Chapter 26

. A Wrong Marriage

Kallian turned away from Riona in anger.

Riona called his name, but Kallian did not look back and continued walking with long strides.

“Duke……!”

“Apologize…… to Essika. After that, I will greet Mother again.”

Leaving only those words behind, her son left without even giving her a proper farewell.

Riona sat there for a long time with a stunned expression.

“……What misunderstanding are you talking about?”

Essika’s voice brought Riona back to reality.

The woman she hated—the woman who had caused a crack in the close relationship between her and her son—was standing before her.

Those eyes filled with distrust……

It was a defeat Riona had never experienced before.

Riona opened her mouth with venom in her eyes.

“The misunderstanding that you abused Yuri and the maids.”

“……Ah.”

The corner of Essika’s lips lifted slightly.

That obvious smile made Riona want to throw her teacup at Essika’s face because it seemed as though she was mocking her, but she had to endure it.

That insolent girl. Even though she is nothing more than the daughter of the vulgar Brigitte family.

Riona swallowed the curses rising inside her and continued.

“So I cleared up the misunderstanding His Grace had. I told him that he must have misunderstood the way I was educating the maids.”

Essika simply looked at Riona with a silent, gentle smile.

“His Grace has also let go of his unpleasant feelings toward you, so don’t worry too much.”

It was like watching an obvious stage performance as an audience member.

“If your feelings were hurt because of that incident, I am sorry.”

It was a ridiculous apology.

If this could be called an apology, then slapping someone in the face, spitting on them, and then handing them a towel could also be called a friendly greeting.

But Essika knew.

She knew that behind Riona’s smiling face, the woman was experiencing the greatest humiliation of her life at that very moment.

And Essika quite liked that.

“There was a time when I also thought that beating someone was the best medicine.”

Essika’s lips moved with a cold smile.

She remembered the days when she had beaten her enemies as a spirit.

When they were tied upside down and beaten with a club a few times, they became obedient enough……

“But I learned that it isn’t always so.”

Indeed, neither a sword nor a club could force someone to truly surrender.

“I hope nothing happens to me because of your anger in the future, Mother.”

At Essika’s words, the corners of Riona’s eyes trembled with rage.

Riona was so angry that she hid her trembling hands beneath the table.

Essika Klaus, the daughter-in-law who came from that vulgar Brigitte family!

That girl, who once could not even raise her head under Riona’s cold gaze, was now boldly lifting her chin and talking back to her.

When Riona had heard that Essika had coldly treated Kallian, she had thought it was nothing more than a worm wriggling after being stepped on.

So she had sent Yuri to teach Essika a lesson.

But Essika had caused a disturbance at the tea party in Alchemits, returned the false accusation that had been placed on her, and now she was behaving like this……

It seems you’ve become far too bold.

Riona looked at Essika with eyes filled with anger, no longer even bothering to smile.

Klaus was completely Riona’s territory, and Riona was undoubtedly the queen of this small kingdom.

There could not be two queens in one kingdom.

How dare you challenge me.

Riona continued staring at Essika before reaching for her teacup.

She elegantly took a sip of tea, calming her boiling emotions.

When was the last time I had to make such an effort to control my emotions in front of someone?

She could not even remember.

Riona finally regained her expression of indifference and asked Essika,

“Why don’t you prepare the tea from now on?”

“I will do that.”

Essika obediently answered.

The corners of Riona’s lips twisted coldly.

Someday, before I throw her out of Klaus, I will properly educate her.

Essika, who was leisurely observing Riona, already knew what she was thinking.

Riona probably thought that trapping a young girl in difficulties and schemes was nothing special.

She probably thought she could simply force this annoying thing that had come out into the sunlight back into that little room.

But there was one thing Riona did not know.

Essika’s previous life as a spirit had belonged to the greatest villainess of her era.

Just as a poisonous snake with deadly venom could swallow another snake in a single bite, Yeongryeong had swallowed countless enemies throughout her life.

“The weather is nice.”

As always, the fragrant scent of flowers filled the garden.

**

“What do women like?”

At Kallian’s question, Gaven’s eyebrow twitched.

“A gift that can move her heart.”

Gaven Fellhope, Kallian’s close friend, tilted his head for a moment before suddenly clapping his hands.

“Ah! Is it a gift for that pretty head maid?”

“No. It is a gift for my wife.”

At Kallian’s words, Gaven froze in surprise for a moment.

It was widely known among the nobles of the capital that Kallian hated his wife, Essika Klaus.

The only reason he had not divorced the wife he hated so much was that if he divorced her on a whim, he would have to return the enormous dowry she had brought with her.

Gaven knew this as well, which was why he had deliberately avoided bringing up Essika.

“……Is something serious going on?”

Kallian looked at Gaven coldly and asked,

“Is a husband giving his wife a gift something serious enough to ask that?”

“Ah, no. Of course not, but…… This is the first time I’ve heard that Your Grace was giving your wife something, so I was surprised.”

At the word first, Kallian’s eyebrow twitched.

It was common for a husband to give his wife something.

And Kallian had never once given Essika a gift.

“……”

As Kallian fell into thought, Gaven carefully asked,

“If you tell me the situation, I think I can give you some good advice.”

Kallian moved his lips with a stiff expression.

“……I think I misunderstood her.”

**

Three years ago, the Klaus residence was bustling with activity.

Kallian Klaus, the young master of House Klaus, Duke Kallian Klaus, was about to welcome the bride who would become the future mistress of the ducal family.

However, Kallian had no particular expectations for Essika, who would become his bride.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has sent his congratulations.”

Kallian read the formal congratulatory message from Crown Prince Lesvan, who was probably rolling around on a battlefield even today, and casually folded it away.

Several servants came over and checked Kallian’s collar and buttons.

“And this is……”

Kallian frowned as he received a piece of paper.

The envelope was marked as a denunciation.

It had come from Frihatz, where the Brigitte family lived, and red letters were written across it.

‘The Ugly Truth About Essika Brigitte.’

Kallian opened the envelope and quickly read its contents.

It was filled with descriptions of how promiscuous and pathetic Essika Brigitte supposedly was.

It also claimed that she enjoyed tormenting people and constantly caused all kinds of trouble.

Judging from the red writing, it seemed to have been written by a man who held a grudge against her, or by his wife.

Considering the handwriting was feminine, the latter seemed more likely.

“Burn it.”

“Your Grace…… Shouldn’t we investigate who dared to write something like this……?”

“There are no rumors without a reason.”

Just as his mother Riona had predicted, Essika was undoubtedly a shameless and badly behaved woman.

In any case, Kallian had no choice.

He had to marry that woman for the sake of his family’s finances……

And from the beginning, he had never expected anything from a woman who was trying to buy the position of Duchess with money.

When the time came, Kallian left his office and entered the hall alone.

The hall had been decorated as a ballroom for the wedding celebration, and familiar noble faces were waiting there.

Then Kallian saw a woman wearing a dress.

“……”

Kallian was momentarily startled by the sight of her in a white dress.

Her beautiful hair was so delicate and shining that it was difficult to tell where her veil ended and her hair began.

Her blue eyes sparkled like jewels beneath the sea, while a faint, innocent blush colored her cheeks.

For a moment, Kallian almost forgot who Essika Brigitte was.

Then someone suddenly took Kallian’s hand.

When Kallian looked to the side, reality finally returned to him.

Riona was looking at him coldly, as if telling him to get a hold of himself.

“……Duke.”

Kallian remembered the denunciation that had arrived earlier.

Yes. That woman is nothing more than the vulgar and shameless woman described in that letter.

The moment he thought that, Essika’s beautiful face began to look different to him.

Soon, he walked toward Essika with long strides.

Everyone’s attention turned toward Kallian.

Kallian stopped in front of Essika.

“……Your Grace.”

Essika’s peach-colored lips moved, and a soft, slightly high-pitched voice came from them.

Women who tried to make a good impression on him usually used voices like that.

But his emotions did not waver even slightly.

With a stiff expression, he lifted Essika’s left hand.

Then he looked directly into her trembling eyes.

“……Welcome.”

Essika’s shoulders, which had been filled with love and excitement, flinched.

She felt the coldness in Kallian’s voice.

“To becoming a woman of House Klaus.”

Kallian slowly raised Essika’s hand and kissed the back of it.

Essika looked at Kallian through the hand he was holding.

Kallian was such a handsome and impressive man.

Yet everyone in her family had been reluctant about her marriage into House Klaus.

They had warned her that Kallian’s mother, the Duchess Dowager, had a bad personality and that Kallian was the kind of person who was easily controlled by her.

There were also unpleasant rumors about the Duke’s relationships with women.

Despite his neat and handsome appearance, his reputation with women was far from good.

But Essika had been unable to forget the man she had fallen for at first sight.

She had begged her father to let her marry him.

Even the naive girl who had been lost in a sweet dream could now sense that something was terribly wrong.

“……”

Kallian eventually removed his lips from the back of her hand and released it.

Essika slowly lowered her hand and looked into Kallian’s eyes.

Those violet eyes were, just as she had heard, cold as ice.

It was the moment she realized instinctively that her married life would not be easy.