Even if it was something slightly cruel or something that could never be revealed to outsiders.

“For this mother, there is only the Duke. If there is anything that could stand in the Duke’s way… I will stop it, no matter what I have to do.”

Leona’s gentle voice rang out.

“I know. I know that the only person who truly thinks of me… is you, Mother.”

“But…”

Leona narrowed her eyebrows slightly, looking concerned as she asked Kallian,

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood today. Is something troubling you?”

At Leona’s question, Kallian’s hand holding the teacup twitched.

As always, Leona, who was the first to notice any worry reflected on her son’s face, had noticed it today as well.

“…No.”

Kallian put down his teacup.

For some reason, the tea tasted especially bitter today.

Essika’s eyes came to mind.

Those cold blue eyes that seemed capable of seeing straight through him were still staring at him somewhere deep within his subconscious.

Just thinking of those blue eyes made his stomach churn again.

Kallian rose from his seat.

“I have to prepare to receive His Highness the Crown Prince, so I’ll take my leave first.”

“Oh, that’s right. He said he would be visiting again today.”

The Head Lady smiled gracefully.

“Go ahead, Duke.”

“Then I hope you have a peaceful time, Mother.”

Kallian turned around and strode toward the mansion.

The Head Lady watched his firm back for a long while.

The warm smile on her lips gradually disappeared.

Soon, the maid who had been waiting behind her approached and knelt before the Head Lady, opening a medicine box.

“At this rate, it will leave a scar. It isn’t good to apply the medicine this late.”

She began applying medicine to the Head Lady’s delicate hand.

The medicine was carefully spread along the fine crack across her palm.

“My son should know how hard I work for the sake of this family.”

Leona’s lips moved coldly.

Then, after a moment, she asked,

“How is the head maid doing now…?”

“Do you mean Yuri Anesis?”

The three maids who had returned after drenching Essika Klaus with water had immediately reported everything Essika had said to the Head Lady, Leona.

And Leona’s reaction had been predictable.

“She’ll probably have difficulty moving around for about a week.”

In the strict Klaus ducal household, it was not unusual for the master of the house to discipline those beneath them with a whip.

Yuri had been whipped by the Head Lady until both of her legs were covered in blood. Only after she fainted was she finally released from the brutal punishment.

“Yes, a week should be enough time for her to reflect.”

The corners of Leona’s lips curled upward.

How dare the daughter of House Anesis—lesser even than Brigitte—have the audacity to say such absurd things?

Those who did not know their place needed proper education.

The jewels Brigitte brought to the Head Lady whenever the head maid wanted to curry favor were useful for exactly this reason. If they had not been useful, Leona would have gotten rid of her long ago.

“How dare she covet my son…”

Leona took a sip of the tea remaining in her cup and moved her lips.

“…That insolent little thing.”

**

“Ahh… Sob… Sob…”

Inside a darkened room, Yuri was crying as she pressed white cloth against both of her bloodied calves.

The Head Lady’s whipping had been truly horrific.

Even as blood splattered everywhere, she had not so much as blinked while continuing to strike her.

Even when Yuri begged and screamed, she had not stopped.

Only after losing consciousness had Yuri escaped that terrible moment.

“No… Sob…”

And when she woke up, the condition of her calves was horrifying.

They were covered not only in bruises but countless thin wounds.

It was the first time she had ever been beaten badly enough to suffer injuries like this.

At this rate, they would definitely leave scars.

And then she wouldn’t look beautiful in Kallian Klaus’s eyes.

“It’s all because of that damned Essika…”

Her resentment was directed not at the person who had beaten her, Leona, but at Essika.

Clutching her aching legs, Yuri’s tear-filled eyes flashed.

Essika had known perfectly well what would happen, yet she had deliberately said those things loudly enough for the Head Lady’s maids to hear.

“I’ll definitely kill her…”

Creak—

At that moment, the door opened.

Yuri had earlier ordered a maid to bring her medicine that would prevent the wounds from scarring, so she assumed the maid had returned.

She lifted her head halfway and looked at the hem of the maid’s dress.

The maid was carrying a bucket, apparently filled with medicine.

“Quickly, give me the medicine…”

“Pfft.”

But a breathy snort of ridicule cut off Yuri’s request.

Yuri flinched.

Then, as she looked upward, her face froze.

“…Essi…ka?”

Essika stood before her with her silver hair tied high, a smile on her face.

Essika opened her lips with an expression of pure delight.

“Poor Yuri.”

Yuri’s face trembled.

Why was Essika standing before her wearing a maid’s uniform?

The moment she saw that face, anger began surging through her.

“It seems your future mother-in-law has been treating you quite well.”

“You… You…!”

Yuri glared at Essika and screamed.

“Do you know how much suffering I went through because of you? Because you said those things!”

“Oh, the daughter-in-law of House Klaus? The position you’re so desperately coveting… my position?”

Essika looked down at her, making Yuri even more furious.

“I’m different from you. If I stand by his side, I won’t do pathetic and foolish things like you did and lose His Grace the Duke’s favor. Even if the Head Lady doesn’t acknowledge me right now…”

“Is that what you want?”

Essika continued.

“For that, you pretended to be my friend while sharpening a blade behind my back…”

She smiled faintly.

“You stabbed me in the back. What admirable effort.”

Essika’s composed gaze struck at Yuri’s deep inferiority complex.

Everything Yuri desperately struggled to obtain, yet could never reach, had always come easily to Essika.

Even the position of wife to Kallian Klaus—the perfect man.

“Someday, I’ll take everything away from you.”

Yuri gritted her teeth.

“…But, Yuri.”

Essika leaned forward slightly until their eyes were level.

Then she moved her lips with a smile.

“To me, the Duke of Klaus is a golden carriage filled with horse manure.”

“…What?”

The area around Yuri’s eyes trembled.

That filthy manure carriage is something I’m going to push straight off a cliff.

Essika wanted to say those words while looking directly at Yuri’s distorted face, but she held herself back.

An enemy who was determined to walk into the furnace of their own accord was best watched from a comfortable distance with one’s legs crossed.

The sight of Yuri sobbing inside that broken carriage filled with horse manure would be quite satisfying.

“You… What are you talking about…?”

Regardless, Essika was the type of person who always returned what she received.

“Ah, I brought some water to disinfect your wounds.”

Essika raised the bucket she had brought and poured the water over Yuri’s head.

The water ran down Yuri’s hair and soaked her entire body.

Just as the maids had poured water over Essika.

“Aaaah!”

Yuri screamed loudly.

Then she clutched the wet cloth covering her wounds.

A burning pain surged through her flesh.

“It hurts! Aaaah!”

“It’s salt water. It’s good for disinfecting wounds.”

At Essika’s snickering words, Yuri’s wet eyes shook.

If filthy salt water was poured over such severe wounds, it would certainly leave terrible scars.

“No! No! Ah!”

Yuri tore away the wet cloth and screamed, but the salt water had already seeped into her wounds, intensifying the pain.

Her injuries burned as though they were on fire.

“Please! No! Aaaah!”

Essika happily watched Yuri writhe in pain before turning around.

Even after she closed the door, Yuri’s screams could be heard far down the corridor.

“Ah, as expected, maid’s clothes really are comfortable.”

Essika stretched with a refreshed expression.

Her former self would have been horrified by such clothing, but since it allowed her to move freely around the mansion, she intended to make good use of it for the time being.

Then, shall I go to the kitchen…?

After leaving Yuri’s room, Essika walked lightly down the corridor.

She had just turned the third corner when—

Thud.

Something solid suddenly appeared before her.

Essika was startled and reflexively stopped.

Her body tilted forward.

Just as she was about to perform a breakfall, something grabbed her around the waist and pulled her firmly toward it.

“…”

Essika’s eyes met those of a large man supporting her waist.

Her pupils wavered.

And the eyes of the man holding her also wavered slightly.

A man with jet-black hair and brilliant golden eyes.

The Crown Prince of the Empire—

Lesvan Deon Lucene.

His arm was wrapped around Essika’s waist.