Not even the dessert shop in town fromst time didnt have such borately crafted sugar cookies.


    [Ive prepared for feasts a lot while working at the Dukedom, but this is the first time Ive seen a cake this pretty! It looks so good; how much sweeter it will probably taste!]


    Itll be sweet, definitely.


    Since its poison.


    The reason I wasnt excited in the face of all these incredulous foods was that. As much as it was clear who had sent them, there was no way they would only be sweet.


    Anyways, stop eyeing it. Im going to return all of it.


    [Why? Such a waste! They say youll be punished for throwing away food!]


    Selene, do you want to be a ve for the sake of one mere meal?


    [..I already am, to you, Madam.]


    Ah.


    With a short but strong acknowledgement, I conceded and let her keep looking. But as soon as I made clear that looking was all we were going to do, Selene blinked and voiced out herints.


    [What did the food do wrong to you? And how do you even know who sent it?]


    Thats because.


    Call in the attendants immediately. Tell them to prepare a bath and food


    What that man had said that day had transferred right into this basket exactly as they were.


    After all, in the huge multiyered basket, aside from the food, a fluffy towel wasid at the bottom, and soap as well as oil to be used in the bath.


    Hmph. What does he see me as.


    He probably thought that the crazy witch was pathetic, to boot.


    I wasnt giving myself a useless reproachthis really was my situation. A woman who was Duchess in title had not only cried and shown all sorts of things to him, she had crawled back hastily to a separated vi with no servants and no lights on. How much worse would it have looked in the Emperors eyes, I wondered.


    Though it wasnt like Id been living like this for only a day or two now.


    ***


    This obvious truth had never felt so pathetic to me before, but I had no idea why I felt so bitter about it today.


    I patted Haniels head as she scurried down my knee and peeked into the basket.


    Were going to return this uneaten anyway. Im a prouddy with self-respect, after all.


    [Madaaaam. Youre curse-ridden, what self-respect]


    The curse is on my body, not on my self-respect. Im a mom now. A mom must keep her self-respect so that the childs self-respect goes up, too.


    ..plus, Im really scared of her brother, you know.


    Completely leaving my real reason out, I let out a dignified sniff. I may have decided to live going with the worlds flow, but men were an exception.


    If I eat this, who knows what new leverage I might be giving him.


    With all the leverage hed already gotten from me, I felt like a marite doll, with countless strings dangling off all over my body.


    And when I thought of the man who could take hold of every single string and skillfully control me, a shudder instinctively ran through me.


    Ughh, no way. Lets not do that with just food.


    [.Then what about this?]


    Whatever that is, no to everything. Its a no, so.


    As soon as Selene lifted the lid off thest basket, my lips gradually stiffened.


    No. I had to say no, but


    [Mo, mo, mommyyy! Look at dis!]


    Watching Haniel as she sank, iling into the sea of colorful, piled-up ribbons, I just couldnt say so.


    [Fwiend Rwibbon came back with mo fwiends!]


    ***


    Lady Melleo, have you been well? Wevee a bitte, unfortunately.


    [You are indeedte. I thought you hadpletely dropped out.]


    There was a hard edge to what Lady Melleo said with her head turned away. But instead of giving up there, I tried smiling innocently at her one more time.


    Hoho. My child had to rest and be nurtured from the shock of that day, so we really couldnt help it.


    [Is that so? Even though there was also this olddy, who was kicked by His Majesty and rolled about.]


    ..