Chapter 40

“It doesn’t seem like there’s any issue?”  

Angelica, who came to check on Viola’s condition, spoke those words of concern as soon as she confirmed she was fine. If she came to check on her condition, she should talk about relevant things. Whether it’s pregnancy or not, she just congratulated her with words that made her feel like exploding.

What was even more maddening was that Viola couldn’t outright protest or scold her for saying something so outrageous.  

When all the questions Viola had intended to ask were blocked, she decided to take a step back and assess the situation. This wasn’t a matter of choosing sides, but Angelica, at least for now, wasn’t a reliable ally. She flitted between being agreeable to everyone, encouraging both sides like a bat.  

“Does it really seem that way to you?”  

It couldn’t possibly be true. Viola struggled to maintain her composure.  

Angelica, who had been about to answer affirmatively, noticed Viola’s unusual demeanor and shut her mouth.  

Unfortunately, Angelica wasn’t as mature as Viola and wasn’t the type to beat around the bush.  

“Yes. Would you rather there be a problem?”  

Viola, struck to the core by Angelica’s words, sought refuge in drinking water. If she hadn’t done this, she might have asked, “How did you know?” instead of, “Why do you think that?”  

Angelica pointed to the small annex visible beyond the window and smiled.  

“It seems like you’re trying to create a problem yourself.”  

Another direct hit.  

Viola’s plan had started with intentions and expectations that were far too trivial compared to the results she hoped for.  

If she succeeded, she could marvel at her own intuition and proceed with a divorce. If she failed, all she would lose was her effort. At least she could claim she tried to reconcile with Odillia.  

She had hoped that Angelica being alone until now might mean she couldn’t forget Kalik and was hoping for a connection with her son.

Seeing Angelica, who had been close to Kalik in their youth, might make Kalik realize his love for Marie was a mere illusion. Viola wasn’t trying to force Angelica onto Kalik but simply wanted to teach him not to confuse “affection” with “love.”  

But Angelica, whom she met after a long time, seemed perfectly fine. She even appeared comfortable, treating him like a same-gender friend and acting like an older sister.

The bigger issue was that Kalik showed no interest in Angelica. Then again, he hadn’t been interested in her before, so it wasn’t likely to change after several years.  

At this rate, things wouldn’t work out.  

“People always change, don’t they? Love changes too.”  

Viola had called Angelica to stir up the relationship between the two, only to hear such a lecture instead.  

Viola offered Angelica some tea, hoping to silence her for a moment.  

“Should I just leave things as they are?”  

“He seems completely infatuated.”  

“It could be temporary.”  

“Well, why bother?”  

“Why bother?”  

“Even if it’s temporary, if the people involved are happy right now, what’s the point of interfering?”  

Saying something obvious like “I’m their mother” would surely get her sunk instantly. Also, saying this is why she hates common sense might make her look like a hysterical middle-aged woman who can’t act her age.

Viola’s expression grew serious. She had intended to persuade Angelica but realized the real obstacle wasn’t Angelica—it was Kalik.  

No matter how she tried to think positively, her son’s apparent change was nothing more than a momentary agreement or reaction to Marie’s lies. She doubted she could convince the younger generation of anything.  

If the first plan failed, then the second one would have to work.  

In the end, Viola asked Angelica to mediate, hoping that Albrecht Odillia’s pettiness would shatter this reconciliation mood.  

* * *

That day, Albrecht, who had been riding his horse, didn’t go to Escael. Well, he went halfway there but ultimately changed his destination.  

Instead, he turned toward Odillia. Even he thought his patience was remarkable. An epitome of being an adult! 

He deserved an award just for not drawing his sword out of anger and vengeance. The Emperor should know about this, and so should the Kingdom.  

However, the hostess of Odillia seemed to find the whole situation amusing and didn’t think much further than that.  

“What happened to your face?”  

Elise laughed heartily at Albrecht, whose face looked like a squashed pie.  

Her husband’s strange expressions were nothing new, but for the past few weeks, he had looked bizarre, as if he constantly had a lemon pressed against his lips. There was no one particularly bothering him, but knowing Albrecht’s personality, where he always found something to torment himself about, it was surely another trivial matter this time as well.  

“Well, my dear youngest daughter fainted!”  

“Oh my, Marie did?!”  

“Yes!”  

“Why? Did she get heatstroke?”  

Albrecht glanced at his innocent wife and then embraced her as she chuckled. Hugging the plump Elise was enough to wash away his negative emotions and calm his anger.  

“Her fainting isn’t the issue. No, it is important. But what’s more important is, what on earth happened there for her to faint?!”  

“Well, people can faint while living their lives. What’s the big deal, dear?”  

“People can faint?! What’s the big deal?! Our youngest daughter fainted!”  

“Oh dear, you. Don’t you remember the past?”  

“What? What about me? What don’t I remember?!”  

“Because of you, my father fainted quite often too, remember?”  

“Uh.”  

Albrecht froze with his mouth agape. Elise’s words awakened a forgotten memory. Compared to himself thirty years ago, Kalik was…  

“Well, better, I suppose…”  

“Right?”  

“But just because it’s better doesn’t mean it’s good!”  

“Okay, okay. So, why did you come home instead of going there after hearing that your precious daughter fainted, dear husband?”  

“Because I thought going there alone and flipping everything over wouldn’t solve the problem.”  

“So, you’re saying it’d be fine if you weren’t alone?”  

“…I didn’t say that.”  

Elise chuckled softly and stood up. As she left, Albrecht clutched his now-empty chest in an attempt to fill the void.  

Elise poured her husband his favorite drink. It was still broad daylight, and he was technically working. Yet, she willingly poured him a drink to quench his thirst.  

Receiving the glass, Albrecht couldn’t shake the thought that she was trying to get him drunk and put him to sleep.  

“Anyway, if it turns out to be amnesia, we need to prepare.”  

“Prepare?”  

“If his memory returns, he’ll abandon our Marie.”  

Elise, who had been moving cookies to the table as a snack, paused and looked up at Albrecht. He didn’t seem to be joking. He was serious—he genuinely believed that his son-in-law would abandon their daughter.  

“Why do you think so?”  

“Because he’s someone who only took care of her out of obligation even before the accident. If his memory returns, won’t he naturally go back to his old ways?”  

Albrecht emptied the remaining drink in one gulp and said,  

“I believe human nature doesn’t change.”  

“Look in the mirror and say that.”  

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”  

“So, what are you planning to do?”  

Elise naturally changed the subject. She gently patted her husband’s back, as if soothing a child. Though he was angry, not everything he said was wrong. Some of it made sense. As parents, their concerns were valid, so Elise patiently listened.  

“I need to make the first move.”  

“In what way?”  

“They’ve already involved the family and even called in Hinsward. We need allies too.”  

“Allies?”  

Elise, about to point out that Hinsward was technically neutral, paused to count how many families Odillia could realistically call allies. She then realized she was getting drawn into Albrecht’s logic and stopped thinking. 

What a sneaky man…!  

“What justification will you use?”  

“Do you think I can’t find one? There’s a saying that even a dried squid will give water if squeezed hard enough. I’ll squeeze it out.”  

“Well, that’s a very wise saying.”  

“Do you think someone who’s had a head injury can function properly?”  

“I heard he’s doing well.”  

“…”  

Albrecht felt increasingly uncomfortable as his wife seemed to subtly take Escael’s side. Wasn’t she, under the guise of restraining and soothing him, actually siding with their son-in-law?  

“Publicly, he may act competent because it’s ingrained in him. But privately, who knows?”  

He set down the empty glass and grabbed the bottle. Though he wasn’t normally one to drink straight from the bottle, he felt an urge to pour it all down.  

Elise, watching her husband’s agitated state, gave up on thinking deeply. It wasn’t a problem she could solve alone, nor one that had a clear answer.  

From her experience, the best way to calm Albrecht Odillia was to let him do as he pleased, supporting him until he burned out and satisfied himself.  

Most importantly, she had a gut feeling that no matter how much he huffed and puffed, things wouldn’t go terribly wrong. And her instincts were rarely wrong.  

“Well…do as you wish, dear. I’ll support you.”  

And so, Elise quietly watched—no, observed—Albrecht as he prepared to rally Odillia’s reliable allies, all while massaging his shoulders as he snorted like a bull.