Episode 2
1. Just Trust Me, Sister-in-Law
A frigid silence settled over the dining table.
Freshly baked bread, various jams, fruits and soup, sausages and eggs, and even coffee and juice.
It was truly a picture-perfect breakfast, but the atmosphere among the family seated around the table was anything but warm and cheerful.
“Water.”
Oppa, the pinnacle of authoritarianism, uttered just one word while gesturing toward the water glass with his chin.
Even though a maid was clearly standing by, his malice in deliberately making Isabel pour the water was utterly vile.
His intention to break his wife’s spirit and tame her was plain as day.
“Really, what are you doing not pouring the water right this instant?!”
Beside him, the Duchess Dowager nagged Isabel, desperately trying to curry favor with oppa.
And Isabel, rising quietly from her seat like a shadow to pour the water.
It was the usual morning meal at the Lavantes Duke’s household.
The arrogant oppa and the Duchess Dowager riding his coattails—extremely, very, too, truly unlucky, in other words.
‘Ugh, I feel like I’m going to get indigestion.’
Seriously, how does our sister-in-law manage to eat here every time without getting sick?
I stopped picking at my soup and glanced sideways at our sister-in-law seated across from me.
Ah, so why is our sister-in-law sitting face-to-face with me?
The Lavantes Duke’s household strictly follows hierarchy for seating.
Oppa sits at the head of the table, and to his right sits the current Duchess Dowager, Marisa, who is nominally my and oppa’s adoptive mother.
For reference, Marisa was the late former duke’s second wife.
Her efforts to cling to oppa in any way possible to maintain her position as Duchess Dowager were truly unsightly.
No, why is Marisa even sitting to oppa’s right in the first place?
The lady of the house is Isabel, so shouldn’t Isabel naturally sit in Marisa’s place?!
But, well.
‘It’s not a family where that kind of common sense applies.’
Oppa quite liked Marisa, who fawned over him like a tongue in the mouth.
To the point of entrusting her with a significant portion of the hostess duties, sidelining his own wife, Isabel.
Of course, Isabel didn’t just sit idly by.
At first, Isabel tried various things, but all her efforts were completely crushed.
For example, take what happened early in their marriage.
With the sole desire to serve her husband delicious food, she prepared dinner with great care.
‘The food is salty.’
‘Yes?’
‘For the lady of Lavantes to be unable to even control the kitchen staff properly. Is that why they serve this garbage?!’
Frowning deeply, oppa pushed the plate across the table for all to see.
Crash!
Isabel’s face, miserably distorted, was reflected on the shattered plates.
For the record, the seasoning was perfect.
It wasn’t salty at all.
So why spout such nonsense?
It was part of “breaking in the wife.”
A process to create an obedient wife. Blech.
Perhaps that’s why the current Isabel always wore an expressionless face.
‘In the end, Isabel had to give up all expectations.
Days slowly wilting away in the shadiest corner of the ducal house.
It was truly horrific.’
……That’s how it was even described in the original novel.
Even now, it’s the same.
She hasn’t touched her food at all and is just quietly holding her seat.
Sipping only bitter black coffee—that sight was so pitiful……
‘Unni, drinking only coffee in the morning will ruin your stomach!’
Screaming internally, I eventually slid a basket full of freshly baked croissants toward Isabel.
Isabel stared at me with puzzled eyes.
But only for a moment; Isabel turned her head away primly.
Her resolute gesture and attitude clearly conveyed, ‘Why are you suddenly pretending to be close when it doesn’t suit you?’
‘Sob, this is too sad.’
While I was inwardly shedding tears.
“It’s spring, after all.”
Marisa opened her mouth leisurely.
For some reason, a bright smile was plastered across her face.
Honestly, even that smiling face was extremely irritating.
Ah, I really want to flick her forehead just once. For real!
“So I’m thinking of holding a garden party after a long while.”
After a long while, my foot.
I grumbled inwardly.
If it’s spring, it’s spring; if it’s summer, it’s summer; if the weather’s nice, if the mood’s good.
She holds parties every two or three months with all sorts of excuses, yet her tongue is the only thing long.
For reference, hosting a party costs quite a bit, but oppa has never once told her not to.
Probably because saying ‘the cost of parties is a waste’ would hurt his pride as a man.
“Our Elodie needs to find a good match somehow, don’t you think?”
Marisa continued in a generous voice, as if she were a mother who dearly loved her daughter.
‘What kind of bullshit is this?’
I struggled immensely to keep a sour expression off my face.
Honestly, her intentions are transparent.
By sidelining the current duchess, Isabel, and hosting the party herself.
She’s trying to show that she still holds considerable influence in the Lavantes Duke’s household.
‘Well, and incidentally appealing that she’s concerned about my marriage.’
Meanwhile, Marisa, completely unaware of my inner thoughts, continued in a soft, gentle tone as if she were a kind mother.
“Elodie needs to meet many young gentlemen to form a connection with a good man, right?”
Ah, and this is the same person who enthusiastically supported the absurd marriage proposal that came for Elodie?
Has she completely forgotten that the man is twenty years older than Elodie?
Just as I was desperately suppressing the urge to snap back.
“So, about that, the guest list for this party……”
Marisa very naturally mentioned the guest list, making it clear she would host the party again this time.
At the same time, I felt my reason snap.
Ah, I can’t listen to this nonsense anymore!
“Wait a moment.”
As I abruptly spoke up, everyone’s gazes turned to me.
I lightly shrugged my shoulders.
“Something feels off. Shouldn’t sister-in-law be the one making the guest list, not Mother?”
“……”
“……”
A moment of silence passed.
The smile on Marisa’s face vanished completely.
Judging by the way she glared menacingly with wide eyes, my words must have been quite a shock?
On the other hand, Isabel stared at me blankly, unable to hide her surprise.
And oppa, who should have considered Isabel from the start to prevent this unreasonable situation……
“Don’t cause unnecessary trouble.”
He merely spat that out while cutting a large piece of omelet and shoving it into his mouth.
‘Yeah, I didn’t expect anything anyway.’
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I met the three gazes and haughtily lifted my chin.
“I’m not trying to cause trouble. I’m simply saying this for the dignity of our family.”
“You’re still young, so you don’t understand. It’s better to leave these things to the adults……”
Just then, Marisa, hastily managing her expression, tried to silence me by bringing up age.
But I continued nonchalantly.
“As far as I know, family parties are usually hosted by the lady of the house?”
“Well, that’s……”
“The current head of the family is oppa, so the lady of the house is naturally sister-in-law, right?”
Marisa’s face hardened stiffly.
I flashed a beaming eye-smile.
“Of course, I know very well how much Mother has devoted herself to our family until now.”
“Child, Elodie.”
“But excluding the lady of the house from family events could, in a way, make it seem like oppa isn’t recognized as the head of the family.”
In that instant, I saw it.
The grip of oppa’s hand clutching the fork tightening with force.
