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Episode 2
In the strange, hard-to-describe atmosphere, the first person to move was the aide who had been following behind the duke.
Round glasses. Neatly combed reddish-brown hair.
He was the textbook definition of an intellectual, scholar-type young man.
“Please allow me to help you.”
“…Sorry. This happens all the time, Yuan.”
“It’s fine.”
Watching the aide fix the duke’s clothes without even changing his expression, it seemed pretty obvious that the duke rolling around on the floor wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence.
Seeing the daughter-in-law frozen in shock, Walter hurriedly apologized with a flustered look.
“I’m sorry. I must have startled you, didn’t I?”
“N No! It’s fine!”
She had no idea why her father-in-law had suddenly run toward her the moment he saw her, though.
As if he could read her thoughts, he lowered his gaze and muttered awkwardly.
“I’ve been counting the days waiting for you to arrive. I was just so happy to see you…”
What is he, a puppy greeting its owner or something?
“Foxes are part of the canine family, sure, but aren’t they supposed to be more cat-like in personality?”
While she was still feeling dazed and thinking that, Walter continued with his introduction.
“I’m Walter Elestine, the man who’ll be your father-in-law. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve come to our family.”
“I’m Rayleigh Vitence. I still have many shortcomings, but I hope you’ll take good care of me.”
For some reason, the moment she finished greeting him, Walter looked gloomy again.
“Huh? My manners were fine. Did I mess something up?”
The aide standing beside them politely explained.
“Although the official family registration will happen after she comes of age, publicly, the young madam is already considered a member of the Elestine family. From now on, she should be introduced as Rayleigh Elestine.”
“Oh… I see. Yes! I’ll keep that in mind.”
“So… was he sulking because I used my birth family name instead of Elestine?”
The more she interacted with him, the more unexpected charm her father-in-law seemed to have.
“Thank you for kindly accepting my presumptuous advice, young madam.”
“No, not at all. Please feel free to tell me anything in the future.”
“My introduction is overdue. I am Yuan Willows, the chief aide who serves His Grace.”
“Yuan…?”
The name sounded vaguely familiar to Rayleigh as she politely returned his greeting.
Compared to her slightly airheaded father-in-law, the aide gave off a very professional, capable vibe.
“Yuan is very meticulous, unlike me. I rely on him a lot. As you can see, I’m, um… rather clumsy.”
Since she couldn’t exactly agree with that out loud, Rayleigh smiled awkwardly.
“You must be disappointed that your father-in-law is like this. I’m sorry…”
“Not at all! I used to trip and fall a lot when I was younger too.”
Of course, the man in front of her was a full-grown adult, and Rayleigh’s clumsy phase had been more than five years ago.
But she just wanted to comfort her clearly flustered father-in-law.
“So I’m not the only one like this, right?”
“Of course not!”
“That’s a relief… Having something in common with my daughter-in-law means we’ll get close quickly.”
Walter laughed with relief. It was a smile completely opposite to his cold public image, with not a shred of charisma or intimidation in sight.
“Oh! You can just call me Rayleigh.”
“…Is it uncomfortable for you when I call you daughter-in-law?”
Walter even added in a small mutter, “I’ve been counting the days waiting to call you that…”
After hearing that, how could anyone coldly refuse?
“Honestly, being called ‘baby’ at my age is a bit much!”
But Rayleigh smiled brightly and nodded.
“I don’t mind. Please call me whatever you’re comfortable with, Your Grace.”
“Alright…!”
Walter sat down across from Rayleigh with a delighted expression.
(In the process, he almost tripped again, and Yuan had to catch him.)
Watching her father-in-law closely, Rayleigh concluded.
“So this family head being this careless is why the whole family gets wiped out in ten years.”
Thinking about it, just because someone was a demon hybrid didn’t mean they were automatically evil.
These days, tropes are constantly being flipped. Temples and priests were usually portrayed as the villains, while the so-called villains and masterminds often turned out to be good people.
“Though maybe only the father is like this, and the son is actually dangerous. I shouldn’t let my guard down.”
Either way, it was a relief for Rayleigh that the duke turned out to be much more easygoing than expected.
It made her future plans easier.
Running away right now with a child’s body wouldn’t solve anything.
It was far smarter to stay in the stable environment of the ducal family, use her knowledge of the original story to make money, then escape overseas once the time was right.
Rayleigh had no special abilities. There was no way she could save a family destined for destruction after being caught up in massive events.
At best, she could only save herself.
Out of conscience, she planned to leave behind hints about the temple and the imperial family’s suspicious movements before escaping.
That much, at least.
Walter gently spoke to her as she fell into thought.
“Living in a new place must feel awkward in many ways. For now, don’t worry about studying or family duties. Just focus on getting used to the place as if it were your own home. Look around the castle and rest comfortably.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“Of course. We’re family now, aren’t we?”
Rayleigh gave an ambiguous smile.
To her, the word “family” didn’t carry very positive feelings.
Her memories were vague beyond the novel’s plot, but she faintly remembered being an orphan in her past life.
And in this life, she technically had parents, but…
Honestly, it might have been better if she hadn’t.
“F Father… this count… isn’t he grandfather-aged…?”
“Yes. I heard he’s already over sixty.”
“Then marrying me is a bit…”
“How dare you talk back! You should be grateful that someone like him is even willing to marry a useless thing like you!”
Those were the kind of parents who would sell their daughter off to a man past sixty.
Thankfully, before Rayleigh could be handed over to that shameless old count, marriage talks with the Elestine family had gone through.
If she had to guess, her parents were probably already drooling at the thought of getting benefits from becoming in-laws with a ducal family.
And that was exactly why Rayleigh couldn’t break off the engagement.
If she went back to the Vitence household, she’d be sold to that old count for sure.
“Thank you for your warm words. But while I’m staying here, is there anything I should be careful about or know in advance?”
“Hmm, there’s nothing in particular to watch out for… But sometimes Serge and I have to leave suddenly. Even if we disappear without explaining, don’t be startled. Yuan will take care of you in my place.”
Rayleigh immediately guessed it was because the duke and his son would be transforming into foxes during those times.
Of course, no matter how careless the Elestine men were, she planned to pretend she knew nothing about their true nature.
So she nodded obediently like a well-behaved child.
“You must still be tired, and I kept you too long. Next, you’ll be going to meet our Serge, right?”
“Yes.”
“He’s a bit difficult, but please get along with him.”
“Difficult? So maybe my husband actually has the personality of a proper demon hybrid, unlike his father?”
Either way, she planned to get along with the family until the day she escaped.
Handling a rough or unpleasant person was something she could manage.
She was tired of miserable lives.
She refused to live a life where she died after being dragged into some huge event that wasn’t even her fault.
To grasp the “happy future” she’d never once had, she made a firm decision.
After Rayleigh left the reception room,
Duke Walter Elestine moved to his office with Yuan.
“What about the Core Ruby mine?”
As he asked, Walter leaned back loosely in his chair.
The foolish, clumsy look from earlier was completely gone.
The sharp light in his golden eyes was cold and piercing.
Yuan bowed respectfully as he answered.
“There have been no major changes since the previous report.”
“Inform me immediately if any new information comes in.”
“Yes, sir.”
After discussing other work matters, Yuan carefully asked,
“…What are your impressions after meeting the young madam in person?”
