Servis quietly stared at Andion’s face as he sat on Karia’s lap through the open carriage window. In that calm moment, Karia’s words thrown out of the window froze her like ice.
“Prepare yourself. That child might one day be your daughter.”
Though Karia had said it in a fit of anger, Servis felt a chill run down her spine. She had vaguely dreamed of becoming Rubyderf Pandeon’s wife, but that remark implied she was taking over the place Karia once held.
The carriage departed, leaving Servis alone. She watched, bitter and helpless, as Lamia cried loudly in the distance. Reality hit her all at once.
“D-Duchess!”
The Pandeon estate felt very different from before after weeks away. Even though she hadn’t given notice of her visit, the guards did not stop her from entering. The maids and servants hurriedly moved aside and bowed as she strode down the hall.
Karia carried a child in her arms who looked uncannily like her, and a large, imposing knight followed behind, exuding a grim presence.
“-Duchess?”
Without a pause after stepping down from the carriage, Karia made her way straight to Duke Pandeon’s office. She had heard he hadn’t been attending parties recently and kept to himself, and now it seemed he was holed up here.
Seeing Hessis Livne at the door, Karia was certain Rubyderf Pandeon was inside.
“Move.”
“Are you here to see His Grace the Duke? If so, you could wait in the reception room…”
“Move.”
Karia’s voice was sharp, and at the same time, Aquil shoved aside Baron Livne, who was blocking the door. Hessis, pushed effortlessly with one arm, called out to her in surprise.
But Karia was in no mood to greet a man she considered an enemy. She set Andion down and flung open the door without knocking.
Inside, sunlight poured in through the large front windows, and a massive desk stood before her. Behind it sat a man with wide blue eyes.
“-Madam?”
Rubyderf, whose expression had become increasingly stern over the past weeks, was visibly startled by Karia’s sudden appearance. Yet his gaze followed her intently until she raised her hand, at which point he instinctively recoiled.
Smack!
With a loud crack, Rubyderf’s face was turned sharply to the left. He touched his heated cheek, dumbfounded.
“Today, your daughter came to my house.”
“-Lamia?”
“I had refused her visits multiple times, yet your knights persistently ignored my instructions.”
Karia narrowed her red eyes and glared at Rubyderf. Seeing her eyes blazing, he slowly regained his composure.
He had never seen her so angry.
Even when discussing divorce, Karia had always spoken logically, not letting anger dictate her words. So what could have made her so furious this time?
Hessis, hearing the commotion, hurried over, panicked at Rubyderf’s flushed face.
“Duchess! Coming here and laying a hand on him?! Even if you are divorced, this is outrageous!”
“Baron Livne, stay out of it.”
“But—!”
Hessis continued calling her “Duchess” without faltering. Before Karia could address it, Rubyderf stopped him.
He had always interrupted Karia before when she spoke to his aides, but his attitude began to change only after their divorce.
“Is that why you’re angry?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“That reason… your daughter will tell you herself.”
Karia frowned at the sound of footsteps running down the hall. She had noticed the princess’s carriage following closely after her own. It seemed the girl had left immediately after Karia and followed her.
Soon, the door opened, and Lamia, Ansen, and the Pandeon knights appeared. Seeing Karia face Rubyderf, Ansen’s face turned pale, and he dropped to his knees with a thud.
“It’s entirely my fault. I brought the princess here to the Duchess without permission. Please punish me.”
“-Sir Miller, explain what happened.”
“Lamia hit this child!”
When Rubyderf’s expression hardened at the tense scene, Lamia stomped forward and pointed at Andion, standing beside Karia, with a defiant face.
“But it was his fault first! He said Lamia isn’t the daughter of her stepmother! He said Lamia is nothing!”
Lamia’s face was flushed red as she yelled at Andion. All eyes in the room turned to the smallest child.
In fact, Rubyderf and Hessis had been observing the boy since entering. He was a boy who looked almost as if he had fallen from Karia herself. It was clear who he was without much thought.
Andion, overwhelmed by everyone’s attention, clutched his mother’s dress. His small, vulnerable eyes were brimming with tears.
“I… I just told the princess to leave because she arrived without notice. She insisted she was my mother’s daughter and had to be let in, but that wasn’t true. I just corrected her, I didn’t expect her to get so angry.”
“You! Don’t lie!”
Lamia shouted in frustration. Until recently, the small boy had mocked and belittled her, yet now in front of adults, he pretended to be the victim.
But the more she shouted, the worse the situation became. Her father sighed deeply, holding his forehead, while Karia’s expression grew increasingly terrifying.
As Lamia reached for Andion, Aquil blocked her path.
The enormous, intimidating knight stared down at her expressionlessly, and Lamia, terrified, ran to Ansen’s side.
“Enough!”
Rubyderf’s voice thundered, tightly restrained. He rose and glared at Lamia. Lamia, knowing how terrifying her father could be when angry, gulped and hiccupped.
Yet Rubyderf did not scold her in front of everyone. Instead, he approached Andion, lowering himself to the child’s eye level. Meeting his gaze, he spoke gently.
“Did it hurt much? I’m sorry. I’ve been busy and failed to teach my daughter properly. I’ll make sure Lamia apologizes. I promise.”
Andion tightened his grip on Karia’s hand and looked up at her. She silently patted his head, silently allowing him to act as he wished. Andion stepped back behind Karia and spoke in a small but clear voice.
“It did hurt, but… it’s okay. He’s still little. I think he was sad because he felt like he lost his mother. The apology is enough. Just don’t come to our house again, and that’s fine.”
“Alright, I’ll make sure she never comes uninvited again.”
“And I heard the Duke’s family has caused your mother pain. Please don’t send people every day to bother her.”
“-I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I promise it won’t happen again.”
Rubyderf tried to reach out to pat the clever child’s head, but Andion hid behind Karia.
When Rubyderf withdrew his awkward hand and stood, Karia’s anger had also eased considerably. Though her face showed no sign of previous friendliness.
“Madam, truly…”
“I’ve been living foolishly until now.”
Her eyes locked on Rubyderf’s.
“I’ve endured insults and humiliation all my life. Not just with you or the Pandeon family, but in everything. I’ve never truly enjoyed what I had. I thought humility would earn respect.”
“I understand the hardships you’ve faced.”
“No. You don’t. I don’t expect you to. But I won’t let my children live that way. Remember this. The next time the princess comes to my house, it will be in the palace that we meet again.”
Word that Karia came to the Pandeon estate and slapped the Duke would spread quickly. Naturally, if things weren’t handled properly, she would take action.
This would serve as a warning to the nobility: she would no longer tolerate injustice, and anyone who crossed her would not go unscathed.
Karia bent down and held Andion in her arms. Aquil quietly approached, offering to take the child, but she refused. She wanted everyone to see that this child was her treasure.
“Stepmother, wait! Lamia, Lamia’s really unfairly treated!”
“-Lamia.”
Lamia followed Karia as she left the room, still full of things to say. But how could anyone be so cold?
Karia had become angry the moment she saw the child Andion, without even asking about her wellbeing first.
