‘Hold it in. They’re just children.’
I kept repeating it to myself, but honestly, I was so furious I could barely keep smiling.
To see a group of kids ganging up on one, subtly degrading and isolating her…
‘…And that one child just had to be our Bianca.’
I forced my rising anger down and curved my eyes into a smile.
But the more I smiled, the paler the girls’ faces grew.
‘Who would’ve thought I’d ever be thankful for Rebecca’s naturally fierce expression that still looks scary even when she smiles.’
Watching the children closely, I clapped my hands lightly, as if I’d just remembered something important.
“Oh, I should’ve explained why I stopped by in the first place! I completely forgot. I actually came to bring you girls a present.”
“P-p-present…?”
“Yes! I heard Bianca’s friends would be visiting, so I prepared some gifts in advance.”
At my signal, Mina placed the box of dolls she’d brought onto the table.
The girls nervously glanced at the box, stealing peeks despite themselves.
Scared as they were, they couldn’t hide their curiosity.
“Th-this one looks like… me…?”
“That doll looks just like me!”
The girls whispered among themselves in hushed voices, afraid but visibly excited.
‘Of course they’re excited. I had these dolls custom-made to resemble each of Bianca’s friends after gathering their appearance details in advance.’
Despite watching me cautiously, they couldn’t tear their eyes away from the dolls that looked just like them.
‘Looks like they really love them.’
I smiled faintly at their reactions.
“Since I put so much care into preparing them, these dolls should obviously go where they rightfully belong, don’t you think?”
I reached into the box and picked out the doll that looked like Bianca.
Then I turned to her and smiled warmly.
“Of course, the first one is for our lovely Lady Bianca.”
“…Huh?”
Bianca blinked in surprise, glancing between the doll and me.
“It’s a gift. I hope you like it.”
“Th-thank you, Your Grace…”
A shy smile formed at the corners of Bianca’s lips.
She looked overwhelmed but genuinely happy.
“Now then…”
All eyes turned to me again, each girl hoping she’d be the next.
I picked out the doll that resembled Judith and muttered nonchalantly,
“…A blonde one, huh.”
Judith’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
I pretended to think, tapping my chin with a finger.
“Hm. This one…”
I paused for a long moment, still facing Judith, who couldn’t hide her excitement.
Then, suddenly, I tossed the doll over my shoulder toward Mina.
“Throw that one in the trash.”
Gasps spread—not just from the young girls, but from Mina as well.
“Y-Your Grace? That expensive doll? Wasn’t this one made by that famous doll artisan you begged to take the order?”
“What’s so great about it? It looks mean-spirited…”
I looked straight at Judith and added flatly,
“…Like a nasty girl who enjoys picking on others.”
Mina, watching both me and Judith, finally seemed to understand and slowly nodded.
“Oh… Now that you mention it, yeah.”
“See? If we gave this to someone, our young ladies might end up taking after such an ugly doll. That’d be a disaster. So…”
I flashed a pointed smile at Judith.
“Trash belongs in the trash, doesn’t it?”
Judith bit her lip, her face on the verge of tears.
I looked down at her coldly and spoke slowly.
“I told you, didn’t I?”
“…”
“These dolls should go where they rightfully belong.”
My voice grew chillier, and the other girls began trembling—just as Bianca had earlier when they were bullying her.
I stared at the box for a moment before abruptly shoving it toward Mina.
“Throw the rest away too!”
“Understood, Your Grace!”
Mina replied brightly, casting a smug glance at the shocked girls.
All the girls looked devastated.
Judith, in particular, shot Bianca a glare full of veiled threat.
Bianca flinched, visibly frightened.
And that was the final straw that crossed my line.
“Everyone, listen closely.”
I leaned forward, placing my hands on the table.
My voice dropped, low and threatening.
Judith and the other girls looked up at me, frozen in fear.
“I’m going to report all the discriminatory remarks you made here today directly to the Grand Duke.”
“W-what…?”
“And you, young lady—didn’t you say your mother also makes similar comments about half-demons?”
“Y-Your Grace! That was just…!”
“If you’re unlucky, this little story might even reach His Majesty the Emperor…”
“…”
“Your parents will be very troubled, don’t you think?”
The girls’ faces turned white.
In the Western Empire, half-demons had made vital contributions to the empire’s founding.
Which is why Emperor Letitz was notoriously strict against discrimination toward them.
Even as children, these highborn girls knew what would happen if such remarks reached the emperor’s ears.
It could seriously damage their families.
“Your Grace! We’re so sorry! Please, don’t do that…!”
“We didn’t mean it, Your Grace…”
But Judith, despite her pleading expression, nearly screamed in desperation.
“We’re just kids! We’re still immature! It was just innocent playing gone wrong!”
Oh, how clever. Where did she even learn this rhetoric?
Repeating the same words their overprotective parents used to excuse them—now used as their own shield.
I looked down at Judith, curling my lips into a smooth smile.
“Children’s mistakes, huh… That could be true.”
“Y-yes, right? I knew Your Grace would understand…”
Judith smiled nervously, thinking she’d manipulated me.
But I looked down at her quietly and spoke again.
“Which is exactly why this incident should be dealt with properly.”
The girls looked like the sky had fallen.
“Y-Your Grace…!”
Finally, Erica burst into tears and snapped.
“Judith, this is all your fault! What do we do now?”
“She’s right! W-we wouldn’t have said those things if it weren’t for you!”
Judith glared daggers at the other girls before turning back to me.
“This is too harsh, Your Grace! Even good kids make mistakes sometimes!”
“…Do they now, Lady Judith?”
A dry laugh escaped my lips.
“To be precise, what you girls did wasn’t a mistake. It was a wrongdoing.”
“…!”
“Yes, even good kids mess up now and then. That’s when adults should step in to correct them.”
“Please, Your Grace…”
“That’s why I intend to correct this mistake—my way.”
Judith, clearly anxious at how things weren’t going her way, kept biting her lip.
I slowly leaned toward her.
At last, our eyes met up close.
And Judith froze like a statue.
“You’d best prepare yourself, Judith.”
“…”
“Because I’m the kind of person who believes that to make sure ‘good children’ don’t repeat the same wrongs…”
Though my face still wore a calm smile, my voice dropped like ice.
“…they must never be forgiven so easily.”
That night.
Cedric couldn’t sleep and tossed in bed well past midnight.
Eventually, he grabbed a wooden training sword and headed for the training grounds behind the estate.
When he arrived, he threw off his heavy nightgown, revealing a sculpted, chiseled torso.
Each movement to loosen his stiff body drew lines across his firm muscles.
At last, ready, Cedric gripped his sword tightly.
He needed to endure grueling training to escape the storm of thoughts plaguing his mind.
THWACK—!
He struck the training dummy hard.
But his thoughts wouldn’t leave him alone.
“Apparently, those young ladies had already been bullying Lady Bianca in the capital too.”
“Her Grace saw it happen today in the orangery and disciplined them properly.”
Cedric’s grip on the sword tightened.
“Why now…? Why is she acting like this only now?”
THWACK—!
His strikes grew harsher.
“Her Grace seems to have changed a lot. She looks so much more relaxed and happy now!”
“The Duchess must’ve loved you very much. That’s why you don’t regret the divorce, right? Hahaha!”
Grinding his teeth, Cedric swung again.
“Was she truly that miserable during our marriage? Maybe now that we’re divorced, her gentle nature is finally showing again…”
That would mean he spent the entire marriage tormenting Rebecca with his suspicions for no reason.
To rid himself of the guilt, Cedric threw himself deeper into his practice.
He struck again and again.
CRACK—!
A loud snap echoed through the air.
Looking down, Cedric saw the lower half of his training sword shattered and lying on the ground.
It must have broken under the force of his strike.
“…Haa.”
With a sigh tinged with frustration, Cedric looked at the broken sword still clutched in his hand.
“The divorce contract’s finalized. Let’s end it on a handshake, shall we?”
That voice echoed in his head like a phantom.
…Rebecca. Again, it was her.
Cedric shook his head sharply.
“Forget the painful memories. I hope you find a woman you truly love and live a happy life.”
Veins popped on his forehead as he clenched his teeth.
But the voice remained, tormenting him.
“…Take care, Cedric.”
As her last smile came vividly to mind…
A strange tightness gripped his chest, and he reflexively turned his body away.
He pressed his forehead into his hand and sighed deeply.
But then, something at the edge of the training ground caught his eye.
Perched just above the low circular wall surrounding the arena… was a tuft of red hair.
It moved slightly—and then a pair of crimson eyes peeked out, glancing around innocently, unaware that Cedric had noticed her.
Watching her peek around like a curious child, Cedric smoothed a hand over his brow.
And a quiet, involuntary laugh escaped his lips.
“…Ha.”
Rebecca. Again, it was her.
