Today, Elise began her day by quickly flipping through the daily newspaper reporting her son’s victories.

Unlike the initial reports of minor conflicts, the situation had turned quite urgent.

When news broke from one newspaper that the war, expected to be easy by all, would be difficult, the empire was thrown into turmoil.

However, her son impressively achieved remarkable results there.

With each report of the progressing war situation, Cassian’s reputation only grew.

Today too, after letting out a long sigh of relief, Lady Elise prayed to God for her son’s safety in battle, then neatly folded the newspaper.

Of course, it wasn’t her son’s reputation that brought her relief.

What she worried about was whether even the slightest problem might occur to Cassian’s body.

Elise quietly gazed at the handkerchief she had tied to a tree, praying for her son’s good fortune.

The image of her stubborn son, who refused to carry even one handkerchief that everyone else took with them, flashed through her mind.

Suddenly, the handkerchief fluttering in the swaying breeze fell off.

Several servants rushed to catch the handkerchief carried away by the wind, but it disappeared without a trace.

Watching the busy servants, she felt an ominous sensation rising within her.

Clearly, everything was going well.

Yet what was this rising ominous feeling?

Concluding it was because of the loosened handkerchief, she made her way towards the hall.

On a lazy sunny afternoon, Lady Elise sipped her tea with elegant poise in the center of the garden.

As Lady Elise enjoyed her tea time, savoring the fragrant jasmine aroma, a long shadow soon fell behind her.

Behind the shadow stood her guard.

“Yuriel was receiving some sort of payment from Young Master Cassian.”

Faint wrinkles appeared on Elise’s forehead, which had been as smooth as porcelain.

The past several days flashed through Elise’s mind.

Since her son left for the battlefield, that clear-faced girl had been loitering around the mansion several times.

The reports always included that girl as part of the daily routine.

Why was she lingering near this mansion when Cassian wasn’t even here?

The unresolved question seemed to have finally found its cause.

Lady Elise gently set down her teacup with a soft clink.

“Payment, you say?”

Until now, Elise had summarized Yuriel’s objectives into two categories:

Either she was a girl aiming for money, or as Lady Piocelle said, she was truly hoping for real love from her son without knowing her place.

Frankly, reflecting on Lady Piocelle’s words made her feel dumbfounded.

To refuse that money without knowing her own status.

But was she really a girl who had clung to him aiming for money after all?

If it was that kind of situation, it would be rather easy to resolve.

Those with clear objectives were the easiest to deal with, and among them, money was the easiest tool to use for the Blanchets.

The certainty that she could easily get rid of that girl while her son was away on the battlefield flashed through her mind.

However, the following report completely diverged from Elise’s expectations.

“There was a medicine she was regularly receiving.”

“…Medicine?”

One of Elise’s eyebrows raised at the unexpected report.

Soon, the distribution route of the medicine and the usage of Cassian’s money were placed on the table before her.

After picking it up and carefully reading through it, Elise put down the paper on the table with a thud.

“Does that girl have some illness?”

“No, that’s not it. It seems she’s supporting her birth mother alone, and it appears to be medicine for that mother.”

‘Medicine for her birth mother…’

The entire situation instantly registered in Elise’s mind.

Even if a commoner girl cleverly entered as a mere imperial scribe, she couldn’t have afforded such expensive medicine with that salary.

Did she cling to her son to obtain that?

Her son, as if his soul had been completely taken by that girl, gave her such expensive medicine.

Questions naturally followed.

Was it that girl’s purposeful approach first?

Or did her son use that weakness?

It must have been the former, of course.

The Cassian that Elise knew was not a child who would be swayed by such a mere girl.

He was a son who maintained his composure without showing a hint of tension even as he headed to the battlefield.

How could her son, who moved rationally in all matters, want to keep such an obviously doomed girl by his side?

‘Giving the medicine was just… placing an expensive value on a toy, that’s all’

In fact, while other nobles often give jewels or such to women who become their mistresses, that level of expenditure was nothing to the Blanchets.

Her son, who maintained his courteous manners in all things, was a child who would treat even a one-night woman to that extent.

So it must be just a passing wind, Elise once again steadied her heart.

After neatly organizing her thoughts, she stared at the paper with the medicine’s name written on it for a while.

A moment later, after averting her gaze from there, a crooked smile settled on Elise’s lips.

Come to think of it, wasn’t this rather fortunate?

A relationship where bodies are shared for payment.

If it was a relationship that could be summed up to just that level, there was no need to worry anymore.

The girl selling her body pretending to be a virtuous daughter to receive that medicine was quite detestable, but that was all.

Elise thought she had one less worry.

Until a few days later, when an unbelievable report came in.

Over the course of several days, Elise consistently ignored Yuriel loitering around the vicinity.

In fact, her very existence was gradually fading from Elise’s mind.

So, like any other day, after finishing her meal and elegantly having her tea time, Elise headed to the garden for a walk.

Today’s newspapers were full of good news.

Cassian’s achievements were truly remarkable, leading battles praised as the best with minimal sacrifices and swiftly conquering and subjugating the Nortens Kingdom in a short period.

Having tea time with her husband for the first time in a while, she felt relieved as they exchanged the good news.

At the end of the article, as usual, questions were raised about the relationship between Lady Piocelle and Cassian.

When the war ends and her son returns, he would probably discard that girl.

It’s right for the Blanchet heir to follow the natural course of action.

But why did such an ominous feeling keep crossing her mind?

Recalling yesterday’s fierce dream and the unfavorable divination, Elise furrowed her brow.

The card she turned over today showed a sword pierced through a heart, dyed black.

It meant everything would flow in reverse.

In fact, all the recent results had been like that.

Of course, Elise didn’t fully believe in such superstitions, but the existence of Yuriel that had settled in her subconscious was quite like a thorn.

The more she tried to cut it off, the more it popped up, which was extremely irritating.

As she passed by the stone fountain, a guard quickly approached in front of the statue of an angel blowing a trumpet.

“What’s the matter?”

“This item came in for Vice-Captain Einroad.”

Einroad. He was the one Cassian had left in the capital to lead the Guardian Corps among the Blanchet vice-captains.

“But.”

“No matter how I look at it, it seems to be the young master’s.”

Elise frowned as she took the case handed by the guard.

The logo of a designer known to be difficult to obtain was embossed on the case.

When she opened it, she discovered a brilliantly shining ring and couldn’t close her mouth.

In short, Elise instinctively knew that this item was meant for her son, not Lord Einroad.

The bigger problem was the form of the ring.

‘A coupled design symbolizing love between lovers and proposal, you say.’

Elise stared blankly at it for a while before letting out a hollow laugh.

They say parents know their children the least, and wasn’t this just the case?

Her son, whom she thought would never do such a thing, had actually prepared even such a ring.

Was he planning not a farewell, but a proposal as soon as he returned from the battlefield?

She knew her son’s heart had leaned somewhat towards that girl, but she never imagined it would be to this extent.

Why would that child, who had walked well as the Blanchet heir all his life, do this?

Elise felt as if she had been hit on the back of her head with a hammer.

Throwing down the case, she clenched her fist so hard it dug into her flesh.

Rising from her seat, Elise moved her steps gracefully.

Her steps, filled with anger, stopped in front of a warehouse.

As she flung open the door, the medicine mentioned in the report came into her view.

The medicines, stacked enough to dominate part of the warehouse, were neatly arranged, befitting her son’s thorough preparation.

Was it all part of her son’s plan to give them one by one instead of all at once from the beginning?

Thinking that, Elise couldn’t hide another hollow laugh escaping her.

To think that her masterpiece, molded for a lifetime as the Blanchet heir, would crumble so miserably like this.

No. It hasn’t crumbled.

The way to turn it around is simple.

Lady Elise, who had been quietly staring at the high-stacked medicine, fixed her gaze and calmly instructed.

“Call Einroad.”

The guard, bowing his head respectfully to follow the order, soon brought Einroad before her.

“You called for me.”

As it was rare for the Duchess to meet the vice-captain directly, a look of curiosity crossed Einroad’s face.

Elise murmured softly while snapping off a flower stem and neatly cutting away its thorns.

“I heard the vice-captain was in charge of giving medicine to that child.”

“Pardon? Ah…”

Einroad recalled Lord Tiobe’s secret instructions.

To deliver medicine to a woman named Yuriel.

Einroad was even more curious about why the Duchess was interested in this matter, but he couldn’t not report the facts regardless.

“That’s correct.”

The Duchess’s face, as she turned her head, bore her usual benevolent smile.

“You must be busy enough with just the Guardian Corps’ work. I’ll handle that matter, so you don’t need to worry about it anymore.”

“Pardon? But…”

That was a task Lord Tiobe had earnestly asked and entrusted him with.

Einroad felt he should say something more in protest, but his counterpart was none other than the Duchess.

Above all, she was the kind mistress of the ducal family who never did anything untoward publicly.

Moreover, she was also the mother of his lord, so nothing bad could happen.

Having sorted it out simply, Einroad bowed his head deeply and stepped outside.

Watching Einroad’s retreating back, Elise gently swirled her teacup.

If that girl misses receiving the medicine a few times, she’ll become frantic.

Her birth mother will approach the brink of death.

When she becomes that desperate, it will be the perfect time for negotiation.

Then that girl will completely leave her son’s side.

She didn’t want to do dirty work that would stain her hands with blood, but for the sake of her son’s life, she was willing to take on the role of the villain.