The servants’ faces grew darker by the minute as they heard the order.
Giselle wouldn’t listen to reason, and there was no way to get her out, so he had no choice but to play his strongest card.
“Father, you’ve really lost your mind this time.” Neslan raised a hand to stop the hesitant servants. “Don’t do that.”
“Why not? A daughter-in-law should be someone our family needs, shouldn’t she?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. My grandson’s wife needs to be capable… but that girl has no skill at all!”
Neslan stepped in front of Garno and spoke. “Father. You can’t be serious.”
“What?”
Neslan rubbed his face and muttered quietly. “It seems you’ve come to put your faith in healers and divine power because of my son’s death or something similar.”
“…”
Seeing his father’s expression, as if he’d been struck right in the heart, Neslan muttered gravely. “I don’t need a healer or anything like that. My daughter-in-law is Giselle.”
“Hah, people are brought into the family out of necessity, not affection! Didn’t you lose your son because you were always led by your feelings?”
“Father, that’s going too far!”
“I’ve heard enough. Get out. My grandson’s wife will be Hwairi, and no one else. If not her, then bring in another healer! If you’re not willing to throw things away, then I will.” He brushed past Neslan and strode quickly into the duke’s room.
But just then—
“Bad Granpa, no! Go away!” Riwes stomped his little feet and blocked the way near the bedroom with his tiny hands.
Inside the mansion, the servants, wary of the situation, had only pretended to tidy up, leaving the place a mess. But little Riwes, with his tiny hands, and Ivanka, whose hands resembled a hamster’s, were busily putting things back where they belonged. Behind them, the flustered Garno waved his hands wildly and shouted.
“Kids, what are you doing?!”
“Grandpa, you’re so min!”
“Madam Giselle c-can’t leave!”
“Giselle can’t go! Riwes pwomised to marry her!”
Even the servants watched the children’s little rebellion with subtle looks of encouragement.
And just then, Giselle, having climbed the stairs one step at a time, fanned herself with a hand fan and said in a mockingly sharp tone. “Oh now, what to do? Looks like I won’t be getting kicked out after all.”
“Absolutely no! If Syster goes, Riwes go too!”
Garno lost his temper. “And where do you think a little child is going!”
Riwes dashed up, stood in front of Giselle, and shouted. “This child is going to protect syster!”
“That’s what he said. Hoho.” Giselle smiled brightly, patting Riwes’s round, chestnut-like head.
“T-That such rudeness and lack of manners…!” Garno clutched the back of his neck once again. Meanwhile, Giselle just grinned and swayed her body like she was dancing.
The attempt to kick Giselle out ended in failure.
* * *
It was the next morning. The maid, Rudensha, rolled her eyes and fell deep into thought.
These days, ever since Hwairi showed up, Madam Giselle hadn’t set foot outside her bedroom. And not long ago, the former Duke Garno had even told her to pack her things and leave.
“For Madam Giselle, who must be in despair, what can I do for her…?”
Just then, Ivanka came running from afar. “Sister Rudensha!”
“Huh?”
“You’re trying to cheer up Madam Giselle too, aren’t you?”
“…I suppose so.”
“So, I have something Riwes and I put our heads together and discuss!” Ivanka leaned in and whispered something quietly into Rudensha’s ear.
Rudensha’s eyes widened a little. “Are you serious?”
* * *
It was the next morning. I woke up in my bedroom, absentmindedly fiddling with the rings Duke Kalinos had given me.
To drive Hwairi out and uncover who was backing her, I needed to make physical contact with her using the ‘medium’. It didn’t have to be a slap, but since I had the chance, I got my revenge while I was at it. Now, what I need to do is… Waiting for the right moment. So I lazed around, enjoying life, then finally got up late and started walking down the hallway.
“Oh, you startled me.”
Is everyone around here trying to give me a heart attack these days? Why does everyone keep popping up out of nowhere?
Ivanka held out a small box to me with her tiny hands. “Madam Giselle! I brought you something! He-Here you go.”
I took the box Ivanka handed me, and my eyes widened in surprise.
“It’s our feelings!”
Inside the box was a roll of paper filled with messages written in different handwriting. With a slightly hesitant hand, I picked up the paper.
[Thanks to Madam Giselle, I was able to escape Caitlyn’s bullying. I’ll protect you, no matter what.]
…But I just did as I pleased.
[Madam Giselle’s greatest strength is her determination. You’re our one and only mistress!]
When I first decided to save these people from Caitlyn’s clutches, I felt a sense of kinship with them. It was because I saw them as being like part-time service workers. Maids and servants don’t have much influence in the household, so I didn’t think much of helping them out. But lately, I’ve been realizing just how much I’ve affected their lives. Even something as childish as a rolled-up paper warmed my heart.
“Tell everyone thank you. I promise I’ll repay this kindness someday.”
“We’re the ones who should be repaying you!”
Before I knew it, Ivanka’s clear voice brought a gentle smile to my lips. Strangely enough, just as these people had grown fond of me, I found myself growing fond of them too.
Clutching the rolling paper tightly in my hand, that thought came to me. Anyway, I have to uncover Hwairi’s suspicious identity. For these people. And…
“Madam Yuliana, Lord Neslan, and Count Teren were all really worried about you. Even Lord Riwes skipped his meals!”
For the people of the Kalinos family who care about me.
I quietly asked back, “What about Duke Kalinos?”
And finally…
“The duke hasn’t looked happy at all. Honestly, it feels like he might just flip the table at any moment…”
Right, I have to make sure Duke Kalinos doesn’t end up marrying someone strange. Absolutely not. I’m not even sure why I feel so strongly about this. I mean, isn’t it ridiculous for my employer to marry some weirdo…?
* * *
“Hwairi, my dear. I’m sorry my grandchild treated my benefactor this way.” Garno gently soothed her, pressing an ice pack to her cheek.
“Grandpa, punish that wicked woman!”
“You even got a scratch on your cheek. My poor thing, how pitiful.”
Hwairi pretended to dab at her eyes as if she were about to cry, all the while thinking. That damn woman really is the biggest wildcard. I thought if I gave her ginger pie, she’d just bawl and lock herself in her room…But it seemed Giselle had bounced back much faster than expected.
Hwairi anxiously chewed her lips, her expression uneasy. By now, she should have had enough time to win over everyone in the Kalinos family. The thought that Giselle had ruined everything made her grind her teeth in frustration.
“Hwairi, I’ll call for the family doctor. Don’t worry.”
“Please make sure to get the very best.”
“The very best, huh…” Garno wore a look of determination and stood up. “Just wait here for a moment.”
* * *
Garno arrived at the small room where Neslan stayed to study. “Neslan, there’s someone who saved your life, isn’t there?”
“You sure don’t waste any time, Father.”
Garno, who entered the room where Neslan was reading, let out a huff. It was the first time Neslan, who had always been frail yet upright, had ever spoken so sarcastically.
Frowning, Garno swallowed his pride as he spoke. “I need to get Hwairi treated. She’s asking for the very best doctor to be brought in.”
“Father, let me be frank. I refuse. Ah, but if you’re planning to send her away after she’s healed, I’ll make sure she gets a doctor.”
Garno crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled. “You really do love your daughter-in-law, don’t you? Fine. I’ve already looked into Giselle.”
“She’s a good person, isn’t she?”
“…Anyway, she doesn’t have any special abilities.”
“Our family already has abilities. What does it matter whether Giselle has any or not?”
Garno, glaring at his son, growled with a twisted expression. “Our family needs a healer! You know that. That child died. I nearly lost you, too! If we’d had a healer by our side…”
“Father, I’d rather have no healer at all than see Giselle’s heart wounded.”
“W-What did you say?”
“Above all, my son also loves Giselle. I have absolutely no intention of interfering with the two of them.”
Was it because their conversation had leaked out through the open door? Yuliana, who had been reading in the parlor across the hall to avoid interrupting their conversation, seemed to have overheard everything.
“…Yuliana.”
“Yes, Father-in-law. My name is Yuliana Kalinos. So, as a member of the Kalinos family, let me speak.”
“Go on. I’m listening.”
“For now, the doctor who saved Neslan isn’t available, but we’re in contact with the one who assisted her. His name is Giyet, and he’s an exceptionally skilled doctor.”
“Wife.”
“I’ll assign Giyet to you. He contributed greatly in saving Neslan’s life, so I’m sure you’ll be satisfied.”
“Good, Yuliana. At last, you and I are starting to see eye to eye.”
“Yes, Father-in-law. I hope that child, Hwairi, receives proper treatment.”
Yuliana whispered to a maid, signaling her to contact Giyet. The sudden change in her attitude left both the maid and Neslan staring back and forth between Yuliana and Garno in bewilderment. Only Garno looked at Yuliana with clear satisfaction.
After giving the order to bring Giyet to the estate to treat Hwairi, Yuliana turned to Garno and gazed at him intently. “Send Giselle away and take that child as your daughter-in-law. Instead.”
“Wife!” Neslan looked utterly stunned, as if reeling from the bombshell Yuliana had just dropped.
At that moment, Yuliana picked up the book she’d been reading. No one had noticed the book in her hand until then… Bang!
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