CHAPTER 17…………………………………………
“If you mean that child…”
“Rectarion. My poor grandnephew.”
“Oh, that guy, you mean.”
At the count’s foolish reply—daring to refer to a duke as that guy—the dowager duchess’s brow furrowed once more.
She was already irritated from having to pretend she cared about the boy for the sake of public opinion, and now he couldn’t even play along and instead spoiled her mood.
Count Royster was a man with grand ambitions but little intelligence, someone who missed every opportunity that came his way. She had summoned him because he was useful, but he still couldn’t read the room and continued to blunder about.
Lifting the teacup that had been set before him, he slurped it down in one gulp, set it back with a clack, and asked loudly,
“Which family’s young lady is it? Even if he’s a failure, he’s still the Duke of Northdian, so… Is it the Marchioness of Cherish? The House of Duke Voller? Or perhaps the border marquis Delide?”
“All wrong. It’s the House of Count Uveris.”
“Huh? Uveris, you say…?”
Even Count Royster, who was usually slow to hear gossip, had heard rumors about them.
It was said to be a family that had produced little magical talent for generations. Though they had considerable wealth, they wielded no real influence—neither in the capital nor in high society.
“I heard the young lady of that family already has a fiancé.”
“They have another daughter. Even though she’s come of age, they say she can’t even use first-tier magic.”
“Ah! You mean that useless girl the count dotes on and keeps hidden away at home. Ha! So he’s taking a bride just like me.”
Despite the tactless response, the dowager duchess maintained her act, letting out a shallow sigh as though weighed down by worry.
“Don’t say things like that. I’m already concerned enough as it is. Ever since Rectarion inherited his title by His Majesty’s command, he’s been put in charge of the absurd task of punishing nobles… and now, on top of that, he’s taking a bride with no magical talent. As an elder of the family, I can’t help but worry.”
Then, she subtly revealed her true intention.
“At this rate, I fear the Northdian lineage of mages might come to an end. I hear he cherishes the Uveris young lady greatly, but for the sake of the family, shouldn’t he be bringing in a high-ranking mage as his bride?”
Dowager Duchess Enrilke truly believed that.
She simply never once considered that there might actually be a high-ranking mage who would want to marry into that family.
The once-proud lineage of Northdian, which had produced the greatest number of high-ranking mages in history, had begun to falter during the era of the former head of the house’s predecessor—Kaien Shiva Northdian.
He had been only a second-tier mage, something exceedingly rare for the family.
Kaien, the only low-tier mage the family had ever produced, was considered a disgrace. Yet, like Rectarion, he was the sole direct heir of his generation, and thus inherited the ducal title.
At the time, Enrilke had visited her elder brother—the head of the house then—to ask him to adopt her son, who had shown aptitude as a fairly high-ranking mage.
But that very day, a massive fire broke out at the Northdian estate, and everyone bearing the name Northdian perished in the flames.
Everyone, except Kaien, who happened to be out in the village on business.
And the next day, her son died in an explosion involving a magical engine carriage that was still an experimental model at the time.
“Tepiss! My son! Aaaah!”
They called it an accident—but she never believed it.
From the day she lost her precious son, Dowager Duchess Enrilke began interfering in Northdian affairs at every turn.
Even that had become difficult after Rectarion became head of the family, as security tightened significantly. But a bride with no magical talent? To Enrilke, it was a heaven-sent opportunity she could not afford to miss.
“If you don’t mind, could you go and see what kind of young lady she is for me? I’m getting on in years, and traveling has become difficult.”
The response came instantly.
“Of course! Just leave it to me! I’ll go and look her over thoroughly, right down to the bone!”
Then he glanced at her cautiously.
“By the way, my lady… if I do a good job, could you perhaps provide me with some funding? I happen to know of a promising business opportunity.”
Watching the foolish man—who shared not a single drop of blood with her yet claimed to be a collateral branch of Northdian, hoping for scraps—Enrilke smiled the gentle, benevolent smile that had long since become second nature to her.
“I will make sure you are well rewarded.”
At her words, Count Royster’s sunken eyes lit up. He thumped his chest proudly and declared,
“Of course! My lady, put your worries aside! Hahaha!”
“I shall trust you.”
She was thoroughly satisfied.
After all, a man who could see no further than what lay right in front of him would be the perfect one to cut loose if things went awry.
“Wow…”
At last, we arrived at the historic grand mansion of the House of Northdian.
As our carriage passed through the tree-lined avenue leading to the entrance, I caught sight of the majestic structure in the distance and was momentarily at a loss for words.
Under the vivid blue sky, a breathtaking scene unfolded.
“Do you like it?”
“…It’s incredibly beautiful.”
I answered sincerely.
And how could I not?
With its brilliant blue-green roof, time-worn white walls, and tasteful golden accents, the refined mansion was so magnificent it could easily be called a palace.
They said the House of Northdian had shared its history with the Cyrus Empire, and that dignity and elegance were evident even in their estate.
“Hm. Quite the opposite impression from mine.”
“The opposite?”
Living in a place like this?
But thinking about it, no matter how many expensive dresses or accessories the count bought Cosette, her words were always the same.
“Ah, I’ve already worn it three times. I’m bored of it.”
Assuming the duke meant something similar, I nodded.
“Well, even golden flowers grow tiresome if you see them every day. Still, it looks incredibly beautiful to me.”
Even as I said that, I was completely absorbed in admiring what would be my home for the next year. Then, suddenly, I heard what sounded like a stifled laugh.
“Did you just smile?”
“Forgive me. It was an unexpected perspective.”
He turned his gaze back to the mansion.
“It’s an old house. Being over four hundred years old, there are many places that need repairs. Sometimes the roof leaks, or the stairs creak—so don’t be startled later.”
So that’s what he meant?
The way he’d set the mood, I’d half thought something frightening had happened—like a secret laboratory for researching human magic circles, or a prison where people were locked up to drain their mana.
Even thinking it made me shudder.
I should stay out of trouble and behave myself.
Lost in those thoughts, we soon reached the entrance.
“We’re glad to have you back safely, Your Grace.”
The sight of the servants lined up before the grand mansion to welcome their master was spectacular. There were far more servants than at the Uveris estate, and they greeted him with impeccable formality.
“How have you been, Aubrien?”
Oh, a grandmother butler.
The person greeting us on behalf of the staff was unexpected.
The head butler of a mansion was usually a man, given the physical demands—but here, the chief steward of this vast estate was an elderly woman. It felt rather novel.
As she exchanged greetings with the duke, her eyes widened slightly when she noticed me stepping down with Jace’s escort.
“There seems to be someone I haven’t met before.”
“Ah.”
Instead of introducing me right away, the duke introduced the head steward to me first.
“My lady, this is Aubrien of House Redder, who has overseen the management of this estate for generations.”
As a member of House Uveris, this was only the second time—after the duke himself—that I’d been formally introduced to another noble. I recalled the etiquette I’d learned as a child and inclined my head slightly.
“My name is Eloa Pin Uveris. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Baron Redder.”
Since I’d given only my name and not the reason for my visit, she still looked slightly unsure of how to treat me, but the head steward calmly returned my greeting.
“Please, call me Aubrien. It is an honor to meet you, Miss Uveris.”
This time, the duke introduced me.
“Aubrien. This is the woman who will become my wife.”
“…I beg your—pardon?”
Aubrien’s eyes and mouth fell open as her automatic response caught up with her.
“She is in poor health, so see to her with special care.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
Her reply came a beat late, clearly shaken. And it wasn’t just her—the faces of the other servants were just as openly stunned.
With all their gazes fixed on me, my shoulders unconsciously drew in.
Were they angry? The way their lips twitched made me a little afraid.
Am I really that unwelcome?
I hadn’t expected a warm reception, but I thought it would at least be better than the Uveris estate.
Was this world the same everywhere?
Just as I was about to feel dejected, an elderly man who looked like a senior butler dabbed at his eyes and sniffled. He seemed even older than the head steward.
“Ah, to finally meet the lady who will become our mistress…”
“Luce.”
“I was so worried about what would happen if our young master grew old all alone. Now this Luce can die without regrets.”
I doubted my ears. No matter how I listened, it didn’t sound like an insult. If anything, it sounded like a heartfelt welcome.
While I stood there, stunned by the unexpected reaction, the Duke of Northdian frowned slightly. He looked used to this kind of scene.
“If you keep spouting nonsense, I really will make you retire.”
“Of course. I can rest easy now.”
“Hah, honestly. Luce, you really are…”
He ran a hand through his fallen bangs in clear exasperation.
So even he gets flustered.
It was a rare sight—the arrogant duke looking troubled by someone.
Judging by the way the old man called him “young master,” he must have been a servant who’d been with him since childhood.
After Aubrien pinched his side, he finally stopped sniffing. The warm scene somehow put me at ease.
“Master.”
At that moment, a young servant approached the duke.
“What is it?”
“Well…”
He leaned in and whispered a report. The duke stood silently for a moment, then turned toward me.
Huh?
“Miss Eloa. You must be tired, so please go inside and rest first.”
There was an unexpected word in that sentence.
He called me by my name.
It seemed to be a signal for me to begin acting as the duke’s future wife now that we’d arrived.
I stepped a little closer to him, smiled gently, and asked with concern,
“And what about you, Duke?”
