ELND Chapter 11

“It really hits me now—how much the world has changed.”

Duke Bold, dressed in a refined formal suit, gently set down his teacup.

Whether it was due to his tall frame and imposing build, or the elegant tan of his Southern heritage, the middle-aged man exuded a charismatic presence.

“Just six years ago, the Roman Kingdom was a barbaric northern state. Yet now, they’ve driven the mighty Kachis Empire into exile and founded the Western Empire…”

“……”

“And now, people are desperate for the goods of the lowly demonic race—even more so than for those from Northerners… Ha! You really see it all if you live long enough.”

Duke Bold leaned back on the sofa, slowly crossing his long legs.

“Moreover…”

The subtle smile on his face gradually turned cold.

“Even the day has come when Her Grace, the Duchess, dares to keep her own father waiting.”

Not checking the schedule list had come back to bite me.

‘No wonder everything’s been going too smoothly for a villainess reincarnation…’

According to Mina, Duke Bold visited his daughter Rebecca once every quarter.

And Rebecca had always wanted herself and the duchess’s residence to appear perfect during those times.

‘That’s why the entire staff was rushing about this morning.’

I only realized that too late.

If I had known earlier, I would’ve called off the big cleaning and served cheap tea instead.

‘No, better yet, I should’ve just stood him up.’

While the Duke of Twins still believed that Rebecca and her father had a warm, loving relationship, I thought otherwise.

‘What kind of “loving” father ignores his daughter when she’s rotting away in a tower?’

In the middle of the novel, villainess Camilla had sought out Duke Bold, asking him to support her.

“Lady Robelia is already trying to take Rebecca’s place! Can you imagine how upset she’ll be if she learns about this from her prison tower?”

She had used Rebecca to gain the Duke’s sympathy, but Bold’s response had been cold.

“She was forced into a divorce… That foolish girl! If a child can’t benefit me, they’re of no use to me!”

And yet, Duke Bold ended up backing villainess Camilla.

His true goal? To push out the heroine and place his second daughter—born of his mistress—into the duchess’s seat.

‘I need to sever ties with this man for good.’

Concealing my hostility, I slowly curled my lips into a smile.

“In any rising culture, there’s a fierce momentum when it ascends, and only a useless pride when it falls.”

Duke Bold’s brow slowly furrowed at my words.

“Oh dear, I didn’t mean to disregard your years of wisdom. I simply meant that the fall of the Kachis Kingdom to the Roman Kingdom and the half-blood demons was…”

“Kachis. Kingdom,”

he emphasized condescendingly, correcting my pronunciation.

“…How curious. The Duchess, talking back to me?”

“……”

“Seems you’ve become quite the Northerner. With your subversive, dangerous values… and that vulgar accent, too.”

He cast a scornful glance around the sitting room, as if disgusted by anything Northern.

“But do try not to forget—we are Southerners, from the heart of the Kachis Kingdom.”

It was then that I finally understood why Rebecca had poured so much effort into decorating the sitting room every time her father visited.

‘Every visit, he must’ve been hellbent on degrading the culture she was living in.’

One would think Duke Bold had been forcefully assimilated into the Western Empire based on his attitude…

But the truth was, he had chosen naturalization of his own volition.

In other words, he was a defector from the fallen Kachis Kingdom.

He even gave up half of his estate as a condition to retain his noble title.

‘And now he walks around like some noble patriot? What a joke.’

The way he postured like a refined Southern noble—every gesture, every tone—it was all too obvious.

An illegitimate child of the Bold family, once a starving rat in the slums before being officially recognized.

All his effort to hide that shameful past was laughably transparent.

Just as I was suppressing the urge to scoff, he cleared his throat lightly.

“By the way, what’s going on with the whole spending-the-night-with-the-Duke matter?”

“…What?”

I stared at him in shock.

‘Did a father really just ask that of his daughter?’

But Duke Bold looked irritated by my reaction.

“You promised—this quarter, no matter what, you would spend a night with the Duke.”

“……”

“Don’t tell me you’ve failed again?”

When I didn’t answer, his expression turned increasingly enraged.

“Y-You idiot…!”

With a growl, he swiped the table in frustration.

Clatter—!

With a sharp sound, shattered porcelain scattered across the floor.

“Useless wench! I told you—it only takes one night! Just one! You can’t even seduce a man with all your limbs intact?!”

He leapt up, pointing a trembling finger at me, his face red with fury.

“You’re the wife of the second most powerful man in the Empire! Do you have any idea how hard I worked to get you that position?!”

Rebecca had never once shared a bed with Cedric during their marriage.

Duke Bold knew it, and he harassed her every quarter about it.

“You should’ve secured your place and helped your father gain power, yet all you ever give me is disappointment! From the very beginning!”

“……”

“While you played the elegant lady of the Bold family, I pulled every string for you! How do you plan to repay me?! You owe me! You owe me everything!”

I simply watched his outburst in silence.

Rebecca may have cowered before this man, but I was different.

To me, he was just a pathetic middle-aged man, blinded by greed and rambling on about money.

“…Father.”

I calmly sipped my tea and then opened my mouth slowly.

“Shut your mouth.”

At that, Duke Bold’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“W-What did you say?”

I smiled faintly and continued.

“If your true background—hidden behind that duke title—were exposed, wouldn’t that be inconvenient? Your current behavior is… what shall we say…”

“……”

“…far too vulgar.”

He blinked slowly in shock.

‘Of course he’s surprised. Even the infamous mad dog Rebecca used to cower before him.’

But it lasted only a moment.

With a furious roar, he lunged over the table and grabbed me by the collar.

“Ha! You dare…!”

I looked him square in the eye and responded coolly.

“‘Dare’? ‘You’? Have you forgotten your own words from earlier?”

“You little—!”

“I am the Duchess of the Twins Duchy—second only to the imperial family in this empire.”

I grabbed his hand and slowly dug my nails into the back of it.

“And you, a lowly noble from a fallen kingdom, think you can threaten me?”

The deeper my nails sank, the more his jaw trembled in pain and rage.

“I may not have spent the night with the Duke, but I am still his wife. You should at least show some basic respect.”

I warned him gently, as if lecturing a child.

Duke Bold, his eyes burning with humiliation, finally let go and stepped back.

“Good. Now sit back down.”

He let out a dry laugh.

“You treat your own father like a child…!”

“Spare me the tantrum and take a seat. It’s your turn to listen now.”

At my cold tone, he bit down on his lip and returned to his seat.

To this father and daughter, the titles ‘father’ and ‘daughter’ were just formalities.

Their relationship was one of mutual use—no love or affection.

And I decided to take full advantage of that fact.

‘There’s no reason for me to keep bowing to him. If anything, it should be the other way around.’

Rebecca may have once longed for his affection, but I had no reason to.

In fact, until the divorce was made public, I needed to keep him at a distance and end this tie once and for all.

‘That’s the only way to avoid getting caught up in any fallout later.’

I calmly sipped my tea and gathered my thoughts.

Then, setting the teacup down, I spoke again.

“From now on, don’t visit without my invitation.”

“What? Are you insane—!”

“The only reason I tolerated your actions so far was because you were my father.”

“……”

“Don’t make me start calling you Duke Bold.”

At that icy warning, his eyes widened.

Time passed in silence.

Eventually, Duke Bold forced himself to smile as he exhaled slowly.

“…Well, I suppose that’s not the point. This foolish father has been out of line, Your Grace.”

He bowed his head slightly, the corner of his lips twitching faintly.

“Then at the very least, maintain your position until you’ve… consummated the marriage. That’s all I require to get what I want.”

“……”

“But if you fail to rekindle the relationship and end up divorced before that…”

The muscles in his clenched jaw twitched violently.

“The divorce settlement will go to me—the head of your birth family. You won’t see a single coin of it.”

I frowned, stunned.

“What? On what grounds do you—”

“It’s the law of the Empire. A divorced woman’s settlement first goes to her birth family’s head. And I can do whatever I want with it.”

He rose as if to leave, then leaned toward me and whispered coldly.

“Acting haughty as a duchess—I can tolerate that.”

“What?”

“But do what you promised. If you fail…”

His eyes gleamed with frigid malice.

“I’ll make sure you end up penniless, groveling in the gutter.”