I moved as quietly as possible, but Leuys’ gaze, once fixed on me, didn’t waver until I went from the dressing room to the bathroom and then sat on the bed.

I couldn’t figure out what was bothering him today.

As I tried to slip quietly under the covers, Leuys finally spoke.

“It seems you’ve been coming in too late recently.”

“……Yes?”

“You’ve been consistently coming in at dawn.”

“Ah… I’m sorry, I must have disturbed your sleep.”

I smiled awkwardly and apologized, but Leuys’ discontented look didn’t ease.

Then, breaking the silence, he said, “You don’t need to work that hard.”

“…….”

“Doing just enough to keep up appearances is enough for your responsibilities.”

It was strange how these words, not even harsh, brushed against my heart with a pang of pain.

I had thought myself immune to further hurt after a lifetime of drifting on the outskirts, but a fresh wave of sorrow engulfed me as if experiencing it for the first time.

Perhaps I had unknowingly grown fond of this place, filled only with good memories.

I didn’t want my trembling voice to betray me, so I hesitated to speak. However, forced by Leuys’ expectant look, I finally responded.

“Yes…. I will do that.”

Only then did Leuys look satisfied, withdrawing his gaze and lying down on the bed. I also pulled the blanket up to my face.

‘Leuys really dislikes my working.’

It was a reluctant allowance.

Having someone about to leave knowing the family’s intimate affairs would be uncomfortable, so his reaction wasn’t unusual.

I knew this, yet it still saddened me. I felt like I might cry.

Wishing for the night to pass quickly, I closed my eyes tightly.

Since that day, Roel noticeably lost her spirit.

Watching her, Leuys felt suffocated, unaware that he was the cause.

Usually restrained and somewhat fragile, Roel now seemed almost sickly to him as she sat quietly every day. But for Roel, sitting in the garden, looking at the open sea, she was slowly healing her heart.

In fact, none of the servants noticed her gloom, as Roel had mastered hiding her emotions, a skill honed at the Ibel Count’s house, where even the slightest misstep invited harsh reprimands.

However, Leuys, having spent his life observing and understanding people, almost instinctively noticed Roel’s subtle sadness, resignation, and defeat.

But even he couldn’t discern the reason for her melancholy.

‘Should I say something?’

Frustration sometimes crept in with the passing days, but she remained unaware of his feelings.

Consequently, Leuys ended up wasting the entire day, unable to focus on work. Finally deciding he couldn’t stand it any longer, he finished his work early and headed to the bedroom.

There, as usual, Roel was lying motionless, already deep in sleep, earlier than usual.

The old Leuys would have welcomed this quiet compliance, like furniture in a room, not causing any stir. But the situation felt uncomfortably wrong now. He wanted to talk, but there was no justification for waking Roel.
Leuys was just seething inside today, not knowing why.

After a few days of completely clearing my mind and sleeping soundly, the gloominess had lifted.

‘When I think about it, it wasn’t something to feel hurt about.’

Leuys’ reaction was appropriate for a head of the Rocheater family, and it was a valid warning. Despite disliking me, he had calmly pointed it out.

‘In hindsight, it’s something to be grateful for rather than upset about.’

The day I first came to the duke’s mansion.

When I was offered the contract to transfer all of the Ibel Count’s assets to me, I vaguely guessed that my father must have been unfavorably entangled with Leuys in some way.

I couldn’t know exactly what it was, but if it was significant enough to ruin the family, it wasn’t a trivial matter.

‘The downfall of the Ibel Count’s house in the original story… could it have been part of a plan?’

The Ibel Count wasn’t just wrongfully targeted by the villainous Leuys in the original story; he was destined to be judged for his unforgivable crimes.

If so, being the daughter of the Ibel Count, I would be nothing more than a thorn in Leuys’ side.

Yet, Leuys decided to spare me, his bloodline, and even allowed me to be part of his revenge. Without it, I would have been eliminated quietly one day.

‘Thinking about it again, I’m glad I became a benefactor before Leuys lost his mind.’

Considering all that…

‘Leuys is doing the best he can for me.’

So, I just need to do well. Stay as quiet as possible without bothering Leuys.

But no sooner had I thought this than I encountered a problem at breakfast.

As usual, I was about to finish my satisfactory meal and put down my spoon when I heard an unpleasant voice nearby.

“Are you planning to finish eating already?”

Normally, Leuys maintained a gentle tone and gaze in front of the servants, but now his displeasure was evident.

Quietly, I put the spoon back on the table, trying to appear as if I wasn’t ending my meal, and naturally reached for my glass.

“No… just a bit thirsty.”

But Leuys’ expression remained unyielding.