‘Mother. I have something to tell you.’

Melly said as she entered Eida’s living room.

Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she had been crying. But Eida pretended not to notice. It would make things easier for her going forward.

‘Tell me, child.’

Eida said kindly.

‘I don’t think he intends to maintain our marriage.’

‘Why do you suddenly think that?’

‘Just… I got that feeling.’

‘What about you?’

‘I…’

Melly took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the emotions welling up, then continued.

‘I don’t want to live like this either. But if there’s a chance things could change through conversation, I’d like to try one more time. So I have no regrets.’

‘No. Edric won’t change.’

‘…’

‘I know him well. He’s never tried to accommodate anyone.’

‘Then there’s nothing to be done.’

‘It seems that way. You’ve endured too much already. I’ve been watching, so I know.’

‘I’m sorry, Mother. I wanted to try harder, for your sake too…’

‘No need. The most important thing is the relationship between husband and wife, isn’t it? Don’t worry about me, do as your heart tells you. But…’

‘…’

‘If you’re planning to leave Edric, do it secretly.’

‘Secretly…? Why…’

‘Edric is my son, but he’s a cruel man. He knows divorce would be bad for his reputation. So he’ll try to blame you somehow… using your infertility as grounds.’

‘…’

‘Wouldn’t it be better to leave quietly than face that?’

She had to drive her away like this.

She left behind the few coins given to her in her room, too proud to take them. Well, the luxuries she enjoyed beyond her station were enough.

How dare that thing rise to become a duchess, enjoying expensive clothes and jewels – a lifetime of luxury is compensation enough.

If that girl had directly demanded a divorce from Edric…

Good heavens. Just thinking about it, something terrible would surely have happened.

That boy is so desperately in love with that worthless woman.

Edric may think their marriage has become boring due to familiarity, but Eida knew.

The moment Melly mentioned divorce, he would drive out his own mother and hand over all the rights and privileges of the duchess, including the main house, to her. He would try anything to change her mind.

She couldn’t allow that.

‘After all I’ve done.’

She had smuggled in illegal drugs at great risk, feeding them to her regularly. She did such dirty deeds to prevent that worthless girl from conceiving an heir to the Pelton family, from taking everything Eida herself had cultivated.

She wasn’t always like this.

Four years ago, she had looked forward to the birth of her grandchild in Melly’s womb more than anyone.

Though she hated her daughter-in-law, she didn’t hate her own blood.

But on the day Melly miscarried after slipping on the stairs, seeing her cry in grief, Eida realized one possibility.

‘Yes. There was such a method. Why didn’t I think of it before?’

While she might reluctantly accept a child already born, an unborn child was a different matter.

No one would look kindly on the lady of a noble house who couldn’t produce an heir.

Especially if that lady came from an unremarkable background.

She knew Melly well. She wasn’t brazen enough to hold her head high against criticism. No, perhaps her inner self-loathing would break her even before the arrows of blame started flying.

It was only a matter of time. Sooner or later, the moment that child broke would come. If she managed to endure for a while, then she would make her realize.

In the most certain and cruel way.

Eida waited for that day, brewing and feeding her the medicine regularly.

And she no longer showed her sharp thorns to her daughter-in-law. It seemed better to treat her kindly and affectionately as before, thinking of the future. The same went for her relationship with her son.

“How heartless.”

Eida took out her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes in front of her son.

“She should have at least told me. At least me.”

Edric looked up from his papers.

His eyes glinted sharply behind his glasses, as if trying to gauge his mother’s intentions.

Just when she thought she had overcome a major hurdle, another problem arose.

“How much longer do I have to wait, sister-in-law?”

“I believe I said I would give it to you when the divorce is completely finalized.”

Eida rebuked her brother-in-law who had come demanding money from her.

This was already the third time.

She was sure she had said she would give it after the divorce, but this greedy Earl of Summerson couldn’t wait and came rushing to pester her.

It seems he felt uneasy as Edric’s depression lasted longer than expected. He must have thought Edric would quickly shake it off and move on.

“I can’t wait any longer, sister-in-law. The promissory note is due soon. I’ve already extended it twice, so further extensions are impossible.”

“I don’t see why I should accommodate your promissory note due dates.”

The Earl of Summerson’s expression hardened at her cold tone. He bit his lower lip resentfully and then growled.

“Does this mean I can tell your son about what you had me do, sister-in-law?”

How laughable. He calls that a threat?

Eida wanted to say this:

‘You think you did something great, but all you did was make a small scratch on that naive commoner’s heart. I’m the one who played the decisive role in driving her out. Me.’

But Eida didn’t say that.

Her son was in an extremely sensitive state right now. He was punishing everyone who had even slightly contributed to Melly leaving the house. Hadn’t he already ruined the family of that fallen noble girl who was Melly’s classmate at Roines Girls’ School?

She couldn’t let her son find out even part of what she had done.

She had to somehow persuade him to submit the divorce papers and make a fresh start with a daughter from a respectable family.

For that, she couldn’t afford to worsen her relationship with her son.

“Alright.”

Eida said with a deep sigh.

“Alright, come back in five days with the family seal.”

“Is that a promise, sister-in-law? In five days, the Costal estate will be mine?”

Eida reluctantly nodded.

The Earl of Summerson left with a broad smile.

‘I don’t know why the have-nots always try to leech off those who have something.’

Eida looked at the door her brother-in-law had left through with disgust, then turned away.

She opened the drawer of the side table and took out a list.

It was the personal information of young ladies she had been eyeing for some time.

She intended to bring in one of them as Edric’s second wife.

They say people should be healed by people, after all.

“Let’s see. Who do we have…”

They were all cultured and dignified young ladies from noble families.

Incomparable to a certain someone.

The paint jars on the shelf were neatly lined up like soldiers before a parade.

Black and blue, red and yellow, turquoise and purple, and countless shades of varying brightness and saturation naturally bridged the gaps between completely different colors.

Like the sky changing colors with the passage of time, without any awkwardness.

Most of the jars were full or only slightly used.

But the brown tones were more than half empty.

Leaving aside all the vivid and diverse colors, only the common brown had been transferred from the paint jars to the palette, wearing away there.

Francis dipped the tip of his brush into a deep brown and transferred it to the canvas.

Finally, he completed the pupil in the center of the eye.

He seemed to have been holding his breath without realizing it while adding this final touch.

Whew-.

The exhale he finally released was long and deep, as if breathing life into the painting.

He gazed intently at the painting he had created and thought.

‘It doesn’t look like her.’

But the smile that appeared on his lips betrayed his satisfaction.

‘Still, it’s a better likeness than the photo in the flyers the duke’s family distributed.’

That photo had merely copied her outer shell, without reflecting anything of her essence.

Melly has a subtle aura that can’t be captured in a photo. Like spring buds or late autumn leaves clinging to branches, she seems fragile yet strong, delicate yet tough – a contradictory atmosphere.

The photo had blown away all those characteristics of hers, capturing only her listless appearance of someone who had decided to compromise with life, like a ghost.

Francis gazed at the woman in the painting and pondered quietly.

‘Should I show this portrait to the detective I know? It might yield different results.’

“I wonder. Would it really?”

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him. Jeina Andert had silently come up behind him and was peeking at the painting he had drawn, speaking as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

Francis’s expression hardened at Jeina’s words.

Keeping his gaze fixed on the painting, he said in a chilly tone.

“Didn’t I tell you I don’t like people entering my space without knocking?”

“I did knock. You just didn’t hear it.”

She said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“And I’m saying this because you seem to be barking up the wrong tree, which is unlike you,”

“…”

“Do you think you’ll catch a clue that even the great Pelton duke’s information network couldn’t filter out? I don’t think so.”

“But I have caught something that Duke Edric Pelton’s great information network and sharp intuition missed.”

Jeina’s expression became puzzled at this unexpected statement.

“What’s that?”

“A secret.”

The corner of Francis’s mouth curled up.

Yes. It is a secret.

And one with enough weight to instantly shatter the worlds of several people.