The second daughter of the Beaumex family was in for a shock on her first day in the capital’s high society.
How much must those gorgeous dresses cost? I can’t even count how many types of wine there are. And look at how many people showed up!
The grandeur and scale of this event were nothing like the debutante ball her miserly father had arranged back home. It was a completely different world.
But what really caught her attention were the hostesses of the party—women who wielded great influence in high society.
‘I’ll become a lady like them one day.’
She had always been dismissed because of her stingy father, who wouldn’t provide a proper dowry. But now, she had ambition. And soon, an opportunity came to make that ambition a reality.
Duke Robley. Her first impression of him was that he seemed cold and indifferent.
‘Robley hosts so many people. They’re constantly throwing parties, attending others, and hosting afternoon teas and dinners. You can’t even keep count.’
He needed someone to manage all of that. He made it clear he wasn’t looking for a wife to love, but one to run his household.
That was exactly what she wanted. After all, she had grown tired of her father’s frugality, which he used to control every aspect of her life, right down to how many beans they used for dinner.
A short while later, they were married.
The second daughter of the Beaumex family had become the duchess she had always dreamed of. Those who once looked down on her quickly changed their attitude, treating her with respect.
Her relationship with her husband wasn’t ideal, but she was content as Duchess Robley. Under her father, buying even one new dress had been difficult. Now, she could purchase several at once.
But then a problem arose. A lady in her circle discreetly told her that the Duke had a mistress.
‘And?’
When she confronted the Duke, he was unapologetic, acting as though it wasn’t a big deal.
She was stunned at first, but she quickly pulled herself together. The thought of giving up her position as duchess was far worse. She accepted her husband’s infidelity, convincing herself that as long as she didn’t see it with her own eyes, it didn’t matter.
But high society wasn’t that forgiving. Even if they acted polite to her face, she knew they could be sharpening their knives behind her back.
‘Duchess, look over there.’
She had no interest in knowing who her husband’s mistress was. But her peers didn’t leave her in peace. Every time, someone would inform her who the current mistress was.
‘She’s wearing a new necklace, isn’t she? It’s disgusting how she flaunts herself at events like this.’
They claimed to be telling her for her own good, but it only made her feel worse. They were burning her up with speculation over something they weren’t even sure about.
‘She must be anxious, knowing it could all end at any moment. She needs things like that to calm herself down.’
Anyway, the Duke frequently switched mistresses. The woman with the necklace would be discarded soon enough.
It was just a fleeting affair, the Duchess told herself, pretending not to care. Maybe because she had pretended for so long, she really did start to feel indifferent.
She no longer felt sad when she heard about her husband’s mistresses or what they were up to.
I must be maturing.
The Duchess was sure of it. But then one day…
‘It’s always women with a similar vibe, isn’t it?’
Someone remarked that his mistresses were always gentle-looking women with a friendly appearance.
Now that she thought about it, something about it did feel oddly familiar. The Duchess figured out why a few days later at a southern noble gathering.
She had heard her son had been beaten up by a girl his age and went to check it out. When she arrived, she found the young twins of the Lockhart family.
Her son stood there, cheeks swollen, crying, while the Lockhart girl held a dirty handkerchief, glaring at him.
Here’s what had happened: her son had teased Britia, calling the handkerchief she made a rag and even stomped on it with his shoe. When Crave stepped in to stop him, her son pushed him aside. That’s when Britia, seeing this, slapped her son, and he burst into tears. It was just a typical squabble between kids.
She thought she should scold her son and make him apologize, then offer the children some snacks while explaining that violence wasn’t the answer.
But that day, her son wasn’t willing to listen.
‘She hit me first!’
Upset that his mother wasn’t taking his side, he yelled and even tried to hit Britia right in front of her. Just then, Duke Robley arrived, drawn by the commotion, and witnessed his son’s behavior.
With a sharp slap, the Duke struck his son.
The boy was shocked, holding back his sobs. The Duchess, too, was speechless at her husband’s sudden action.
‘Do you need another slap to come to your senses?’
Fearful of his father, the boy reluctantly mumbled an apology.
‘I’m sorry I ruined your precious handkerchief.’
The man who had just slapped his own child now spoke to Britia with the gentlest voice, while his son stood there, tears streaming down his face. Feeling guilty, Britia awkwardly muttered an apology herself, and the Duke stroked her hair gently.
‘He deserved it for acting out.’
The Duchess couldn’t help but feel hurt. How could her husband show such warmth to someone else’s child? But she tried to hide her feelings.
‘You’re just like your mother.’
That was when her expression froze.
Countess Lockhart, known for her gentle demeanor and pleasant smile.
It couldn’t be… could it?
The Duchess tried to push the thought away. But when she saw her husband addressing the Countess by her first name, tenderly, she felt a sharp sting at the back of her head.
He’s never called me like that. Not once.
‘Why didn’t you marry her?’
The Duchess asked the Duke, even though she knew she would regret it later. She needed to ask while she still had control of her emotions—before they spiraled out of control.
Without hesitation, and without her even saying who she meant, the Duke answered.
‘She found the role of duchess too overwhelming.’
As he said this, his profile showed traces of frustration and sadness.
I thought he was a man who never gave his heart to anyone. That’s why I believed he couldn’t love me.
But it turned out, he had already given his heart to someone else long ago, leaving nothing for anyone else—not even for his wife.
The Duchess felt a deep pain, but nothing changed. She still hosted dinners and entertained guests as Duchess Robley, and her husband continued keeping a young mistress.
In time, I’ll forget.
That’s what she hoped for. And about a year later, something changed.
The Duke started seeing women who were completely different from his previous mistresses. He also began treating the Lockhart family differently.
‘They’re vile creatures with eyes just like their father.’
He even described the children he once looked at more fondly than his own with such disgust. It was clear that something had happened between him and Countess Lockhart.
Duchess Robley decided not to dig any deeper. Whatever the reason, her husband had begun to despise the Lockharts, and in turn, had become kinder to his own family.
A man who had never once given gifts to his family now started to do so. He called his children by their names with affection and initiated conversations. The children began to realize that their father wasn’t always the frightening figure they had once thought. The Duchess was relieved.
She thought the Lockharts and the Robleys could now live their lives peacefully, each in their own world.
One day, during this period of calm, a wandering stranger arrived with wheat seeds. At the time, the mage employed by the Robleys quickly uncovered that the man was a fraud.
The conman was soon expelled, and the Duchess assumed that was the end of it.
That is, until a different mage brought her an old journal, claiming it had belonged to his late master. Inside, she read things she could hardly believe.
‘The Duke gave that conman freshly baked bread and a few real seeds, then sent him off to the Lockhart estate.’
‘I hear that the Lockhart Count was fooled by the conman. I told the Duke we should reveal the truth before it gets out of hand, but he refused.’
‘After a terrible drought, rain has finally come. But before we could celebrate, the Duke ordered us to block the water flowing into Lockhart. I’m bound by the mage’s contract and cannot disobey. I learned magic to help people, yet my hands are forced to kill so many.’
‘The Duke pressured the Count into signing a contract that used his estate as collateral. I felt too ashamed to even look the man in the eye while preparing the documents. Yet, he thanked me for helping him and held my hand firmly as he left. I keep seeing his face in my mind.’
‘Watching Lockhart struggle to pay off his debts fills me with guilt. My apprentices notice I’ve lost my spirit lately and ask if something’s wrong. But how could I ever explain the truth?’
‘Five years wasn’t enough time. The Duke is determined to take everything from the Lockharts. The heavy rain today feels so cruel. If only it had rained like this back then.’
‘The Lockhart Count and his wife died in a carriage accident. I haven’t slept a wink since.’
The entries ended there. The old mage had died two days after the last entry.
After reading the journal, the Duchess confronted the Duke, demanding to know what was going on. The Duke didn’t deny any of it; instead, he burned the mage’s journal, destroying the evidence.
Then, as if it were nothing, he extended his hand, offering her a necklace as a gift.
The Duchess felt chills run through her entire body. The man before her was no longer human in her eyes—he was a monster.
At dawn the next day, she fled to her family’s home.
—
After the Duchess’s visit, Britia was in a daze for the entire day.
“Bring me tea.”
Though Britia obediently followed, she still seemed out of it.
“Ah!”
In her distraction, she accidentally poured hot water on her hand, causing a small commotion. Thankfully, the water wasn’t boiling, so she wasn’t seriously hurt.
“How careless.”
The Emperor scowled at her mistake. He understood why she was acting this way—the Duchess had openly told him why she was planning to divorce the Duke.
He understood, but he was still irritated. Britia, constantly caught up in everyone’s mess, wasn’t living up to her status.
How could someone who was supposedly in the Emperor’s favor be so pitiful?
“I’ll give you a sword.”
He resolved to give her a perfectly sharp blade to cut off the Duke’s head. But Britia just tilted her head in confusion, having no idea why he suddenly mentioned a sword.
‘No, that won’t do.’
‘She’d probably end up stabbing herself by accident.’
“Well then, how far do I have to go for you?”
