MDBCD 04

At that time, he didn’t have the mental capacity to properly check on his second nephew’s condition.

Because at that point, he was in the middle of a political struggle.

The king was incompetent, and the queen had fallen into madness.

As industrialization accelerated, the era was changing day by day, and as the Grand Duke, he had to know, understand, and make decisions about everything.

Days passed without a moment to breathe.

He seemed to have told the butler to look into an appropriate hospital because Genevieve’s chatter was annoying.

“Your Grace, I swear on my life. Still, the second young master is quite young—wouldn’t that be too much…?”

The old man, speaking with difficulty while tightly closing his eyes, came to mind—and Victor added the butler, Willen, to his mental list of “people to keep.”

“I will not send him to a hospital.”

“Yes, that’s a good—what?”

“I said I won’t send him. He’s still a child—sending him to a mental hospital already? Are you in your right mind?”

“!”

Right after the second child was sent to a mental hospital, the eldest one began to go completely off the rails.

The one who had always been calm, having inherited the blood of the Bayern family strongly—Victor did not forget how he screamed like a monster, hurling bitter resentment.

“We can’t repeat the same thing.”

This time, things would be different.

The words he had said to Abel at the very end were all sincere.

If he had to go to war again, he would do so with the honor of Bayern… but—

It would be better not to go at all in the first place.

“Yes, you are the head of the family. If you decide that, I can’t do anything about it.”

Genevieve muttered, brushing her long hair behind her ear.

By the time the meal ended in silence, Genevieve asked him again.

This time, her tone was much softer.

“So, when are you going back to the capital?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Aren’t you busy with affairs in the capital? I can’t even remember the last time you visited the capital estate. You were always too busy—taking care of the children, managing the household.”

He glanced indifferently at Genevieve, who was subtly praising herself, then slowly tilted his head.

“I’ll be away for a while, but after that, I don’t intend to return.”

“What?”

“This will be a long vacation.”

That was right. Coming down to his territory had been nothing more than a “vacation.”

There were complicated matters beneath it all—tied to the mad queen—but that wasn’t something others needed to know.

Still, it was amusing.

As it became clear he wouldn’t leave anytime soon, a faint crack appeared in Genevieve’s expression.

But she quickly turned her hand and smiled, whispering, “Yes, it’s time to rest.”

Leaving his aunt behind, Victor picked up a napkin.

It’s been a long time since I’ve neglected my family like this, Victor Bayern.

He gave a bitter smile inwardly.

He had already suspected that something was off about his aunt’s behavior.

Since he stayed at the capital estate while she remained in the territory, he simply hadn’t had the time to question or confront it.

“No—more precisely, it was a lower-priority matter.”

And he always had higher-priority matters.

The lower-priority ones remained lower priority.

Victor Bayern was always busy.

During the previous king’s reign, he handled intelligence affairs, and under the current king, he worked to grasp the rapidly changing global situation.

In that way, he had a clear justification for ignoring matters at home.

Besides, if he drove out his aunt, who would raise the two boys—both not even ten years old and slightly… unstable?

As he looked at the marigolds decorating the table, he thought of someone with that same eye color.

Abel.

The most rational and steadfast person he knew.

Someone who, even when a soldier suffering from delirium attacked while frothing at the mouth, didn’t even flinch—just quickly struck the back of their neck.

As he recalled that calm, clear face, he added a condition to his plan: “if she could be found.”

“I’m planning to get married soon, so please keep that in mind.”

“What? To whom?”

“That’s not something you need to worry about. Aunt, shouldn’t you rest a bit now?”

[Contract Grand Duchess Wanted]

Benefits:

• Minimum contract period: 3 years

• Full coverage of accommodation and travel expenses

• Absolute protection from the ducal family during employment

• Salary negotiable

Requirements:

• Female, aged 25–30

• Internal medicine specialist

• Minimum qualification: Graduate of the Royal Saint Elbern Medical University

• Top graduates preferred

Special Notes:

• There are two nephews.

• You will be responsible for monitoring the children’s health as their primary physician.

※ Former military doctors are welcome.

Ibel unfolded today’s newspaper and froze in place.

After the flash of light, she had thought she was surely dead—but three days had passed since she realized she had returned to the past.

Whether it was a blessing or a curse—she had experienced so many absurd things on the battlefield that she accepted the miracle without much trouble.

“If I had gone back to right after entering the academy… I might have resented God.”

Fortunately, she had returned to the time after graduation, just as she had opened a small clinic in a quiet town.

Before heading to work, she brewed a cup of coffee and sat at her small table, her amber eyes fixed on the bizarre advertisement on the front page.

“…No way…”

It might have been paranoia, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this strange ad was a way to find her.

The fact that it specifically mentioned “internal medicine specialist”… and “former military doctor”… was too precise.

Who else could possibly fit all those conditions at this time?

“If the Grand Duke has also returned to the past…”

A ridiculous assumption.

Ibel shook her head—but the thought lingered.

Well… it wasn’t impossible. They had both died at that moment.

What held her back was the word “female.”

“Did he realize I’m a woman?”

She thought she had concealed it perfectly.

Of course, at this point, the Richter–Franche war had not yet occurred—so there was no violation of military law.

Pacing anxiously in her kitchen, she read the advertisement again carefully.

“Absolute protection from the ducal family during normal duty.”

She didn’t know why the Grand Duke was looking for her as a “contract Grand Duchess,” but honestly—it was tempting.

And if he already knew she was a woman… then perhaps the other officers had noticed as well.

Yet she had never been subjected to anything inappropriate.

Perhaps that was due to Victor Bayern’s protection.

He had sometimes given her an extra piece of bread, or appeared nearby and quietly watched over her when she was with other officers.

“…Should I trust him? If it’s just a contract, then there’s no burden of overstepping my position. Honestly, there’s no future for me staying here.”

Tap, tap, tap.

Her fingers drumming restlessly on the paper finally stopped.

If—just if—he had also returned… it might be proof that she wasn’t going insane.

Even now, she could still hear the roar of cannon fire in her ears. The groans of dying people replayed whenever she closed her eyes.

So she couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that she had broken and was hallucinating.

After all, scientifically speaking, returning to the past made no sense.

“…I’ll know once I meet him.”

But first, she needed to deal with the persistent idiot knocking on her door.

“My dear sister! If you don’t open up, I’ll pee right here!”

What a disaster.

With a sigh, Ibel opened the door.

At that moment, the smell of alcohol rushed in—and a man with her exact same face collapsed forward with a thud.

“My precious sister! The sister who stole my name and ran away!”

“If you need money, take it and leave. Shut up.”

“How do you know me so well! As expected, you’re the only one who truly understands your brother. The only one.”