“Yuri, what is this vulgar dress? Are you seriously thinking of going to the palace like this?”

Riona frowned at Yuri’s attire.

Her red dress was cut too low in the front, and the skirt was slit so high that her knees showed when she walked.

Her makeup was too heavy and she reeked of perfume.

Baby Aaron, with a large mole on the bridge of his nose, had grown chubby at around 100 days old and was nestled in Riona’s arms.

“What’s wrong with me?”

Yuri retorted, turning sharply to face Riona.

“Do you think that’s appropriate attire for a duke’s wife? Even courtesans would dress more modestly.”

“Ha, duchess? Is he a duke now? He’s just the wife of a mere viscount… who cares what a viscountess wears?”

Riona raised her eyebrows in anger.

“What? Mere viscount? How dare a lowborn like you, not even as good as that Esika girl from a baron’s family, speak of our Callian?”

“Esika, Esika! That damned Esika! Don’t even mention her name. I’m saying that the great Viscount Callian Klaus’s salary is too small…”

Yuri lifted her skirt hem as she continued.

“…to afford anything better than this dress. Without the ability of the noble viscount that Esika discarded… And look at your dress, Mother. It’s 10 years out of fashion in society. How much will others criticize?”

“You wench…!”

“Even Her Majesty the Empress doesn’t seek you out anymore. She must be embarrassed. The state of our Klaus family!”

Riona, having placed Aaron in his crib, lunged straight at Yuri.

She struck her and grabbed her hair.

“Aagh! Let go!”

“Die, you lowborn wench!”

Yuri also pushed at Riona’s shoulders and hit her back.

“A commoner-born like you is the more lowborn one!”

Sounds of hitting and cursing echoed as they fought, and Aaron began to cry.

Callian, entering at the sound of the baby’s cries, frowned and shouted angrily.

“What are you doing!”

“Callian!”

As soon as she saw Callian, Riona shoved Yuri away.

Then she rushed to him, clinging as she spoke.

Her hair was a mess and her lip was split.

“I’ve never seen such an ill-mannered wench. How dare she to her mother-in-law who is like the heavens… We must throw out this kind. What will Aaron learn?”

“That’s enough.”

When Callian snapped in an irritated voice, Riona’s eyes wavered.

Yuri glared at Riona, twisting her lips.

Then she turned abruptly and went towards the mirror.

She needed to fix her disheveled dress and hair for going out.

“Callian…!”

“I’m sick of it all. So please, stop.”

Riona, who had hoped her son would scold Yuri harshly, felt betrayed.

But all Callian felt was intense fatigue.

Since divorcing Esika, he had never once taken Riona’s side.

And he bitterly regretted his past of siding with Riona.

If he had made the right judgment, his life wouldn’t have been ruined like this.

“Get ready on time.”

Callian detached Riona’s arm from himself and turned around sharply.

Riona glared at Yuri with murderous eyes and trembled.

Even after Aaron was born, Callian treated Yuri as if she didn’t exist.

Yuri tried to get Callian’s attention and begged, but after Esika’s engagement party, she no longer clung to Callian.

She seemed to have been greatly shocked by the fact that Esika had become the crown princess.

Even drunk, she would rant at Callian, asking why he divorced Esika, saying it was because he divorced her that Esika became the crown princess.

Esika’s happiness seemed to have torn Yuri’s sanity into several pieces.

After spending a few days as if out of her mind, she began treating Callian as if he didn’t exist.

They merely lived in the same house, not considering each other family.

**

Callian took coins from an old pouch and handed them to the coachman.

Then he stood in front of the palace with Riona, who was holding his son, and his wife Yuri.

Dark shadows had formed under his eyes, and he was no longer the handsome Klaus Duke who had everything and was the talk of young women.

His only possession was a small house no different from what commoners lived in.

He was working at the government office, mainly supervising food and fruit supplies for the military.

His superior was a count who wouldn’t even greet him when he was a duke, and while he used honorifics with Callian, he did not respect him.

It was a situation that daily filled Callian, who had always been in a commanding position, with self-loathing.

“It’s still splendid. Beautiful.”

Yuri’s expression was bright.

Greed dwelled in her eyes, and she seemed eager to cross the threshold of the palace.

“Don’t make any mistakes. This is a chance to greet Her Majesty the Empress.”

Today was the wedding day of the Second Prince Breyten and the niece of Duke Hilless.

It had been just three months since his engagement to the Grand Duchess Heinz was broken off.

They slowly entered the palace, and many nobles were already in the grand hall.

As the three entered, some nobles began to whisper.

Riona’s eyes trembled.

When she wielded influence as the Duchess of Klaus, noble ladies would rush to greet her as soon as she entered.

But now, those who even attempted eye contact were decent, and many ladies she had been friendly with pretended not to see her.

‘Ungrateful wenches…’

The treatment of Callian was the same.

No high seat was prepared for him, and nobles he once associated with either ignored the fallen man or mocked him behind his back.

Yuri’s eyes darted around, assessing the current situation.

‘Her Majesty the Empress…’

The Emperor and Empress sat on a distant, unreachable high seat.

And near them, the Crown Prince and Esika could be seen.

The moment she spotted Esika, her clenched fist tightened.

Esika’s face, with her silver hair elegantly tied up, was still beautiful and noble.

Next to her, Crown Prince Resban, his notoriety as a war maniac seemingly washed away, was sculpturally handsome and noble, a man any woman would desire.

As if mocking Yuri’s life which she felt was unfair… everything Esika possessed seemed radiant.

Her dress, jewels, even the chair she sat on.

“We will now begin the wedding ceremony of His Highness the Second Prince.”

Shortly after, the bishop of the Tameron Temple announced the start of the marriage, standing before the people.

“So the Prince is getting married. It would be good if he matures.”

“Well, I wonder if he can change his old habits.”

Some nobles conversed in low voices.

Breyten’s womanizing, at just twenty years old, was already famous.

It was a well-known rumor that he had been harassing palace maids even before coming of age, and afterwards he would call courtesans to the palace and hold parties daily.

He would also summon noble ladies of questionable character to his room every day, and there were women who became pregnant and then disappeared.

It was the complete opposite reputation of the Crown Prince, who had never had a rumor about women before marrying the Crown Princess.

“…”

A pair stood before the priest, the man being Prince Breyten.

And beside him stood the niece of Duke Hilless.

Though she wore a veil, it was immediately apparent that she was not a beauty.

Everyone knew this was a kind of political marriage.

Duke Hilless, though not possessing great wealth or power, had wide connections and was followed by many nobles.

He would provide a good support base for the Second Prince, who had only bad rumors unlike the Crown Prince with his clear military achievements.

Yuri looked at the bride’s back with cold eyes before turning around.

There was someone she needed to meet.

“You, where are you going?”

To Riona’s words, she replied coldly.

“Don’t look for me for a while.”

Since her husband and mother-in-law were incompetent, she had no choice but to move on her own.

**

Esika was watching the wedding ceremony with calm eyes.

Though it was a period of self-reflection, an imperial order had come down to attend only official events like weddings, so she was seated together with Resban.

Prince Breyten’s face and neck were slightly flushed, as if he had been drinking since morning, but the princess bride seemed unconcerned, looking expressionless.

Unlike the previous Grand Duchess Heinz, she didn’t seem the type to dream of love.

Perhaps that was less painful to see.

A marriage where one person wants to be loved, but is not loved… it reminded Esika of her old memories.

Anyway, as soon as the wedding is over, the prince is scheduled to leave alone for Eunibs, so the princess bride will only have to deal with the empress.

“…”

Lost in thought, she suddenly felt Resban’s hand touch hers.

Esika looked at Resban, and he slightly twisted his lips before holding her hand.

Esika, a bit startled, stared blankly at him for a moment before saying,

“People are watching, Your Highness.”

“That’s why I’m holding it.”

His low voice was heard.

Resban wasn’t the type of man to engage in skinship regardless of time and place.

He always looked at her with eyes that seemed to yearn, but that was separate from this.

So why today… as she thought this, Esika suddenly met someone’s eyes.

“…”

It was Riona, looking this way with an expression as if she had bitten a bitter herb.

In her arms was a baby of about 100 days, likely her grandson.

And beside him, Callian with a haggard face could be seen.

He was looking at Esika with intense eyes, but his appearance was completely different from his once impeccable self.

‘Is that baby… Callian and Yuri’s child?’

They seemed to have formed a completely new family now.

Esika twisted her lips and turned her gaze away, and Callian’s eyes wavered.

Whether they were happy or miserable, Esika no longer cared about them.

They were no different from discarded old shoes to her now.