Chapter 4
I froze where I stood.
I stared at the scene unfolding before my eyes.
The children clinging to the laughing woman’s legs.
Devon smiling beside her.
And the servants trailing behind them in a long line.
The sight looked so perfectly harmonious that it resembled a painting.
What exactly was this feeling?
Disappointment?
Betrayal?
A storm of emotions I couldn’t define with a single word swept through me.
“My lady… did the Marquis mention that someone would be coming with him?”
At Jesse’s question, I couldn’t answer.
Because he hadn’t said a single word about it.
“…My lady, shouldn’t you go out there now?”
Ramiri asked cautiously, and my body flinched.
For a moment, I nearly rushed out to the entrance without thinking.
In my imagination, I was grabbing Devon by the collar and shaking him, demanding to know who that woman was and why he had brought her into our home without discussing it with me.
I shook my head and covered my eyes with both hands.
But even then, I could still see them.
The woman.
Devon.
The children.
I had always believed I had never wanted Devon’s love.
So why did I feel like this?
I still didn’t know who the woman was.
She could simply be an important guest Devon needed to entertain.
I tried calming myself with that thought—
but my anxiety remained.
“My lady? Aren’t you going?”
Ramiri kept urging me out of concern, but I couldn’t move.
Unlike proper noblewomen, I had never learned how to speak politely while hiding my true thoughts.
I would probably do exactly what I had done on the battlefield—
raise my voice and demand honest answers.
And I didn’t want the woman Devon brought home to look down on me because of that.
Instead of running to the entrance, I grabbed the stack of documents on my desk.
I couldn’t focus on a single word.
But I still had to pretend to read.
Jesse and Ramiri quietly left the office.
Once I was alone—
silent tears slid down my cheeks.
In that terrifying silence,
I was completely alone.
* * *
The next morning—
I was eating breakfast when Devon entered the dining room.
The moment he saw me, he stopped in his tracks and frowned.
“I thought you were sick. You seem perfectly fine.”
“I wrote it in my letter. There were too many expenses to handle, so I couldn’t come out to greet you.”
As soon as Devon sat down, the butler immediately placed dishes in front of him as if he had been waiting.
First came an appetizer salad.
Then warm white bread and butter.
Soon after came soup, followed by lightly grilled fish and roasted mushrooms.
Steam rose from the soup.
The bread smelled freshly baked.
And the fish platter was beautifully decorated with elaborate garnishes.
Meanwhile—
in front of me sat only a plate with small portions of food and a glass of juice covered in condensation.
Even my small steak had gone half cold.
And this wasn’t just today.
The menu changed, but my meals were always served like this.
Even though I had never asked for it.
For the first time, I found myself wondering about that difference.
“Are you angry because I spent too much money?”
I didn’t answer.
All I could see was that woman stepping out of the carriage while holding Devon’s hand.
Devon smiling at her.
The children clinging to her legs.
“Agnes?”
“……”
Devon let out a sigh.
“You’re really angry.”
He ran a hand through his hair and set down his fork.
“Hile, bring it.”
At Devon’s command, the butler pulled a small box from his coat and placed it in front of me.
It was a tiny pink box that fit neatly in my palm.
Stamped on top was a red circular mark.
Piegrang.
“Open it.”
Devon rested his chin on his clasped hands and grinned.
He seemed convinced this box would improve my mood.
I stared at him without opening it.
“What is this?”
I asked even though I already had a guess.
Devon looked surprised by my reaction but quickly smiled again.
“Elizabeth picked it out for you. She said she felt bad receiving a birthday trip while letting your birthday pass without giving you anything. Isn’t she sweet?”
My birthday had been a few days ago.
That day, I had slept less than two hours while cleaning up the financial mess Devon left behind.
I stared quietly at the box.
Judging by its size and shape, it probably contained lip balm or hand cream.
It felt far too insignificant to be the reward for all my sacrifices.
Surely this wasn’t meant to be a genuine gift.
Was it hush money?
Out of all the invoices from Rabon, the Piegrang cosmetics bill had been the cheapest.
How much of that bill did the item in this box even account for?
One-fifth?
No.
Even one-tenth?
Devon was the kind of person who measured everything in terms of value—unless it involved restoring his family’s status.
And right now, he was telling me exactly how little value I had to him.
“I’ll look at it later.”
I pushed the box aside and resumed eating.
What I really wanted to ask was:
Did you really think something this cheap would make me happy?
But I couldn’t let the servants watch their master and mistress fight.
Devon’s face hardened instantly.
“At least look at it! Elizabeth picked it out! Isn’t it cruel to ignore something she chose for you?”
His sharp tone shattered what little patience I had left.
“I already know what it is without opening it.”
I looked at him coldly.
“A luxury cosmetic product made by a single atelier and sold only to royalty and high-ranking noble families. Isn’t that right?”
Devon’s expression blanked for a moment.
As if he couldn’t understand how I knew that.
I picked up the box and tapped the circular emblem with my fingernail.
“It says Piegrang right here.”
“You… know Piegrang?”
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Apparently, he found it shocking that I knew what it was.
I set down my fork and stared directly at him.
I had been willing to let this go.
But not anymore.
“You claim Elizabeth picked this out.”
I tilted my head.
“Then I’m curious—how exactly does Elizabeth know about Piegrang?”
“You can’t even enter their store without being an existing customer.”
For a brief moment, Devon looked like someone whose lie had been exposed.
Then his expression twisted into anger.
“You’re truly awful.”
“Couldn’t you just pretend not to know?”
“I used Elizabeth as an excuse because I was trying to save money for the estate!”
The audacity was unbelievable.
He was acting as though he had the right to be angry.
“If you wanted to save money,” I replied coldly, “you shouldn’t have gone on the trip in the first place.”
“So that’s what this is about?”
He scoffed.
“You’re angry because I went on a trip with the children?”
That wasn’t even remotely what I meant.
Though honestly—
I wasn’t surprised.
He had always twisted my words.
“…The fact that you interpreted it that way tells me you do feel guilty for leaving me buried in work while you vacationed for three weeks.”
“What nonsense is that?”
“I hesitated about going!”
“But you told me to go!”
“Let’s be honest.”
I looked straight at him.
“You were the one who insisted the trip was necessary because of the First Empress.”
At the time, Devon had claimed they needed to use accommodations the First Empress could no longer use—and that they needed to reimburse her for it.
Once he said he had already promised payment, what exactly was I supposed to do?
“You forced this trip.”
“Then extended it by two extra weeks.”
“And thanks to that, House Pizetra no longer has enough money to survive winter.”
I raised both palms dramatically.
“What exactly do you expect me to do about that?”
Devon raised his voice.
“This is business!”
“It’s a necessary investment to build ties between Pizetra and the imperial family!”
“Don’t you understand that?”
I laughed bitterly.
“Every time you call something an investment, it never brings profit.”
“I assume this time will be no different.”
At my words, Devon trembled with rage and grabbed his knife.
He looked ready to throw it at me.
So I calmly picked up my own knife and warned him quietly.
“If you’re thinking about throwing that…”
“Think again.”
I flicked my knife.
It spun once through the air—
and landed neatly back in my hand.
Devon stared at me.
“Are you threatening me right now?”
“If that’s how you want to interpret it.”
His expression darkened.
“Be honest.”
“You’re acting like this because my gift was cheap, aren’t you?”
“Oh?”
I let out a small laugh.
“So it was cheap.”
“Good to know.”
Devon slammed a hand against the table.
“Are you joking?”
“What is wrong with you?”
“When someone does something nice for you, why can’t you just accept it?”
“Why are you so twisted?”
Strangely—
his words made me laugh.
“You should stop twisting my words.”
I looked him directly in the eye.
“And think carefully about how I might be feeling right now.”
Devon fell silent.
I placed the pink box back on the table.
“I don’t have elegant dresses.”
“I don’t have proper shoes.”
“I don’t even have a fan suitable for a noblewoman.”
“And while thinking about why you would buy cosmetics for someone like me…”
“I came to one conclusion.”
I smiled coldly.
“You’re mocking me.”
“What nonsense are you—”
Devon began to protest.
I cut him off.
“Devon.”
“I’m not stupid.”
“Stop acting like I know nothing.”
“And remind me…”
“Who was the one who told me to avoid cosmetics all this time?”
“……”
Leaving Devon speechless behind me, I turned and walked away.
I could feel his burning stare on my back—
but I didn’t look back.
Jesse and Ramiri hurried after me in the hallway.
“Jesse, bring me tea.”
“Ramiri, check if Viscount Percil has arrived.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I sat at my desk and tried to read documents.
Tried.
But none of the words registered.
All I could think about was Devon helping that woman out of the carriage.
The way he naturally extended his hand.
The familiarity between them.
A familiarity greater than what he had ever shown me—his own wife.
“My lady.”
I startled and looked up.
Jesse had entered without me noticing and placed a teacup on my desk.
“Are you alright?”
“No.”
My answer darkened her expression.
And then—
“My lady! This is bad!”
Ramiri burst into the room.
“The Marquis moved the woman he brought yesterday into the annex—and assigned four maids to serve her!”
I shot to my feet before realizing what I was doing and slowly sat back down.
“Ellie and Yvonne said she looks like a noblewoman!”
A noblewoman?
Commoners and lower gentry often believed becoming a nobleman’s mistress meant receiving mansions, jewelry, and luxury—
and having their children acknowledged by noble society.
Reality was very different.
They might live comfortably for a while.
But once the man’s affection faded—
so did their luxurious lives.
The same went for their children.
Unless the legal wife had no heirs, a mistress’s children would never be officially recognized as nobles.
They would have no noble rights.
Would a noblewoman knowingly become a married man’s mistress?
No.
That didn’t make sense.
Which left only one possibility.
She intended to drive out the current wife—
and take my place herself.
