Anastasia stood over the bed, looking down at Subaru's deeply drugged, unresponsive form. Before she removed the silver mantle from his chest to end his forced vision, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small glass jar. Inside, Rem's original wedding ring sat submerged in the thick, dried layers of Julius's spent fluid. Unscrewing the lid, she dipped a small silver spoon into the vile contents, scooping up a tiny amount.
With practiced coldness, she pried Subaru's jaw open and forced the spoon into his mouth, tilting it until he swallowed the fluid down in a sluggish, involuntary reflex.
A cruel, giddy rush of dark entertainment washed through her as she watched him swallow. She could barely suppress a thrilled, delighted giggled at the sheer absurdity of it all.
Drink it up, you helpless little fool, she thought, a bubble of twisted happiness welling in her chest as she thought of Rem. While your precious wife is giving herself completely to my husband at the hot springs, you are right here tasting the very evidence of her ruin. She thinks she can defy me, but I am dripping her absolute shame directly down your throat.
As she wiped the edge of his mouth, her eyes fell on the silver band resting on Subaru's ring finger. A sudden, wicked impulse struck her. She desperately wanted to slip that ring off his finger and drop it right into the jar, letting it sink down to join Rem's ring in the dried fluid. How beautifully poetic it would be, she mused, a dark, playful smile tugging at her lips. The two halves of their broken vow, drowned together in Julius's seed. It would be so incredibly romantic. But she hesitated, her hand freezing over his fingers. She clicked her tongue in sharp annoyance. She couldn't do it yet—she didn't have a replica ring at hand to replace it, and if Subaru noticed his ring missing too early, her entire trap would fall apart before the climax.
Suppressing her frustration, she finally leaned down and carefully slid the metia off Subaru's chest. He remained completely out cold, his breathing heavy and rattling from the toxic combination of the strong vintage and her custom aphrodisiac. She knew better than to leave it on him; if he woke up with the silver cloth draped over his throat, the entire illusion would shatter, and that would complicate her long-term strategy far too much.
She placed the silver mantle on her night table with trembling fingers, changed into a simple, loose nightgown, and slipped under the heavy covers.
She could wait until tomorrow morning.
But as she lay in the darkness of her bedchamber, the room felt noticeably colder than usual. A vicious, persistent worry gnawed at her insides like a dull ache.
What if Julius really leaves me?
What if that little maid manipulates him to the point where he actually chooses her over me?
After all, Rem had already severely fractured their marriage... what if she decided to go all in? Subaru was a complete loser in the maid's eyes now, shattered and pathetic; she could easily convince Julius to run away with her entirely.
Anastasia curled up tighter into a ball, pulling the heavy blanket up to her chin. Her bandaged hands ached with a dull, throbbing pain, but it was nothing compared to the fear twisting in her chest.
What terrified her most was the thought of Rem abandoning her work as a maid altogether. Anastasia needed Rem bound to her, locked into her service where she could control her every move. If Rem threw away her duties as a maid to become a noblewoman at Julius's side, Anastasia would lose all leverage over her.
She had wanted Rem as a controlled, domesticated replacement—someone who would carry Julius's children while still knowing her place as a serving girl beneath Anastasia's feet. Not a rival who would abandon her maid uniform and tear him away from her entirely.
She was frustrated. Deeply, venomously frustrated.
Rem wasn't behaving the way she was supposed to. She was resisting, fighting back, and somehow using the very abuse Anastasia inflicted to pull Julius closer into a protective embrace, instead of staying in the neat, broken little box Anastasia had engineered for her.
Tears of pure rage and vulnerability pricked at the corners of her eyes as sheer exhaustion finally dragged her into an uneasy, nightmare-ridden sleep. Tomorrow would bring new moves on the board. But tonight, the woman who had built an entire merchant empire from absolute nothing felt smaller, more vulnerable, and more utterly alone than she had in years.
The morning in the mansion was awkward.
Anastasia had awoken early, despite the heavy exhaustion still clinging to her frail bones. She dressed carefully in a modest but impeccably elegant morning gown, applying light layers of cosmetics to hide the remaining trace of her facial bruise, and went downstairs to the grand dining room. Subaru was already sitting there, staring blankly at his plate, looking extremely uncomfortable.
She forced a warm, radiant smile as she entered the room, leaning slightly over his shoulder as she passed, her voice dropping into a playful, flirting purr.
"Good morning, Subaru. Did you sleep well?"
Subaru shifted violently in his seat, completely avoiding her eyes. His face was exceptionally pale, and his hands trembled slightly against the silverware. He looked deeply, fundamentally unsettled.
"Uh... morning. I... I don't really remember much after a certain point last night. That wine was... really strong. It knocked me completely out."
Anastasia sat down gracefully across from him, pouring herself a steaming cup of tea with perfectly steady hands, offering him an arch, sly look over the rim of her cup.
"Yes, it was a lovely evening. We had such a nice, intimate conversation, Subaru. I'm truly glad we could clear the air between us."
Subaru rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing a bright, embarrassed red. "Yeah... about that. I think I drank way too much. I... I had some weird dreams. Really weird, vivid ones. I'm incredibly sorry if I muttered anything strange while I was out."
Anastasia tilted her head with a teasing smile, resting her chin on her hand as she leaned closer across the table. "Dreams? What kind of dreams? You know... a dream like that must be a whole new experience for a guy like you."
Subaru's face turned from red to a deep, shameful crimson. He looked down at his lap, his voice dropping to a low, fractured mumble. "I... I'd really rather not talk about it. It was just... weird stuff. Horrible stuff, honestly. I feel really bad about it. Rem would be so completely mad if she knew what I was thinking in my sleep..."
Anastasia let out a soft, sultry chuckle, reaching out to gently trace the back of his fingers with hers in a slow, lingering touch.
"Well, then let's make a little deal, handsome," she murmured, winking at him mischievously. "I won't mention a single word of your little 'experience' to Rem... so long as you promise not to mention our late-night drinking to Julius. Deal?"
Subaru pulled his hand back quickly, his throat working hard as he swallowed, looking even more deeply uncomfortable and flustered. "Yeah... okay. Deal. I just... I really need to get back to my home. I should be there waiting when Rem finally returns from the trip."
Anastasia nodded gracefully, lifting her porcelain teacup to hide the cold, sharp smirk on her lips. "Of course. Safe travels back home, Subaru. And don't worry—your little secret is completely safe with me."
As Subaru practically scrambled out of the mansion, clearly eager to escape the suffocating, flirting atmosphere, Anastasia sat entirely alone at the massive table, staring into the dark swirling liquid of her tea.
She had successfully planted the seeds of doubt. Subaru remembered just enough to feel profoundly guilty and ashamed of his own 'fantasies,' but not enough to understand the physical reality of what had been done to his wife. That was exactly how she wanted it.
Now, all that remained was to see how Rem would react when she returned... and how Julius would behave after his honor had been completely compromised at the hot springs. Anastasia's lips curved into a small, freezing smile.
The game was still hers to control.
Three days.
For three agonizing, grueling days, Anastasia tried to activate the metia multiple times a day, only to be met with total, chilling silence. No connection. No vision. No audio. Rem had clearly stripped the silver mantle off and hidden it away, and there was no way to force a telepathic link from this distance without compliance.
Anastasia grew noticeably more furious with each passing hour. She paced her private office until her feet ached, snapped violently at the household maids for the minor infractions, and barely touched her meals. The toxic mix of burning jealousy and absolute helplessness ate at her stomach like acid.
On the morning of the third day, she was sitting rigidly at her mahogany desk, staring blankly at the silver mantle resting on the wood, when the connection suddenly flared to life with a bright, magical hum.
Yae's voice came through the link, perfectly calm, steady, and carrying a faint hint of amusement. Anastasia was entirely connected to Yae now, with absolutely no direct link to Rem, forced to see and hear everything second-hand through her servant's eyes.
"Lady Anastasia, welcome back. I've finally put the metia on."
Anastasia's pent-up anger exploded instantly, her mental voice a sharp shriek. "Three days! You worthless servant—! How dare you keep me in the dark!"
Yae cut her off smoothly, her tone entirely devoid of fear.
"Julius already told me he intends to file for a formal divorce after they return to the capital. After what you forced Rem to do on that stone... he completely forbade the use of the metia. He didn't want you watching them anymore, Lady Anastasia."
Anastasia's breath caught sharply in her throat. The words hit her chest like a physical blow.
Through Yae's eyes, she was forced to look at the luxurious interior of the hot spring resort. Yae was sitting quietly in the corner of a beautiful, sunlit private room. On the large, plush couch across the room, Julius and Rem were lounging closely together, looking completely relaxed and intimately intertwined. Rem was leaning her entire weight against Julius's bare chest, his strong arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. They looked... genuinely happy.
Yae continued her mental narration, her tone almost conversational. "Their stay has been absolutely wonderful, my Lady. The hot springs are excellent for the skin. They've been going on their own little private dates—walking through the mountain gardens, soaking together for hours, having quiet meals. It's honestly quite cute to watch. They act exactly like a young noble couple on their honeymoon."
Yae paused for a deliberate, agonizing second, then added with a clear hint of personal pride: "And if it makes you feel any better... I managed to get my shot with Sir Julius as well. Yes, I slept with both of them. Rem couldn't handle his stamina alone every single night, so I graciously helped. Julius was absolutely amazing in bed... and Rem was surprisingly passionate once she finally let go of her silly guilt."
Anastasia's jealousy burned like literal fire in her veins. She should have been the one in that room. She should have been the one receiving Julius's affection, not Yae, and certainly not that blue-haired maid.
"Why didn't you use the metia to show me?!" Anastasia demanded, her thoughts frantic and ragged.
"Sir Julius explicitly decided against it," Yae replied simply, shifting her gaze to show Julius planting a soft, lingering kiss on top of Rem's head. "He wanted absolute privacy. He told me this specific trip was for him and Rem alone."
Anastasia sat in absolute, crushing silence, her tightly bandaged hands clenched so hard against the desk that the white fabric creaked under the strain. The images Yae was sending—Julius and Rem laughing softly together, sharing tender, unforced kisses, acting like real lovers—were pure psychological torture.
Rem looked entirely content. Julius looked down at her with genuine, unforced affection.
Anastasia's voice came through the metia, dropping into a low, venomous whisper. "Enjoy your little vacation while it lasts, you filthy traitors. When you return to this mansion... things will be vastly different."
She violently ripped the silver mantle off her shoulders and slammed it onto the desk, breathing hard as her heart hammered against her ribs. The sharp, piercing pain in her chest was back—it wasn't a physical heart attack this time, but something significantly deeper. It was the suffocating, cold fear that she was truly losing her grasp on everything.
And the terrifying, undeniable realization that Rem might actually succeed in taking her place entirely.