“Twenty parties?” I blanched at the suggestion, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Oh, Mother. Where are the other students?”

“They’re in the dining hall. I’ve already taught them the basics of etiquette, so I let them practice amongst themselves. It’s important they learn to enjoy their meals without being constantly corrected.”

“Right, of course… Haha…”

“Shall we all go have lunch together, then?”

As always, my mother proved to be a seasoned teacher. Sensing that Greta might feel uncomfortable, she arranged for our lunch to be served picnic-style in the garden. The meal consisted of easy-to-eat finger foods. Grateful for my mother’s thoughtfulness, I discreetly gave her a thumbs up.

“Please, help yourself, Miss Greta,” my mother encouraged.

Greta hesitated for a moment but soon began to sample various dishes and eat heartily. I felt a pang of sympathy as I watched her.

Although Greta was a successful mercenary, she likely didn’t have access to such high-quality meals on a daily basis. Having lived as a commoner for a time, I knew all too well how difficult it was to maintain a balanced diet, let alone afford luxuries like properly seasoned food.

“You’ve got quite the appetite! Here, try this too,” the mothers around us began to offer Greta more food, smiling warmly at her. Greta accepted everything with enthusiasm, quickly winning their favor with her hearty appetite. Once it seemed everyone had eaten their fill, I cautiously brought up something I had been curious about.

“Mother-in-law, I heard you’ve decided to invest in my mother’s school. Thank you very much.”

I bowed my head politely as I spoke. My mother-in-law set down her teacup and replied quietly.

“It seemed like a worthwhile investment.”

“But I also heard you’re planning to close down your embroidery workshop.”

“…”

“Mother-in-law, I…”

“Liv.”

She interrupted me before I could finish, her tone gentle but firm.

“I’m not cut out for business.”

“What? But the embroidery workshop is doing so well.”

“That’s all Ellen’s doing. All I did was lend my name and bank account, while she handled everything else. The planning, the decisions—they were all hers.”

Ellen was my mother-in-law’s lady’s maid.

“So, I’ve decided to pass the workshop on to Ellen and remain involved only as an investor.”

“But… Ellen isn’t married.”

At this, my mother-in-law gave a bitter smile.

“Yes, that’s the biggest issue. The easiest solution would be for Ellen to marry, but there’s always the risk that her husband could interfere with the business. That’s why I’ve been looking into the possibility of using the guardianship system, but it’s taking time.”

My mother, who had been sitting nearby with a frown, interjected.

“Wouldn’t a husband be a better option? If the guardian tries to take over the business, Ellen wouldn’t have any recourse.”

“Hmm, I think so too. But Ellen refuses to marry.”

My mother-in-law sighed deeply, and suddenly tears welled up in her eyes again. Even Greta, who had been eating steadily, paused at the sight of her distress.

“It’s all my fault. I kept Ellen by my side for so long without finding her a suitable match…”

“It’s not your fault, Mother-in-law. Ellen always insisted on staying by your side.”

Unlike ordinary maids, a lady’s maid held a unique position, serving as both a companion and a secretary to her mistress. These women were typically hired when they were young and unmarried, and it was customary for them to be married off when they reached a certain age.

No one kept an elderly maid. Even among common servants, appearance was often a factor in hiring, and this was even more true for lady’s maids, who were seen as extensions of their mistresses.

The fact that my mother-in-law had kept Ellen, who was well past the usual age of retirement for a lady’s maid, by her side was actually quite remarkable. She had disregarded what others might think and had only respected Ellen’s wishes. This was likely why Ellen was so fiercely loyal, willing to lay down her life if necessary.

“But now she’s too old to find a suitable match. I even secretly called Madam Blanche to help find a match, but all the proposals were from men who looked like they might drop dead tomorrow.”

My mother-in-law finally broke down, sobbing openly. Greta set down her sandwich and glanced at me, her expression a mix of sympathy and reproach. Why was she glaring at me? I couldn’t find the right words to comfort my mother-in-law, so I tried to change the subject.

“As far as I know, guardianship requires a family relationship or godparent status,” I said, attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction.

Before my marriage, my legal guardian had been my uncle, my only living relative and my godfather. But then that bastard threw me out. My mother and I had nowhere to turn for help. Just thinking about it made my blood boil. My mother-in-law dabbed at her tears with a napkin—Greta’s offered handkerchief had gone unnoticed—as she responded.

“Ellen is getting on in years, and her older relatives have all passed away, while her brothers were lost in the war. So I’m left with no choice but to look for a lawyer.”

Ah, this wretched world. The average lifespan in this society is quite low. While the nobility might live past 80 years, thanks to personal physicians and the blessings of divine power, commoners aren’t so fortunate.

So it wasn’t particularly surprising that all of Ellen’s older relatives had passed away, even though she was only 47 years old. This world is broken. As someone who had lived comfortably in a novel-like world, it felt like I was finally starting to awaken to reality after six months of living among commoners. I sighed and said,

“Maybe that’s for the best. There are lawyers who act as guardians for orphans. They should be decent people.”

“It’s not as simple as that. I’ve already contacted all the people I know, but they all refused. Being a guardian for an orphan is seen as a commendable act of goodwill, but becoming the guardian of an adult woman… Most people would assume she’s a mistress, you see? The more reputable and upstanding the person, the more they recoil at the idea.”

Ugh, it felt like one problem after another. I made a face. The qualifications for a guardian were either an adult male who was registered with the noble council or a lawyer.

I knew this well from the time I studied after my father passed away. Without a legal guardian as a guarantor, a woman can’t even open a bank account or register a business.

Not only that, but she can’t obtain the necessary insurance for commercial activities or secure a loan. If she were just running a street stall or a small tea shop, these concerns wouldn’t be necessary, but the embroidery workshop owned by the lady had grown significantly, making formal registration essential.

“Couldn’t you just continue, Mother? Just as you have been….”

If my mother-in-law continued running the business under her name and Ian acted as the guarantor, there would be no need for these concerns. She isn’t the type to excessively take dividends like other nobles, and Ellen would likely be grateful to continue as things were. However, my mother, reading my thoughts, gently advised me,

“Liv, I’ve learned that life has its flow. If you miss this flow, you might never get another chance.

Look, the Empire has been devastated by frequent wars. The reason His Majesty was able to easily establish the Imperial Wizard Corps was that people began to believe that having powerful mages on our side would deter war.

As a result, princesses and female wizaeds from Laran gained popularity in society, which naturally led to people viewing female mages receiving knighthood more favorably. That’s how Greta got her chance, and it’s also the perfect time for a female entrepreneur like Ellen to emerge.”

So what can we do? Start a protest to change the law? We’d be lucky if it wasn’t seen as a rebellion. No matter how much Cade is a reformist monarch, he wouldn’t bother with such minor details.

The parliament is already in an uproar just dealing with the legislation and organization of magic-related policies. Both Benjamin and Ian were fully occupied with it.

Ultimately, the best option was to find a loophole that didn’t violate the existing system but still achieved our goal, though it felt like a daunting task. Just then, Greta, who had been quietly listening, cautiously spoke up.

“I’m sorry to interrupt….”

She swallowed nervously, perhaps feeling the weight of everyone’s attention on her.

“Um, in short, you need a guardian who won’t interfere with Ellen’s business, right?”

My mother-in-law nodded in agreement.

“Yes, Miss Greta. We need someone who won’t sell off Ellen’s business on a whim or seize it entirely. Someone we can trust.”

“In that case, how about the lawyer affiliated with the Red Pub Mercenary Guild?”

“Do mercenary guilds have lawyers?”

My mother-in-law asked, surprised. It’s not surprising, given the rough and rugged image typically associated with mercenary groups. Greta replied with a bitter smile.

“Since our work often involves legal disputes, yes. Surprisingly, many large mercenary corps include retired knights or people from the gentry, so we know quite a few lawyers, and it’s not a bad job for them either.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be condescending. I just….”

“It’s alright. Anyway, trust is the number one priority for mercenary guilds, so our guild is made up of reliable and trustworthy individuals. And our lawyer, in particular, is a good person.”

As Greta spoke earnestly, my mother-in-law’s expression brightened. I still thought it was too early to be happy. We needed to talk to this lawyer, and there was still a chance they might refuse. However, the mother-in-law seemed pleased to have found even a glimmer of hope.

“Could we meet him as soon as possible?”

“I’ll go speak to the leader right now.”

Greta told us to wait at the townhouse and then we rode off alone. Two hours later, Bill arrived at the townhouse in a carriage with an elderly man I’d never seen before.

The old man, so bent with age that he had to rely on a cane, greeted my mother-in-law, my mother, and me in turn. He was so courteous that I almost felt guilty for receiving such a formal greeting. After he kissed my hand last, he turned and glared at Bill, who had been standing in the background, and said,

“What are you doing, Captain? Show your manners!”

Bill started sweating nervously, his face turning red.

“I’ll just stand back here….”

“What nonsense is this? You’re a gentleman who earned a medal for your valor. A gentleman should always be courteous in the presence of ladies!”

“Frank, I….”

“Francis!”

“F-Francis. Anyway, the ladies might feel uncomfortable….”

At this, my mother, looking surprised, said,

“Uncomfortable? Not at all.”

My mother-in-law also nodded in agreement. However, Bill continued to hesitate awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed and uneasy about following such an old-fashioned etiquette of kissing a lady’s hand.

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories