……Exhausted.

What awaited Eriel was a precarious husband, an old friend wielding past memories as a weapon, and the social circles always eager to tear her apart.

Eriel’s green eyes, looking up at the ducal residence hall, were empty.

The once beautiful greenery had vanished, like a desert where only sand remained on barren land.

Eriel’s gaze slowly fell to the floor.

In the bedroom, invitations for Eriel were piled up.

The secret private life of the virtuous duchess. Such a titled gossip topic would not be easy to ignore.

Shadows fell under Eriel’s slowly moving eyelashes.

“……I want to disappear.”

“……Mother!”

Eriel’s gaze lifted.

Even as she saw the child approaching slowly, Eriel’s unfocused eyes did not return.

They seemed to sink deeper into a murky abyss.

If she divorced with the child….. If that happened, the social circles would be in even more of an uproar. Perhaps she wouldn’t be able to raise the child within the empire.

It was a sudden assumption that crossed her mind, but the future Eriel envisioned was as hazy as if filled with fog.

A scandal followed by divorce. Wouldn’t that be a topic anyone would want to gossip about?

“……Mother!!”

The child who suddenly grabbed Eriel’s hand looked up at her with wide-open eyes.

“Mother?”

If she wished for those green eyes, just like her own, to always shine, she would have to follow Damian’s surname.

Thinking she had to give up the child for the child’s future, tears immediately welled up in Eriel’s clouded eyes.

Seeing that moment, Lucy quickly grasped Eriel’s hand.

“I’m on Mother’s side.”

Warm body heat spread through Eriel’s hand. The small, soft hand pressed firmly on the back of Eriel’s hand.

“……Lucy.”

Eriel’s face contorted.

At the same time, life filled Eriel’s desolate green eyes. Eriel, pulling the child into a tight embrace, buried her face in the small warmth.

“That’s right. Mother is on Lucy’s side too. Forever. Mother only needs her daughter.”

“Yes. I only need Mother too.”

How weak I’ve been thinking. Yes, this is no time to be tired.

With my child’s future stretching so far ahead, this is no time for me to be struggling.

“Darling, shall we go out to buy a doll with Mother today?”

“A doll? Wow, yes!”

The child’s ponytail swayed as she nodded briefly.

With such a long future ahead for my daughter, whom I cherish more than anything, how could I be on the verge of crumbling here?

Regardless of her surroundings, there was only one thing Eriel had to protect.

Her daughter leaning on her.

Her daughter saying she loves her.

Her daughter saying she only needs her!

Only for her daughter.

“Mother, shall we wear the yellow dress today?”

Lucy’s eyes sparkled brightly as she looked up at Eriel.

Eriel swallowed dryly at the sight of her daughter deliberately acting cheerful, pretending not to notice Eriel’s unusual demeanor.

Composing her expression that seemed about to crumple, Eriel nodded.

“Yes. Shall we wear yellow, as beautiful as stars in the night sky today?”

“Wow. Like stars? Yes yes! I love it so much, Mother!”

Lucy jumped up and down.

Eriel gripped the small hand in hers even tighter, steeling her resolve.

“Then Lucy, get ready to go out in your room first, and Mother will come down. Mother has something to do for a moment.”

“Yes yes. Alright, Mother. See you soon!”

Eriel clenched her fist as she watched the child’s retreating back for a moment.

“……First, the social circles.”

Eriel muttered softly as soon as Lucy had completely entered the room.

Apart from the strong influence of the Genova ducal family, the problem was that in social circles, one became easily exposed to gossip when friendships weakened.

As Eriel went up to the bedroom, she gave instructions to the maid following her.

“Prepare a yellow dress for me similar in design to Lucy’s, and tell Lucy I’ll do her hair myself, so have her wait after getting dressed.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The maid withdrew, and Eriel opened the bedroom door.

“……Eriel.”

Though she had intended to sort through the invitations first, her unwelcome husband was standing idly in the bedroom.

Eriel looked up at him, twitching her eyebrow.

My husband and my daughter’s father.

She thought a husband’s role was absolutely necessary to pass on a good family and environment.

When Damian properly fulfills his role as a father, Lucy becomes even more secure.

The status of the Genova ducal family under Damian’s name is needed for her daughter, just as he desires Eriel’s status as duchess.

The only ducal family’s daughter in the empire.

The name of the Genova ducal family would perhaps be the greatest shield to protect Lucy until the moment she marries.

Eriel slowly approached Damian with her fist clenched.

“Earl Shannon knew.”

Strength entered Eriel’s voice.

“He seemed to know that if I cried, you wouldn’t trust me. He was waiting deliberately without leaving.”

Eriel said, looking straight at Damian.

“I suppose that’s what an old friend is like. A relationship where they can see everything – when I’ll cry, what I’m thinking.”

“Eriel.”

“It’s not right to say this to my husband. You’re right, Damian. I’m not saying this as your wife.”

Damian’s expression completely crumpled. Eriel took a deep breath as she looked at such a Damian.

“It’s fine if you don’t trust me. Did you say to maintain dignity as a duchess? Fine. That’s what I do best. Then you too, do your best as Lucy’s father.”

Eriel hesitated for a moment before the final words that were about to pass her throat.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t loved him.

Rather, realizing it now, perhaps she had waited for him this long because she loved him too much.

But what did such personal feelings of hers matter?

She didn’t want to show this kind of family to her child.

A relationship where Eriel watches Damian’s moods, and Damian arrogantly refuses to lower his head to Eriel.

If that’s the case, then yes. As Blake had told Eriel, perhaps divorce would be better.

Even if she divorced, she wouldn’t remarry Jered, but Damian’s precarious love was eating away at Eriel.

Because of insecurity.

For that one irresponsible emotion of Damian’s, Eriel had forgiven all the wrongs Damian had committed against her until now.

But that insecurity was wrong.

It was insecurity stemming from the arrogance of knowing Eriel wouldn’t leave, combined with that belief.

If he truly thought she would leave his side, could he have said such things?

Today was the same. What on earth had Eriel done wrong in her relationship with Jered?

Even looking back, Eriel could pride herself on doing her utmost to draw the line with Jered.

A husband who doesn’t understand her heart, even more than a friend trying to use her.

“……It seems you’ve forgotten that even your personal property has feet. I’d like to tell you that if you act like this, it might run away.”

Eriel turned her head abruptly.

She picked up the topmost invitation from the pile on the table. It was an invitation from Marchioness Orsini.

She had classified it at the very top because it was from the most trustworthy lady.

Eriel took the invitation and turned to the maid who had just entered the room.

“My lady, the young lady has finished dressing, and your dress is also ready.”

“Good. Tell the butler I will attend Marchioness Orsini’s tea party.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After handing the invitation to the maid, as Eriel was about to leave, Damian’s urgent gesture caught her wrist.

“Eriel.”

Damian’s voice immediately reached Eriel’s ear. Eriel’s body was helplessly pulled into Damian’s embrace by his strength.

However, Eriel, whose back hit his firm chest, immediately escaped that embrace.

She also shook off Damian’s grip on her wrist.

“If what you want is Eriel Genova as the Duchess of Genova, then the same goes for me.”

“Are you saying you’ll have an affair with Earl Shannon?”

Eriel looked at Damian with an incredulous expression.

“Even if you have an affair, you can’t escape from here. Because I want you to be Eriel Genova for life.”

Even amidst this, Damian’s twisted possessiveness could be felt.

She couldn’t tell if what was contained in those blue eyes was love or just concern for the family needing a duchess, but Eriel thought she had to correct this one thing for him.

“Did you think I would remain as Eriel Genova for life because you desired it? Don’t be mistaken. It wasn’t because you wanted it. It was my choice to remain as your wife, Lucy’s mother, as Duchess Eriel Genova.”

Eriel took another step away from Damian and looked at him straight on.

“Don’t make me regret the choice I made. Damian. You may not have known, but the opportunities that seemed endless have now come to an end.”

Eriel left him there and moved outside.