"Can you repeat ...... what you said ..... again?" The retired duchess had felt her entire head spin once she had heard the words of her husband. She had never been expecting to hear this after a long soothing and relaxing morning at the beauty spa after a little bit of shopping. She couldn't believe his words and what he had actually suggested.

He shortened his explanations this time and said. "Tazanna and Anzor were never married. Kalila is not Anzor's child. Even without the King favouring him, he possesses more power than we ourselves can handle. But for some reason, he cannot act against us for the time being. He only sent a warning. This why we have to lay low for a while until we get him involved." Vincent then warned. "And don't recklessly send assassins again; you'll irritate him more and will be only wasting money."

One.

Two.

Three.

Three minutes had gone by with pure silence.

Then Emma Morley practically flew out of the room with a whirl of slicing strong winds wreaking havoc in the room she had departed.

Vincent layered himself with strong enough mana not to be cut by his wife's winds.

"My Lord."

"Just kill whoevers' ears hear." He knew what she was going to do.

"As you wish."

Meanwhile winds sliced down the door of Tazanna's study. Even though her door was in two pieces, the Duchess continued to work without batting an eye.

"Tazanna Morley." Emma growled.

It was just as he had predicated. She looked up from her paper-work. "Yes mo-"

A crisp loud sound immediately followed after. Redness and pain bloomed on the right side of Tazanna's face.

'M-Mother.... she slapped me.' Tears pricked the silver head's azure blue eyes not because of the pain but because of her mother being the one who had actually did it.

"Have! I! Taught! You! Nothing?!!!" She shrieked. "What did I tell you about keeping your purity for your husband?!!! What did I tell you about having a child only for your husband?!!! But no, you acted as if you were some concubine .... no worse than a concubine a slut and gave birth to an ill-bred, dirty bastard!!!!"

Tazanna's hands tightly balled against her desk, her knuckles turning ghastly white and shaking. She wanted to cry, but she held in her tears. She calmly inhaled then exhaled. "Mother ...... it is true that I lost my purity to someone who is not my husband and gave birth to a child out of wedlock. You can call me all of the derogatory terms as you desire, for I truly broke some of the important virtues that you have instilled in me from since I was a child." Standing her ground, she responded. "But I will not allow for you to insult Kalila!!!"

The retired Duchess took a step back, incredulously glancing up and down at her daughter's serious stone-like face then laughed.  Emma suddenly stopped and turned around to depart from the study.

Her sudden change in emotions caused Tazanna to call out hesitantly. "....M-Mother."

Emma stopped in place then turned her head, speaking. "Oh, you're lucky my blood flows through you and that child's veins who, or what you are .... or what you have done. Do not concern yourself Anna, mother and father will settle everything." She left.

It was like a icy cold bucket of water had splashed on her when she had heard her mother's voice chill-biting voice and had seen her scary face. Tazanna dropped to the ground. Even with what had been revealed to her..... she had hope..... hope that the loving and caring image that she knew them as was not a lie. But it was.

Then thinking back to with all that had been shown to her, she had suddenly felt nauseous and then threw up in the trash bin. Everything.... everything her parents had done..... how could they? Everyone who had suffered because of her parents' acts.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. 'Cousin Anzor ..... Ellen-san ..... Ashnah ...... Aunt Alice, Uncle Charles..... so many others.' She heaved recalling another file. 'Even the previous.....' Tazanna shouted, holding her head. "Noo!!!"

Everything had been broken. Everything that she had thought was perfect. All of her happiness and some of Kalila's happiness had been built on people's sufferings.

"Duchess Morley." An emotionless voice called out.

Through the tears in her burning azure blue eyes, she glanced up at the stoic woman before her. The woman was someone Anzor had trained and had left behind to assist her with management of the dukedom; the many businesses they had; to protect her and Kalila; and to help her through this ordeal, yet another turbulent times of the Morley Family.

"To truly become a powerful Duchess, to protect young Lady Kalila, to protect the innocent ones in the Morley Family you cannot act this. Everything the retired Duke and Duchess have done, is in the past. What Duchess needs to worry about is the future."

Yes, she couldn't be pathetic and weak like this. 'Why am I crying? I am not the one who has suffered.' Images of those who had suffered because of her parents flashed through her mind. 'I need to get my act together for Kalila, for the Morley Family and for those even if deceased to achieve justice for the wrongs that had been done to them ..... even if they are you .... mother and father.' Tazanna wiped her face with a handkerchief then firmly nodded her head. "Tell me what needs to be done."

"Firstly, you continue to be yourself Duchess Morley. Act as if you know nothing of their crimes until the time comes. Try to ask for their forgiveness, indirectly pin all your sufferings onto Archduke and Archduchess Morley, manipulate their emotions, but of course you will continue to stick up for young Lady Kalila or else they will grow suspicious."

••••

Anzor's fingers tapped against his study's desk. He was waiting for Ellen and Cannenta to finish their medical examination on Ashnah. But then he sensed a familiar mana signature.

Amit Armstrong entered the Archduke's study without knocking, closing the door behind him. "A missive about and from the Duchess." He handed the two secret letters to him.

Anzor took the missives from his best friend, quickly reading then burning them.

Then seconds went by.

"So?" Amit leaned in.

"Why are you still here?"

"What do you mean why am I still here?!! Just to let you know, I missed a picnic with my lovely wife and precious daughter just to deliver them!!!"

"....."

Seeing no answer from him still, he noticed his friend's mood and he said. "Who shoved a stick up your - " He stopped after some thought. "-Wait. Cannenta-san's here! Are you angry because Ellen-san and Cannenta-san were flirting with each other?!!"

"...."

Amit burst out into laughter. "You are!!!!" He had guessed correctly.

Then a lightning branched out into the sky with a vociferous boom quickly following after, scaring Amit to fall onto his rear. "Ok! Ok! Okay!!!  I am sorry! I am sorry!! I am sorry!!! Just don't strike me down with lightning in my sleep..... wait at any time!!!!"

"Tazanna is following plans as arranged." Anzor finally released.

Amit blinked are this. "....Wait the innocent sheltered Duchess who was cared for and loved by the doting retired Duke and Duchess actually believes what her parents have done so quickly?!!"

"I arranged for it to be so."

"H-how?"

Once one knew someone's personality, one could easily predict someone's actions and manipulate those actions to bring benefits to oneself. That was what Anzor had done. He knew that even with the evidence staring Tazanna in the face that she would easily believe unless saw one of her parents' true nature. It had been most likely his dear aunt, that had revealed herself. He had calculated it being her with a 99% chance.

The Archduke knew he was anything but a good person. But for Tazanna to acknowledge the crimes of her parents, to protect Kalila, the innocents of the Morley Family and for her to become a strong Duchess, what needed to be done must be done.