Chapter 05
Diego Magnus
Ebony’s cold voice startled Edward. It was the first time his daughter had stepped forward to call out his remarks.
Her disappointed gaze shook the man’s heart, but Edward didn’t apologize for his mistake.
There were moments when he had to stand firm, even if he was wrong. Bowing his head now would mean surrendering control to the other party, something he couldn’t afford.
The Duke’s goal was to prevent his daughter’s marriage at any cost, so he stayed silent.
“That’s enough. There’s no point in continuing this conversation. I’ll excuse myself now.”
Ebony’s slightly tilted smile broke the tense silence. Even the bare minimum of politeness had disappeared.
“What kind of tone is that!” Edward exclaimed.
“Well, since Your Grace didn’t apologize, I won’t either. I trust you’ll forgive me generously.”
Without waiting to be dismissed, Ebony walked out of the room.
Bang!
The door slammed shut with a loud noise, unusual for someone who normally closed doors quietly. Edward stared blankly at the spot where his daughter had stood and let out a sigh.
“Even teenagers don’t act like this,” he muttered in a rare display of irritation. His clenched fist trembled as if struggling to contain his anger.
Gale, who had been standing at a distance reading the atmosphere, cautiously approached the Duke.
“I think it would be wise to apologize,” Gale suggested.
“Gale, are you suggesting I apologize too? You saw what happened. You know how unreasonable Ebony was!” Edward snapped.
“…The young lady must have her reasons. This is the first time she’s come to you with a request since she was a child,” Gale pointed out.
“Does it matter how long it’s been? What matters is the substance of her request!”
“Even so, you could have handled it with a bit more kindness. If you’d spoken gently, she wouldn’t have reacted so emotionally.”
“She’s being unreasonable, and it’s only fair to be firm with her,” Edward retorted.
It was strange enough that his daughter, who never sought him out, had come to his office voluntarily.
From what he could gather, she seemed to be letting him know that her illness had fully healed.
“She must be upset about what happened with her sister. There’s no reason for me to give in to such immature behavior,” Edward muttered, nodding to himself as if to validate his thoughts.
He was sure she was sulking because he hadn’t visited her while she was unwell. That was the only explanation for someone as reserved as Ebony losing her temper with him.
Even so, it was shocking. It wasn’t like Ebony to behave this way.
“…It’s unlikely her feelings are that simple,” Gale replied.
“How could you, without children of your own, possibly understand my daughter better than I do?”
“I’ve been by the young lady’s side longer than you have,” Gale said with a quiet but firm voice.
The Duke fell silent, knowing Gale’s words were true. He and Ebony’s nanny had been the ones to watch over her growing up.
“And if Lady Irene had acted the same way, you would have been more forgiving, wouldn’t you?” Gale pressed.
“That’s because Irene is different. She lost her parents at a young age and has no one to rely on. I need to be her pillar, or else she’ll get hurt,” Edward explained without thinking, not noticing Gale glancing nervously at the door to ensure Ebony wasn’t listening.
Ebony, too, had lost her mother at a young age, and in many ways, her father had been absent from her life. Yet Edward seemed to only extend sympathy to his adopted daughter.
“And Irene is naturally like that. She doesn’t know better. Ebony has never acted this way before,” Edward added.
“Maybe she’s trying to show her vulnerability for the first time,” Gale suggested, sighing heavily.
Edward, struck by Gale’s words, clamped his mouth shut.
“In any case, I hope you’ll handle matters with more care in the future,” Gale said.
“I’ll manage my affairs. You’re dismissed,” Edward replied curtly.
“Of course. I meant no offense, Your Grace.”
After Gale left, Edward sat alone, deep in thought.
Should he have let it go this time, as Gale suggested?
“It was her first time…”
It was the first time Ebony had requested a meeting without a specific reason. The first time she had called him “Your Grace” instead of “Father.” The first time she had openly opposed his decision.
Compared to the reckless behavior of other nobles’ children, her actions were small rebellions. But coming from Ebony, they were shocking.
“She’s not a child anymore. Sulking because I didn’t visit her when she was sick—it’s unbecoming at her age,” Edward thought.
He resolved to take her out into town soon to improve her mood and returned to his paperwork.
Back in her room, Ebony replayed her father’s response in her mind, feeling defeated.
“There’s no way to fight back in this house.”
She still had a year and a half until Irene’s plans to expose her as a false daughter would begin.
Ebony was sure Irene would stop at nothing to take her place, using any means necessary.
The only way to counter Irene was to gather undeniable evidence of her lies—proof that could expose Irene’s underhanded methods.
But doing so under the Duke’s watchful eye was nearly impossible. She was constantly being monitored within the mansion.
Running away wasn’t an option either. If she tried, her father would undoubtedly send knights after her.
“Marriage might be the only way.”
It seemed like the most straightforward way to leave the mansion for good. But who could she marry?
Finding a suitable match within the empire seemed unlikely. Anyone from a lower rank would quickly fall under the Duke’s control.
“I don’t have to stay in the empire, do I?”
Ebony considered leaving for another country, somewhere beyond the Duke’s reach.
“Evgenia?”
The neighboring empire of Evgenia came to mind. The two nations were close, making travel easier.
“That’s where Irene used to live…”
Irene’s mother had settled in Evgenia after marrying a local nobleman, where she gave birth to Irene.
Ebony remembered a conversation with Irene from years ago when her sister had talked about her first love.
“Do you know how much I loved him? Ten years. I loved him for ten whole years!” Irene had said with a dreamy look in her eyes.
The boy’s name was Diego Magnus, heir to the Magnus Duchy. Irene had fallen for him when he saved her from a monster attack.
“I confessed so many times, but he rejected me every single time,” Irene had said with a wistful smile.
Despite being turned down, she continued to send him letters and even offered a large dowry to marry him.
But her efforts were in vain. Diego never responded.
Still, Irene couldn’t forget him, and even after meeting other men, she always returned to thoughts of Diego.
“If I marry him…”
Diego Magnus.
Marrying him would not only secure Ebony’s freedom but also serve as the perfect revenge against Irene. Destroying the person who had taken everything from her by marrying the man she loved—what could be more satisfying?
“Let’s go to Evgenia.”
With that, Ebony made her decision. Her first step toward revenge was clear:
marry Diego Magnus.
