Eilika sipped her tea, setting the china cup back onto the saucer with a soft clink just as Lady Alessia spoke. "Young Master Roman seems remarkably happy playing with the other children. You have truly worked wonders in such a short time, Duchess. It is rare for a child to take to a stepmother so quickly."

"It depends entirely on the person, Lady Alessia," Eilika replied, her tone poised and serene. "When your heart is guided by genuine affection, that is all you have to offer in return."

Lady Willa interjected, her smile sharp and pointed. "Your Grace, that is easy to say now, before you have children of your own with the Duke. The eldest son is the heir to the Duchy of Varos. Won’t you feel slighted then? It is easy to be generous while the path is clear, but when your own children are deprived of that birthright, resentment is inevitable. Jealousy has a way of blooming where contentment once lived." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Eilika fell silent, realizing the futility of trying to make them understand. She knew that, in their social circles, ambition for one’s children was the standard, but her perspective remained entirely different.

"Has the Duke truly moved on from the late Duchess?" Lady Marley asked, her eyes searching Eilika’s face with curiosity. "Liliana was a friend of mine. She used to swear that the Duke would never bring another woman into his life." She let out a sharp, dismissive laugh.

Eilika felt a jolt of discomfort at the sound.

"She was quite like you, actually," Lady Marley continued, her voice dropping into a taunting rhythm. "Always putting on a show of kindness for the world to see. Fate is a cruel thing, isn’t it? Now, her husband doesn’t belong to her anymore."

The air in the room shifted instantly.

"That is incredibly insensitive, Lady Marley," Eilika said.

"Pardon me?"

Eilika met her gaze without blinking. "You are mocking the dead. I suggest you watch your words very carefully in the future."

"I merely intended to point out that my friend’s husband—"

"Are you suggesting that the Duke and his son were expected to mourn for the rest of their lives for someone who could never return?" Eilika interrupted and silenced the table. "Can you truly call yourself a friend of Liliana? Do you honestly believe she would have wanted her child to grow up without the care and warmth of a mother, or for her husband to wither away, trapped eternally in the past?"

She swept her gaze across the silent women, refusing to blink. "I do not think Liliana would have ever wished for them to suffer. Your words betray a profound insensitivity. You, and others like you, have tainted the very meaning of what it is to be a stepmother or a second wife. It is not the circumstances that ruin a home; it is the jealousy and greed that people choose to harbor that destroy relationships."

"I apologize for my words, Your Grace. Please, do not be angry," Lady Marley said, bowing her head. Despite the apology, Eilika caught the way her knuckles turned white, her fingers clenched tightly in her lap, a clear sign that her pride was stung, even if she dared not voice it.

"We also apologize," the other two ladies murmured, bowing their heads instinctively, eager to retreat from the sudden coldness that had filled the parlor.

Eilika watched them for a moment, the heat of her own retort beginning to cool. She realized she had been perhaps more candid than a Duchess ought to be, but she did not regret the truth she had spoken. She offered a small, dismissive wave. "Relax, ladies. I am not angry, but I believe we have exhausted the subject of the past."

"I think... Yes, we have been here for quite some time. We shall take our leave now," Lady Alessia said, her voice strained. She was the first to stand, her movements hurried, followed immediately by her companions.

Eilika remained seated, watching them gather their things. She knew her scolding had stung, but she felt no urge to comfort them.

Joanna stepped forward, signaling for the maids to clear the tea service with efficient, silent movements. Once the room was sufficiently cleared of the lingering tension, Eilika let out a long, weary sigh, her shoulders finally dropping from their rigid posture.

"Did I overreact?" Eilika asked, her eyes searching Joanna’s face for an honest assessment.

"Not at all, Your Grace," Joanna replied instantly, her voice firm and devoid of hesitation. "They were overstepping their bounds, testing the limits of your patience. Women with tongues like theirs are exactly the sort to fuel malicious gossip behind your back. You did the right thing by shutting them down before they grew too bold."

Eilika nodded slowly, though her expression remained pensive. "Have a seat, Joanna."

Joanna blinked, looking genuinely startled by the command. "Your Grace, I couldn’t possibly, it wouldn’t be proper—"

"Just take a seat," Eilika interrupted as she gestured toward the empty chair opposite her.

Joanna hesitantly lowered herself onto the edge of the chair.

"I have no desire to subject myself to such gatherings again," Eilika murmured, pressing her fingers to her temples as if warding off a lingering headache. "The constant pretense is exhausting. I believe I would be of better use assisting the Duke with his affairs. And, Joanna, I have never asked this before, but you served Lady Liliana. What was she truly like? Was she anything like me?"

Joanna paused, choosing her words with careful precision. "No, Your Grace. You and the late Duchess were fundamentally different souls," she replied.

"The former Duchess was not a figure defined by kindness; she was a woman who prioritized her own desires above all else. To be a stepmother is a heavy burden, and I believe that is exactly why the Duke has been able to open his heart to you in a way he never could with her. She was not a bad woman, though. Her end was tragic."