Riona visited Callian’s office.

The space between her fine brows was furrowed.

Callian, who had been handling documents in the office, raised his gaze.

However, as if he had already sensed that Riona would come looking for him, there was no change in his expression.

“……”

Riona’s eyebrows twitched at Callian’s unusual reaction.

But a moment later, she approached Callian with the clicking sound of her heels.

Callian slowly rose from his seat to face his mother.

Riona’s lips parted.

“Callian……”

She spoke to Callian with wavering eyes.

“I heard that Callian ordered the dismissal of the musician I hired.”

Riona shook her head while looking into Callian’s eyes.

“I must have misunderstood, right? There’s no way my son would handle such matters without consulting me.”

A few seconds of silence passed.

As the maids closed the door, an even heavier silence settled.

After a long while, Callian opened his mouth.

“I may be your son, but I am also the head of the Klaus family.”

At Callian’s words, the corners of Riona’s eyebrows rose sharply.

“Callian!”

“A monthly salary of two thousand ling, with bonuses it amounts to nearly fifty thousand ling going to that person in a year.”

Riona flinched.

The musician from the imperial orchestra was handsome, neat, and cultured.

He was on a completely different level from ordinary wandering musicians.

Listening to his songs made her feel as if she had returned to her childhood, allowing her to enjoy a pleasant time.

“What are you trying to say?”

“The price of the instrument he ordered is another fifty thousand ling.”

“……”

Combined, it’s a hundred thousand ling.

Given that the annual salary of a maid or servant is about three to five thousand ling, it’s more than twenty times that amount.

“I am aware that the family’s financial situation is not good.”

Of course, if the Klaus family’s finances were solid, such luxuries wouldn’t be a big problem.

However, Klaus currently has more expenditures than income.

They avoided a financial crisis with Esika’s marriage dowry, but they are still in a state of continuous deficit.

“Even so, can’t I hire one musician as I wish? I’m the mother who bore the duke. If the duke’s wife can’t even do that much, the world will laugh at us!”

An angry Riona confronted Callian.

“You fired the gardener to hire the musician.”

“That man was a thorn in my side. He irreverently scattered fertilizer everywhere, dirtying my feet.”

Riona said, grabbing Callian’s arm.

“I almost slipped and fell because of him. If I had fallen, I could have been hurt!”

Riona’s eyes were trembling pitifully.

She always appealed to emotions when making demands of her son.

And her strategy always worked well on Callian, who had sympathy for Riona.

But today was different.

Callian was just staring blankly at Riona.

This was because he had already finished investigating by calling in the dismissed gardener.

The fertilizer was only sprinkled where needed, and it was true that there had been a conflict with Riona before.

Riona’s most cherished, noble, and beautiful flower, Faminas, was in her greenhouse, and Riona had ordered to focus only on that flower regardless of what happened to the rest of the garden.

She would get angry if even a few petals of Faminas fell, and she even became upset about the time spent fertilizing other flowers in the garden…

In the end, it led to dismissal, and the gardener expressed his resentment.

He even said he would meet with a reporter soon after, which was quite troublesome.

Callian wrote him a letter of introduction so he could find employment at another mansion and sent him away.

He also gave him some money to keep quiet about what had happened at Klaus.

“Mother……”

Callian opened his mouth.

Riona Klaus, she was still beautiful now as she was when he was young.

However, faint wrinkles were visible on her face, and her behavior seemed to be becoming subtly more greedy.

Perhaps if it weren’t for Esika, he wouldn’t have noticed that Riona was changing.

He would have had to just watch things deteriorate while leaving everything to Riona, regardless of how the mansion was run.

“Mother…… I think you need to rest a bit.”

At Callian’s words, which seemed to come from a big decision, Riona’s eyes wavered greatly.

After a moment, Riona spoke with a hardened face.

“What do you mean by that, Duke?”

Her eyebrows trembled.

“It seems you’re tired from managing the household affairs of the dukedom for so long. It’s my filial impiety for not realizing how much you’ve been struggling and not paying attention to the household.”

He was indirectly saying that Riona’s judgment had become clouded.

“If you wish, Mother, I will reinstate the musician. Mental peace is important at times like this. And from now on……”

Callian continued.

“……I would like you to start educating Esika about household management.”

Riona’s clenched fist trembled.

It was tantamount to saying that Esika should prepare to inherit the position of the lady of the house.

“Callian!”

“The former Esika might not have been qualified, but she seems to have changed a lot recently. If you guide her, it will be of great help in managing the household in the future.”

Callian defended Esika’s qualifications.

Riona was barely containing her rising anger.

Klaus belongs solely to Riona.

Someone like Esika can never replace her.

‘That fox-like wench has sat above Callian’s head and tricked me again.’

She even hired an assassin, but Esika returned safely.

She should have died then; Riona could only resent the heavenly luck.

Riona parted her stiff lips.

“……For the Duke to worry about this mother so much……”

There was no benefit in getting angrier.

Callian was filial but stubborn, often not budging once he made up his mind.

“……This mother is pleased.”

She forced the corners of her mouth to lift.

Callian also smiled faintly at Riona’s response.

“Thank you for not misunderstanding and listening to my words, Mother.”

Riona’s insides had long since burned black.

**

“Ack! Let go!”

“You let go!”

“Kyaak!”

“You insolent thing! A mere ghost lady’s maid!”

Thud- Thud- The sound of kicking echoed.

A fight had broken out in front of the storage room where maids brought consumables.

It was more of a one-sided assault than a fight.

Several of the Duchess’s maids were attacking Sella.

Of course, no one would dare approach while this assault was taking place.

The Duchess’s maids were the most domineering employees in the household.

Above all…

“Heh……”

Yuri, with her arms crossed, was looking down at Sella with her head tilted.

Although her position had weakened after being absent for three months due to an investigation, she was regaining her place as the head maid by currying favor with the Duchess again.

The task Yuri was focusing on the most these days was the cultivation of Faminas, the flower cherished by the Duchess.

She had to check on it eight times a day, so she only slept five hours a day, but Yuri was doing anything for her ambition.

“Sob…… Huk……”

Sella, beaten up by the maids, glared at Yuri with her split lip.

Callian had ordered to replace her bedding with the best in the mansion, and the blue swan feather bedding was the best.

The servants had changed the blanket, but the pillow took a little more time, so she had come here directly to receive the replacement.

But Yuri and the Duchess’s maids happened to be there, and Sella ended up being bullied.

“Oh my, what should we do about this, Sella?”

Yuri held a grudge against Sella for telling the truth in front of Callian during the previous cane incident.

“You were acting so arrogant about taking a pillow made of blue swan feathers, but now your face will turn bluish-green like a blue swan.”

The Duchess’s maids cackled at Yuri’s words.

Sella spat out saliva mixed with blood and glared at Yuri.

Yuri raised the corners of her mouth at the unyielding gaze.

“You’re still as reckless as your master, unable to discern the situation.”

And she approached her and slapped her cheek hard.

With a slap sound, Sella’s face turned sharply to the side.

But Sella glared back at Yuri with fiery eyes.

“The one unable to discern the situation is you, Head Maid.”

“What?”

“Betraying the lady who was your friend, embezzling the lady’s jewels, flattering the Duchess and tormenting the lady… What do you think is the reason the Duchess keeps you by her side?”

Yuri’s eyebrows twitched.

“It’s to break the spirit of the Duchess and humiliate her. And when that purpose is fulfilled and you become useless, what do you think will happen to you?”

Sella’s words hit Yuri’s weak spot.

Riona despises Esika terribly.

So Yuri knows well that she herself is just a tool to strike at Esika.

Riona wants to drive Esika out someday, and after that…

“Heh……”

But Yuri laughed as if it was ridiculous.

No one would know. Even Riona wouldn’t imagine.

That even if Esika is driven out, Yuri has returned to this mansion with a weapon to spread her roots.

“You’re as stupid as your mas……”

“The stupid one would be you, Yuri.”

Yuri’s shoulders flinched at the voice flowing from behind.

“You dare to touch my maid?”

As she turned her head, Esika was there with a chilling smile, having approached without anyone noticing.

The Duchess’s maids, who had been snickering, froze stiff.

“……”

In the past, none of the maids would have cared whether Esika appeared or not.

But in just a few months, everyone was flustered and restless.

Yuri didn’t like this situation.

“……Esika……”

To her, who called the name through gritted teeth, Esika spoke in a low, commanding tone.

“Kneel. Head Maid.”

At the firm command, Yuri’s pupils wavered violently.