♡ TL: Khadija SK
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“I have no intention of giving up my title after marriage, so I will fulfill all my responsibilities and duties as the Marquise of Scheringen. My husband, Grand Duke Theodore Kleist, is here to stand by my side and support me in this decision.”
When Annette introduced Theodore to the attendees as her husband, he smiled brightly, flawlessly.
But no one was deceived by his smile.
Even if he was smiling now, he was still the same Theodore from the past.
“Oh, it seems like no one welcomes my presence here. I came to this occasion to support my wife, but I guess it wasn’t a very good idea.”
Theodore chuckled lightly, but no one laughed with him.
“It’s quite disappointing. Now that I am bound to my wife in both body and soul, haven’t I also become part of this family?”
Behind his dazzling smile lay a hidden threat, just as everyone could see his escorts gripping real, sharp swords.
Since Theodore belonged to the imperial family—despite being of mixed blood and his mother merely a concubine—some of his escorts included imperial knights.
Of course, their role was closer to surveillance than escorting, but they were undoubtedly responsible for protecting Theodore and Annette, both of whom were considered part of the imperial family.
No one could easily speak in front of someone accompanied by such an overwhelming number of imperial guards.
If an ordinary aristocrat dared to lay a careless hand on a member of the imperial family, it wouldn’t just end as a family matter—it would become a crime of high treason.
Theodore knew this as well, which was why he appeared today with a row of knights he had previously refused to have escort him, confident that he could protect himself.
He did this to show everyone that these guards would protect Annette as a member of the imperial family and would not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for her.
And this was also why Theodore brought all these knights before the entire Scheringen family—to make them realize that they would deeply regret it if they dared to recklessly lay a hand on Annette.
Annette was no longer the sweet little girl who used to play in the garden; she was now the head of the family and a member of the imperial family.
Allowing Annette to be escorted by Theodore on this day carried a clear message as well.
It was her warning that if anyone attempted to strip her of the Marquise title, she would fight them—even if it meant using the name of the imperial family instead of Scheringen to secure her position.
And the results were effective.
“I don’t have much time, so I will conclude my formal greeting here. In any case, there’s no need for lengthy introductions between us since we all know each other well.”
As Theodore said, everyone knew all too well about his fierce temperament, so no one dared to rebel against his words.
The combined impact of the legitimacy of the ring and Theodore’s intimidating presence was evident.
Moreover, now that Annette had gained immense power and wealth as the new Marquise, there was no benefit to be gained from opposing her in any way.
“Well then, now that we’re done with the formalities, I’ll wait for you outside. Come meet me once you’ve finished your business, my wife.”
Theodore kissed the back of Annette’s hand once again and left the banquet hall with graceful steps.
Theodore played no special role in the family meeting—he simply made his presence known.
Because if Theodore did anything more, Annette would not shine as the main figure of this gathering.
He appeared just enough to make it easier for Annette to take the lead herself.
From that moment on, the pace of the meeting accelerated even more.
It turned into a one-sided session, with all information coming from Annette while the rest simply agreed without objection.
After concluding discussions on the family’s wealth and future plans, Annette formally declared the meeting over.
Finally, Annette had secured the family title and become the Marquise of Scheringen.
* * *
The once noisy conference hall fell silent.
After everyone had left, Cassilia remained alone in the room.
When she looked up, she saw the colorful ceiling mural.
It was a painting created by the highest-paid artist in Laider’s history.
If even a single section of the ceiling were removed and sold, it would be worth more than an entire house.
And it wasn’t just the ceiling.
Even the chair she sat on was something that ordinary people would never have the chance to sit in.
There was nothing in this house that wasn’t luxurious, from the ceiling to the floor to every corner of the Scheringen Palace.
Scheringen, the place Cassilia had loved her entire life, was truly magnificent.
It was a place that made her feel special just by belonging to it.
It was the place where power and glory converged.
Cassilia had also built and decorated most of this palace herself.
“I am the one who created this palace! Without me, there would be no Scheringen!”
Her screams echoed through the hall.
It was Cassilia who had chosen the artist who painted the ceiling mural, carefully considering the direction in which the trees in the garden would grow.
Because this land was hers.
“Everything your hands touch!! It was Cassilia Scheringen who built it. No one knows Scheringen better than I do. So why am I not the head of the family?”
She had endured her entire life, unable to become the family head simply because she was a woman.
She was also a daughter of the Scheringen family, but since she was not born first, she had decided to accept her fate and give up her dream for the sake of her older brother.
But even if she couldn’t become the head of the family, Cassilia wanted to remain in Scheringen.
She hated the idea of leaving the palace she had cherished and loved her entire life.
The thought of giving up the Scheringen title just for marriage was terrifying to her.
Because she had loved it from the depths of her heart.
Cassilia loved Scheringen—not her husband.
From the painting on the ceiling to the scratches on the palace walls, Cassilia cherished everything in Scheringen.
So, when her older brother was appointed as the family heir, she had begged her father desperately not to marry her off and to let her stay in the household, even offering to assist her brother in managing the palace or serve him as a mere attendant.
She had cast aside her pride, knelt on the floor, and pleaded with him while tears filled her eyes.
But in the end, her father refused her pleas and forcibly sent her to the place he had chosen for her.
He sent her as a sacrifice to the family that would strengthen the position of the next family head—her older brother.
No matter how much she suffered, pleaded on the ground, wept, and struggled desperately, Cassilia lost the Scheringen name and became Lady Sandberger.
It was obvious that her marriage had been an unhappy one.
Had she accepted her fate, she might have lived a dignified life, as others would say…
But then her husband died suddenly.
He had been an incompetent man who could barely survive.
Cassilia bore many names—from Lady Sandberger to the Widow Sandberger—but the name she longed for and cherished never returned.
So, she decided to return here on her own.
The road back to Scheringen was long and arduous.
To gain custody of her son, Cassilia had relinquished all property rights she had received as a dowry in her marriage.
Yet even then, she could not reclaim the Scheringen title.
Even after her husband had died and his body had rotted away, she was still seen by society as Lady Sandberger—the Widow Sandberger.
But Annette would not relinquish the Scheringen name, even after marrying a man from the imperial family.
“Hahaha.”
Cassilia began to laugh as if she had lost her mind.
No, she had already lost it.
While her father had cast her out of the household, was her niece now offering her a monthly pension?
Annette’s disgraceful actions wounded Cassilia’s pride.
The moment Annette lifted her shoulders proudly before all those men and displayed the family head’s ring, Cassilia was overwhelmed with jealousy, unable to bear the sight.
She despised her with all her being.
She loathed her niece, who had achieved everything so effortlessly—so differently from how Cassilia had struggled.
As if that wasn’t enough, that child had the audacity to grant her a pension, as if she were mocking her, tossing her a few coins like a beggar in the street.
And the fact that she couldn’t even refuse the pension made it all the more hateful and pathetic.
What was the difference between that child and Cassilia?
Both had been born as daughters of the Scheringen family. Both carried the same blood in their veins.
So why was Annette able to become the head of the family so easily, while Cassilia never could?
Cassilia had loved Scheringen all her life, yet all she had left was a son who did not bear the Scheringen name and the title of a widow who belonged nowhere.
She had always wondered why her life had been so miserable, but today, she felt a profound sadness.
Then, the banquet hall doors opened, and she heard someone enter.
When Cassilia lowered the hands that had been covering her face, she saw Annette standing tall before her.
“Since you’re staying here, I have something to say to you.”
The two locked eyes, neither looking away.
“What do you have to say to me?”
There was a trace of exhaustion in Cassilia’s voice.
“You look tired, so I won’t take long and will get straight to the point. I need someone to help me take strict measures in favor of the Scheringen family, and I see you as the most suitable person for the job, Aunt. Will you stand by my side?”
Cassilia looked at her young niece and then spoke in a dry voice.
“Are you asking me to crawl on all fours like a dog beneath your feet for a few measly coins?”
“So, you refuse my offer. I expected that, but it’s unfortunate.”
Upon hearing Cassilia’s dry voice, Annette slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again and sighed.
She accepted the situation as if she had known it would happen, and it was clear that she didn’t feel sorry for it at all.
“The pension I was going to offer you was separate from this offer, but it seems you have no idea about this. Please don’t misunderstand me, I gave you that pension because I genuinely believe you deserve it. I also want to make use of your talent and abilities for my benefit, but I won’t ask you the same thing twice. So, I’ll leave now.”
Annette turned her back on her aunt without any regret.
Then Cassilia shouted after Annette, who was walking away.
“How long do you think the power that depends on your husband’s authority will last? Do you think the Grand Duke is sincere with you? You’ll be sexually, physically, and mentally exploited, and then you’ll end up as a whore on the street.”
“Why do you think that? On the contrary, I might be the one who exploits my husband as a backup to secure my power.”
“Do you think that will make a difference? You may feel like you own the world now, but as you grow older and have children, you will feel what I’m saying now even more. In the end, you own nothing. The day your beautiful face fades away, the Grand Duke won’t even look at you again, and he’ll throw you into a corner, with nothing in your hands.”
“Aunt. You’re misunderstanding something here. Do you really think the confidence I showed in front of everyone came from the Grand Duke’s authority? Of course, it’s true that I got his help to smooth things over, but in the end, I was the one who shouted at them and made them listen to me. The Grand Duke didn’t even intervene in the meeting. Even without him, I could have done exactly what I did today, no more, no less.”
As Annette’s expression became indifferent, Cassilia’s breath tightened.
“But what have you done, Aunt, compared to me, that you would mock my efforts like this?”
Annette said the last words while Cassilia stood speechless.
“Aunt. If you hadn’t clung to your son, abandoning him to his father’s family and left him behind, deciding to move forward and enter the inheritance battle without caring about anyone around you, I wouldn’t have been able to overcome you so easily, like I did today. That’s because I don’t think there’s anyone in this family who deserves to be the head of this family more than you.”
“What?”
Cassilia’s eyes trembled upon hearing the words “family head.”
“But your son is still too weak. For the title, there’s nothing stopping anyone from attacking anyone, even a child, but Daniel is too small and sweet for me to allow him to enter this battle and risk his innocence.”
Cassilia’s expression collapsed when she heard the unexpected reason for her defeat.
Ironically, with her confident looks, Annette was the epitome of the family head that Cassilia had always dreamed of becoming.
The new family head left and shut the banquet hall door completely behind her.
After Annette left, Cassilia burst out laughing again.
This time, her hysterical laughter did not subside easily.
She had to laugh a lot— turning all her jealousy of her niece into laughter.
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