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It was only because her husband's brother died unexpectedly that she was fortunate enough to become a duchess.
During her years as a duchess, Operan and her husband were the epitome of an aristocratic 'model' couple – they treated each other with respect, each had their own servants and subordinates, did not impose too many restrictions on each other's behavior, had children in due course, and lived a life of quiet contentment without complaining about the demands of social life.
Their relationship was so harmonious that even the old maid at home, who always fought with her husband, would praise it.
But in truth, it was simply a perfect and harmonious partnership.
Perhaps it was precisely because of the lack of love in their marriage that he lavished so much affection on their daughter, trying to make up for the emotional emptiness within him.
"Stop thinking about that mess." Shaking her head, Operan stood up from the bathtub.
She pulled her feet out of the water one by one, then wrapped a towel around herself and walked to the mirror, gazing at her reflection.
Appearance is a woman's weapon, and the love of beauty is a woman's nature. Over the years, she had always taken great care of her face, even resorting to magic to maintain it, so she was quite confident in her appearance.
That was, until she saw the boy name Levi.
All her self-confidence shattered in an instant, torn apart by a man.
At the same time, she was also moved by his beauty.
However, loving beauty is human nature, and it is not unusual for an older woman like her, already in her thirties, to be attracted to a beautiful young man.
Operan reassured herself:
This was simply an old woman's fleeting lust.
She had no right to act on it — she was a mother first, not a woman.
"Your Excellency the Duchess, are you done with your bath?" The voice of a maid came from outside the door. Normally, nobles would have servants to assist them while bathing, but Operan preferred solitude, so she took her bath alone while the maid prepared fresh clothes and waited outside.
"Not yet, wait a moment." Operan responded, taking a deep breath as she slowly sat down on the stone bench in front of the mirror.
It was a large floor-to-ceiling mirror, enough to reflect her entire body.
"You work so hard to maintain a body like this, but in the end, you only show it to yourself." The Duchess chuckled softly and muttered self-deprecating words, her eyes slightly unfocused.
After three days of traveling to the capital for the meeting and yesterday's tiring errands, she had accumulated too much fatigue.
"I've tried so hard. This little indulgence shouldn't be too much to ask." She whispered. Surrounded by the steam in the bathroom, she faced the glamorous woman in the mirror and closed her eyes.
Her hands moved skillfully, her face becoming increasingly flushed. She lightly bit her lower lip, and a soft gasp escaped her throat.
For this brief moment, in this place, she allowed herself to simply be a woman.
Then, the figure who stepped out of the bathroom could only be Angelina's mother.
While Operan was taking a bath, Aya left her bedroom and asked the housekeeper, Lena, for an empty room to rest in.
The request was granted immediately, and Lena led Aya and Camilla to the second floor and opened a guest room.
"The Duchess is still taking a bath. Please wait for a moment. During this time, please feel free to use this room." After respectfully delivering her message, the housekeeper tactfully half-bowed and left the room.
With a "click," the brass door lock was turned back, and Aya stretched, lying down on the bed.
It seemed that this room was not often used. It was likely a spare bedroom reserved for guests. Nevertheless, the decor was still elegant, and the space was meticulously clean and tidy.
The bed was thick, and the silk sheets were soft, but it lacked any special attributes like [Life Force Recovery], [Magic Power Enhancement], or [Mental Stability].
"I'm really a little tired." Aya rolled around on the bed a few times, muttering to herself.
She had originally thought she would have to stay up late, but after everything that had happened, she ended up staying up all night. Now, Aya felt exhausted.
It wasn't physical fatigue. Aya used the effects of a ring to eliminate physical weariness and drowsiness, but mental fatigue was inevitable.
After all, her usual routine had been completely disrupted.
"Camilla, I want a massage~~" Aya requested to her daughter.
However, perhaps due to the numerous recent events, or perhaps she was just being careless, Aya didn't notice that Camilla had been silent for quite some time.
Hearing Aya's request, Camilla climbed onto the bed, straddled Aya's waist, and sat behind her.
Although Camilla had a good figure, her weight in human form was not particularly heavy, which posed no problem for Aya's strength attribute. Aya usually asked her to adopt a posture that allowed for the best leverage.
Camilla placed her hands on Aya's shoulders but did not immediately begin massaging. Instead, she silently leaned down, her lips brushing Aya's ear.
A good daughter stays quietly by her mother's side when needed, offering assistance without fuss. She doesn't meddle in matters that don't concern her, nor does she act too possessive or sentimental. As long as she is by her mother's side, she is content.
Camilla always acted this way when there were others present, suppressing her emotions deep within and never showing dissatisfaction openly.
But that dissatisfaction did not disappear; it simply remained hidden, awaiting its moment.
When alone, it was her time to act coquettishly and willfully.
Camilla opened her mouth and bit Aya's ear.
Of course, she didn't bite hard; instead, she rubbed her teeth slowly, especially with her two sharp canine teeth, carefully controlling the strength to ensure she didn't hurt the soft ear but still achieved maximum stimulation.
"Hikkk~"
Such a soft, startled sound escaped from Aya's mouth. It turned out that her mother's ears were incredibly sensitive. Both her earlobes and the auricles turned red when touched. She always looked adorably flustered when she picked her ears.
"Umm~, Camilla, what are you doing?!" Aya exclaimed, but Camilla didn't stop. Instead, she rubbed her teeth a few more times, making Aya almost scream again.
"Mother." Her daughter's voice was low in her ear, and the wet warmth of her breath sent a shiver through Aya, making her feel uneasy.
What was happening? Did Camilla get upset?
Aya couldn't make sense of it.
"Mother, is it fun to pet a cat?"
Aya froze.
"I clearly have animal ears and a tail, but you hardly ever touch them. Yet, you spent most of the night holding that thieving cat. Is it because dogs don't have paw pads, or is it because my fur is too stiff?"
This is what she was concerned about? Why was she comparing herself to a kitten?
"I was going to share the position of the animal-eared character with Pelia, but mother prefers the cat-eared one."
"What do you mean by sharing roles? Camilla, let me up, I'll touch your ears!"
"I don't want to!"