Trinity’s expression hardened at the sharp words. Her half-siblings and Kedilen.

Although she had heard such verbal abuse from them countless times before, she couldn’t recall ever hearing such words from someone she was meeting for the first time… and immediately upon meeting them.

The abandoned palace and the Erdi Marquis residence. To hear such words even after escaping those hellish places and coming all this way.

Trinity’s face, which had been maintaining composure for the sake of dignity, shattered at those words.

“…What did you just say?”

Her voice was as cold as her frozen expression.

Even if Beressa wasn’t Aden’s wife or fiancée, she was someone who frequented this castle.

She must be the daughter of a fairly prestigious family. There was no need to unnecessarily antagonize her and worsen their relationship during her brief stay here.

But this was unacceptable. Not only did she enter the room while Trinity was bathing and rummage through her bag, but she also took out her notebook.

Moreover, after checking its contents, she had the audacity to hurl insults.

Even if the customs here differed from those of the Empire, Trinity believed that moral perspectives wouldn’t be vastly different anywhere.

At the very least, the notion that one shouldn’t enter another’s room and steal.

“What. Are you upset over something so trivial?”

Beressa twisted her lips into a sneer, as if finding it absurd.

Faced with this clear provocation, Trinity closed her eyes tightly. After letting out a slow sigh, she exhaled softly.

Calm down. There was nothing to gain by losing her temper here. Just 4 months. If she could endure for just 4 months, she could leave this place.

There was no need to fall for obvious provocations and worsen the situation.

Even without complex calculations, she had to consider the numerous dangers that would follow if she lost her composure and lashed out in anger.

She had endured her entire life; couldn’t she handle these brief 4 months?

Smoothing out her furrowed expression and opening her eyes, Trinity calmly extended her hand.

“Please return it.”

“……”

“I’d like to believe that the principle of not taking others’ belongings without permission is universally taught, regardless of country or race. So, will you return it?”

Trinity lightly shook her outstretched palm for emphasis as Beressa stared at it blankly.

Beressa’s eyes moved vertically from the palm to meet Trinity’s gaze.

“The contents written in here, they seem to be true. Wow, I honestly thought it was a lie. I thought there would be at least some exaggeration… but it seems to be real.”

With a small smirk, Beressa placed the notebook on Trinity’s palm.

Trinity immediately tried to retrieve it by pulling, but Beressa held onto the notebook, refusing to let go.

“Do you feel good living like that, always bowing your head? I don’t think I would.”

“Now…!”

“Well, I guess that’s why you’ve been enduring even while being treated like an idiot.”

As Beressa released her grip, the notebook slid towards Trinity. Simultaneously, Trinity stepped back, creating distance between them.

Trinity spread her fingers while meeting Beressa’s intense gaze.

“Leave.”

Beressa snickered as she stared at the pointed fingertip.

Instead of continuing, she turned and left the room. As the door closed, silence fell. Trinity slowly returned to the bed and sat down, opening the notebook.

“She read all of this…”

Her head started to ache. She should have been more careful in storing it.

From Trinity’s perspective, she couldn’t have imagined that someone would enter her room, rummage through her belongings, and take her notebook when she hadn’t even been here for a day.

The jewels she had brought from the Marquis’ residence were neatly placed beside her, untouched, yet they took the notebook.

Regret washed over her, but the damage was already done.

What if Beressa spread the information she read from the notebook? Even if she didn’t, what would happen if she told Aden all the information Trinity had promised to provide?

This was a contract.

In exchange for safely escorting her across the frozen lands to another kingdom, she would provide information to solve Habertz’s financial crisis.

Without mutual benefit, that contract could be broken at any time.

‘Surely Aden wouldn’t…’

What if he had planned all this? Trinity bit her lip as she recalled Aden’s face, then shook her head.

That man didn’t seem like he would do such a thing. Of course, she knew how dangerous it was to judge people solely by appearances.

Besides, how did they even know about the notebook containing the information? Moreover, if they intended to extort information from her, there were countless ways to do so.

The moment she left the capital and entrusted herself to him, Trinity had no other protection.

If Aden had decided to do something terrible, she would have been helpless.

That’s why she had taken short naps in the carriage and spent half of the dawn with her eyes open.

Trinity sighed and shook her head. The situation, filled with uncertain assumptions, brought a headache to her already complicated mind.

Frowning deeply, she took out some medicine from her bag and swallowed it.

A deep sigh escaped her.

Along with the terrible regret that she had started off on the wrong foot.

As the scheduled time for the press conference approached, silence fell. Just when the quietness seemed to stretch on a bit too long.

Kedilen appeared on the prepared platform.

Reporters who had gathered in the Marquis’ garden, having heard the news in advance, flashed their cameras, which were as large as their bodies.

The reporters’ mouths itched to immediately throw questions at Kedilen, but they held back as much as possible, knowing they could be thrown out right away if they did.

Kedilen smiled as he calmly checked the prepared script and assessed the atmosphere around him.

‘Damn it.’

However, contrary to his friendly smile, his insides were rotting. Ludmila.

He never imagined he’d be doing this because of that wench.

To think that woman, whom he thought was bound by the threads he had laid out, would leave without a word.

If he had known this would happen, he should have assigned someone to watch her.

For the first two years of marriage, he had assigned someone to watch her to prevent her from escaping, but after that, he had let his guard down as she seemed to live obediently. That gap was precisely what she exploited.

Kedilen, thinking that if he found and brought her back, he’d have to put a dog collar on her neck to prevent her from running away again, spoke in a refreshing voice contrary to his dark inner thoughts.

“Thank you all for coming. Recently, there have been unsettling rumors and absurd speculations circulating in the capital. Rumors that my wife Ludmila and I are experiencing discord and are currently living separately.”

Glancing at the reporters’ busy hands, Kedilen gently pressed his lips.

“I thought it would subside with time, but as it seems to be getting worse, I decided it would be better to explain directly, hence this press conference. Currently…”

“Then are you saying that you two are not experiencing discord at present?!”

Before Kedilen could begin his explanation, an impatient reporter couldn’t hold back and shouted a question. Ferington gestured to have that reporter removed.

“It’s alright. That’s not necessary.”

As the servants moved to remove him according to his instructions, Kedilen instead responded with a smile. Waving off the servants, Kedilen calmly nodded while looking at the reporter who had asked the question.

“As you’ve mentioned, there is no problem between my wife and me.”

“But there’s something that guests visiting the Marquis’ residence commonly say! That the Marchioness is not seen, can you explain this as well?!”

“Yes, of course. The reason Ludmila is not only unseen at the Marquis’ residence but also not participating in tea parties, social events, and various social activities is that she is currently recuperating.”

“Recuperating?”

As the reporter asked back with a puzzled face, this time a reporter listening from the opposite side shouted, not to be outdone.

“Recuperating? Please explain in detail!”

“You must have seen the article that came out recently stating she was infertile. I’m sure you were all surprised after confirming the contents of that article. Ludmila was shocked right after that article came out, and her health has deteriorated. Because of that, she has gone down to the Erdi Marquis territory and is currently recuperating.”

“Does that mean the Marchioness is there now?!”

“Yes. For those who might not believe, feel free to send someone to the Erdi Marquis’ residence. You’ll be able to confirm my wife’s presence there.”

Of course, even if they sent someone there, all they would see is an impostor wearing a veil, but they would have no way to verify the hidden truth behind that.

“Currently, my wife is deeply hurt emotionally. She even temporarily lost her ability to speak due to the shock.”

“Do you mean she’s become unable to speak?”

“That’s not the case. It’s just a temporary shock, and renowned doctors have all said she can recover again with time, so when the situation improves, she will return.”

Kedilen stepped aside and bowed politely while looking at the reporters.

Receiving a shower of flashing camera lights, Kedilen slowly straightened up.

The arrogant and overbearing expression he usually directed at Ludmila was nowhere to be seen.

“Please, stop the speculations and help my wife, Ludmila, whom the Empire’s people love, to complete her treatment safely and return. I implore you.”

There stood only a husband full of concern, sincerely worried about his wife.