“I can’t read…”

In Winifred’s village, only the priest and the nun knew how to read. Since not being able to read letters caused no inconvenience in daily life, nobody bothered to learn.

“Ah, I see. To summarize, Winifred, they want me to be the matchmaker for your marriage to Count James Asherton.”

“What’s a matchmaker?”

The Viscountess smiled kindly and answered.

“Nobles consider it undignified to propose directly just because they’ve taken a liking to someone. So someone needs to act as a matchmaker. They’re asking me to take on that role.”

“But I don’t even know what the Count looks like…”

“I’m aware of that. But for whatever reason, they desperately want this marriage. If you marry the Count, they’ll give your family one hundred gold coins. In my opinion, you have nothing to lose.”

The dignified Viscountess didn’t mention that with red hair, being the devil’s daughter, it would be difficult for Winifred to make a normal marriage.

Still, the perceptive Winifred understood the implication. She quickly calculated in her mind. Given her circumstances, she could only expect to become a second wife to some pot-bellied old man, raising his children from a previous marriage until the end of her days.

She had already heard rumors that old Milton, who managed the lord’s mill, had been saying he might take Winifred as his third wife “out of Christian charity” despite her red hair.

Old Milton would offer her family at most five silver coins as a bride price.

One hundred gold coins would make them instantly rich. Her five younger siblings wouldn’t go hungry, and her father could buy cows and sheep to become a village dignitary.

“If I become a Countess, I won’t go hungry, right?”

For a girl who always lived with an empty stomach, this was the most important question. Fearing rejection, she quickly added:

“I’ll earn my keep. I’m good at tending sheep and sewing. I make all my siblings’ clothes. And, and also…”

“Servants will handle all that, so don’t worry. Just make up your mind quickly and let me know.”

There was no decision to make. If she was going to be a third wife either way, becoming a Countess who could eat her fill and didn’t have to work was a million times better than marrying a pot-bellied old man with children for five silver coins. Plus, they were offering one hundred gold coins.

“I-I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“Could you give the gold coins directly to my father? If my stepmother receives the money, my siblings won’t benefit at all.”

Her stepmother had left her two daughters from her first marriage at her parents’ home when she remarried. Winifred’s house was too small to accommodate more people. The stepmother, lamenting how pitiful her left-behind daughters were, cared only for her own children and ignored her husband’s.

When Winifred made cheese from sheep’s milk, eight out of ten went to the stepmother’s daughters. When Winifred spun wool into thread, wove cloth, and made clothes, most went to the stepmother’s daughters. 

The fact that the stepmother’s daughters were around the same age as Winifred was never considered.

“I understand. I’ll look into your family situation and take appropriate measures.”

The Viscountess lowered her voice and continued.

“If you decide to marry, you’ll be cutting ties with your family.”

“W-why?”

“Think about it. They’re nobles, not poor ones like us, but a tremendous prestigious family. Would such a family want others to know that a tenant farmer’s daughter became their Countess?”

Winifred bit her lip. She had never been ashamed of being Winifred, daughter of farmer Tom. She thought she never would be. But the realization that others might consider it shameful made her sad.

“So if you decide to marry, you’ll be adopted by another noble family before the marriage.”

“Yes, but my father is farmer Tom and my mother was Margaret who passed away…”

“You can keep that in your heart. They won’t be cruel enough to ask you to forget that too.”

* * *

Three months later, Winifred, daughter of farmer Tom, headed to Asherton Castle to marry Count Asherton under the name Winifred Massilruf.

Massilruf was an old knight belonging to Count Asherton’s domain. She never even saw the face of Knight Massilruf who had merely lent his name.

For three months, the Viscountess taught her etiquette and letters. But it was practically impossible for an illiterate girl to learn Latin in just three months. The Viscountess wisely judged that being able to write her own name was sufficient and turned to teaching etiquette instead.

Of course, it was impossible for her to perfect the manners of noble ladies born into aristocracy. Just teaching dining etiquette and how to address servants according to their ranks took the full three months.

Finally, just before the wedding, she met the Dowager Countess Asherton. Her future mother-in-law looked Winifred up and down, nodded at her hair and eyes.

“I don’t expect much from you. You obviously lack dignity and grace.”

“Yes…”

To Winifred, who answered with a trembling voice, the Dowager spoke with a cold face.

“I won’t burden you with the difficult task of managing the Count’s household. I didn’t entrust that to my deceased daughters-in-law either. As long as I live, I’ll manage the Asherton household.”

While the noble-born previous wives might have felt differently, this was a tremendous relief to Winifred. Having never learned even addition or subtraction, she couldn’t imagine managing this enormous castle.

For Winifred, who had thought the Viscount’s castle in her hometown was impressive, this massive estate, ranking among the top three in the country, left her speechless with awe.

The number of servants was uncountable. More than ten maids were assigned to Winifred alone. The head maid mentioned this was only a quarter of what the previous wives had, but even that was a relief to Winifred. More maids just meant more names to memorize.

“You have only one task to do.”

The old lady said with a frightening gaze.

“Bear a son. No matter what happens. Without fail.”