Riona began to rack her brain while forcibly composing her hardening expression.

But there was no way she could know how to react.

‘What is that damned woman thinking?’

Esika calmly continued speaking to Riona.

“You mustn’t miss out on the cake’s specialty. I studied Smichen royal culture so hard for today.”

People who heard Esika’s words would think:

That she was excessively devoted to her mother-in-law who had even attempted to kill her.

Even studying to please her on her birthday, despite being family.

“Unlike other cakes, this cake is eaten from the bottom up, and I heard it’s cut in a special way. The birthday person directly… in an arch shape symbolizing eternal youth.”

As the cake’s shape was unusual, people’s expectations began to rise.

Eating from the bottom instead of scooping from the top?

What shape does an arch refer to?

New food culture attracts the interest of aristocrats.

“The princesses of Smichen couldn’t sleep well before their birthdays, because making an arch in the Gateau was the most exciting event of the year.”

Esika spoke as if reading from a book about what she had read.

“Mother… must have done so too? Although this isn’t Smichen, I hope your name shines forever in both Smichen and Klaus…”

People looked at Esika as if she were remarkable.

She appeared to be a beautiful and wise wife and daughter-in-law.

“Please make your arch, Mother. While praying for Klaus’s glory and your health.”

And she received a jewel-encrusted bread knife and held it out to Riona.

Riona looked at Esika with cold eyes.

“…”

A faint smile settled on Esika’s lips.

It made Riona’s heart beat faster.

‘Damn it…’

She felt like dumping that cake on Esika’s face.

She didn’t know how to make an arch.

There was no way she could know. Because…

“Huu…”

Riona almost raised her hand close to the knife, but then lowered it without taking it.

A quiet silence fell among the people.

“First, I’d like to say thank you for preparing even a Gateau for my birthday like this, Esika.”

This was a plausible method Riona had come up with in a moment.

She thought about pretending to faint, but since she had used it last time, Callian might notice it was a feigned illness.

She put on a sadder expression.

“As you said, I used to eat Gateau in the Smichen palace when I was young. But my homeland is already gone, and the memories associated with Gateau have… scattered into memories.”

Everyone’s ears were turned towards Riona.

Some emotional lady was already sniffling excessively, as if empathizing with Riona’s feelings.

“My homeland is no longer Smichen, but Klaus. I’m no longer royalty of Smichen, but nobility of Tureshian.”

She continued speaking in a trembling tone, as if inspired by patriotism.

Callian’s eyes were flickering as he clenched his fist tightly in response.

That brilliant name that gave up even past memories for Tureshian, for Klaus. Mother.

Esika’s lips twisted bitterly.

Indeed, Riona is a woman who never disappoints expectations.

“So I no longer make arches. Esika.”

As Riona’s speech ended, someone began to applaud.

And the applause spread as if contagious.

Riona looked at Esika with a slight smile at the corners of her mouth.

As if to say you can’t beat me no matter what you intended with this gift.

‘Surely… it can’t be.’

But even while savoring a small victory, it’s unavoidable for anxiety to spread.

Why did Esika make and gift a Gateau cake of all things?

“…”

Esika’s expression alone made it impossible to know her true intentions yet.

If she knows… by any means necessary, she must be made like the people who have learned Riona’s secret so far.

“Oh my. I failed to understand your great intentions, Mother.”

Esika said to Riona with a slight smile.

Esika, with her calm expression, was a woman whose true feelings were unfathomable.

‘There’s no way she could know the truth. If she did, she would have told me and blackmailed me already.’

What kind of woman is that devilish wench?

Riona tried hard to calm her heart.

Esika ordered the maids to cut the cake and serve it to the guests.

Soon the maids began cutting the cake.

The guests received plates and tasted the cake, the specialty of this party.

“…Oh my.”

“It’s so delicious.”

People kept exclaiming in admiration as if Hemos’s skills were shining.

Esika had told him that this party should be special.

Especially this cake should remain deeply imprinted in people’s minds.

The cake that Riona, the princess of the fallen kingdom Smichen, used to enjoy eating.

And the words she said to avoid making an arch.

And even that nonsensical patriotic speech.

Because taste lingers longer than hearing and sight.

Riona ate the cake too. But somehow the taste of the cake felt as gritty as chewing stones to her.

**

The birthday party was over, and Riona, who had talked with guests and seen them off late into the night, went in looking tired.

Esika too, after greeting and seeing off Resban, was walking down the corridor.

‘The reaction to Charlem wine was the best, and Marnel cheese was quite popular too.’

Esika mentally organized the items that had run out from the equally prepared quantities.

She had told Hemos to prepare the best food and drinks, but specified the ingredients to be from Friehatz.

‘There were ladies asking what the Friehatz lobster and spices were… hmm…’

It will take great effort to achieve her third plan.

She’ll need to keep reliable employees like Hans, Hemos, and Sela whom she can trust with work.

Having grown up in Brigitte, she knows the basics of running a business, so if she has good skills… she should be able to make a decent profit.

It’s important to cater to the tastes of the nobles who hold the purse strings, but you can’t gather nobles and feed them one by one to experiment… so today was quite a good opportunity.

And she got satisfactory results.

Above all, Riona will think she turned Esika’s trap to her advantage… but that’s a good stepping stone to amplify the ripples of tomorrow’s urgent news.

“Esika.”

While deep in thought, Callian’s voice was heard from behind.

She didn’t want to be disturbed, but he strode up and stood behind Esika.

And he reached out and turned her to face him.

“Where are you going? You have something to explain to me.”

When she met the purple eyes filled with jealousy, Esika became somewhat tired.

Callian, who had been drinking wine repeatedly due to his frustration, confronted her with intoxication heavy in his voice.

“Answer honestly, what’s your relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Callian’s eyes were red and he smelled of alcohol.

His purple eyes were turbulent.

“…Is that, what you’re curious about?”

At Esika’s words, Callian opened his mouth with rough breath.

“So… are you having an affair? Did you sleep with that son of a bitch?”

Callian reached out and grabbed Esika’s shoulders.

At that sight, Esika was so dumbfounded she felt like laughing.

“Even if that were the case, do you have the right to question me, Duke?”

“You slept… you did? You didn’t? Damn it, speak clearly!”

Callian shouted angrily, his eyes wide.

His jealousy was deepening day by day.

“I am your husband. And you ask if I have the right to question?”

“I didn’t question you about Yuri Anesis.”

Callian flinched at Esika’s calm words.

“Even though you slept with Yuri, and even got her pregnant.”

But if those words made him reflect on himself, he wouldn’t be Callian Klaus.

“I… I am the Duke of Klaus. Callian Klaus of the respected Klaus family. It’s common for men to take women in the process of doing great things.”

“…”

“Esika, your case is different. And getting Yuri pregnant was just a mistake of one night.”

Callian’s hands gripping Esika’s shoulders tightened.

Esika spoke to Callian with cold eyes devoid of emotion.

“Then was rolling around with prostitutes at Friday’s party also a mistake?”

Callian’s eyes wavered at Esika’s words.

He stood frozen for a long while, staring at Esika.

After a long time, Callian finally opened his mouth.

“Did that bastard Gaven Pelope tell you?”

“Does it matter who told me?”

Anger began to boil in the drunk Callian’s eyes.

It seemed like everything in the world was struggling to tear Esika and him apart.

“That bastard told you such things to insult me.”

“I’m asking if it’s true?”

“Whether it’s true or not, it’s just a thing of the past.”

“So you’re saying it’s true. So you…”

Esika was looking at Callian as if looking at something worthless.

“It’s okay for you to roll around with other women, but unforgivable if I do? That’s logic befitting Callian Klaus.”

There are no flaws in Esika’s attack. Callian himself knew it was illogical.

He was the one who started the infidelity first.

But isn’t there such a thing as custom?

Generally, women tend to forgive men who cheat.

Because they have to protect the family.