I looked down dazedly at the horn growing from the maid’s head.

‘This child… was a half-demon.’

Who were the half-demons?

Part of their blood and flesh came from humans, so their appearance was no different from humans.

However, their physical abilities were far superior, easily surpassing humans by two to three times.

Human appearance and intellect, combined with demonic strength and magical power.

After the Emperor of the Western Empire unified the continent with the help of these half-demons possessing all these qualities,

The number of half-demons migrating to the human world was gradually increasing, but they were still somewhat unfamiliar beings to humans.

The fact that they came from the unknown demon realm seemed to make them mysterious, frightening, and cause for wariness.

‘Among those feelings, I’m closer to fear. After all, these are the ones who set fire to the tower and killed Rebecca.’

As Rebecca’s miserable end came to mind again, an unpleasant shiver ran through my body.

“Your Highness… Please, even if it’s just once, show mercy…”

The young maid finally burst into tears at the end of her words.

I looked down at the child repeatedly bowing her head and thought.

‘There’s no need to unnecessarily incur the hatred of half-demons.’

Moreover, since I’ll be divorcing soon, there’s no need to pretend to be the mad dog Rebecca.

I put on the gentlest smile I could muster.

“It’s fine, just a little champagne spilled. Stop crying and get up.”

At that, the maid trembled, turning pale as if she had seen something dreadful.

‘Well, I suppose it might be even more frightening if a mad dog suddenly becomes kind.’

I nodded in understanding.

The maid then shed tears with an expression that suggested everything was over.

“Are, are you really going to cut off my horn?”

“Cut off your horn? What are you talking about since earlier…”

My mouth closed instinctively with an ominous feeling.

‘…Rebecca must have a history of cutting off half-demons’ horns.’

It was a plausible guess just looking at how the other maids had all left the bedroom at once as if on cue.

To half-demons, their horns were considered their pride and dignity in their race itself.

Cutting off those precious horns was tantamount to insulting their entire race.

‘No wonder I felt uneasy! Don’t tell me Rebecca’s reputation among half-demons is already at rock bottom?’

That’s right. It wasn’t just because of the sacrificial incident that the half-demons exploded.

If she had gone as far as cutting off horns for trivial reasons, the situation must have been serious even before that.

The newly realized depths of Rebecca’s depravity were getting deeper and deeper.

“At this rate, isn’t Camilla the only one left on my side? That’s the worst situation when I need to draw the line with her…”

I decided that for now, I needed to calm down and hold onto this small, precious half-demon maid, if only to assess the situation.

‘Anyway, since Lady Camilla won’t be by my side for a month, I should make at least one person my ally.’

Having finished my thought, I hurried to the dressing room and returned with a small jewelry box.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“My, my name is… ‘Mina’, Your Highness.”

“Alright, Mina. I won’t cut off your horn or anything, so get up quickly.”

“Pardon…?”

As I spoke kindly, the shoulders of the bowing maid trembled even more violently.

It seemed she not only couldn’t believe my words but thought I was trying to test her.

‘Oh dear, was I too kind this time too?’

It seemed that appearing like the original Rebecca was the best option for now.

I tried to muster up some irritation by recalling my previous life’s husband’s sluggish behind.

“Ugh, get your butt off the floor right now! Can’t you sit on the sofa already?!”

“Ah! Yes, yes!”

Only then did Mina hurriedly get up and sit on the sofa opposite me.

Having to speak so harshly… Being a villainess is quite tiring, isn’t it?

But if I’m going to do it, I might as well do it properly.

I crossed my legs and folded my arms, putting on my most villainous voice.

“Alright, forget about dropping the champagne glass. Now just sit quietly and listen to what I have to say.”

“Yes? Yes, sp-speak…”

“I’ll generously forgive your mistake.”

“For…give?”

“Yes. In return, Mina, you’ll have to become my person from now on.”

Mina’s eyes trembled anxiously upon hearing my words.

“What do you mean by forgiving me…”

Mina seemed to have frozen at the word ‘forgive’ that came out of my mouth.

It must still be difficult for her to fully believe my words.

As expected, fear alone wasn’t enough to recruit an aide.

This is why I prepared the jewelry box in advance.

“If my words are that hard to believe, then first, as compensation…”

It was just as I was grabbing the necklace chain from the jewelry box.

“Eek!”

Suddenly, Mina’s cheeks trembled in terror.

“I’ll do it! I’ll help you, Your Highness! I’ll do anything! So please, just this once, forgive me!”

Mina even burst into loud sobs.

Why is she like this again?

I looked back and forth between Mina’s pale face and the necklace chain, and suddenly realized.

To Mina, this necklace chain must have looked like a ‘metal wire’ to cut off her horn.

Wow… She really doesn’t trust me at all, seriously.

A sigh mixed with fatigue escaped involuntarily.

“Mina, I just said I’d forgive you, didn’t I?”

Without further delay, I tossed the ruby necklace onto Mina’s skirt.

“See? It’s not a metal wire to cut off your horn, it’s a necklace. And one with a huge ruby embedded in it at that.”

At that, she momentarily stopped crying and looked back and forth between the ruby necklace that had fallen on her skirt and me with a dazed expression.

“Why would you give something so precious to me…”

“I’m giving it to you as compensation.”

“Compensation…?”

“Yes, compensation for becoming my person.”

I nodded and continued.

“Now do you believe me?”

Mina rolled her eyes around, and finally her lips parted carefully.

“Then, do you really mean that you’ll forgive me in exchange for me becoming Your Highness’s person…?”

“That’s what I’m saying. If you just follow my words well, you’ll get showered with things like this from now on.”

“…”

“So, do you feel a little more inclined to become my person now?”

After rolling her eyes with a dazed expression for a moment, Mina soon nodded slowly.

“Yes…”

Mina still looked clearly cowed, but it seemed she was starting to believe my words little by little.

However, since the future was uncertain, I didn’t forget to add a mild threatening comment.

“Now you owe me two things. That necklace and your horn.”

“…Pardon?”

“If you betray me, I’ll take back not only that necklace but your horn too, so keep that in mind!”

“Ah, yes! Yes!”

Mina nodded vigorously.

She was still watching my expression, but her face seemed much less tense than when she first came in with the champagne.

‘Now, shall I ask what I’m curious about?’

I took out a sapphire necklace from the jewelry box and dangled it in front of Mina.

“Good. Now answer my questions sincerely. If you answer well, I’ll give you this next.”

Mina’s eyes sparkled subtly, unlike before.

As the extreme tension subsided a bit, it seemed the jewels were starting to look like jewels to her now.

“Yes! I’ll answer absolutely honestly, Your Highness!”

“Good, first question. How many half-demon servants are there in the Twins mansion?”

“At least over a thousand. If you include the townhouse in the capital… it might be just under two thousand.”

“Why so many?”

“Most of the half-demons who have come out to the human world are still working as servants of the Twins mansion.”

“Are all the half-demons gathered in this family?”

“Yes.”

Then all the half-demons who set fire to the tower were servants of the Twins family?

Rebecca was an icon of obsession and tyranny.

It was clear as day that she would have used the servants as targets for venting her anger.

Moreover, given her history of cutting off horns, it seemed the level of that torment was close to abuse.

‘Now I understand why the resentment of the half-demons was so deep.’

A sad premonition came over me.

It seemed that even without sacrificing a half-demon on the black magic altar, there would already be more than enough half-demons aiming for my life.

After heaving deep sighs repeatedly for a moment,

I leaned a little closer to Mina and lowered my voice to ask.

“Among them, were there any servants who said they would kill me if I got divorced and left the Twins Grand Duke’s mansion?”

“What?!”

“You know. I’m not on good terms with Cedric either… I might not be able to do anything now as the Grand Duchess, but things could change after the divorce.”

At my words, Mina rolled her eyes around like someone caught doing something wrong.

‘It seems it’s not entirely unfounded.’

I put strength in my eyes and pressured Mina.

“I won’t ask who it is, just tell me roughly how many.”

“Your Highness, that’s…”

“A hundred? Two hundred? Don’t you want this?”

As I dangled the sapphire necklace, Mina hung her head low.

“Actually, there are too many to count. It seems like all the servants have said something like that at least once…”

“All the servants, numbering over a thousand?”

Damn it, I knew it.

“Since there was talk of divorce between the Grand Duke and me a few days ago, I guess some are seriously making plans now?”

“…”

The silence meant yes.

‘When Rebecca was locked in the tower, no one could touch her because she was a prisoner directly managed by Cedric.’

That’s what kept Rebecca alive until the latter part of the novel.

But what if I get divorced now and leave this Grand Duke’s mansion?

That’s right.

The moment I got divorced and left the Grand Duke’s mansion, I would be killed by the half-demons.

‘But if I don’t divorce and hold out, I’ll go against Cedric’s wishes…’

I pressed my throbbing temples and tossed the sapphire necklace to Mina.

“Eek! Thank you, Your Highness!”

“…Have you made plans too?”

“Pardon?”

“The waiting line seems long, so you should prepare in advance.”

When I smiled wryly with a half-resigned expression, Mina waved both hands.

“I received a proposal, but I never made any plans! Hehe, actually, my specialty is making poisons, and I can make many poisons that are undetectable in the human world!”

“Ah, is that so?”

“So I was asked to make poison… Ah! No, no! But I really didn’t want to do that!”

“Really?”

“Yes, really!”

“If you keep lying, I’ll take back all those necklaces?”

“…”

“Have you made plans to kill me?”

Mina, who had been watching my expression, shyly smiled while counting about one finger joint.

“…A li-little bit?”

* * *

That evening, in the bathroom of the Grand Duke’s palace.

From the wide expanse of ivory marble floor to the ceiling hung with luxurious chandeliers,

The interior was filled with fragrant warmth rising from the massive bathtub.

The servants were all waiting with their waists bowed, waiting for their master.

How much time had passed like that?

Finally, the door opened and the master of this enormous family revealed himself.

The Twins Grand Duke family, the only family recognized as royalty in both the human and demon realms.

And the master of that family, Cedric Twins.

The servants looked at him with eyes of respect and admiration.

Cedric was a capable man who had elevated the small kingdom of Luman, which was just a small country only 6 years ago, to the Western Empire, and had single-handedly gained recognition for the existence of half-demons who had been treated as invisible in the human world for hundreds of years.

However, the reason they loved Cedric so much was not just because of such outstanding abilities.

Their master was beautiful.

It was rare to see a man as handsome as Cedric in either the human or demon realm.

That was also one of the things that made those working in the Twins family proud.

Even just looking at his current appearance, that was evident.

Even though he was only wearing a navy silk robe, the shoulders that fell at right angles and the lines of his body with taut muscles refused to be hidden.

Strangely, it blended perfectly with his beautiful face, black hair, arched eyebrows that gave an arrogant yet relaxed impression, creating an even sensual charm.

To them, Cedric felt like God’s masterpiece, reigning over everything in this world.

It was then, as everyone was unable to take their eyes off such a Cedric.

“You may leave now.”

Ironically, their admiration was broken by Cedric’s attractive low voice.

The servants left with lingering regret.

Left alone, Cedric slowly untied the knot of his robe.

Soon, a broad back with moderate muscles and long, stretched legs were revealed.

As Cedric immediately immersed himself in the bathtub, he felt the tension of the day slowly melting away.

Especially today, as it was the day to check the protective barrier of ‘Lillian’s Heart’, his fatigue was extreme.

As he rested against the bathtub with his wet hair swept back,

That ‘name’ again flashed through Cedric’s mind.

It was that very name that had been irritating him for the past few days.

“Rebecca.”

As Cedric, who had murmured lowly, slowly opened his eyes, cool yet mysterious blue eyes were revealed.

On that day when the talk of divorce had occurred,

Originally, Rebecca should have come looking for him from early dawn.

She should have clung to him crying and wailing that she couldn’t get divorced, causing a scene asking if there was another woman, or begging for forgiveness and then screaming that she would die.

And no matter how the initial commotion started…

‘It would have ended with her begging to be embraced, even if just for tonight.’

After all, the only thing important to her was the ‘imprint’ of one night.

‘Yes, that’s the kind of woman Rebecca was.’

Cedric’s eyebrows slowly furrowed as he unconsciously finished his thought in the past tense.

‘But why…’

That Rebecca…

She hadn’t come looking for him since that day.