Chapter 4

There he goes, about to say something absurd again. 

Marie sighed and averted her gaze.

“Don’t tell me you’ve grown to like him?”

“What?”

When you hear something completely unexpected, your mind stops. The chicken fell from Marie’s fork. She hurriedly picked it up and stuffed it into her mouth, mumbling.

“Uh… no?”

“Then why didn’t you answer right away? Seems suspicious.”

“No, I was just momentarily surprised…”

“Why are you surprised? You could just say no!”

“Well, yes, but you asked so suddenly.”

“Anyway. Life is full of surprises, and the heart is no exception. Should you ever actually start liking that man, you let me know.”

“And what would happen if I did?”

“What do you mean what happens! I’d tear him apart, of course!”

The chicken she had been chewing went down with a gulp and got stuck in her throat. Marie coughed and pounded her chest.

“…So divorce is the only option for me?”

“Over my dead body would I let you stay with Escael.”

She expressed her understanding with silence. They say a turned ‘fan’ is scarier! Did the boys thirty years ago ever anticipate it would come to this when they split?

Marie held the thought of reconciliation on the tip of her tongue but swallowed it down with her tea. Some truths are best kept for the sake of both oneself and the world.

“I always keep that in mind. So, please go home for today.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because you’re a bit too loud, that’s why.”

“Are you displeased? When have I ever been quiet?”

She wanted to say it’s embarrassing! But kept those words to herself. Outside, Escael’s servants were undoubtedly listening, and someone was bound to have overheard.

But saying that would only make Albrecht, given his personality, raise his voice even more.

Marie patted her full belly and stood up. It was a great blessing that the paths of father-in-law and son-in-law didn’t cross, but there was still someone here who could be called an enemy.

She had to send her father away before that person noticed. She didn’t want to argue with anyone or witness any arguments today.

“And this, this, this. I’ll send back half of these.”

“What? Why! Don’t you like them? Aren’t they to your taste?!”

“They just take up space, and there’s no use for them.”

Intricately plated gloves, for instance, were utterly useless. Perhaps for hunting.

Albrecht picked up the gloves that were on top of the gift bundle and unfolded the plated part.

“Hey, you used to like shiny things, didn’t you?”

“Am I a crow?! Just because it’s shiny doesn’t mean I like it.”

Taking the word literally makes her a crow. It wasn’t that she liked shiny things, but coincidentally, the things she liked tended to shine. That shine included things without form.

She pushed Albrecht’s back, who was trying hard to resist. It was a task to drag him out of the mansion, given his large and solid build.

“Anyway, remember what I said.”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.”

“Your response is lacking.”

“It’s just your imagination.”

Feeling that she might need help, she was about to instruct Natalie to bring a plow when Albrecht suddenly made a strange noise.

“Ugh!”

“Oh my!”

And followed by another voice.

Viola Escael, the mistress of Escael, was staring with wide eyes, leaning her upper body back.

Marie and Natalie were so focused on getting Albrecht out that they hadn’t noticed who was coming from the opposite corner.

Viola’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Albrecht, then she frowned. It was a look that said she was tired of this being no longer new.

“Why do you always show up unannounced and startle everyone?”

Before Marie could signal him to restrain himself, Albrecht raised his voice.

“I’m here to see my own child. I only need to notify my child, don’t I? Who else should I tell?”

“In society, that’s called consideration and pronounced as etiquette. It seems you’ve forgotten such learning while mingling with craftsmen.”

Viola’s words were cutting—like a dual hit. Though it sounded like criticism toward Albrecht, it was actually a reprimand toward Marie for allowing him free access.

“Wow, that woman’s tongue is as sharp as a knife, huh?”

“Mm-hmm…”

Marie nudged Albrecht’s side, signaling him to be quiet. Dealing with the noisy artisans in the workshop, even his murmurs were as loud as a normal person’s voice. And why seek agreement for something he thought alone?

Albrecht glanced at Marie, who kept her mouth shut, and nodded his head.

“Haha. The younger generation these days are flexible and don’t fuss over such things, but Madam, what kind of elderly people are you serving?”

“E-el…elderly person…?”

Viola, who had launched the first attack with talk of etiquette, stammered at the counterattack at the mention of ‘elder’. Her mind went blank for a moment.

There was no problem in rebutting that she wasn’t young anymore. The issue was the low-quality personal attack.

That paranoid… no, undoubtedly paranoid comment was clearly aimed at Peter.

The fact that Peter Escael had an aged appearance was already famous in social circles.

To put it nicely, a mature and seasoned man.

In reality, he was a man who was mistaken for an alumnus by professors at the Knight Academy in his mid-teens.

Usually, when a child has an aged appearance early on, they carry that face for life, but Peter was an exception. He simply had an aged appearance. Purely aged.

Even when he got married thirty years ago, there were rumors of a second marriage, so the stress she must have endured throughout her married life was unimaginable.

Even now, children often mistook him for a grandfather.

“I’m sorry, Mother-in-law. He said he was only going to see me for a moment. He was just about to leave!”

Marie pushed her father’s back and handed him over to Natalie.

Her great father only knew one thing and not the other. While winning might have been satisfying for Albrecht, the aftermath was Marie’s responsibility.

She couldn’t escape anywhere, and this was her home and living space, so she had to bear Viola’s wrath entirely.

If Escael won, it was somewhat better, but on the day Odillia won…

“Hoho. Take care, Father!”

Albrecht was driven out of the annex by Natalie’s urging and the servants’ insistence. Marie, who had used all her strength to push him out, could only catch her breath once she confirmed he was indeed leaving. But Viola was still there.

Viola, who had been standing there blankly, stared intently at Marie for a long time before turning her head to give orders to the servants.

“Lock it.”

The servants, who had been watching Marie’s eyes, seized the opportunity to leave and rushed out.

Soon, the sound of locking the annex’s front door and side doors echoed. Only then did Viola’s gaze return to normal.

“Do you think it’s too much?”

“No…”

The annex was Marie’s domain, but honestly, she had no words this time. A sudden visit wasn’t a reason not to report it.

Viola gestured for Marie to follow her and walked slowly. The place she headed to was the garden bench used for ‘serious conversations.’ It was the perfect spot for secret talks, located in the middle of the grass on all sides.

“I understand your longing for your family, but don’t you think they’re visiting too often?”

“I’m sorry…”

Indeed, once a week, four times a month, was a lot, even by her standards. Of course, there were times when they skipped a month entirely, but then they would visit intensively the next month, as if to make up for it, so ‘too often’ wasn’t an exaggeration.

Viola sat on the bench first. She dismissed Natalie, who was standing by Marie’s side, and had Marie, who stood awkwardly like a punished child, sit beside her.

“I’m not here to hear apologies. The more your father comes, the more you’ll just prove that things aren’t good between you and Kalik, don’t you think?”

“We… we’re not on bad terms!”

Marie was amazed at how unconvincing her own words sounded.

Viola Escael wasn’t a fool. She must have had many opportunities to hear and see.

That the couple used separate rooms.

That they only saw each other once a week during meals.

Whenever they did meet, they practically bickered.

That they didn’t go out together, let alone attend social gatherings.

If physical violence was the only criterion for being considered being on bad terms, then they weren’t on bad terms, but it was extremely abnormal behavior for a couple married for three years.