Anastasia lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling with cold, calculating eyes. The silver mantle was back on her shoulders. She had listened long enough. The humiliating spectacle of her proud knight curled up on that home-wrecking maid's knees was still freshly burned into her retinas. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Rem's face—flushed, pathetic, yet dripping with the smug satisfaction of a thief who had successfully stolen a crown jewel.
Look at how easily she manipulates him, Anastasia thought, her teeth grinding together so hard her jaw ached with a dull, throbbing pain. Calling me a control freak while she plays the tragic, submissive to win his pity. She acts like a saint carrying a 'punishment,' but she's nothing but a deceitful parasite sucking the life out of my marriage. I gave her shelter, I gave her a purpose, and she repays me by turning my husband into a desperate dog begging for her lap.
The sheer disrespect of it broke whatever patience Anastasia had left. Enough playing nice. She sent her thoughts clearly and sharply through the mental connection.
"Yae, listen carefully. After they arrive at the hot springs, I want you to observe them closely. Find a moment when you can meet Julius alone. I need to speak with him privately."
Yae's voice came back promptly, her previous playfulness completely vanished after the severe lashing she had received. "Understood, my lady."
Anastasia's tone grew darker, filled with venom. "If Rem thinks this is going to end with her simply carrying the guilt of cheating alone... then she's dead wrong. I will make sure she doesn't get to enjoy her little conquest so easily."
She took a slow, rattling breath, her bandaged hands tightening over the bedsheets. "I'm going to meet with Subaru soon. If Rem and Julius decide to cheat again... I'll give him a metia so he can see his precious, pure little wife getting ruined with his own eyes. If not, I'll simply inform him of her disgusting adultery myself. After all... it's only fair to utterly ruin her marriage, since she's trying to dismantle mine."
Yae was quiet for a long, heavy moment before replying carefully. "Lady Anastasia... are you sure? This is what you wanted, isn't it? You pushed them together from the very start."
Anastasia's voice turned sharp and icy enough to freeze water. "If Julius is willing to choose that worthless whore over me, then I will not allow it. He is my husband. He should keep me in the first place in his heart. Always. I don't care what game I started; I am the one who finishes it."
She paused, a cruel, jagged smile slowly forming on her lips as a brilliant piece of leverage clicked into place. "Besides... Beatrice saw them. That gives me the perfect weapon. Subaru may not believe a 'crazy control freak' like me... but he would believe Beatrice. Someone he knows from his past, someone he trusts blindly. With Beatrice's testimony, Rem will have absolutely no home to come back to. I will strip her of her family, her dignity, and her sanctuary."
The silence on Yae's end was suffocatingly heavy. Anastasia didn't care about her spy's discomfort. She removed the mantle and set it aside, her eyes burning with a renewed, lethal purpose despite the crushing weakness in her body.
She had been too soft. Too patient. If Rem wanted to play the role of the tragic homewrecker... then Anastasia would show her what a real wrecking looked like.
Anastasia didn't waste any more time lying in bed feeling sorry for herself. The raw envy of seeing Julius rest his head on another woman's thighs had transformed into a cold, transactional urge to dominate. She called for a maid and dictated a short but polite letter to Subaru:
Subaru,
I need to discuss some important matters regarding the next festival and your future position. Please come to the mansion this evening. I will be waiting.
— Anastasia Hoshin
She also prepared one of her most elegant yet explicitly erotic nightgowns—a deep, pooling crimson silk that clung to her curves like poured wine, featuring a dangerously low neckline and a daring slit up the side. It was seductive enough to tempt any man, but still refined enough that she could casually claim it was simply for her medical comfort. Her plan for punishing Rem had shifted and grown darker in her mind, but first things first.
At the hot springs resort, Yae was already in position, hidden perfectly in the rafters and ready for new orders. Anastasia activated the silver mantle, wrapping the magical fabric tight around her shoulders, and spoke directly into Yae's mind.
"Have they arrived?"
"Yes, my lady. They just reached the reception desk."
Anastasia's lips curved into a bitter, cold smile. "Good. Tell me everything. Show me how the happy couple behaves."
Through Yae's eyes, she saw the elegant, polished wood lobby of the hot springs resort. Julius and Rem stood at the reception desk. Rem looked visibly uncomfortable, her eyes darting around as if the scent of last night was still written on her skin, while Julius appeared calm and slightly amused.
Rem was arguing with the woman behind the desk, her voice tight and defensive. "We were supposed to have separate rooms. There must be a mistake with the documentation."
The receptionist smiled apologetically, bowing low. "I'm sorry, but this is the only room left that was booked in advance under the Hoshin name. It's a deluxe couple suite with a private hot spring."
Julius chuckled softly beside Rem, leaning his arm casually on the counter. "Looks like Anastasia booked it."
Rem's face flushed a deep, furious crimson with irritation. She knew it was true, but she still tried to fight the invisible leash around her neck. "There must be another room. Anything. Even a small servant's quarters. Please check again."
The receptionist shook her head firmly. "I'm afraid not, miss. We're fully booked due to the peak season."
Rem looked furious but utterly resigned, her shoulders dropping in defeat. Julius simply smiled, clearly enjoying her helpless reaction.
Anastasia, watching from her bed, felt a dark, intoxicating satisfaction bloom in her chest. Look at you, Rem. You don't even know what's going to hit you. You think a single shared room is your biggest problem?
She had already set the first pieces of the trap in motion. Subaru would be coming to the mansion tonight. She would seduce him, plant the poisonous seeds of doubt, and prepare the final execution of Rem's domestic life. If the blue-haired bitch thought she could enjoy her little romantic affair in peace, she was sorely mistaken.
Anastasia's eyes narrowed to cold slits as she watched Rem reluctantly accept the single room key. Enjoy your little trip while you can, she thought with lethal venom. Soon you'll have nowhere left to hide, and no husband to crawl back to.
Inside the lobby of the hot springs resort, Rem was still quietly seething, her voice rising with low frustration as she clutched the key. "There has to be another room. We can't share one. This is completely unacceptable."
Julius placed a calming, frustratingly familiar hand on her shoulder and spoke gently but firmly. "I'll go carry our luggage to the room first. You can keep arguing if you want, but it seems our dear mistress has made the decision for us. It's the only option available."
Rem shot him a sharp glare, but Julius simply smiled and headed toward the carriage to retrieve their bags, leaving her to continue her fruitless internal debate.
In her bedroom, Anastasia watched everything through the silver mantle. A sharp, satisfied smile spread across her face. "Perfect," she whispered aloud to Yae. "This is exactly what I wanted. He is isolated."
She gave her next order clearly and coldly. "Yae, go to the room right after him. Take the original wedding ring he threw away—the one you recovered from the dirt. Give it to him directly and tell him that I do not approve of him throwing away all those years of our marriage like common trash."
Yae's voice came back immediately, obedient and hushed. "Understood, my lady. I'm moving now."
Anastasia leaned back against her pillows, her bandaged hands trembling slightly with a volatile mix of rage and dark excitement. Her eyes gleamed with a cold, desperate determination. Let's see how you react when you're violently reminded of what you threw away for a common maid, Julius.
She had absolutely no intention of letting Rem enjoy her little fantasy trip in peace. If they wanted to play house, she would make sure the crushing weight of their betrayal shattered them both. The game wasn't over. It had only entered its next, crueler phase.
Julius had just placed the heavy leather luggage in the luxurious couple suite when the door opened quietly behind him. Yae slipped inside, closing the heavy wooden door with a soft, deliberate click.
"Sir Julius," she greeted politely, bowing her head in a flawless curtain of hair. "Lady Anastasia asked me to deliver this to you personally."
She held out the small, velvet-lined box containing the original wedding ring—the one he had recklessly thrown out the carriage window. Julius's expression darkened into a harsh, rigid mask the moment his eyes landed on it.
Yae continued, her voice flat as she repeated Anastasia's words exactly: "Lady Anastasia says she does not approve of you throwing away all those years of marriage like trash."
Julius took a deep, heavy breath, rubbing his temple in clear, exhausted irritation. "I knew she wouldn't keep her promise and would spy on us," he muttered, his voice dripping with disappointment. He took the box from Yae and snapped it open, confirming it was indeed a ring. But then, a dry, mocking smile touched his lips. "Tell Anastasia I didn't throw away our real ring. I threw the fake one she bought to test me. Our actual rings have our initials engraved on the inside. Did she truly forget that?"
He looked Yae straight in the eyes, his voice firming with commanding authority. "Also tell her to trust me a little more. I don't like receiving messages like this. It was what she wanted, and she got her cheap thrill knowing it happened. I would appreciate it if she stopped interfering with what she herself set in motion."
Yae nodded, but before she could reply, Anastasia's voice suddenly cut through the silver mantle Yae was still wearing—loud, amplified, and bursting with a direct, volatile current of anger and pain.
"Yae, remove the mantle and give it to him. I will speak with my husband directly."
Yae obeyed without a single second of hesitation. She unclasped the silver mantle and handed the glowing fabric over to Julius. The moment his fingers brushed the magical cloth, Anastasia's voice rang clearly in his mind, sharp with barely contained anger, humiliation, and deep-seated grief.
"Julius..."
Through the silver mantle, Anastasia's voice rang out clearly in the private suite, echoing with the authority of a betrayed queen. Julius held the mantle, a teasing, almost defensive smile already forming on his lips as he leaned against the heavy bedpost.
"Hello, my dear wife," he said playfully, trying to defuse the tension. "Why are you spying on our little trip? Aren't you satisfied yet?"
Anastasia's voice cracked with a fierce, ugly explosion of fury. "You piss-off shit! I had a heart attack because of that stupid ring you threw away! You nearly killed me!"
Julius exhaled slowly, the playful demeanor dropping instantly as his expression turned deadly serious. "It serves you right, Anastasia. For stealing Rem's ring, for manipulating her, and for constantly spying on us like a warden."
"I did it for you!" Anastasia snapped, her voice trembling so violently he could hear the tears catching in her throat. "Everything I've done... it was all for you!"
Julius was quiet for a long moment, the weight of the previous night hanging heavily in the silence of the room. Then, he spoke with a brutal, calm honesty that pierced her chest like a spear. "The night with Rem was great. It was more than great."
Anastasia broke. The proud facade of the Greedy Princess shattered instantly, and tears flooded her eyes, loud, pathetic wails escaping her mouth as she started crying over the connection. "Stop teasing me... I don't want that bitch to steal you! I don't want her to have you! I love you, Julius... please... don't do this to me..."
Julius's voice softened slightly at the sound of her agony, but his words remained painfully, unforgivably honest. "I need to think, Anastasia. Because... because I think I really do love Rem."
Anastasia's crying instantly turned into furious, breathless sobs. "You—! You dare say that to me?!"
Julius let out a low, slightly strained laugh, trying desperately to lighten the suffocating mood. "I was joking about the love, Anastasia. Mostly. But in truth... I'm deeply annoyed. I hope you're not planning any pathetic revenge against her."
Of course I have plans, you fool, Anastasia thought bits and pieces of pure, black malice twisting in her brain. I am going to destroy her entire life.
Julius's tone suddenly turned sharp and genuinely angry, sensing her silence. "Don't even try it. You forced Rem into this position. You engineered her downfall."
"I didn't force her to cheat or steal my husband!" Anastasia shot back, her voice a screeching thread of pure hatred. "She had a choice! She chose to let you ruin her ass! She chose to lean on your shoulder!"
"This is exactly what you wanted," Julius replied coldly. "You pushed an innocent woman into a corner until she broke. So what exactly are you angry about now?"
"I'm not stupid, Julius! I saw the way you looked at her last night! I felt it through the link!"
Julius didn't even attempt to deny it. His voice dropped into a dark, possessive register. "I won't lie to you. I want more of her."
Anastasia's voice cracked with an intense, agonizing wave of self-pity and pain. "It's not my fault my body is worse than Rem's... it's not my fault I'm sick!"
As she spoke, she felt Julius's thoughts flicker through the magical link—a sudden, unbidden mental image of her frail, bandaged form standing side by side with Rem's lush, healthy, and sweat-glistened body from the night before. The physical comparison was immediate, obvious, and profoundly painful.
"With a difference like that... I can understand your worry," he admitted quietly, the honesty tasting like poison.
Anastasia's tone turned entirely bitter, masking her heartbreak with venom. "You're supposed to be the dominating one, Julius. Not a pathetic puppy dog begging for a married maid's approval. You looked pathetic crawling onto her knees like a pet."
Julius paused, a hint of sharp suspicion suddenly entering his tone. "Yae mentioned the letters. That nice, crimson nightgown you picked up earlier... is it for this conversation? Or are you planning something disgusting with Subaru?" His playful, relaxed nature vanished completely, replaced by a rigid, toxic wave of masculine possessiveness. "Don't even think about it, Anastasia. I am absolutely not okay with you being with him. Put it out of your mind."
Anastasia tried to tease back, though her voice was incredibly shaky and wet with tears. "It would just be a date, Julius. A little comforting company. Not sex. Not cheating. Not like what you did."
Julius exploded with a fierce, ugly jealousy that vibrated through the mantle. "Stop it! I swear to you, Anastasia, if that man touches a single thread of your clothing, if he puts his hands on you, I'll kill him. I will personally cut him down."
Anastasia felt a twisted, sick spark of happiness in the center of her chest—he still cared, he still claimed her—but her voice remained ice-cold. "You should think about that before you let Rem take my rightful spot in your heart."
Julius's voice grew incredibly heavy, laced with deep disgust. "Are you really planning to ruin Rem's marriage just because I enjoyed her body for one night?"
Anastasia's answer was absolute, venomous, and unyielding. "Not just because of that. Because she tried to destroy our marriage first by making you fall for her. She disrespected me, called me a crazy control freak while sitting in my carriage, and tried to steal my most precious possession. So it's only fair that I punish the whore."
The connection fell completely silent for a moment, heavy with unspoken threats and a widening chasm between husband and wife. When Julius's voice finally came back through the silver mantle, it was sharp, deeply frustrated, and tired.
"Stop it right now, Anastasia. First of all, it was you who forced Rem into this nightmare. Second... it's really pitiful that you're doing all of this over a simple maid. You're acting beneath your status."
Anastasia's breathing grew ragged, her chest heaving under her covers as her temper flared. "That's exactly the reason I hate her! I can tell you genuinely care for her! I hate it! I hate that you pay so much sickening attention to her! What kind of noble, proud knight behaves like this? It is deeply pathetic that a man of your stature seeks emotional approval and validation from a married woman! You were practically begging her to say you were better than Subaru last night, and she still refused you! You looked like a dog begging for scraps, Julius! I don't like begging, and I certainly don't like seeing my husband beg a servant!"
Julius let out a long, resigned sigh that sounded completely drained. "At least Rem is not manipulative. At least she doesn't disrespect me constantly or view me as a piece of property to be steered. She is real." He paused, then continued with a brutal, unvarnished honesty that made Anastasia's world tilt. "And if you want to know the absolute truth... I really loved what happened last night. Every single second of it. I wish Rem wanted to be with me permanently. I wish she would choose me. But... I will respect her decision to stay loyal to her husband's memory."
Anastasia's voice cracked with an accumulation of pure pain, jealousy, and shattered pride. "Proud bitch... so I was right. You really like that whore. You're obsessed with her." Her tone turned mocking, dripping with defensive spite. "There are plenty of other young, happier, beautiful maids in the capital who would be more than willing to throw themselves at your feet and give you a full relationship! So why her?! Why are you so desperately attracted to a broken, miserable woman like her?!"
She didn't even give him a chance to answer, her words spilling out in a frantic, wounded torrent. "If it was just about the physical release, about her body, I could understand it! I could tolerate it! But if you're perfectly fine with a platonic, pining relationship with her just to have her affection, then why not do that with other girls? Why give her your heart?!"
Julius's voice grew incredibly heavy, almost entirely detached and tired of the cyclical warfare. "Enough, Anastasia. Do you still not get it through your thick head? I love you. Under normal circumstances, I would never go looking for another woman. I can control my desires; I have done so for years. But you pushed me toward Rem. You forced us into that room. And she... she is kind, she is smart, and she reminds me so much of the old you. The ambitious, fiery, beautiful you... before you got sick and let this paranoia consume your soul."
Anastasia's tears flowed freely now, soaking into her pillows as the bitter truth stripped her bare. "I will not let you leave me for her," she sobbed, her voice a fragile, broken command. "She manipulated you with her fake innocence. Give the metia back to Yae. Right now. I order you."
Julius refused immediately, his tone cold and final. "No. I'm keeping the mantle. I'm keeping it so you can't spy on us anymore. You've had your fun."
Anastasia's voice instantly turned completely venomous, the ultimate desperation taking over her mind. "Then I'll go suck Subaru's cock tonight. I'll let him ruin me the exact same way."
There was a sudden, terrifyingly heavy silence on the other end of the line. Julius's absolute, territorial anger flared violently through the connection, his voice dropping into a low, murderous growl. "Anastasia—"
But she didn't let him finish. With a violent, trembling hand, she ripped the silver mantle off her shoulders and threw it across the room, shattering the telepathic connection into absolute darkness.
The bedroom fell into a suffocating, dead silence.
Anastasia sat huddled on her mattress, breathing hard, her chest heaving as tears streamed down her face. Her heart ached with a physical, tearing pain that felt a thousand times worse than any illness. She had wanted this affair. She had planned it, orchestrated it, and took pleasure in the control of it. But now that it was real—now that Julius was actively defending Rem, admitting his feelings, and yearning for her lap—the reality was utterly crushing her.
She wiped her tears away angrily with the back of her bandaged hand, her fingers shaking with a lethal, reawakened resolve.
If you think I'll just sit here in the dark and let that blue-haired thief take you... you're both dead wrong, she thought, her eyes flashing with dangerous malice through the wet gloss of her tears.
The game had completely changed. And Anastasia Hoshin was no longer interested in playing fair.