Chapter 6
Fortunately, the fire was put out before it spread further, and no one was injured.
However, the mansion was completely burned down, leaving only blackened ruins, like melted candle wax.
“You were trying to do a deep cleaning?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, while I was away for a moment, a maid at the ignition site made a mistake, and the fire spread. Luckily, we had already moved important belongings outside for the cleaning.”
Hah. Seeing the butler bowing his head with such a ridiculous excuse made me laugh.
‘Did they really think I wouldn’t notice that this was all planned with Antra?’
Behind the butler, Antra, who stood like a folding screen, swayed the hem of her dress and stepped forward.
“I ordered it. What? Do you have a problem with that?”
“……”
I narrowed my eyes at Antra and then glanced at the butler.
You…! Antra, feeling ignored, blushed as if she had suffered some great humiliation and stepped closer. But unlike in the morning, I had no time to deal with her.
“Where are the moved belongings? Show me.”
When I coldly jerked my chin in command, the butler glanced at Antra before leading me to the back garden.
There, luxury furniture, artwork, valuables, dresses, jewelry, and other important documents from the mansion were stacked. They had no problem burning down the mansion, but these things were too precious to lose.
I narrowed my eyes and looked at them without touching anything. Then, I immediately turned away.
What I was looking for wasn’t there.
“Madam?”
Ignoring the butler, I stepped inside the burned mansion and headed to the second floor despite the servants trying to stop me.
It was also the place where I first regained my past life memories early in the morning.
Luckily, the bed had not collapsed. As I groped underneath, my hand found a small box, warped like melted wax.
Taking it out, I sighed.
‘It’s all burned.’
The box had melted like candle wax, making it impossible to open.
Years of evidence Etricia had collected against Devon had gone up in flames.
‘This was my backup plan in case the will investigation failed…’
Holding the blackened, unrecognizable box, I slowly stood up and stared at the bed.
There, hanging straight ahead, were portraits of Count Buell and me. My grip on the box tightened as a slow-burning rage filled me.
It was a portrait painted on my eighteenth birthday, capturing Count Buell in his healthy days before he fell ill.
‘Hah. So, they moved out all the important belongings, but Count Buell’s last portrait wasn’t important enough, huh?’
As I clenched my teeth, a piercing voice broke through the silence.
“Etricia! Etricia! What on earth are you doing in a burned-down house?!”
It was Antra’s loud voice calling me from the first floor.
Taking a deep breath to suppress my rising anger, I opened my eyes, a cold light shining in them.
When I reached the first floor, Antra was standing with her arms crossed, accompanied by three or four attendants. She anxiously drummed her fingers on her arm.
A laugh escaped my lips.
‘She burned the mansion down to break my spirit, but now that I’m acting unfazed, she’s the one getting nervous.’
Antra scanned me coldly before speaking.
“Your mansion just burned down, and you’re searching through your bedroom like a fool? What, did you hide diamonds behind your husband’s back?”
“Even if I did, do you think they’d still be here? There are too many thieves around me.”
Antra’s eyes twitched slightly. She cleared her throat as if she had something to hide.
She must have thought of the will. There was no way she didn’t know about the schemes Devon had planned.
“H-How dare you speak to your mother-in-law like that? Is this how you treat someone who came running out of concern for you?”
“Are you sure you came out of concern? You didn’t come just to rejoice?”
“Hah…! How shameless can you be?”
Antra shot me a sidelong glance, faking irritation.
“Honestly, why did I even bother coming to fetch such a rude daughter-in-law?”
“Fetch me?”
Antra clicked her tongue impatiently, as if I was too slow to understand.
“Your mansion burned down, so you need a place to stay! If you check into an inn, people might spread rumors that you’re disgracing Devon!”
“Ah, so that’s why you burned down the mansion.”
“…What?!”
Antra’s eyelid twitched.
Humans are territorial creatures. She was trying to drag me into her domain to control and discipline me.
But she was mistaken.
Did she really think I’d break down and cry just because the mansion was gone? That I’d have no choice but to crawl back under her roof?
‘Too bad for you. That won’t happen.’
Remembering the burned box and the burned portrait, my anger flared again. I gave her a cold smile.
“You’re an impressive woman, Mother. You’re always so conscious of public opinion, yet you act so recklessly. Are you trying to gain attention in high society this way?”
Realizing I was mocking her, Antra’s face turned red.
She darted her eyes around, aware that the maids were watching. Anyone who knew her understood how desperate she was to be at the center of social circles.
“You…!”
She gritted her teeth and glared at me, but I no longer had the patience to humor her.
It was time to make it clear that she had no right to treat someone else’s daughter so cruelly.
“Do you have proof that I did this?!”
“I don’t need proof. It doesn’t matter who set the fire anymore. And even if I have to beg on the streets, I will never go to Viscount Dien’s estate. Why would I go there?”
“What?!”
“Why would I go to someone else’s house?”
I enunciated each word slowly, as if explaining to a child.
“Did… did you just call your in-laws ‘someone else’s house’?”
“Of course. I’m divorcing your son.”
Antra’s jaw dropped. She gaped at me like a goldfish, pointing an accusing finger.
“What… what did you just say?!”
There was no point in hiding it anymore.
“Should I say it again? I’m divorcing your son.”
Gasp!
A sharp inhale came from behind Antra. It wasn’t her this time.
Then who…? Tilting my head, I spotted someone standing at the mansion’s entrance, covering her mouth in shock.
‘Lilien?’
I frowned slightly.
“Why is Lady Lilien here…?”
“I-I’m sorry, Countess Buell! I wasn’t trying to spy. I came to apologize, but the butler guided me here without knowing the situation…”
That butler, acting on his own. Just as thoughtless as Antra.
“Um…”
Lilien hesitated, glancing at me nervously.
“If I didn’t hear wrong, you don’t have a place to stay. If you don’t mind, may I invite you to Count Mipedian’s estate as an apology?”
“……?”
