Chapter 18
I May Be Your Mother-in-Law, But I Hate Family Feuds
“I didn’t have a carriage to use, so I called one from outside.”
“……”
The Duke of the Border furrowed his brows and turned his gaze toward Anna.
Startled, Anna lowered her eyes, and I stepped in front of her. Why was he glaring at a child?
“…I’ll have a carriage prepared.”
He called over a passing soldier and ordered a carriage to be readied. The soldier responded crisply and quickly brought one over.
“Wow…”
It wasn’t a fancy noble carriage, but a plainly colored military one — the kind clearly used by soldiers. Pulled by six horses, the carriage looked more like a tank than anything else.
“I could’ve just called a regular carriage, you know.”
Honestly, I didn’t want to ride this. Anyone would think I was going to war.
“Don’t be modest. Please, get in. The ride should be fairly comfortable.”
He offered it with a smile, and it felt awkward to refuse a second time.
In the end, Anna and I, along with the waiting escort knight, climbed aboard the huge carriage with no less than twenty seats and headed to the ducal estate. For some reason, the Duke of the Border joined us too.
“I just happened to be on my way out.”
“Oh, I see.”
I hadn’t had many chances to speak with him, but he was oddly friendly toward me.
I didn’t intend to reject his kindness, but if I hadn’t become the duchess, I likely would’ve gone my whole life without exchanging a single word with a man like him. It was a complicated feeling.
“…My lady, do you remember what I said last time?”
“Last time?”
“Yes, in the garden.”
I recalled that moment carefully.
‘Wasn’t it… something about asking if there was someone I had feelings for?’
And then he’d said something strange, that someone I met at the academy was waiting for me.
When I nodded to show I remembered, he spoke with a serious expression.
“Forget it.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I was speaking nonsense. Please forget everything I said that day.”
“……”
Do words just disappear because you say so? If anything, now I’ll remember it even more clearly.
But the atmosphere wasn’t one where jokes would work, so I nodded awkwardly.
He asked me again for confirmation, and I replied that I understood.
Anna, who was sitting nearby, whispered to me with a suspicious look on her face.
“Um… By ‘in the garden,’ does he mean that night of the celebration dinner?”
“Yeah.”
“Did something happen with the Count there?”
It was only a conversation, really — but saying so now felt off, given the promise I just made. I mumbled vaguely.
“He said nothing happened.”
“So something did happen?”
“I said nothing happened.”
“Oh my gosh…”
Anna dramatically covered her face with both hands, clearly shocked.
‘What’s her problem now?’
I considered asking but closed my mouth when the carriage arrived at the manor.
“Hmm? Isn’t that Helene?”
At that moment, I saw a familiar figure standing at the front of the main estate.
She was talking with the butler, and as soon as Anna saw the person bowing in front of them, she gasped.
“Huh? That’s Mr. Jackson!”
“Who?”
“The stable master! The one who said he couldn’t lend us a horse!”
“Ohhh.”
I had already forgotten his face, but Anna exclaimed loudly, as if she couldn’t believe I had.
“…He couldn’t lend a horse?”
The Duke of the Border, overhearing our conversation, frowned after learning why we had no carriage. Regardless, the military carriage slowly came to a halt in front of the estate.
Seeing such a massive carriage — easily double the size of a normal one — Helene’s cold face twisted slightly in confusion.
Her expression turned into something sharp, almost stinging, as I stepped out of the carriage under the Duke’s escort.
“…Mother?”
“Good afternoon, Helene.”
“What’s the meaning of this?”
Was she asking why I had left and returned? Or why I was with the Duke?
While I debated how to respond, the Duke stepped forward.
“She came regarding the celebration. As she had no carriage for the return, I personally escorted her back.”
“…I see. Thank you for the courtesy.”
“It’s nothing. As a knight, it was my duty. I couldn’t let a noblewoman travel alone.”
It was a subtle clash of attitudes. Helene looked at the Duke with cold eyes, and the Duke, as if speaking on my behalf, met her gaze squarely.
‘Is he getting angry for me?’
He probably realized I wasn’t treated very well at the ducal house. A duchess without a carriage was a ridiculous situation.
Still, I had no idea why he was helping me.
Was it because I helped plan the celebration? That hardly seemed worth risking friction with the ducal family.
“I’ll take my leave now. Lady, I hope to see you again.”
“Yes, next time, hopefully…”
With the celebration next week, we didn’t really need to make vague promises.
The Duke gave me the most respectful farewell I’d ever received, then climbed back into his carriage and left.
‘…And now I’m stuck in this awkward silence.’
I subtly glanced at the stable master who had been bowing in front of Helene.
He was sweating profusely, looking like a man standing at the guillotine.
Had he been getting scolded? What was his mistake? Not lending me a horse? Or slacking off?
“We’ll prepare your carriage and horses right away, Mother.”
It was Helene who broke the awkward silence first.
“However, it will be difficult to find horses befitting the ducal house immediately. We expect new horses and carriages to arrive before the New Year’s banquet.”
“What about the horses at the annex?”
“Those belong to the Duke.”
So they’ll buy me horses, but not good ones? That was about what I expected. I shrugged and gestured to Anna that we should return to the annex.
“And Mother, I heard this man has not been diligent in his duties.”
“…Huh?”
Just as I was turning around, Helene called out to stop me. She pointed to the stable master and continued.
“I intend to punish him. What are your thoughts?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’d like to hear your opinion on the severity of the punishment.”
I silently studied Helene’s face. She had the kind of steely presence that could stare you down for ten minutes without blinking.
Her beauty was undeniable, but with such a frigid expression, she seemed more like a marble statue than a person.
“What’s his offense?”
“He left the main house’s horses in the annex and failed to prepare the horses and carriage for you, Mother.”
So she was trying to make the issue about him storing the main estate’s horses at the annex — turning it into his mistake.
“……”
Anna lightly tugged on my sleeve from behind. She seemed to realize what Helene was really asking of me.
Helene wanted me to be the bad guy — to scold the servant on her behalf. But if I just forgave him outright, I’d lose authority as the lady of the house and also admit that the horses in the annex weren’t mine.
‘Not that I care. I don’t even have the dignity to “lose,” and they probably are the main estate’s horses anyway.’
This petty power struggle over something so trivial made me realize just how annoying these mother-in-law/daughter-in-law dynamics could be.
“L-Lady…”
The stable master, near tears, looked at me desperately.
“Then let me ask one thing, Helene. That stable master’s name is…?”
“Jackson, Mother.”
“Thanks, Anna. So, where is Jackson assigned?”
“…What do you mean?”
I pointed to Jackson.
“I’m asking if Jackson is part of the annex staff — my staff — or yours. If he’s mine, then I’ve failed to manage my servant. But if he’s yours…”
Both Jackson and Anna audibly gulped at the unexpected question.
Now that I’d said it aloud, the issue became crystal clear.
If Jackson was part of the annex staff, then the horses he managed were mine. If he belonged to the main house, it was the opposite.
Helene clearly wanted the latter. But acknowledging that would make it her responsibility.
‘I wasn’t going to punish Jackson even if he was mine.’
Losing authority and the horses? Then I needed to gain something in return — the trust of the staff.
After all, I had no problem earning a reputation for lowering my pride to protect my people.
I don’t punish my people lightly. If they’ve done wrong, it’s my fault for not teaching them. If Jackson were mine, I wouldn’t scold him.
That was my message — and also my challenge to Helene.
So what will you do, dear daughter-in-law?
I forgave him. Can you?
Can you admit it was your mistake and confess that to your mother-in-law?
That’s the question I now silently posed to her.
