Cain left Somnium House immediately after eating the cake.

“He seemed extremely busy. I heard the Queen summoned him even at dawn.”

Mary made excuses for Cain’s absence in the morning.

Mary recalled this morning. Jane suddenly calling for her, and Jane sitting alone awkwardly smiling on the bed.

Jane looked so lonely then. It made Mary’s heart ache.

At the time, she was ready to scold Cain thoroughly, duke or not, but hearing his circumstances after he arrived with the dessert box, she couldn’t bring herself to be angry.

If the Queen summoned him, what could Cain do? Jane seemed to understand too.

“It appears so.”

Jane gave a faint smile.

She was glad he fulfilled his role as a husband, even if only formally.

And he granted Jane’s request just before leaving.

It was slightly ambiguous whether this could be considered permission, but Jane decided to interpret it favorably.

So Jane immediately exercised her authority as duchess.

“Mary, starting today, it would be best for you to return to being head maid.”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that!”

“I want you to fulfill your role as head maid. You can’t keep being my personal maid forever.”

Mary seemed to think for a moment before nodding.

“You’re right, my lady. Then, shall we hire a new maid for you?”

“Yes. I plan to select one myself. I also intend to replace all of Joseph’s servants.”

During her stay at Somnium House as the future duchess, Jane didn’t just idly eat meals.

For a month, she carefully observed everything about Somnium House.

The routes for food ingredients, how the servants worked, and the attitudes of the staff towards Mrs. Burnett, Joseph, and herself, among other things.

There were aspects she admired, and others that disappointed her.

She was especially disappointed by the servants’ attitudes toward Joseph.

The longer a servant had worked for the Hastings family, the more they tended to disregard Joseph.

Though they didn’t show it openly. Everyone seemed to resent the fact that Joseph, an illegitimate child, was the heir to the Hastings family.

Children are more perceptive than adults. It was a natural evolution for weak children to survive.

Joseph sensed the unwelcoming atmosphere and kept a low profile.

Joseph’s hunched posture, which Burnett constantly pointed out, was entirely created by adults.

Adults who made Joseph feel self-conscious.

It was too harsh for a child. So Jane intended to first replace the people around Joseph.

Cain had said to make Joseph rank first at the academy, but before that, creating a stable nurturing environment was necessary.

It was time to fasten the first button.

“Mary, could you gather some young and cheerful maids for me?”

* * *

Jane replaced Joseph’s maids. Mrs. Burnett heard the news at dinner.

Mrs. Burnett’s lips twisted.

“Jane, what did you do?”

She set down her utensils.

“I changed Joseph’s maids. And I mentioned plans for a major renovation of the mansion.”

“And?”

“I asked when you planned to return to the estate.”

Ha, Mrs. Burnett snorted. It had only been a day since the wedding.

Not a week, not a month, but just one day! Yet she’s already acting like the mistress of this house, even trying to drive her out?

“Cain wouldn’t have allowed it. Somnium House is steeped in Hastings family history. There are countless things that shouldn’t be carelessly tampered with. Well, you wouldn’t know about such things.”

Jane took a sip of water and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Then she sat up straight and looked at Mrs. Burnett.

“Somnium House, built 100 years ago, has undergone three major renovations. During the time of the 6th Duke, the 7th Duke, and lastly 20 years ago under the 8th Duke. You’re well aware of this, aren’t you, Aunt?”

So many renovations to Somnium House?

Mrs. Burnett didn’t know, but she nodded shamelessly.

“Of course I know.”

“You must also know the principles the dukes upheld during those renovations, right?”

“Certainly, dear. You speak as if you know. Go ahead and tell me.”

“Do not change the location of the duchess’s bedroom, do not touch the Star Room with the ancestors’ portraits, do not reduce the size of the study, and.”

“And?”

“Prioritize the convenience of women and children above all. I intend to renovate for Joseph’s sake. So I’m following Hastings family tradition.”

Mrs. Burnett clenched her fists under the table. Unable to grasp the true meaning of Jane’s words, it was difficult to refute.

“Once the renovation starts, it will be quite noisy. I’m concerned it might affect your health, Aunt, since you’re sensitive to noise. Please let me know when you decide to return. I’ll prepare a carriage.”

Mrs. Burnett would openly frown and show her displeasure whenever Joseph made even a small noise.

She would pointedly rub her forehead, claiming the sound gave her a headache.

So Mrs. Burnett had nothing to say.

“Does Cain know?”

Mrs. Burnett asked after taking a deep breath.

“Yes. He said I could do anything for Joseph’s education.”

Since he said to handle it, it was as good as giving permission.

And she had mentioned the renovation to him.

The room Joseph currently used was designed for an adult. The bed was excessively large, the colors were dreary, and there was insufficient storage space for books and toys.

Jane recalled Wolfgang’s room.

Warm-colored wallpaper, a bed just the right size for a child, separate storage for toys and books, lighting designed for good natural light, and a wide desk with a chair that allowed the child’s feet to touch the floor.

Joseph’s room should be the same.

“I understand. I have some business in the capital. I’ll go down as soon as I take care of it.”

Mrs. Burnett said reluctantly.

Instead of thanking her, Jane simply nodded indifferently.

Mrs. Burnett’s role was to be Jane’s chaperone. Now that role was over, it was right for her to leave.

Being grateful for things one should be grateful for, and accepting natural things as natural, these were rules to follow to prevent others from looking down on oneself.

Rules Jane had learned firsthand during her seven years of hardship.

“Let’s eat, Aunt. I specially requested Pudica to prepare this dinner.”

Mrs. Burnett picked up her utensils but was shaking too much to eat properly.

Knowing this full well, Jane pretended not to notice and continued eating while taking care of Joseph.

‘I thought she was docile, but she was hiding her true nature all along? How impudent. Who does she think will let someone like her take over this Hastings house? Not a chance.’

Mrs. Burnett’s eyes grew vicious.

* * *

The day passed in a flash.

Jane looked over the resumes of the maids on the table once more.

They were the resumes of those assigned as Joseph’s maids.

Among those recommended by Mary, she had narrowed it down to exactly ten maids who had experience caring for younger siblings and could read and write.

In the afternoon, Jane met with all of them. And she had them spend time with Joseph. Jane observed them throughout.

Smart, kind, and someone who would respect Joseph as a person.

Two people satisfied Jane’s criteria. They were Letty and Nas.

Jane carefully examined their documents again to see if there were any potential issues.

She recalled Mrs. Burnett’s ominous gaze as she scrutinized her.

‘She seemed to be waiting for me to make a mistake.’

If she found a mistake, she would likely contact Cain immediately. And there was a high chance of reverting what Jane had done.

Jane refocused her wavering concentration.

“You’ve worked hard, my lady.”

Since Jane had spent all her time selecting Joseph’s maids, Mary was still attending to Jane.

“It’s not hard work. Mary, you’ve worked harder than me. You’ll be free soon too.”

“Serving you has been like a vacation for me, my lady.”

Mary joked that the head maid’s duties were truly numerous. Jane burst out laughing.

“It’s so nice to see you laugh.”

Mary was looking at Jane with worried eyes.

“You didn’t eat properly, did you? Because of Mrs. Burnett.”

“No, I ate well.”

Mary told her not to lie as she set down the tray she was holding. It was a light snack.

Jane shouldn’t ignore Mary’s thoughtfulness, but she really was full.

Jane’s nerves were thicker than expected.

Perhaps because of her fragile-looking face, or her unfortunate past, people thought of Jane as a pillbug that would curl up at the slightest touch.

But if she really had such a personality, Jane would have died somewhere seven years ago.

She was weak, but she didn’t live like a weakling. There were times when she endured unfair treatment, but she resisted as much as she could within her limits.

The only one who made her a small and fragile woman was Cain. That’s because Jane was emotionally vulnerable.

If Mrs. Burnett had misjudged her as someone who could be pushed around based solely on how she treated Cain, it was a miscalculation.

The reason Jane had endured until now was because she was the future duchess.

And yesterday, the word ‘future’ dropped from in front of ‘duchess’.

Jane would change, and she would make changes.

Jane smiled and picked up a snack.

“I’ll just eat one, Mary.”

Since she had to work at night too, this much overeating should be fine.

Whether it was due to Mary’s thoughtfulness or Pudica’s skill, the snack was as delicious as the crepe cake Cain had brought.

* * *

“We missed them.”

Nathan, coming out of a shabby farmhouse in the forest, said in a dejected tone.

Cain, who had been standing askew, moved inside. Nathan hurriedly followed.

“There’s nothing. They cleaned it out completely.”

It was their second day in Delphine.

They had immediately raided the Rose Faction’s hideout, but to no avail. The Rose Faction members had taken all the stolen weapons and vanished without a trace.

“It doesn’t seem like they left in a hurry.”

Documents were scattered here and there and drawers remained half-open, but important information and items had been thoroughly removed.

“They must have spent at least half a day preparing to leave.”

“That’s right.”

“How did they know to flee?”

Cain personally closed an open storage cabinet.

For mobility and security, Cain had brought only a select few from the Black Hawks. He hadn’t even requested cooperation from the police force. Yet they had known in advance and cleared out their hideout.

“There’s a spy.”

Cain looked around at Nathan and the Black Hawks.

“Who could it be?”