Chapter 44
“Yes! We were playing a game where we try to guess the names of the winter flowers in the garden. But they’re different from the ones in the book, so we never got a clear winner. Can’t you tell us the right answer, teacher? Please?”
And then came those hopeful eyes. The already adorable children were clutching her hem and staring up with such sparkling gazes that her heart began to soften.
She looked toward Nata for help, but he only smiled kindly as if to say, “Of course, our madam is the best.”
‘They’re nothing like Jace.’
Unlike Jace, who had been like a prickly hedgehog, these two children had an untarnished innocence.
They behaved like children who had been loved and were ready to be loved again. They carried a quiet confidence, as if they knew there was no way they would be rejected.
…Or maybe it was desperation—a last attempt to gain attention in any way possible.
‘It’s probably not the latter.’
There was no way the ducal children were starved of affection.
With a sigh, she took the small hands that clutched her hem.
“Noona… I mean, teacher is a little busy. I only have a short amount of time. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine!”
“We get thirty minutes of free time! After that, we have something else scheduled!”
Playing for a short while was doable. She took the bright-smiling Jeonil and the precise-talking Minerva with her as they walked toward the flower beds in the garden.
* * *
Lately, Helene had been so busy she was forgetting her own schedule.
Invitations to western nobles, remodeling the banquet hall, training the staff, promoting the event in society… countless tasks were weighing her down.
She couldn’t rely on Mikhail either. As the head of the family, he too was working tirelessly to complete year-end responsibilities.
Since family events were the duty of the hostess, she had to focus. As a result, tasks of lower priority kept getting pushed aside.
For example, her role as a mother—meeting with her children.
‘It’s already been three weeks since I broke that promise.’
She recalled the nanny’s advice, saying it was important for the children’s emotional well-being to play together at least once a week.
Of course, even when she couldn’t see them, she’d made sure their schedules were rich with activities, but still—she felt a little guilty.
It wasn’t maternal affection, but rather a sense of duty. For Helene, that was enough.
Even when they ate together, there was no time for deep conversations. It couldn’t be helped. The year-end banquet required her full attention.
She believed that providing the best possible environment for her children was sufficient.
And half the reason for this last-minute workload was because of Wilhelmina.
‘Such an aggressive plan. Crude, even.’
Wilhelmina had proposed something Helene could never sympathize with.
From a logical standpoint, Wilhelmina’s plan was overly emotional and irrational.
But Mikhail and the retainers were all impressed, calling it a brilliant idea.
Helene didn’t understand why everyone supported it, but since the decision was made, she resolved to support it as best she could—that was her role as the lady of the house.
So, to ensure the banquet’s success, she altered the existing plan and helped Wilhelmina.
And in doing so, she delayed another promise to her children.
‘The banquet will be over soon. By then, they’ll be in the intermediate class… I’ll prepare math and logic games for the next play session. Better have the teaching materials ready.’
For Helene, playing with her children was like conducting an exam that confirmed the material they had studied so far.
She would pose the questions, and the children would earn a reward if they got the right answers. Nothing more, nothing less. Time with her children was still a task to be completed.
But even she acknowledged that going nearly a month without even speaking to them was wrong.
‘And I promised Minerva, too.’
Unlike Jeonil, whose emotions were easy to read, Minerva was always proper and composed.
Knowing Helene was busy, she never demanded attention, only occasionally inquiring about schedules during mealtimes.
“Mother, when is the garden walk scheduled?”
There was no such thing. Helene had replied firmly.
“Then… if possible, would you come to the garden between 2 and 3 p.m., any day you’re free? That’s our break time. If it’s okay, we’d like to see you then.”
It had taken courage for Minerva to say that. But unaware of the weight behind her words, Helene had responded casually.
“If my meeting ends early… maybe on Wednesday or Friday. If that’s alright…”
“It is!”
And now it was Saturday. All the promised days had passed.
Even Helene could sense Minerva must be disappointed.
She recalled the way Minerva had smiled brightly and clenched her little fists with determination.
‘…Just this once should be okay.’
Helene’s schedule was packed again today. After lunch, she was due to meet some guests in the drawing room.
But today’s guests were from baron and viscount houses—not important enough to worry about being kept waiting for 10 minutes.
If it meant prioritizing her children for once, she figured it wasn’t a bad trade-off.
“Steward, prepare a snack.”
“What would you like?”
“Minerva likes things too sweet… prepare something Jeonil prefers.”
“Understood.”
Choosing the less sweet option, Helene put on her coat and left her office. She headed to the garden where the children usually stopped by after lessons.
As she walked slowly, she spotted a maid rushing out of the dressing room at the end of the hall.
‘That’s… Anna, right?’
She was Wilhelmina’s maid.
Anna carried a neatly folded black dress—likely for alteration. Without noticing Helene, she hurried down the stairs.
Watching with her, the steward murmured in a low voice.
“Shall I report her for retraining?”
“No need. It’s the annex’s business. Don’t interfere.”
It was a rule that servants should check their surroundings when stepping into the hallway. If a master was approaching, they were expected to bow and wait for them to pass.
Anna’s posture remained composed despite her speed, which was commendable. But missing Helene entirely was impolite.
‘The annex staff… I’ve heard their loyalty is unusually high.’
Anna’s face showed pride and purpose—a level of sincerity rarely seen even among the main house staff.
Back when the former duke was alive, the annex had been considered a place of exile for servants.
If you caught the former duke’s eye the wrong way, you’d end up there. And with heavier workloads, no one wanted that assignment.
Only a few could request reassignment. Most accepted it with silent tears.
But ever since Wilhelmina began living there, things changed.
‘When I checked, not one person had requested a transfer.’
Whether the work had become easier, or Wilhelmina treated them well—Helene had heard both explanations, but couldn’t understand either.
If you wanted to be promoted, you needed to work in the main house. No matter how good your performance was in the annex, you couldn’t become an official member of the household.
Their pay was lower, and there were fewer people, so vacation time was rare.
And yet, despite all that, no one asked to be reassigned.
Helene had once reported this strange situation to Mikhail.
He had simply smiled and said:
“Mother must be well-liked.”
It was just the kind of response Mikhail would give, but it didn’t answer Helene’s doubts.
Accepting that answer felt like admitting Wilhelmina was more respected than she was.
She would have rather believed Wilhelmina was bribing the staff.
Her unrecognized sense of inferiority clouded her judgment. That’s how uncomfortable Wilhelmina made her.
On the surface, she treated her mother-in-law with respect, but deep down, she couldn’t accept her.
‘…But if this plan succeeds.’
Despite these complicated feelings, Helene never voiced any complaints about Wilhelmina’s idea.
Because it was clear that Wilhelmina’s intentions were genuinely for the good of House Leighton.
As the duchess, Helene knew she had to separate personal feelings from her duty.
She steeled herself to prevent her resentment from becoming a liability to the family.
‘Helene, I think you’re an incredible daughter-in-law.’
She suddenly remembered what Wilhelmina had said in the past.
That horribly irritating compliment seemed to perfectly capture the nature of their relationship.
