I Left my Cheating Husband and Married a Beast

Chapter 26

As Beloni sat in the reception room and looked around, she felt a wave of nostalgia.

She lifted her teacup but quickly put it down, realizing for the first time that she had completely adjusted to the Grand Duke’s household.

Even though they had probably served her the best tea available, it tasted bitter and of poor quality.

When Beloni set her teacup down loudly, the head maid, who had prepared the tea, nervously glanced at her.

“Miss, do you not like the tea?”

“No. It’s not good.”

There was no need to lie, so she simply told the truth.

The head maid bowed her head, sweat forming on her forehead.

“Yes… Compared to the Grand Duke’s household, we are quite lacking. Ever since you left… the Marquis and Madam have missed you so much.”

“Head maid.”

Beloni let out a small scoff at the empty words.

“Do you think I’m a fool?”

She clearly remembered the suffering she and Marina had endured in her past life.

The head maid, unlike her, had experienced those events only a month ago. Surely, she remembered everything.

But Beloni hadn’t expected her to lie so shamelessly.

The head maid must have realized Beloni’s meaning because her face turned pale.

“Th-the Madam will be here soon.

She talks about you all the time.”

That part was probably true. Most of what she said was likely insults, though.

Beloni was relieved that Ian hadn’t told the truth about being humiliated by her.

If he had, the Marchioness would have fainted from shock.

Since she hadn’t heard any news of the Marchioness being in critical condition, she could only imagine how much energy she had spent cursing Beloni instead.

“Hmph. She must have been busy insulting me.”

Marina must have thought the same because she muttered it out loud.

Beloni almost laughed at the head maid’s forced smile.

She had seen enough of their pathetic behavior. It wasn’t the reason she had come here anyway.

“Marina, let’s go.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Ah, Miss! Won’t you wait for the Madam?”

As Beloni stood up, she looked at the head maid with unconcealed disdain.

“If you were me, would you want to see the Marchioness?”

The head maid clamped her mouth shut, and Beloni, satisfied, turned away.

She and Marina moved confidently toward the room where she had once stayed. The mansion had never been well-maintained, but the deeper they walked inside, the worse it became. Seeing this, Nosel’s expression darkened.

Beloni noticed and chuckled.

“Sir Nosel, don’t look so upset. It wasn’t that bad. Just kind of bad.”

“My apologies, Miss. I wasn’t judging—it’s just… it seems like you lived in a difficult environment.”

Beloni suddenly realized that Nosel had started calling her “Miss” at some point.

Seeing that he wasn’t disgusted by the filth but rather angry about it, she waved her hand dismissively.

“I understand. I don’t mind, so don’t worry. Oh, I have a favor to ask.”

While they talked, they arrived at a familiar door.

Marina wrapped a handkerchief around the doorknob before turning it.

Even though Beloni covered her mouth and nose in advance, she couldn’t stop coughing as dust filled the air.

The small, shabby room was unimpressive, but having lived in it for 20 years, she felt oddly nostalgic.

As she gathered meaningful belongings, she accidentally knocked something off the bed. When she bent down to pick it up, she noticed something under the bed.

“Hm?”

She reached out and pulled out a small box.

However, she had no memory of it.

“Marina, do you know what this box is?”

“Huh? What is it?”

Covered in dust, Marina came closer to examine it.

She tried to open it, but even though there was no lock, it wouldn’t budge.

Just as Beloni was about to ask Nosel for help, Marina suddenly gasped.

“Oh! I remember now!”

“What is it?”

“Don’t you remember? Your nanny gave it to you before she left.

She said it was the only thing your mother left behind for you.”

“Ah…”

A faint memory surfaced in Beloni’s mind.

When she found out her beloved nanny was being forced out, she cried so much that she eventually fell sick.

In her feverish state, she had completely forgotten about the gift the nanny had left behind.

She had never expected to find it like this.

With a serious expression, Beloni brushed her fingers over the box.

“…I’ll take this too.”

Her mother had left nothing for her.

Except for this box.

Even in her past life, she had never known about this keepsake. Hugging it tightly, Beloni turned to leave.

Just then, hurried footsteps approached, and the door suddenly burst open.

“Beloni!”

A woman, with garish makeup and an unpleasant expression, stood there.

It was none other than Beloni’s stepmother, Marchioness Jerem.

Panting, the Marchioness scanned Beloni from head to toe. Then, she suddenly smirked.

“Oh my, dear. If you were back, you should have come to see me instead of staying in this filthy storage room.”

Beloni blinked.

“This filthy storage room was my bedroom.”

“W-what?”

The head maid hurriedly whispered something into the Marchioness’s ear. Her forced smile faltered.

“Oh, I must have forgotten. I was preparing the biggest room in the mansion for you—”

“Mother, that’s my room!”

Ariel, who had been hiding behind the Marchioness, jumped out in protest.

The Marchioness yanked Ariel back and hissed at her.

“Be quiet, will you?”

Then, forcing a smile again, she turned to Beloni.

“Beloni, you disappeared so suddenly that I was so worried. But when I heard you were going to be the Grand Duchess, I was thrilled.”

Beloni finally understood why the Marchioness was acting so strangely.

Just like the butler and headmaid earlier, she wanted to use Beloni’s new status for her own benefit.

But it was pointless.

‘I have no intention of giving them anything.’

As Beloni stared coldly at the Marchioness, the woman kept rambling about how much she cared.

Beloni found her ridiculous.

“Marchioness.”

“Oh dear, why so cold?”

The Marchioness glanced at Nosel, or rather, at the Grand Duke’s insignia on his sword.

Ah, there was another reason she was being overly polite.

She couldn’t afford to mistreat Beloni in front of the Grand Duke’s knight.

Beloni decided she was done tolerating this.

“I’ll say this clearly so you don’t get any wrong ideas.”

“Yes, yes! But first, why don’t you stay the night? We can talk then. Oh, by the way, is that knight married? He and Ariel would make a lovely couple.”

As the Marchioness tried to grab her arm, Beloni stepped back.

The blatant rejection made the Marchioness’s face stiffen.

“Beloni, how dare you—”

“And how can you keep humiliating yourself like this?”

“W-what?”

“I have no intention of helping this family. Especially not financially.”

“WHAT?!”

The Marchioness’s expression turned vicious.

“You! After everything this family has done for you?!”

“Done for me?”

Beloni smirked at the Marchioness and Ariel.

“That was just payment for my labor.”

Since she was seven, she had worked like a servant—cleaning, washing clothes, managing the household.

She had always known.

She wasn’t living here for free. She was paying for it.

“No point explaining to people without a conscience. I’ll keep it simple: From now on, I have nothing to do with the March family. Understood?”

Saying the words felt liberating.

Beloni’s gaze turned ice-cold.

“Sir Nosel.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Nosel drew his sword.

The chilling sound silenced the Marchioness’s shrieking.

“Answer me.”

Beloni’s voice was colder than ever.