Demian’s voice was calm and his expression unchanged, but his golden eyes were glinting like those of a wild beast.

The moment their eyes met, the Dowager Duchess felt a chill run down her spine. It was a look that suggested he would do anything to achieve what he truly wanted.

Instinctively feeling a sense of crisis, she deliberately raised her voice louder. She had the intuition that if she gave in here, she would be giving in forever.

“Ha! How dare you talk back to me. Have you lost your mind, so obsessed with a woman?!”

“Was there ever any sanity in our family to begin with? It’s amusing that we’re both equally out of our minds.”

Demian stepped forward with a sneer. With a physique larger and more robust than his father’s, he exuded an intimidating presence.

The little child who once only came up to the Dowager Duchess’s chest, pushed around by the whole family, was now gone.

“Or would you prefer that I go down to the duchy and do the same to Father?”

“You scoundrel! Just try to touch our Alex! I will never let you get away with it!”

“Then keep quiet. As you said, I’m obsessed with a woman, so I can’t stay still if you touch my wife.”

As Demian said this, there was no longer even a formal smile on his lips. Realizing it was a sincere warning, the Dowager Duchess was at a loss for words.

Arasila, who had been watching the situation with great interest over Demian’s broad shoulders, suddenly sensed a presence at the door and turned her head.

Through the partially open door, Audrey was making very urgent gestures.

Hmm, what is she saying?

‘Sister…? Ah, sister has come? Um… with Mother?’

They’re behind you right now, Audrey?

Arasila’s eyes widened as she perfectly interpreted the maid’s signals. To think her family was waiting outside the door.

She hadn’t planned to show them such a scene and quickly racked her brain.

‘Stay calm, this could be an opportunity.’

Currently, Demian was taking his wife’s side and confronting his grandmother.

Thinking positively, this was exactly the display of marital harmony that Arasila had wanted.

‘It would be better to show a more intimate scene, right?’

Following the image of a husband fighting for his wife, if she could also show a direct expression of affection, it would further demonstrate their closeness.

“Demian.”

“…?!”

So Arasila suddenly called Demian’s name and hugged him from behind. Demian’s body, not immune to skinship, froze.

Gently pulling his arm to drape it over her shoulder and snuggling into his broad chest, Arasila spoke in a very soft but clear voice.

“Tell me you love me right now.”

Following the sudden skinship, Demian’s eyes wavered at the abrupt demand for a confession.

Feeling his body stiffen even more than before, Arasila stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear,

“My mother and sister are here, so hurry!”

Snapping to his senses at those words, Demian lowered his hands to wrap around Arasila’s waist. This created a more natural embrace between them.

“My wife is the person I love most in this world. I will no longer stand by and watch Grandmother’s misdeeds.”

“If you won’t stand by, what do you intend to do?”

“I’ll give you exactly three days. If you don’t leave by then, I’ll have my subordinates forcibly evict you.”

At the threat of being forcibly thrown out if she didn’t leave voluntarily, the Dowager Duchess grabbed the back of her neck. How dare he threaten me like this!

But she couldn’t leave the mansion until she had restored her honor and reputation that Arasila had dragged through the mud.

Moreover, if it was a woman cherished by the grandson she hated, she felt compelled to keep her close and torment her to feel better.

“You think I’ll leave just because you say so? I absolutely won’t―!”

“That’s enough, Dowager Duchess.”

An elegant voice cut off the highly agitated Dowager Duchess’s words.

The startled Dowager Duchess whirled around. The Duchess and Iris were entering through the now wide open door.

“Duchess Hugo…?!”

“This is the children’s home, not ours as elders. As the young lord said, please return to the duchy.”

The Duchess smiled gently as she calmly looked at her daughter who was clinging tightly to Demian.

Demian had unconsciously tightened his grip, pressing Arasila’s cheek against his chest and shoulder.

“Duchess, do you dare to interfere in the affairs of House Vandermir?”

“I am only intervening in my daughter’s affairs.”

“Your daughter is married and has become a member of House Vandermir!”

The Dowager Duchess thundered. She held the conservative view that a married woman became part of her husband’s family.

But that wasn’t the only reason she was so brazen even in the current situation and in front of the Duchess.

If the Duchess became enraged by this, she might look unfavorably upon Demian as well, and might even urge her daughter to divorce.

That was precisely what the Dowager Duchess had originally hoped for, so she was deliberately putting on a shameless attitude.

“You have no right to interfere in the current situation!”

“I see.”

In fact, the Duchess was also an old-fashioned person and had no objections to her married daughter joining her son-in-law’s family.

However, she was also a mother who loved her daughter so much that she had even accepted her declaration of lifelong singlehood. She was not the type to stand by and watch her daughter be humiliated just because it was another family’s business.

“Then I will speak as the mistress of House Hugo. Please return to the duchy and stop this.”

Despite her icy expression, the Dowager Duchess flinched at the gentle voice.

While she might ignore her granddaughter-in-law’s mother, she couldn’t easily dismiss the mistress of House Hugo.

She had constantly disregarded Arasila and pressured her using House Vandermir, but in truth, House Hugo was not a family to be trifled with.

House Hugo was considered one of the top noble families in the empire, right after the three ducal houses.

Even the Dowager Duchess would find it difficult to treat the mistress of such a family carelessly.

“Do you truly not realize that I am already showing great patience and consideration simply by maintaining my dignity here?”

A quiet anger seeped through the Duchess’s expression and voice.

Frankly speaking, even if she were to grab the Dowager Duchess by the hair, no one would blame her, and it would be difficult for the Dowager Duchess to punish her.

After all, the other side had first provided justification for such actions.

But the Duchess did not do so. It wasn’t because she didn’t care for Arasila or because she considered her own reputation more important.

She had noticed that her daughter did not want to turn this incident into an issue and conflict between the two families, so she was holding back despite grinding her teeth.

“If you return without further tormenting the children, I will appropriately explain this incident to the social circles of the capital.”

“…How do you intend to explain it?”

“I will say that you deeply regretted your actions towards my daughter and promised to prevent any recurrence.”

“Are you joking with me now?! How can you call that an explanation―!”

The Dowager Duchess, who had secretly hoped for the Duchess’s intervention, flared up. If explained like that, it would truly make her the one at fault.

The Duchess coldly retorted to the Dowager Duchess who was angrily protesting without any conscience.

“Then what should I say? Should I go around telling exactly what I saw and heard today?”

“…!”

The Dowager Duchess lost her words and her lips quivered. If today’s events were to spread in social circles, it might even tarnish the honor of House Vandermir.

“Dowager Duchess, you are truly a wise and benevolent person. Not only are you the eldest of both families, but also an elder in social circles. If such a person shows an exemplary attitude of reflecting on and accepting their mistakes, everyone will be impressed.”

The Duchess, who resembled her eldest daughter in appearance but was similar to her second daughter in personality, smiled while applying subtle pressure.

If she had angrily confronted her, it might have been different, but coming at her so gently made it difficult for the Dowager Duchess to respond further.

“Well then, I wish you a safe journey. Please return carefully.”

As the Duchess arbitrarily placed her hand on her chest and bowed her head in farewell, the Dowager Duchess could not say a word.

In the end, she left the room, breathing heavily. Not giving a farewell greeting was her last shred of pride.

After the Dowager Duchess disappeared, the Duchess approached her daughter.

“Arasila, are you alright? How are you feeling?”

“I’m much better. You don’t need to worry.”

“Oh, you troublemaker. You’re still worrying your mother even after getting married.”

The Duchess sighed after confirming that her daughter’s complexion was reasonably fine, then raised her gaze to look at Demian.

“Lord Vandermir, may I have a word with you?”

“…With me?”

Demian was taken aback by the unexpected request for conversation. Arasila was the same.

“Mom, why Demian? What kind of conversation are you going to have…?”

“I’m not going to eat your husband, so don’t worry. Is a moment of your time alright, my lord?”

Demian hesitated before nodding. Few people could refuse when their wife’s mother asked for a conversation.

Arasila watched the two leave the room with anxious eyes. She was worried whether Demian could properly handle her mother.

What on earth did Mom want to say to call him out?

Iris, who glimpsed her younger sister’s openly anxious expression, laughed softly.

“Why are you so worried, Ari? Mom wouldn’t say anything bad, would she?”

“Still, you never know. I hope she doesn’t say anything strange to Demian.”

“Oh my, do you like Lord Vandermir that much?”

At Iris’s question full of mischievous laughter, Arasila hesitated for a moment.

It’s not that I like him that much, it’s just that we can’t get divorced because of you, sister…

But on the other hand, she didn’t feel as much dislike as she used to.

‘Is this what they call getting used to someone?’

The garden of the Vandermir mansion was in full bloom with roses of various colors. The gentle breeze carried their faint fragrance.

Demian followed the Duchess, slightly tense. He assumed she had called him out to confront him about Arasila being humiliated by the Dowager Duchess.

He seriously pondered what would be an appropriate explanation and excuse.

Meanwhile, the Duchess who had stopped walking turned to look at her son-in-law. Demian stood at attention as if facing a superior officer.

“I heard you went to investigate monsters in the Eastern Etar Mountains. Was there any trouble?”

“No, there wasn’t.”

“Any injuries?”

“None.”

Demian shook his head awkwardly, as if it might creak.

Although his expression management was excellent, it still appeared stiff to the eyes of an adult, so the Duchess smiled slightly.

“Do you know why I requested to speak with you?”

“…Aren’t you angry that I failed to properly protect your daughter?”

“That’s right. I was very angry at you for not being able to mediate.”

The Duchess quietly observed Demian standing stiffly in front of her like a child called out to be scolded by a teacher.

Anyone with a decent sense of perception would have realized from the conversation between grandmother and grandson that he was at odds with his family.

It wasn’t a particularly surprising fact. The Duchess also knew that the family affairs of House Vandermir were complicated.

‘Oh my, how did our child choose to live her own life difficultly and marry someone difficult as well?’

She sighed silently and spoke with a rather gentle expression.

“While I can’t know the details of another family’s circumstances, it seems the Dowager Duchess tormented my daughter with the purpose of tormenting you as well.”

Demian couldn’t deny those words. Although the Dowager Duchess was originally cruel to her daughter-in-law, this time she had crossed the line because of her hatred for him.

“However, Lord Vandermir, I…”

“I apologize. I know you resent me, but I cannot live without your daughter.”

Demian declared preemptively, wary of what might come out of the Duchess’s mouth.

Clenching his fist tightly, he looked straight at the Duchess and spoke.

“I need your daughter. I cannot exchange her for anyone else in the world. So I will apologize as many times as necessary.”

It was an apology for planning to use and trouble Arasila further for his revenge, but the problem was that a detailed explanation was impossible and thus omitted.

To the Duchess’s ears, it sounded like a son-in-law making a passionate and heartfelt confession in front of his mother-in-law.

“Oh my.”

She covered her mouth with both hands and exclaimed softly.