Even as the gates of the dark mansion opened, Cedric remained standing by my side.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

Pointing towards the mansion of light, I asked, and Cedric glanced inside the gate before continuing.

“I thought I’d escort you to the Duchess’s Pavilion. You used to be upset about that.”

I chuckled at his words.

“That was then.”

“…”

“I told you, I’ve changed.”

Cedric’s deep blue eyes lingered on me, as if wanting to say something more, but he remained silent.

“Anyway, thanks for today. Take care, Cedric.”

Cedric, lost in thought, nodded slowly.

“…You too.”

After responding with a smile, I entered the mansion alone.

As I ascended the central staircase, I thought back to the futures exchange we had visited today, filled with anticipation.

‘The trading floor was more exciting than I thought. And such a fierce atmosphere of investment.’

In my previous life, investors would swarm like bees to a new investment opportunity.

It seemed that human nature was the same everywhere. Here, a new investment opportunity in ‘demonic commodities’ was stirring a strong wave of economic change.

‘I just need to ride this wave well, using my knowledge of the original content.’

The trading price of the ‘item’ I was keeping an eye on was still at rock bottom.

But I knew that its value was going to skyrocket in the future.

‘Even if Bold Duke takes all my alimony, it won’t make a dent with that money.’

Just avoid a loss?

With my own earnings, I could even afford to buy the beachfront mansion I wanted.

And I also knew a list of upcoming blockbuster items…

I was destined to live a life of luxury.

Of course, that’s if I managed to stay alive.

‘The money I’ll earn should first be used to eliminate any dead flags…’

Lost in thought as I reached the top of the stairs, I saw Bianca standing at the entrance to the Duchess’s Pavilion.

My Bianca came to meet me!

Overwhelmed with emotion, I excitedly raised my hand.

“Ah? Bianca…!”

But my movement suddenly halted.
Right after seeing Bianca hurrying along with a group of maids, a look of unease on her face.

‘Why are they all behaving like this?’

As I got closer, the faces of the maids, steeped in fear, came into view.

“Oh, what do we do… Didn’t Lady Dmitri say she wouldn’t be back for a few days?”

“That’s right! Why did she have to come exactly when the Duchess is away…”

“You fool! Would it have made any difference if the Duchess were here?”

“Ah, it would have been worse… But poor Mina, what do we do!”

Bianca’s face grew even more frightened upon hearing the maids’ conversation.

Then, her eyes widened when she spotted me.

“Duchess…!”

As if she had seen a savior, Bianca ran up to me in a rush.

Without understanding the situation, I picked up Bianca and looked at the maids.

When our eyes met, their faces turned pale.

“Du, Duchess! We apologize for being here, it was just…”

“We’ll return to our places right away! We’re truly sorry, Duchess!”

While stepping back, the maids kept glancing nervously at the Duchess’s Pavilion.

Something was clearly wrong.

I set my jaw and spoke.

“Stop there. Tell me what happened.”

With my firm command, the maids stopped in their tracks, their shoulders trembling.

But I couldn’t pay attention to them, not with Bianca trembling in my arms.

“Bianca, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“I, I tried to help, but I was too scared… I think I’m really a coward, I, I…”

I hugged the babbling Bianca tighter, soothing her small back.

“You’re not a coward, Bianca.”

“Duchess…”

“I don’t know what happened, but now that I’m here, everything will be alright. I promise.”

Bianca, who had been sobbing, nodded and clung to my arm.

I gestured to the maid.

“Tell me what happened.”

“Th, that’s… just now, Lady Dmitri came…”

Lady Camilla Dmitri returned already?

I thought she wouldn’t be back for a few more days.

Her unexpected arrival creased my brow.

“And then?”

“What happened when she arrived?”

The maids’ faces grew more and more pale as they spoke.

“Th, that’s… Lady Dmitri is with Mina right now…”

Camilla Dmitri.

A star of the northern social circles and the lady of the Dmitri Earl’s family.

But the reason why Rebecca had kept Camilla by her side for so long wasn’t just because of her background.

They shared a ‘secret hobby’ together.

Like the situation happening right now.

“Put your hand back on the table.”

Camilla commanded elegantly, standing straight, facing Mina.

Her lustrous black hair shimmered, and her golden dress, matching the color of her eyes, shone brilliantly.

Camilla looked down at her own delicate hand, adorned with a ruby ring, with an expression of boredom.

“La, Lady, please stop…”

Mina, kneeling in front of the table, sobbed.

“I said, put your hand back on the table.”

Camilla smiled gracefully, lightly shaking the teapot in her hand.

Steam was still escaping from the hot teapot.

Tremors of terror ran down Mina’s chin.

Seeing this, the corners of Camilla’s lips curled up more smoothly.

“You still have this much tea left for you, don’t you?”