UFSM 01

Chapter 1

The children came all the way to my room.
Before my return, I used to be grateful for moments like this.

After all, they were children who had never approached me of their own will.
So even if their words were sharp or filled with resentment, I took comfort in the fact that they still sought me out.
It made me think—perhaps a part of them acknowledged me.

They were just children, not yet adults.
I believed that, with time, they’d mature and come to understand me.

Even when their words were laced with thorns, I chose to turn a blind eye.
Even when they stared at me with cold contempt, I endured it all in silence.

They had lost their birth mother, and their father was missing.
So I convinced myself it was my duty to embrace them, to understand them.

It was arrogant of me.

But arrogance became my title—both inside the Ducal House and throughout the Empire.
They called me The Cuckoo Duchess Belladonna.

The nickname “cuckoo” wasn’t whispered in secret; it was said openly.
A mocking title for the woman raising the Duke’s children without sharing a single drop of their blood.

The nickname only took hold after Duke Dylan disappeared.
Before that, I had another title: Lady of Greed.

The woman who swooped in and took the duchess’s seat from a widowed duke.

Duke Dylan’s disappearance only fed the fire, lending weight to the rumors.
It even reached the point where newspapers printed stories claiming I was the culprit.

None of it was true.

Baseless rumors spread like wildfire until the Imperial Family had no choice but to intervene.

There were only two ducal families in the Empire: the House of Dylan and the House of Defrokan.
So when chaos erupted, the royal family took the unprecedented step of launching a direct investigation to restore order.

Eventually, I was declared innocent.

But the ruling wasn’t based on conclusive evidence—
because no real proof regarding the Duke’s disappearance was ever found.

The rumors around me settled down, but they never truly disappeared.
Without physical evidence, I clung to the belief that Duke Dylan would return.
But that hope died with me. His case was never solved.

And now…
The children had come to see me—two months to the day since Duke Dylan went missing.

“How long are you planning to keep hiding like this?”

Standing in front of me, expressionless, was the eldest child of the House of Dylan.
He had dark navy hair and vivid blue eyes.

The heir of the House of Dylan.
In three years, he would inherit the dukedom from me.

Seventeen years old—Caelan Dylan.

“There was a will Uncle Ferdow left behind, and thanks to that, you received the duchy.
Shouldn’t you, at the very least, fulfill your duties?
If you’re not up for it, it’s not too late to back out.”

His words, each one like a needle, were cold and calculated.

And the girl beside him—she wasn’t even a true member of House Dylan.

She was the daughter of the late Viscount Tramlin, Duke Dylan’s elder brother.
She had taken refuge here after her parents’ deaths.
With rich chestnut-brown hair and emerald eyes, she looked at me with barely veiled contempt.

Seventeen years old—Anna Tramlin.

“I miss Father…”

“Don’t cry, Raina. I’m here with you.”

Behind Caelan and Anna stood two younger children, holding hands.
The pride of House Dylan.
Silver hair. Clear, sky-blue eyes.
A pair of siblings, born a year apart.

Twelve-year-old Haldeir Dylan, and eleven-year-old Raina Dylan.

Their reactions were the same as before—before I returned to this point in time.
But unlike the past, their words no longer hurt me.
I wasn’t wounded—I was just… weary. Weary of repeating the same unchanging scene.

Caelan, who treated me like a stranger.
Anna, who never passed up an opportunity to sneer.
Raina, who pretended I didn’t exist while tormenting me behind the scenes.
And Haldeir, who adored his younger sister and never questioned her actions.

Of course, none of them had changed.
Only I had returned.

I looked at the children standing before me and my thoughts drifted back to what happened a month ago.

A month after Duke Dylan disappeared, his will was read.

Among the nobility, it was common practice to prepare a will in advance—to safeguard one’s family in case of unexpected tragedy.
So even if the patriarch’s death hadn’t been confirmed, the will was still legally binding and publicly announced.

At first, the retainers opposed reading it, insisting the Duke would return soon.
But as time passed, their protests faded.
A date was finally set.

It was exactly one week after I had been declared innocent.

“We will now read the Duke’s will.”

“In the event something happens to me unexpectedly, this will is to be enacted.”

“I hereby name Duchess Belladonna Dylan as my successor. I transfer all rights and responsibilities of the House of Dylan to her.”

“She shall act as head of the house until Caelan Dylan reaches the age of twenty and officially inherits the title.”

“If, for any reason, the Duchess becomes unable to fulfill this role, the house shall be jointly managed by Baron Cranos and Caelan Dylan until Caelan’s coming of age. At that time, full authority will be transferred to him.”

I respected the Duke.

He was the one who pulled me out of the wreckage of my life, when everything my father taught me had been reduced to ashes.
He saved me, lifted me from the bottom.

From that moment on, I vowed to repay him for the rest of my life.

Even after that, until the day he vanished, the Duke always treated me with unwavering kindness.
So I never doubted him.

“Bella, I’m sorry. I never expected the children to react so strongly… I’ve put a great burden on you.”

“It’s all right, Your Grace. You saved me. This is nothing compared to that.”

“Thank you, my dear. Then let me give you all I can in return. Please accept it without protest.”

“Why are you being so kind to me? I have nothing to give you in return…”

“It’s fine, Bella. This is my choice, driven by my own desires. You don’t need to understand.”

“I’ll never forget this kindness, Your Grace. Thank you.”

He looked at me for a long time, silently, with an unreadable expression.
Not smiling. Not crying. Just… something else.

And from time to time, he would say things that didn’t quite make sense to me back then.

“Bella, even though everything seems peaceful on the surface, there are hidden claws all around this family. Be careful—they may come for you.”

“If you ever find yourself in danger, remember what I’ve taught you. It may be the only way to protect this house.”

Looking back now, it’s clear—he knew something was coming.

Everything he said made more sense after his disappearance.
As if he had seen his fate ahead of time.

“But, Duke… why have I returned?”

Thanks to him, I was able to experience things I’d never dared to dream of.
He took me everywhere, introduced me to everyone—
Even when we met the Emperor and Empress, and I was so nervous I couldn’t eat for a week, he dragged me there, holding my trembling hands.

He saved me.
He raised me up.

He was my salvation.

Yes. That’s why I endured all of it—for you.

Even after Caelan came of age, even as people whispered behind my back, I stayed in this estate.
Because of you.

But now?

This time, it will be different.

I won’t sacrifice myself for these children again.

So starting today, things are going to change.

I looked at them—cold, distant—and gave them the same gentle, maternal smile I always used to wear.

Before, when they came to me in my room, I could do nothing but apologize—
Terrified by the title suddenly thrust upon me, convinced I had neglected them by hiding away for a month.

But now I know:

It wouldn’t have mattered whether I was there or not.

So now, I can speak without guilt.

“Caelan, Anna. Thank you for worrying about me. But I’m fine now. There’s no need to be concerned.”

Unlike before, I didn’t tremble or cry. I smiled calmly.

Their faces twisted with unease.

Frankly, it almost made me laugh.

“Worried…?”

“Yes. Wasn’t that why you came?”

Anna immediately cut in with a cold, clipped voice.

“Well, if that’s what you think, then sure—it was worry.”

I remained silent.
Anna took that as a sign that I was hurt, and she pressed on.

“You seem… surprisingly fine. I thought you were locked in your room out of grief for Uncle Ferdow, but now I’m not so sure. Maybe you’re not as heartbroken as you wanted us to think, Duchess.”

If it were the past me, I might’ve cried at her words.
But not anymore.

“I’ve had time to reflect. To think about what comes next—because a lot is going to change.”

“…”

“I needed that time for myself. I’m sorry if that caused any worry.”

All four of them looked at me.

“Caelan. Anna. Haldeir. Raina. I know this has been a difficult time for all of us, especially after the Duke’s disappearance.”

“But if we can just endure this… there will come a day—maybe not exactly like before—when things will heal. The Duke will return. I believe that.”

Pfft—

Anna let out a laugh, mocking me.
Raina, half-hidden behind Haldeir, looked openly displeased.
Caelan remained unreadable.

“I’ll do my best to honor the Duke’s will. Because now I have a duty—to protect this house.”

“Funny. You realize that only now—after hiding away for a month?
And your conclusion is… to do the bare minimum?”

Anna never missed a chance to speak out.

I used to wonder why she resented me so much.
Eventually, I realized—rejecting me was her way of affirming her place here.

Maybe it was the insecurity of being an unadopted child.
In a way, she and I were alike.
Back then, I even felt a strange kinship with her.

She used to act sweet when the Duke was around, only to sneer at me once he was gone.
Her behavior reminded me of my younger self—
Cautious, distrustful, desperate to survive.

Foolish Belladonna.
You gave your sympathy to the wrong person.

“Of course I regret not being there for you sooner. But this is all new to me too. I had a lot to think through.
I assumed you’d understand…”

I let my eyes wander—just briefly—over Caelan and Anna.
Deliberately. So they’d notice.

“I forgot. You’re still just children who need care.”

My words hit the mark.
Anna was visibly shaken, her lips parting as if to yell—

“Are you—”

“Enough.”

Caelan cut her off.

She got along with the younger siblings, but Caelan was different.
He always kept a line no one could cross.

Even now, Anna backed down with a tight-lipped scowl.

Once the room fell quiet again, I continued.

“I understand you’re all feeling anxious right now.
But like I said, I won’t stay shut away anymore.”