Chapter 4
It wasn’t just those two collateral nobles who followed along like they had no choice — the knights, attendants, and maids who had come in with them were no different.
“Oh! Pardon the intrusion. If I’m mistaken, please correct me. If there’s a proper etiquette that says a mere collateral relative can enter the noble lady of Mertiel’s room without permission, I’d love to hear about it.”
“……”
“If not, then this is going to be quite an entertaining situation.”
“Lady!”
As I took a step forward, Lubrion, who had been sweating nervously, flinched and stepped back.
“To think someone this rude has Mertiel blood running through his veins…”
Our Mertiel.
It felt strangely ironic, using a name I’d spent my whole life trying to shake off.
“How shameful.”
When I looked at him pitifully on purpose, Lubrion ran a rough hand through his hair in frustration. The man beside him, who had been staying quiet, suddenly stepped forward.
“Lady, I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Chandler. We used to visit each other often when we were young.”
Then, as if he’d rehearsed it, he smoothly continued.
“It’s already been over two months since the Duke and Duchess disappeared. In such circumstances, who could possibly protect you, Lady? So we came here today to offer our help…”
Of course, I didn’t need to hear any more.
“Yes, yes, I see. Arrest them. They entered the ducal estate without permission, so according to the rules, they should be imprisoned on the third basement level.”
There’s no need to protect me or anything like that. After all, I’m the one who killed the missing duke.
“We came with pure intentions out of concern for you, Lady! And this is how you treat us?!”
Despite Chandler raising his voice, none of the servants seemed inclined to stop him.
I’ll have to replace them all.
I adjusted my shawl, glanced at the knights, then turned my gaze back to Chandler.
“This is the Libedro Empire. According to Imperial Law Article 16, Clause 7, in the absence of a head of house, the one who inherits the family name shall govern the estate.”
Their expressions were blank.
“I am currently acting in place of the Duke, the head of the household, so your actions can be seen as a challenge to his authority.”
This was not only directed at the collaterals but also to everyone else who looked at me as if I’d lost my mind.
“For unlawful trespassing and attempting to undermine the authority of the Duke, imprison them in the third basement level.”
The knights exchanged glances and then swiftly followed my command.
They obeyed so easily. It made me laugh bitterly—how pathetic had I been before, to be ignored like this?
Well, I was the daughter abandoned by the Duke, after all.
A daughter unloved and discarded by the Duke had no voice, no power to protest the mistreatment. I wonder how gleeful they must’ve been watching it all.
“Listen carefully. I will not allow objections. Since the Duke and Duchess have been absent for over two months, I, Inerua Mertiel, officially declare myself acting head of the house.”
I patted Chandler’s shoulder as he was bound and gagged by the knights and smiled faintly.
“Now then, anyone else opposed?”
✦ ✦ ✦
From that day on, the attitudes of the people in the ducal estate began to subtly shift.
“L-Lady, a letter has arrived from the Imperial Palace. What would you like to do?”
A once-useless lady, loathed by the Duke, had suddenly become the power-holder of the household—it was a natural change.
But even then, there were limits to how they treated me.
“Hand it over.”
There were plenty of reasons for this shift.
The servants of House Mertiel knew the truth well.
The Duke and Duchess were gone. The collateral nobles were kept at a distance. What kind of backing could a solitary lady like me possibly have?
On top of that, I was a newly-of-age girl. How much of a threat could I really pose?
But more than anything, there was a key reason.
“Also, Lady… the collateral nobles have sent you something else…”
“Hm? A portrait?”
“Yes. They’re asking if you’d consider them as marriage candidates…”
Imperial Law Article 10, Clause 1
A woman cannot inherit the title of head of house.
As long as I was a citizen of the Empire, I couldn’t escape that law. That was the real problem.
In the end, once I got married and left the ducal house, the title would be handed off to someone else — probably one of those collateral nobles. To them, I was someone they just had to placate for a little while.
Seriously… as always, there’s just no way to like this Empire.
“Send the undertaker some coffin designs.”
“P-Pardon?”
“Deliver those designs to the ones who sent these portraits.”
Marriage? Engagement?
I had no intention of granting my father’s long-cherished wish.
“That’ll be all. You may leave.”
My father had such weak reproductive ability that he was nearly infertile.
He went so far as to bring in doctors and even shamans to help him conceive. After seven years of effort, he finally succeeded.
When my mother became visibly pregnant, the Duke desperately hoped that the fetus — clearly going to be his first and last child — would be a boy.
He paid a fortune to various shamans and demanded that they cast a spell to ensure the child would be male, regardless of any side effects.
But the one who was born… was me.
A girl — the one thing my father never wanted.
After I was born, he was diagnosed as completely infertile.
[“Bear only sons. That is your sole purpose.”]
His words rang in my ears.
[“You were a mistake from the beginning. Blame yourself for being born a failure.”]
His twisted rage, disguised behind a calm exterior, had always been directed at me.
Ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick again.
I wonder if he’s arrived at the gates of hell by now.
Swish. I sliced open the letter from the Imperial Palace with a paper knife.
As the seal sliced cleanly, I pulled out the letter bearing the imperial crest.
“Aren’t you going to leave?”
“Then, excuse me.”
I moved my eyes to read the letter.
“An investigation by the Imperial Palace…”
If the emperor simply handed my title to a collateral noble, I’d probably be married off like some object.
“I had a feeling. Of course, they’re sending someone.”
I closed the letter with a thud.
They’re efficient, I’ll give them that.
Now, the moment of fate was drawing near.
“Two months—yes, they’ve waited long enough.”
The search for the Duke and Duchess… they wouldn’t be able to find them.
Unlike the previous timeline, there was no foolish mistake. I made sure nothing would be found — even by accident.
“They won’t be able to suspect me anyway.”
In the previous life, even though the evidence was fake, it was too clear. But really, who would suspect a lady who never leaves the house?
At this point, I had two paths.
The first was to live quietly, hand over the title to a collateral noble, and be married off to some aging noble or man of noble bloodline.
“Ugh, I hate that idea.”
Those are the only types of men who would want to marry a powerless noble lady.
“Without the Mertiel name, I’m worthless.”
If I hated that, then the second path was…
“To become someone of value.”
I stepped forward and flung open the door.
“Ah!”
My foot caught someone’s leg, and I stumbled.
Immediately, a hand reached out to catch me.
Instinctively, I looked up — the man whose leg I’d tripped over was right in front of me, groaning.
His deep navy-blue hair swayed gently.
The hand that had held my shoulder loosened.
Our eyes met in midair as he slowly raised his head.
The moment those red eyes locked onto me, my eyes widened.
“…Kischel?”
The man whose name I uttered smiled and bowed dramatically.
“Kischel Vessen, reporting my return to my master.”
My childhood friend and loyal servant, Kischel Vessen — whom I hadn’t seen in years — stood before me once again.
Ooh. Interesting.