Jeremiah answered with a stoic expression, finding the situation tiresome.

This wasn’t the first time Jeremiah had faced such circumstances.

In the vast audience hall of the central palace, facing the emperor and the imperial knights protecting him was a solitary task, with no one on his side to support him.

Even as he was attacked by the emperor and the imperial faction’s forces, piercing him with their invisible blades, he had no choice but to silently endure it for the sake of the North.

These audiences began immediately after the previous Duke and Duchess Colsberg had died in a carriage accident.

Jeremiah was twelve years old at the time.

The emperor sought any opportunity to accuse Jeremiah of treason and execute him, finding his presence irksome.

However, he couldn’t do so because the Colsberg family served as a vital defense line, effectively protecting the empire from monsters and foreign nations.

‘If our Colsberg family, guardians of the North, disappears, the empire’s northern defense line will crumble as well.’

After realizing this fact, Jeremiah no longer trembled in fear when facing the emperor.

But the emperor, keenly noticing the absence of fear in Jeremiah’s eyes, began to further oppress Jeremiah and the North.

It was around this time that Caroline’s absurd engagement was finalized, despite the ducal family’s objections.

In an outrageous situation, the emperor ordered them to exterminate monsters while simultaneously cutting off all support to the North.

Whenever the emperor’s pressure came down like retaliation, Jeremiah learned that the easiest way to protect the North was to not react and endure it.

The emperor narrowed his eyes as if he knew Jeremiah’s thoughts.

Realizing that further provocation would elicit no reaction from Jeremiah, he showed a look of boredom.

“Ensure that no harm befalls the empire.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jeremiah answered obediently once again, his expression unperturbed.

The marquis snorted beside him.

“If our Karina is greatly injured or harmed in any way, I won’t stand idly by,” the marquis added in an admonishing tone.

“Ha!”

Jeremiah looked at the source of the sound with slightly widened eyes.

It wasn’t Jeremiah who reacted to the marquis’s words, but Karina.

Unable to hold back her laughter, Karina let out a deflated chuckle.

Just a few days ago, she had a dream where the marquis thoroughly beat her, so seeing him pretend to be a caring father concerned about his daughter was utterly repulsive and disgusting.

She also disliked this situation where he blatantly used her to find fault with and reprimand Jeremiah.

“Did you just laugh?”

The emperor looked at Karina, his expression turning cold.

‘Oh, no.’

Sensing the ominous atmosphere, Karina carefully chose her words.

Going against the emperor’s mood here and now wasn’t a good choice.

Karina put on a gentle smile and spoke gracefully.

“I apologize, Your Imperial Majesty. I was so moved by my father’s deep concern for me that I couldn’t help but laugh without realizing it.”

“Are you saying you laughed out of joy?”

The emperor asked, his expression still stern.

‘Ah, as I thought. Saying I laughed out of joy isn’t convincing at all.’

Karina clicked her tongue inwardly.

‘I don’t like it, but there’s no other way.’

She quickly changed course.

“I was happy, but at the same time, I felt incredibly sad that I can’t see my respected father often due to the situation. The journey to the North is so long and arduous that I deeply regret not being able to visit him frequently.”

Karina placed a hand on her chest, pretending to be overwhelmed with emotion.

“On top of that, you must have heard about me being caught up in a hostage situation. I can only imagine how shocked my father must have been.”

Karina fake-sobbed.

“He must have spent sleepless nights worrying about me, suffering immensely day by day.”

Karina swiftly passed the ball to the marquis.

“Father, am I right? Were you very worried?”

“Ah…”

The marquis seemed quite flustered by Karina’s sudden action.

Nevertheless, Karina was confident that the marquis would agree with her words.

With the emperor, Jeremiah, and the imperial knights watching, he would have to wear that damned mask of a ‘loving father who adores his daughter.’

As expected, the marquis cleared his throat and followed Karina’s lead.

“My daughter understands my heart so well…”

The marquis laughed awkwardly, trying to smooth over the situation.

“This is why they say children only understand their parents’ hearts after getting married.”

Karina’s eyes glinted.

‘Of course.’

The marquis didn’t deviate from her expectations in the slightest.

“…”

The emperor said nothing, but the atmosphere had noticeably eased compared to before.

Although his expression was still displeased, he didn’t seem inclined to make an issue of it any further.

“My daughter is so filial to me. If she’s like this with her father, she’ll be even better to her husband. What great fortune for the Duke Colsberg to have my commendable daughter as his wife.”

The marquis began to ramble on with unnecessary nonsense.

Meanwhile, Karina turned her eyes to look at Jeremiah.

Jeremiah’s expression was unreadable.

“I understand. You may leave now.”

The emperor waved a hand dismissively, as if he found the marquis’s words annoying.

It was a welcome dismissal.

Karina and Jeremiah finished their audience with the emperor and exited the palace.

Marquis Millainer followed them out.

“Karina!”

At the marquis’s call, Karina had no choice but to stop and turn around.

“Shouldn’t you stop by the house and greet me before attending the New Year’s Festival? Come home this evening.”

Karina inwardly scoffed.

She had no intention of seeing him in the first place, and just seeing him in the audience hall was already irritating enough.

In this situation, hearing those words was absurd.

“I apologize, but due to the limited time to prepare for the New Year’s Festival, I don’t think I’ll be able to visit home.”

“What nonsense is that? We haven’t seen each other in a long time. Can’t you just leave the festival preparations to the servants and come stay at home?”

The marquis’s reason for trying to bring Karina home was obvious.

He wanted to ask about the situation in the North and the internal atmosphere of the ducal family during Karina’s stay there.

On top of that, he wanted to lecture her on how she should act within the ducal family in the future.

In the past, Karina had mistakenly believed that these were all words spoken out of her father’s concern for her.

She thought it was all out of interest and affection for her.

But now she knew very well that this wasn’t the case.

Karina’s expression turned dry.

“Father. Didn’t you once say that a married daughter is no longer a part of her natal family?”

Karina brought up the words the marquis had said in the past.

“Strictly speaking, I am now a member of the Duke Colsberg’s family. So I don’t think I can stay at the Millainer residence.”

“What?”

The marquis looked at Karina with an astonished expression.

Jeremiah, who was standing beside them, also looked at Karina with slightly widened eyes.

‘He probably finds it ridiculous that I said I’m a member of the Colsberg family.’

It was understandable.

Having prepared for divorce in time for the New Year’s Festival, it must have sounded quite absurd to claim to be a member of the Colsberg family.

‘But I don’t want to go to the Millainer mansion.’

Pretending not to notice, Karina grabbed Jeremiah’s arm and pulled him along.

“Then, please excuse us.”

Karina and Jeremiah returned to the ducal family’s private residence in the capital by carriage.

That brief ordeal with the emperor felt as exhausting and tiring as if it had lasted an entire day.

It didn’t help that they had just arrived after traveling a long distance by carriage for several days.

As if waiting for Karina’s return, Jen greeted her in front of the residence.

“Your Grace! The dresses you ordered from the capital have arrived. I’ve arranged them all in your room.”

“Well done.”

“The dresses and accessories are all so beautiful, probably because they were made in the capital!”

Jen spoke excitedly.

“Would you like to check them right away?”

Karina shook her head as soon as she heard it, postponing the task.

“Later. Not now.”

To check them, she would have to try on all the dresses and accessories to ensure they fit and harmonized well together.

But right now, she was physically and mentally exhausted.

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

Although Jen looked a bit disappointed, she didn’t press further.

Karina wanted to go up and rest as soon as possible.

After asking Jen to prepare her bedding, Karina headed to her room.

Even in the capital’s residence, Karina and Jeremiah had separate bedrooms.

‘It’s only natural.’

It wasn’t surprising, as it had been this way in the past as well.

The sun had quickly set, and the twilight faded. By the time she finished washing up, the night had turned pitch-black.

Despite the dark night, the moon shone brightly.

Moonlight poured through the window, illuminating the room with a soft glow.

Being back in the capital after a long time brought back old memories.

Karina thought of her childhood.

Every night, before falling asleep in bed, her nanny would affectionately embrace her.

‘Come to think of it.’

She realized she should visit the graves of her birth mother and nanny before leaving after the divorce.

‘I might never be able to come back.’

Although she had few memories of her birth mother, she had heard many stories about her from her nanny.

She had a vague, cherished memory of a kind face hugging her.

It might have been thanks to the nanny.

The nanny had been a close friend of Karina’s birth mother since childhood.

That’s why their bond was stronger than anyone else’s.

The nanny was able to take care of young Karina because her birth mother trusted her more than anyone else.

After her mother passed away, the nanny cared for Karina like her own daughter.

She was the only one who truly loved and comforted Karina when she was secretly abused by her father and living in loneliness.

Karina also followed the nanny well, treating her like her own mother.

She confided in her and relied on her as the only person she could trust.

However, tragically, the nanny was found murdered by robbers on the street.

It was not long before Karina and Jeremiah’s wedding.

It was a bolt from the blue.

Upon hearing the news of her nanny’s death, Karina was deeply shocked and saddened.

But the nanny could never return.

Karina thought of her nanny, who always wished for her happiness.

After barely composing herself, Karina began to focus solely on Jeremiah.

And she became even more blindly attached to him.

‘Perhaps I wanted to fill the void left by my deceased nanny.’

Karina mused indifferently and closed her eyes.

It was all meaningless now.