“The bread is a little dry, but it’s much better with the stew.”

Rubica nodded to that and started to happily eat the stew made of carrot, pumpkin, and beef with the bread. Ann could only cover her mouth with both hands at seeing that.

‘Then she hasn’t been able to eat well in the morning because…’

Ann didn’t scold Elise. She rather gladly split the food in two and put it on Elise’s and Rubica’s plate. Later, she even brought a chair and ate with them.

“Thank you.”

After the meal, Rubica whispered to Elise. She knew Elise had been courageous just for her. She only had a meal with her, but it required great courage since position and rank were very important in Seritos.

Elise was quite touched to hear that as it had been just a small act of kindness. Rubica was the duchess, so she could have taken her goodwill for granted, but she didn’t forget to thank her. However, Elise was the one who was supposed to be grateful considering how much she had been helped by Rubica.

“No, Your Grace.”

She denied it almost instinctively, but she regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth. She should have at least said, ‘I’m the one who should thank you.’

‘But what I have is… it isn’t mere gratitude.’

Thank you wasn’t going to be enough to describe what she felt. She wanted to let Rubica know how much she liked her, how grateful she was, and how she had inspired her. Without Rubica, Elise would have never imagined she could be of help to someone else. She thought hard. How could she deliver her feelings?

-Showing your true feelings requires more courage than using flattering words.

Elise recalled what her mother had said sometimes in her letters. Yes, if she couldn’t think of anything good, she could be honest.

“Your Grace.”

Rubica, who had been wiping her hands, looked up and saw a determined Elise.

“I’m the one who should thank you. I don’t know what to compare the generosity you’ve shown me. There isn’t much I can do, but I would do anything for you.”

“Really?”

However, to her surprise, Rubica’s eyes sparkled.

“You really would do anything?”

Was she about to make Elise do something weird? The girl got a little afraid, but she nodded. She really could do anything for her even if it required her life or was illegal. Plus, if Rubica wanted something, it had to be about saving people in the end, even if it were illegal.

“Then can you wear pretty dresses without fear?”

“What?”

Elise was very confused, but Rubica took her hands and continued, “Please. You should really stop wearing that…”

“Your Grace!”

But what she had to say after that was never finished because of a servant who urgently called Rubica.

Ann and Elise quickly got up and removed the plates and forks.

“Come in. What is this about?”

It was the servant who handled the job of greeting guests at the front door and reception room. As he greeted important guests, he wore much better clothes than the other servants and cared a lot about how he looked. However, he had run here so fast that his hair was in a mess.

‘Is someone rudely storming around the mansion?’

When Edgar first announced he would not get mana quartz, a few relatives had tried to get past the servants and storm onto the third floor. However, there were many stairs and guards in the way. Plus, even the relatives could not trespass into the duchess’ quarters easily.

In addition to that, everyone thought Rubica was pregnant now and the relatives had not come lest they were accused of giving her stress.

“Lord Zilehan is making a fuss in front of His Grace’s office. The butler is stopping him, but he can’t stop him alone… so he sent me to let you know.”

However, the relatives hadn’t come for her. They had come for him. The man who had decided to take all the blame even though it had been her decision. Actually, they wanted to grab him and accuse him of making such a decision in the first place, but that had been impossible because he went to the king’s castle.

Moreover, he had come back as soon as he heard about Rubica’s pregnancy. He had come in such a hurry that he had completely forgotten about getting the king’s help.

‘Oh, I should have told him to take refuge in the king’s castle.’

But last night, he had moved her to the bed and left after seeing her sleeping well. She had wanted him to stay at the mansion a little more.

“Where’s Lord Zilehan?”

It was all happening because of Rubica’s insistence, so she decided to take care of it. She couldn’t let him handle this alone.

“In front of the office.”

“Take me there.”

Ann, however, quickly stopped her.

“Your Grace, you aren’t dressed properly yet, and your hair hasn’t been done either.”

Rubica was wearing an indoor dress, but she wasn’t wearing any piece of jewelry. In addition, she had let her hair loose to eat more comfortably. It was certainly not right to appear like that in front of the relatives.

“Let us at least do your hair.”

“But Lord Zilehan might push Carl aside and get into the office while I linger here.”

Even though Carl was Edgar’s loyal right-hand man, he was a butler. There wasn’t much he could do if the relatives used their rank as their weapon.

“Your Grace, you don’t have to worry. There are many guard knights there.”

“Ann, even I don’t send him a message when he is working in his office in order to not bother him. I cannot let those relatives storm in there like this.”

However, Rubica was stubborn. She hadn’t forgotten how Mrs. Shaynie had gotten into Edgar’s office while he was working by using her name. Not to mention this was also happening because of her, so she didn’t want Edgar to be humiliated. They had to buy time until he got the king’s consent.

‘I must tell him to go to the capital in the evening before something even worse happens.’

And today, she was going to buy time for Edgar.

“Carl asked for my help. It must mean the situation is urgent, so stop talking about my hair and let’s go.”

“But…”

Actually, the hair had been an excuse. Ann just wanted to stop Rubica from getting into that trouble. Even though her pregnancy had not been real, Rubica was her mistress. She had to protect her. Of course, she was supposed to be loyal to Edgar, but she didn’t feel like he needed her protection.

However, when she looked into Rubica’s firm auburn eyes, she closed her mouth. She was overwhelmed by her aura. It was hard to believe a girl at the age of 22 had such an aura. Ann felt like what she had felt when Edgar’s grandmother, the duchess who had controlled the noble society, used to stare at her.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Ann answered like a mouse in front of a serpent, and Rubica liked that answer. She started to follow the servant while looking like a general marching to the battlefield.

Ann thought maybe she had been wrong. Maybe she had been a little overprotective when it came to Rubica. Was it because she looked young and couldn’t ignore children in trouble like Elise?

“Elise, we should go too.”

“Yes, Mrs. Taylor.”

“If anything happens, we must use force to stop them.”

Elise knew what she meant by that.

According to the mansion’s order of rank, the butler was superior to the ladies-in-waiting. Even they couldn’t object to Carl’s decisions, but there was an important difference between them. Although the butler was a commoner, Ann and Elise were nobles.

Even if Carl tried to stop Edgar’s relatives, they could have their own guards drag him out. However, even those mighty aristocrats couldn’t do that to the ladies-in-waiting. No matter how poor they were, no matter how low in rank their families were, ladies-in-waiting were nobles. Anyone who used violence on a noble lady would lose their honor. If the harm was serious, he could get excluded from the nobles’ list. That was why Carl had urgently asked for Ann’s help.

‘But he could have just sent me…’

Ann looked at Rubica’s back as she walked in front. Average height and average size. She hadn’t had the time to get prepared, so she did not have the dignity of a duchess today. But to Ann, that back looked extremely wide and sturdy. She felt like she was following a giant.

Actually, Ann was thinking Carl was overreacting. The butler had been practically worshipping Edgar. He had been loyal to his former master, Edgar’s father, but he was a little too loyal to Edgar, probably because of the shock he got after Edgar’s parents’ unfortunate death. Ann’s overprotectiveness about Rubica was nothing compared to that.

Even if Lord Zilehan got into the office, Edgar could kick him and his associates out for disturbing him while working. He had a diligent guard, Stephen, and he obeyed the duke and the duke only.

Ann didn’t know what kind of people Zilehan had brought with him, but there was no way they could overcome Stephen.

Nevertheless, Rubica didn’t let Carl and Ann handle this. Instead, she was going there herself to face the relatives who had always looked down on her. She had no authority, no power, and almost no dowry. However, she was still trying to protect her husband.