Chapter 4
At that time, he didn’t have the mental bandwidth to properly assess the condition of his second nephew.
He was, after all, right in the middle of a political struggle.
The king was incompetent, and the queen was lost in madness.
Industrialization was accelerating, the times changing by the day, and as the Grand Duke, he had to know, understand, and make choices about everything.
Days passed without even a moment to catch his breath.
The chatter of Genevieve had grown tiresome, and he thought he had asked the steward to find a suitable hospital for her.
“Your Grace… I swear on my life, I’m only saying this because I care. But the second young master is still so young… isn’t that a bit…?”
He remembered the old man, eyes tightly shut, speaking with difficulty, and he added the steward, Willen, to his “list of those to keep close.”
“I will not send him to a hospital.”
“Yes… that’s well thought out… what did you say?”
“I said I will not send him. He is still just a child. A mental hospital already? Are you in your right mind?”
“!”
Immediately after the second was sent to a mental institution, the first began to unravel wildly.
Victor never forgot seeing the usually calm boy—bearing the blood of Bavaria so strongly—scream like a monster and spew venomous resentment.
‘I won’t repeat the same mistakes.’
This time, he would live differently.
Everything he had said to Abel in that final moment had been sincere.
If he had to go back to war, he would do so with Bavaria’s honor at stake… but it was better not to go at all.
“Alright. You are the head of the household. If that is your decision, I can do nothing.”
Genevieve grumbled as she swept her long hair behind her ear.
By the time the meal ended in silence, she asked him another question.
This time, her tone was much softer than before.
“So… when will you go up this time?”
“Well…”
“Are the affairs of the capital keeping you busy? I can’t even remember the last time you visited the capital residence. Always occupied with the children, managing the household… endlessly busy.”
He observed Genevieve’s subtle self-praise without expression and slowly turned his head.
“I will be away for a short while, but after that, I do not intend to go up.”
“Excuse me?”
“So, it seems your vacation will be extended.”
Indeed. He had come down to the estate strictly under the pretense of a “vacation.”
Beneath that, the tangled circumstances involving the mad queen were hidden, but there was no need for others to know.
Yet, it was amusing.
Seeing that he would not leave soon, a subtle crack appeared in Genevieve’s expression.
Smiling quickly as if flipping her palm, she whispered, “Yes, it’s about time you rested,” and Victor picked up his napkin, leaving her behind.
Victor Bavaria hadn’t cared for his family in a long time.
He smiled bitterly to himself.
He had always been suspicious of his aunt’s behavior.
He had been staying at the capital residence while his aunt remained at the estate, leaving no time to scrutinize her actions personally.
‘No—more precisely, it was a secondary priority.’
And he always had primary priorities.
Secondary matters remained secondary.
Victor Bavaria had always been busy.
During the reign of the previous king, he had taken on all matters of the intelligence department, and under the current king, he needed to understand the rapidly changing world order.
Thus, he had a clear reason to overlook household affairs.
Moreover, if he removed his aunt, who would care for the two slightly unhinged children, neither even ten years old yet?
He rested his gaze on the golden chrysanthemums decorating the table and thought of someone with eyes of that color: Abel.
The most rational and steadfast person he knew.
Someone who, when a soldier in the throes of madness lunged at him foaming at the mouth, didn’t flinch but struck swiftly at the back of his neck.
As he recalled that calm, clear face, he added “if I can find him” to his plan.
“I intend to marry soon, so take note of that.”
“What? Marry whom?”
“That’s none of your concern. You too should rest a little, shouldn’t you, Aunt?”
[Contract-Based Grand Duchess Wanted]
Guaranteed:
Minimum 5-year contract
Full coverage of room, board, and travel expenses
Absolute protection from the Grand Ducal family during official duties
Salary negotiable
Requirements:
Female, aged 25–30
Specialist in internal medicine
Minimum education: Graduate of Royal St. Elven Medical University
Top graduate preferred
Special Notes:
Two nephews in care
Must oversee the children’s health as their personal physician
Former military doctors welcome
That day, Ivel opened the newspaper and froze.
It had been three days since she realized she had returned to the past, after assuming she had died.
Whether it was due to the absurdities of war she had endured, or simply luck, she had accepted the miracle without much struggle.
‘If this had happened right after entering school, I would have cursed God.’
Fortunately, it was after graduation, when she had just opened a small clinic in a quiet town.
Before leaving for work, as she poured her coffee and sat at the small table, her pumpkin-colored eyes lingered on a bizarre advertisement on the front page of the daily newspaper.
“Could it be…”
Perhaps paranoid, but Ivel couldn’t shake the feeling that this strange advertisement was somehow searching for her.
It specifically requested an “internal medicine specialist” and someone “with military medical experience.”
Who else could meet all these conditions at this point in time?
‘What if the Grand Duke also returned to the past?’
An absurd hypothesis, to be sure.
Ivel shook her head but fell into thought again.
Well, it could be possible—they had died together, after all.
Her hesitation stemmed from one detail: “female.”
‘Did he figure out I’m a woman?’
She thought she had perfectly concealed it.
Of course, as of now, the Richter-Franz war had not occurred, so there was no military law violation either.
She paced the kitchen anxiously, reading the ad carefully once more.
“Absolute protection from the Grand Ducal family during official duties…”
She didn’t know why the Grand Duke sought her as a contract-based Grand Duchess, but it was certainly tempting.
Moreover… if he already knew she was a woman, perhaps the other officers had suspected it too.
Yet she hadn’t suffered any inappropriate advances—perhaps thanks to Victor Bavaria’s protection.
Sometimes he subtly gave her extra bread, or quietly watched over her when she mingled with other officers.
‘Should I trust him? If it’s a contract, there’s no burden of a position beyond my means. Honestly, there’s not much hope here anyway.’
Tap. Tap-tap.
Her fingers drumming on the advertisement fell still.
If, truly, he had returned… it might prove she wasn’t losing her mind.
She still heard the sounds of gunfire, the groans of dying men replaying whenever she closed her eyes.
So she didn’t dismiss the possibility that she was hallucinating from having broken down completely.
After all, scientifically, going back in time was impossible.
‘I’ll know when I meet him.’
But first, she needed to deal with the persistent nuisance knocking at the door.
“My dear little brother! If you don’t open this, I’ll pee right here!”
The nerve of some people.
Ivel sighed and opened the door.
Immediately, the smell of alcohol hit her as a man, identical to her, collapsed at her feet.
“My proud little brother! My brother who ran off with my name!”
“If you need money, take it and leave. Shut up.”
“How do you know me so well! You’re the only one who understands my heart. Only you.”
