~Chapter 98~
“Lady Margaret Gwinted has sent a letter.”
Other than Ancia, there was only one person who could be called Lady Gwinted—Rishar’s mother, the former Duchess, who had left to care for the retired Duke.
Ancia’s drowsy body tensed.
Opening the letter Julie brought, she read it over and over. Aside from the polite phrases at the beginning and end, the main point was just one line:
“The former Duchess will visit around this weekend.”
“She means the former Duchess, my lady.”
Julie spoke calmly, even sternly, and Ancia nodded.
Julie had temporarily taken the place of the missing Rosa as head maid. Though she wasn’t a noble and couldn’t be formally titled, her duties and influence were the same.
Ancia had been shocked when she heard Rosa was missing, but even if Rosa hadn’t run away, as a criminal she could never have been head maid again. Someone had to take her place.
Ancia recommended Julie—who could read documents, calculate well, and had a calm personality. Julie refused at first because she was young and not noble, but with Ancia’s strong persuasion, she had already been serving in the position successfully for two months.
“If it’s this weekend, she must have already left. What should I do first?”
“I’ll discuss it with the steward. Excuse me for now.”
“I should clean.”
Julie hurried away to the steward, while Ellie anxiously began dusting every corner of the room. Bianca, still confused, followed Ellie and started wiping as well.
Since Ancia knew nothing about Margaret Gwinted, she asked Ellie, who seemed to.
“What kind of person is the former Duchess?”
“She is a model of nobility.”
The firm answer only confused Ancia more. Ellie quickly put down her cloth, straightened, and said respectfully:
“She was a perfect mistress if you served faithfully. Fair, graceful, and merciless.”
“She sounds like a perfect Duchess.”
“Yes. Strict but benevolent. If a hardworking maid made a mistake, she gave another chance. But lazy maids were punished or dismissed. She forbade wasteful spending but allowed even half the Duke’s wealth to be used if necessary.”
“She seems like a good person?”
“Yes, she is.”
After bowing, Ellie resumed cleaning with more energy, then excused herself to fetch more supplies.
“Uh, yes, go.”
Even with good words, Ellie’s nervousness showed Margaret was a difficult person. Unlike herself—a makeshift Duchess—Margaret had been the true lady of the house. Ancia resolved to prepare firmly.
Outside, the corridors were noisy.
“Call the gardeners, start with the annex garden.”
“We’ll handle it. First clear out the old dust.”
“The drapes don’t match the season. Replace them at once.”
The servants worked even more frantically than when the Crown Prince had visited. Ancia too felt nervous.
She wanted to memorize the family tree and review etiquette to make sure what she had learned was proper among northern nobles.
Rosa’s past criticisms had always felt like nagging, so she wasn’t sure if they were real mistakes. She needed noble advice—but had no one to ask.
Ellie and Julie were busy, the steward overwhelmed. Only Bianca trailed behind her.
Watching the whole mansion stirred with tension, Ancia grew even more worried about her first meeting with her mother-in-law. She decided she should gather information about Margaret first.
She headed to the office where Arthur, the deputy knight commander, was scratching his neck idly.
Unlike the past few years when he was away on beast hunts, recently he had stayed in Gwinted, and reports had shrunk to a small stack. With Rishar now calmer, even the aides had more leisure.
Arthur had come to propose something—since no hunts were planned until spring, why not give the knights a long winter leave?
“That’s a good idea. I leave it to you.”
Rishar’s tone was gentle these days, which reassured Arthur, though he also worried it meant the Duke might hesitate in crisis.
Leaving the office, Arthur met Ancia in the hall. She smiled like a flower. No wonder Rishar’s mood had softened.
Arthur greeted her warmly, but she stopped him.
“Sir Arthur, may I ask something?”
“Yes, please.”
“About the former Duchess Margaret Gwinted… the Dowager…”
Arthur was surprised by the question, but seeing her serious face, he listened.
“No… never mind. It’s something you can’t know until you experience it. Sorry for holding you.”
“It’s fine. I’ll answer sincerely to anything.”
Seeing Ancia worried was rare, and Arthur didn’t step back. He even sensed Rishar approaching from the office but still waited for her to speak.
“I don’t want to make a mistake before her. Could you give me some advice? The steward is too busy, and I came to ask the Duke, but since you’ve served long, maybe you know…”
Before she finished, the office door opened. Rishar appeared, and before she could turn, he embraced her.
Arthur, startled by the Duke’s soft expression, quickly bowed and left.
“Duke?”
Rishar led her inside and immediately showered her with kisses.
Though they spent every night together, he always showed affection even in the day. Ancia, happy, still wanted to make a good impression on his family.
“Duke, the Dowager will visit this weekend.”
“I know. She sent me a letter too.”
His calmness made her feel rushed.
“What type does she like?”
Her question came out strange in her haste.
“I mean, what kind of daughter-in-law would she prefer? Has she ever mentioned an ideal?”
“For generations, the choice of the Gwinted Duchess was more influenced by the Emperor than by us.”
His flat answer made Ancia regret her question. She knew of the strained relations with the royal family.
Rishar stroked her cheek and kissed her gently.
“Since I have such a lovely and beautiful wife, my mother will be pleased too.”
“That’s only because it’s you.”
“And if you call her ‘Mother,’ she will like it more.”
“R-really?”
He kissed her forehead and nose several times.
“Anyone who sees you will fall in love.”
With such words, her worry felt meaningless. Smiling, she thought she should ask the steward later. For now, she chose to enjoy being loved.
The weekend came quickly.
When news arrived that Margaret had entered the estate, the servants and the Duke couple lined up at the entrance.
The clear sky suddenly filled with clouds, and snowflakes began to fall.
The servants swept endlessly, as if the former Duchess must not step on a single flake of snow. Rishar, watching, didn’t stop them—it seemed natural.
Benevolent? Fair? Ancia thought. This looks like welcoming a stern elder.
She was glad she had reviewed her etiquette.
When the all-black carriage appeared, the servants instantly stood in line. Only Ancia seemed flustered at the speed of its arrival.
