Chapter 41 : Confession
Damian’s voice was calm, and his expression remained unchanged, but his golden eyes gleamed like those of a predator.
The moment she met his gaze, the Grand Madam felt a chill run down her spine. His eyes held the look of someone who would do absolutely anything to achieve his goal.
Feeling an instinctive sense of crisis, she deliberately raised her voice. She had a strong intuition that if she backed down here, she would be forced to retreat forever.
“Hah! How dare you talk back to me? Have you lost your mind over a woman?!”
“Was there ever a sane person in our family to begin with? We’re all the same in that regard—it’s quite amusing, really.”
Damian sneered as he took a step forward. He was larger and more imposing than his father, exuding an overwhelming sense of dominance.
The little boy who had once only reached the Grand Madam’s chest, the child their entire family had treated as they pleased, was no longer there.
“Or perhaps you’d like me to head down to the ducal estate and treat my father the same way?”
“You insolent brat! If you so much as lay a finger on our Alex, I will never forgive you!”
“Then stay quiet and live peacefully. As you said, I’ve lost my mind over a woman—so if you dare lay a hand on my wife, I won’t stand idly by.”
There was no longer even a semblance of a polite smile on Damian’s face. Realizing that he was entirely serious, the Grand Madam was left speechless.
Beyond Damian’s broad shoulders, Aracila, who had been watching the situation unfold with amusement, suddenly sensed movement near the doorway and turned her head.
Through the slightly ajar door, Audrey was frantically gesturing at her.
Hmm, what is she trying to say?
‘Sister…? Ah, my sister is here? Oh… with Mother?’
Wait, Audrey—are you saying they’re right behind you?
Aracila’s eyes widened in shock as she perfectly interpreted the maid’s signals. Her family was standing outside the door.
She hadn’t intended for them to witness this scene, and her mind raced for a solution.
‘Stay calm. If anything, this is an opportunity.’
Right now, Damian was siding with her against his grandmother.
Looking at it positively, he was demonstrating the strong bond between husband and wife—exactly what Aracila had wanted.
‘It’d be even better if we showed something more intimate.’
If she followed up the image of a husband fighting for his wife with a direct display of affection, it would emphasize their deep connection even more.
“Damian.”
“…?!”
Without warning, Aracila called his name and embraced him from behind.
Damian, who had no resistance to physical affection, froze on the spot.
She gently pulled his arm over her shoulder, snuggled into his chest, and whispered in a small yet clear voice,
“Tell me you love me right now.”
Damian’s eyes wavered at the unexpected request for a confession, right after such bold physical contact.
Feeling him stiffen even more, Aracila rose onto her toes and whispered into his ear,
“My mother and sister are here—hurry!”
Hearing that, Damian snapped back to his senses. Lowering his hand, he wrapped it around Aracila’s waist, making their embrace look more natural.
“I love you more than anything in this world. I won’t stand by and let Grandmother’s tyranny continue.”
“If you won’t stand by, then what do you intend to do?”
“I’ll give you exactly three days. If you don’t leave by then, I will have my men forcibly remove you.”
At Damian’s open threat of eviction, the Grand Madam clutched the back of her neck in shock. How dare he threaten her like this!
But she couldn’t leave the mansion—not until she restored the honor and reputation that Aracila had dragged through the mud.
Moreover, if the woman her hateful grandson cherished was by her side, she could torment her as much as she pleased. That alone would be satisfying.
“You think that will make me leave? Just because of you, I will never—”
“That’s quite enough, Grand Madam.”
A graceful voice cut off the furious Grand Madam’s words.
Startled, she quickly turned her head.
Through the now fully opened door, Marchioness Hugo and Iris were stepping inside.
“Marchioness Hugo…?!”
“This is the children’s home, not ours. As the young duke said, it’s time you returned to the ducal estate.”
The Marchioness spoke with a soft smile, her composed gaze landing on her daughter, who was clinging tightly to Damian.
Damian unconsciously tensed, pressing Aracila’s cheek against his chest and shoulder.
“Marchioness, do you dare interfere in the affairs of the Vandemir family?”
“I’m merely stepping in for my daughter.”
“Your daughter is now married into the Vandemir ducal house!”
The Grand Madam roared. She firmly believed that once a woman married, she belonged to her husband’s family.
However, that wasn’t the only reason she could stand confidently before the Marchioness.
If the Marchioness became enraged over this situation, she would also come to resent Damian. She might even push her daughter toward divorce.
That was precisely what the Grand Madam had been hoping for all along, which was why she was deliberately provoking her.
“You have no right to meddle in this situation!”
“Is that so?”
In truth, the Marchioness, as someone of the older generation, held no objections to a married daughter becoming part of her husband’s household.
However, at the same time, she was a mother who cherished her daughter so much that she had even accepted her declaration of lifelong celibacy.
Even if it wasn’t her place to interfere as an outsider, she would never stand by and watch her daughter be humiliated.
“In that case, I will speak as the mistress of House Hugo. You’ve overstepped. Return to the ducal estate.”
Despite her frosty expression, her voice remained gentle, making the Grand Madam flinch.
Even if she could disregard Aracila’s mother, she could not so easily dismiss the Marchioness of Hugo.
The Grand Madam had constantly looked down on Aracila and used the Vandemir ducal house’s name to pressure her, but in reality, House Hugo was no small power.
It was one of the most prestigious families in the empire, second only to the three great ducal houses.
Not even the Grand Madam could treat such a family’s matriarch lightly.
“You should at least recognize that I am showing patience and consideration simply by maintaining my composure. Do you truly not understand this?”
The Marchioness’s quiet anger seeped into her voice and expression.
Frankly speaking, even if she grabbed the Grand Madam by the hair right now, no one would blame her.
And the Grand Madam wouldn’t even be able to retaliate—after all, it was she who had instigated this situation.
But the Marchioness didn’t lash out.
Not because she didn’t love Aracila enough to do so, nor because she valued her own dignity more.
She held back because she had realized that her daughter didn’t want this situation to escalate into a full-blown conflict between the two families.
Even though her teeth clenched in frustration, she endured it.
“If you leave now without further tormenting the children, I will make sure to properly explain this matter to the capital’s social circles.”
“…How exactly do you intend to explain it?”
“I will tell them that the Grand Madam deeply regrets her actions toward my daughter and has promised that such an incident will never happen again.”
“Are you mocking me?! How is that an explanation—!”
The Grand Madam, who had been secretly anticipating the Marchioness’s response, flared up in anger. If she were to explain it like that, wouldn’t it make it seem as if she had truly done something wrong?
The Marchioness, however, coldly retorted, unbothered by the Grand Madam’s outrage.
“Then what would you prefer? Should I simply tell everyone exactly what I saw and heard today?”
“…!”
The Grand Madam’s lips quivered as she was left speechless. If today’s events spread through the social circles, even the reputation of the Vandemir ducal family might suffer.
“Grand Madam, you are truly a wise and virtuous woman. Not only are you the highest elder in both families, but you are also a respected figure in high society. If such a person were to set an example by acknowledging her mistakes and reflecting upon them, people would surely admire you.”
The Marchioness, who bore a striking resemblance to her eldest daughter in appearance but had a personality more akin to her second daughter, smiled subtly as she applied gentle pressure.
Had she simply lashed out in anger, the Grand Madam might have fought back, but with this composed and poised demeanor, she found herself unable to respond.
“Then, I wish you a safe journey back. Please take care on your way.”
Placing a hand lightly over her chest and bowing in farewell, the Marchioness left the Grand Madam with no room to argue.
In the end, the Grand Madam stormed out of the room, her breaths ragged with fury. Not returning the farewell was her final act of defiance.
Once she had disappeared, the Marchioness approached her daughter.
“Aracila, are you all right? How are you feeling?”
“I feel much better. You don’t need to worry.”
“Oh, you troublemaker. Even after getting married, you still give your mother grief.”
Letting out a sigh of relief upon confirming that her daughter’s complexion wasn’t too bad, the Marchioness then shifted her gaze to Damian.
“Lord Vandemir, may I have a word with you?”
“…With me?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected request, Damian hesitated. Aracila was equally surprised.
“Mother, why? What do you need to talk to Damian about…?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to eat him alive. You don’t mind sparing a moment, do you, my lord?”
Though Damian hesitated for a brief moment, he ultimately nodded. There weren’t many people who could refuse a conversation with their mother-in-law.
Aracila watched the two of them leave the room with an uneasy expression. Could Damian handle her mother properly?
What exactly was her mother planning to say to him?
Catching sight of her younger sister’s nervous demeanor, Iris chuckled softly.
“Why are you so worried, Ari? Do you really think Mother would say something bad?”
“You never know. She might say something strange to Damian.”
“Wow, you must really like Lord Vandemir, huh?”
At Iris’s teasing remark, full of playful amusement, Aracila momentarily froze.
It wasn’t that she particularly liked him—she just couldn’t let her sister’s meddling lead to a divorce…
Yet, at the same time, she realized that she didn’t dislike him as much as she used to.
‘Is this what they call growing fond of someone?’
—
The Vandemir estate’s garden was in full bloom, with roses of various colors swaying gently. Their delicate fragrance filled the air as the breeze rustled through the petals.
Following behind the Marchioness, Damian felt a bit tense. She had likely called him out to reprimand him for allowing Aracila to suffer at the hands of the Grand Madam.
He seriously pondered how best to explain himself.
Soon, the Marchioness came to a stop and turned to face her son-in-law. Damian immediately straightened his posture, as if standing before a superior officer.
“I heard you recently went to the eastern Etar mountain range to investigate the appearance of monsters. Was everything all right?”
“Yes, there were no issues.”
“Were you injured?”
“No, I wasn’t.”
Damian shook his head stiffly, almost as if the movement would make a creaking noise.
Although his expression remained perfectly composed, the Marchioness, as an experienced elder, could see how tense he was. She chuckled softly.
“Do you know why I asked to speak with you?”
“…Because you’re angry that I failed to properly protect my wife?”
“That’s right. I’m very upset with you for failing to fulfill your role properly.”
Damian, standing stiffly before her like a student called in for a scolding, remained silent.
Anyone with a bit of awareness could tell from the previous conversation between Damian and his grandmother that his relationship with his family was deeply strained.
It wasn’t exactly a shocking revelation—the Marchioness had long known that the internal affairs of the Vandemir ducal family were complicated.
‘Sigh… My daughter sure knows how to make her life difficult—choosing a husband with an even more complicated situation than her own.’
Letting out a silent sigh, she softened her expression slightly before speaking.
“I don’t know the full details of your family’s circumstances, but it seems clear to me that the Grand Madam tormented my daughter as a way to hurt you.”
Damian did not refute her words. While the Grand Madam had always been harsh on her daughters-in-law, her actions this time had crossed the line—driven by her hatred for him.
“But Lord Vandemir, I…”
“I apologize. I know you resent me, but I cannot live without my wife.”
Before the Marchioness could finish, Damian interrupted with a firm declaration, as if he were preemptively defending himself.
Clenching his fist tightly, he met her gaze directly and spoke.
“I need my wife. I cannot trade her for anyone in this world. So I will apologize as many times as necessary.”
What he meant to say was that he would continue using Aracila for his revenge and that he was sorry for the hardships she would endure because of it—but since he couldn’t explain that in detail, it was left unsaid.
To the Marchioness, however, it simply sounded like her son-in-law was passionately professing his love for his wife.
“Oh my.”
Covering her mouth with both hands, she let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
buy me a coffee here to support the translation 🤗🤗🤗
