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Chapter : 10
“Please just pretend you didn’t hear anything, Your Grace.”
I heard Melanie speak from behind me. I hadn’t noticed when she arrived.
“Lady Seira?”
“I don’t want to fall out with you over this, Your Grace. And I’ve heard rumors like that plenty of times before, so it doesn’t really bother me.”
Melanie was calm, but I wasn’t.
“Then don’t tell me Lady Seira is some kind of secret lover?”
The young ladies chattered away, laughing, completely unaware that Melanie and I were standing there.
“No, Lady Seira. I’m not the type to put up with things like that.”
After saying that to Melanie, I opened the door to the lounge and walked in.
“I came because I heard an interesting story. Would you mind sharing it with me as well?”
I forced the corners of my mouth into a smile as I spoke.
“Y–Your Grace?!”
The young ladies jumped to their feet as if they’d seen a ghost.
“Please, sit down. All of you.”
I squeezed my way between them and took a seat.
“Well then? You were saying something about my husband and Lady Seira?”
“Th-that is, well…”
“I won’t interfere in your habit of talking about others behind their backs. But at the very least, you should take responsibility for the things you say.”
“Your Grace…”
They seemed to realize it then. Even though I was speaking gently, I was furious.
“I don’t want my husband to be dragged into rumors like this. And if something like this happens again, I won’t let it go so easily.”
Even if we were going to divorce soon, Luciano was still my husband for now.
His reputation was my reputation—Estelline’s reputation. I couldn’t tolerate it being tarnished.
“We understand, Your Grace…”
“I’ll let this slide just for today.”
Without looking at anyone, I left the room. Melanie was standing outside.
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Did you have something you wanted to say?”
“Thank you, Your Grace. I truly mean it.”
“It’s fine. I didn’t do it for you, Lady Seira, but for my own reputation and honor.”
I felt a bit sorry for Melanie, but I spoke coldly, afraid that being kind to her would make me grow attached.
After forcing myself to sound distant, I went back into the lounge.
“Whew… I really want to go home.”
Exhausted, I went to look for Luciano to tell him I wanted to leave, but he was deep in conversation with his friends, so I couldn’t interrupt.
‘I’ll just rest in the lounge.’
I entered the lounge dejectedly and took off my shoes.
“Maybe it’s because they’re new, but they really hurt.”
They were beautiful deep-green shoes, but they were heavy and stiff, and my heels throbbed.
“Just for a bit… just for a moment… it should be fine to rest.”
I justified it to myself and lay down on the sofa.
How much time passed after that?
Someone entered the lounge.
“My lady…?”
It was Luciano.
The banquet finally ended late at night, nearly at midnight.
“Melanie.”
“What is it, Luciano?”
“Have you seen my wife?”
“No…? I saw her in the lounge earlier, but not since then.”
“The lounge?”
Luciano opened lounge after lounge, searching for Estelline.
“Hah…! There you are.”
Inside one of the lounges, Estelline was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the world.
“Someone could carry her off and she wouldn’t even notice.”
He tried to wake her, but she was sleeping too deeply.
“Ha…”
Luciano lifted her gently and carried her out of the lounge.
“Luciano!”
“Shh.”
When Melanie approached loudly, Luciano gestured for her to lower her voice.
“Oh my… It seems Her Grace was very tired.”
“Apparently. I’ll head out first.”
“Alright. Be careful on your way home. And Luciano, when Her Grace wakes up, please tell her thank you—for what she did earlier in the lounge.”
“The lounge?”
“Yes… She scolded the young ladies who were spreading strange rumors about you and me. I was really grateful.”
“My wife did that?”
Luciano couldn’t understand it. He couldn’t believe Estelline would do such a thing.
“Yes. So don’t say anything else—just tell her I said thank you!”
Melanie pushed Luciano lightly toward the exit.
“Then I’ll be going.”
Luciano placed Estelline on his lap once they were in the carriage.
“…Her heels.”
What caught his eye were her feet—her skin scraped raw and reddened.
“She really is something.”
Seeing her act in ways she never used to, on top of wearing shoes that didn’t even fit and stubbornly enduring it, made Luciano let out a hollow laugh.
“Your Grace, we’ve arrived.”
After instructing the servants to keep quiet, Luciano carried Estelline to her bed.
“Ed.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Bring medicine. Something for wounds.”
“Understood, Your Grace.”
When Ed returned with the medicine, Luciano carefully applied it to Estelline’s feet so as not to wake her.
“Why did she change?”
Luciano knew Estelline well.
They had known each other since they were three years old.
She had always been the same.
From childhood until now, she had always been arrogant, always cruel—and she had always wanted him.
But now she had changed.
As if she were someone who didn’t have long left to live.
Everyone said so.
The servants said she no longer tormented them. Melanie, who had suffered at her hands, said Estelline had changed for the better.
“That can’t be true. No—it mustn’t be.”
Luciano gazed at Estelline’s peacefully sleeping face, his expression complicated.
If she had truly changed, then all the hostility he’d carried for so long felt utterly meaningless.
“Mmm…”
Startled by her mumbling in her sleep, he withdrew his hand.
“What a foolish thought.”
After tucking the blanket around her, Luciano left the room.
“Your Grace, is Her Grace all right?”
“Yes. She seemed very tired. And speak to the designer—make sure that the heels of my wife’s shoes aren’t so stiff from now on.”
“Understood, Your Grace. Please rest well yourself.”
After the servant withdrew, Luciano glanced once more at Estelline’s room before heading to his own.
I woke up feeling unusually refreshed.
“Yawn… Huh? Why am I here?”
Startled, I threw off the blanket.
“And who changed my clothes?”
My feet felt sticky, as if medicine had been applied.
I pulled the bell cord and asked Dalia when she entered.
“Do you know who brought me here?”
“The Grand Duke, my lady.”
“And who changed my clothes?”
“The Grand Duke.”
“Ah… then who put something on my feet?”
“The Grand Duke.”
“Oh no…”
“My lady?”
“Oh—no, it’s nothing. You may go.”
After sending Dalia out, I couldn’t lift my head from embarrassment.
“I’m insane! Why did I sleep there of all places?! What must Luciano have thought?”
I punched my pillow and stamped my feet in mortification.
‘I should thank him… right?’
I was so embarrassed, feeling like I’d shown him my worst side.
After taking a deep breath, I changed clothes and went to see Luciano.
Knock knock.
“May I come in?”
“Come in.”
Luciano was wearing a white shirt, two buttons undone, sleeves rolled up, glasses on as he worked by the window.
‘Wow… Is he a work of art?’
Sitting in the sunlight, focused on his work—though I hated to admit it, he was truly beautiful.
“What brings you here, my lady?”
I snapped back to my senses and looked straight at him.
“Well… um… Thank you for what you did yesterday.”
“It was nothing. Are you feeling rested?”
“Yes. I’m sorry for troubling you.”
“It’s fine.”
Even as I thanked him, his tone remained curt.
As I turned to leave, unsettled by his coldness, he called out to me again.
“I’ll be going then—”
“My lady.”
“Yes?”
He handed me a small jewelry box.
“What is this?”
“Please open it.”
Inside was a ring engraved with the family crest.
“It’s the authority over internal affairs.”
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Because I’ve decided you’re now qualified to manage them.”
I was stunned for a moment—then thrilled. At last, I had something to do.
“Thank you so much, Luciano!”
I left the room happily, clutching the box.
‘Finally! Something to break this monotonous life!’
When I returned to my room, the maids gasped.
“My lady, that box—!”
“You’ve received authority over internal affairs!”
“Congratulations, my lady!”
“Thank you so much.”
“Then you’ll be handling the winter preparations.”
Winter preparation was the extensive planning needed to survive the harsh season ahead.
“I’ll do my absolute best.”
I placed the box on my desk and slipped the ring onto my finger.
Receiving this authority meant I was acknowledged as the lady of the house.
Managing internal affairs was traditionally the mistress’s role, and after marriage, it was only natural for her to receive it.
In rare cases, not receiving it meant one wasn’t recognized as the true mistress.
I was overjoyed that Luciano had acknowledged me.
I stared at the ring for a long time.
“You seem very happy.”
“Of course I am.”
“Do you know what Luciano’s schedule is today?”
“The butler mentioned he’ll be returning late from the Imperial Palace.”
“I see… Alright.”
No sooner had I received the authority than Ed arrived with an enormous stack of documents.
“S-Butler?”
I was overwhelmed at first glance.
“These are the internal affairs documents His Grace has been handling. Since you’ve received the authority, they’re now your responsibility.”
“Hahaha…”
Less than an hour after receiving it, I already regretted it.
“So… what exactly are all these?”
“These are documents for the upcoming winter preparations, and those are for next year’s budget allocation.”
“When do they all need to be finished?”
“The winter preparation documents by next week. The budget allocation in twenty days.”
“Alright. You may go for now.”
I stared at the towering pile on my desk and sighed.
‘This is insane. When am I supposed to read all this and process it?’
Thinking that, I picked up the first document.
