IBVM 03

Chapter 03

“Diana, what do you mean by that? Are you saying you won’t appoint a guardian at all?”
“That’s my problem, so you don’t need to concern yourself with it.”

I was about to say that my business here was finished and that he should leave, when Count Kolkos waved a hand, cutting me off and asking again.

“Diana, is this because you feel sorry toward your parents? Because you think a guardian would be taking their place?”
“……”
“No, Diana. That’s not what a guardian is. As you know, a guardian is—”
“Someone who exercises the family’s rights in my stead. How could such a person dare be compared to my parents?”

Count Kolkos and my mother and father—just thinking of them on the same level made my blood boil. I cut him off coldly.

“Yes, Diana. You understand well. That’s why you should hurry and choose a guardian—”
“Enough. No matter what you say, my mind won’t change.”

Count Kolkos shook his head.

“Diana, you’re still young. It’s hard for a child to manage a family on her own. You may not realize it, but without a guardian, you won’t even be able to use the family’s money properly.”

The soothing tone in his voice gradually grew forceful. Perhaps angered by this unexpected turn, Count Kolkos’s neck flushed red.

“Why are you so concerned about that, Uncle?”
“Diana, I’m your only remaining blood relative.”

His snake-like eyes darted restlessly over me as he spoke in a tone feigning kindness and concern.

There was a time when I believed that because we shared blood, he would love me as my parents did. The result was a devastating betrayal.

Casione and Zenis, who aren’t related by blood at all, were far better.

“Diana, think of the servants of House Irenver. Without a guardian, you won’t even be able to pay their wages properly.”

After the head of a family dies, the household funds can only be used temporarily—for at most one year—and even then, only for fixed, ongoing expenses.

If no guardian is appointed by the end of that grace period, just as Count Kolkos said, we wouldn’t even be able to pay the servants.

Irenver had an unusually long grace period. But even that only has a few months left.

Ordinarily, a family had to appoint a guardian within a year, but Irenver had been granted an additional six months by the royal family.

Considering how great House Irenver was, and how serious the sudden deaths of the lord and lady had been, it was a reasonable decision.

I have six months left.

I had to do something—anything—within that time.

When I fell silent, lost in thought, Count Kolkos reached out, trying to take my hand resting on the table.

Just imagining my skin touching that hypocrite made my flesh crawl. I pulled my hand away before he could touch it.

So he doesn’t even consider the possibility of appointing anyone other than himself? Disgusting.

“Diana, think of House Irenver. Delaying the appointment of a guardian won’t benefit the family.”

Disgusting and foolish as Count Kolkos was, there was one thing he understood about me.

That I loved House Irenver with all my heart.

And he exploited that fact shamelessly.

“For the sake of the family.”

Those words—his favorite incantation whenever I questioned his actions—made my skin crawl when I remembered them.

I wouldn’t be fooled this time. What was good for me was what was good for the family.

Shaking my head, I spoke firmly.

“Don’t try to persuade me. My decision won’t change.”

Count Kolkos pressed his lips together, his grip tightening on the arm of the sofa.

“You must have been through a lot, Diana. I’ll come again next time.”

Having played his final card and gained nothing, Count Kolkos failed to hide his flustered expression. His mouth stiffened as he forced out the words.

“Even if you come ten times, my decision won’t change, Uncle. So don’t come again.”

When I boldly crushed even that promise, Count Kolkos scowled, unable to restrain his anger. He sprang to his feet.

“You… just how far do you intend to mock your uncle?”

As he straightened to his full height, a huge shadow loomed over me. He looked down at me as though scolding a child.

“Mock you? I simply want time to think carefully.”
His gaze changed instantly, turning sharp.

“Diana, I know losing your parents is painful, but how long do you think you can neglect the family? I’ve soothed the retainers and postponed things until now, but I can’t delay any longer. You need to face reality. Then again, what would a thirteen-year-old know?”

Beneath his pretense of lecturing, his true face—his greed—finally showed.

Such shallow intentions.

Watching him bristle at the slightest provocation made me ashamed that I’d ever been deceived by him in the past.

I almost snapped back at him, but held myself back. He wasn’t worth even a single word.

That fragile patience, however, didn’t last long.

Count Kolkos crossed a line he never should have.

“Your brother and sister-in-law would gladly want me to be your guardian.”

I’d endured it when he spoke of the family name, and when he said a guardian didn’t replace my parents.

But this—I couldn’t endure.

My mother and father would be happy about Count Kolkos becoming my guardian?

That was the same as saying they wanted me to be miserable.

Nonsense!

Clenching my fists, I spoke.

“Uncle, have you ever heard this story?”
“What story are you talking about?”
“A story about a family that chose the wrong guardian and was ruined.”
“What—what did you say?”

Shock spread across Count Kolkos’s greasy face.

“They say a family brought in a guard dog to watch the house, only for the dog to bite the owner and take over the house. It’s been going around lately—quite a famous story. Don’t you know it?”
“Diana, are you saying that I—”
“Whatever you’re imagining, you’re right, Uncle.”

I lifted my chin and glared straight at him.

No matter what, Count Kolkos was in a position where he needed my choice. No matter how angry he was, he couldn’t act rashly. So this level of provocation was permissible.

Sure enough, his brows knitted tightly, then relaxed. He took slow breaths, trying to calm himself.

“Diana. Where did you hear such things?”
The hostility had vanished from his voice as he chose to retreat rather than argue. He asked gently, feigning kindness.

I heard it by living through it myself.

“You shouldn’t listen to what others say. Believe only what you see and experience yourself.”

He acted as though he were dispensing profound advice.

I snorted inwardly.

That’s exactly why I don’t trust you. Because the bad person I saw, heard, and experienced firsthand was you.

Just sharing the same air with Count Kolkos had become unbearable. It was time to end this.

“I have just one request, Uncle.”
“Diana. Say whatever you like.”
“Leave now and never come looking for me again. Like when Father was alive—you stay in your provincial territory, and I stay here. On top of that, don’t even bother wondering whether I’m living well. Just assume you might have some blood relative somewhere and go on with your life. How about it? Not difficult, right?”

Had he expected me to ask for dolls or expensive chocolates? Count Kolkos, clearly shocked, barely managed to compose himself and spoke with effort.

“How could I leave you alone and return to my territory?”

Being stupid to this degree was practically a talent. Even when I explained it simply, he still didn’t understand.

There was no point talking to a fool; it would only make my mouth hurt. I had no obligation to make him understand.

So instead of replying, I strode across the drawing room and flung the door wide open.

“Goodbye, Uncle.”

I truly hoped that would be our last farewell.

“Miss, I heard you told Count Kolkos straight to his face that you won’t make him your guardian.”
How did Zenis find out?

It seemed there was a little rat in the house, eavesdropping and spreading gossip.

“It’s true. But where did you hear that?”
“From a rat. More importantly, what are you going to do? The others are in an uproar.”
“The others?”
“Yes! The maids and servants. If you don’t appoint a guardian, our wages get frozen too, right? I can manage if it’s delayed a month or two, but the others…”

Our estate had an unusually high number of young servants and maids. My soft-hearted father had kept hiring children from the slums who couldn’t find proper work.

They lived month to month, or supported their families with their wages, so they were extremely sensitive about pay.

Chasing Kolkos away felt good, but there’s so much to deal with now. I need to calm the servants, meet Casione, and decide on a guardian. Isn’t there a way to settle it all at once?

Doing things step by step would take too long. I was also a little worried about having provoked Count Kolkos, and about how little time remained to appoint a guardian.

Six months left, right?

Counting the days in my head made me feel overwhelmed. I needed a solution—a decisive one.

“Right! That’s it.”
A brilliant idea flashed through my mind.

When I suddenly exclaimed in high spirits, Zenis looked at me in confusion.

“Yes? What do you mean, ‘that’s it’?”
“I’m going to get married.”
“…What? Who? To whom?”
“Me. To Casione.”
“Pardon? You’re marrying who?”
“Casione. The third prince of the Kingdom of Petrolia.”

Zenis’s jaw dropped.

[A minor’s marriage requires the consent of parents or a legal guardian; however, marriages to royalty are an exception. —Petrolia Civil Code, Article 189]

A law I’d read in the past flashed through my mind like a ray of light.

If I married into royalty, I wouldn’t need a guardian. I’d be recognized as an adult immediately and acknowledged as the official head of the family. Then I could use the family’s funds freely and manage its affairs myself.

If I appointed some unknown person as guardian, history might repeat itself. Truly trustworthy adults were rarer than one might think. Aunt Cho existed, but she was destined to become the head of Chorni.

And Aunt wants to live like the wind.

If she became my guardian, her identity would inevitably become public. That would ruin both Chorni and her wish to live freely.

So instead of appointing a guardian, I’d simply become the head of the family myself.

Perfect. A way to repay a debt—and take revenge at the same time.

The path I had to walk, the things I needed to do, became as clear as a finely drawn map.

My marriage partner would be Casione.

For the sake of my revenge, and to repay the kindness Casione once showed me, I decided to marry him.

But can I actually marry him?

Opposition from the king or interference from Dason would be problems—but there was an even bigger one.

Unfortunately, as a child, Casione had been very frail.

He looked healthy when I saw him at the execution grounds, but right now he’d be eleven…

That was the age when he was so weak you might as well hang a sign on him saying I’m dying.

Could he even walk down the aisle? Or would I need to prepare his funeral instead? He looked like a baby rabbit on the brink of death…

I was worried about Casione’s condition.

“Zenis, we need to go to the royal palace!”
With my goal clear, I grew impatient. I wanted to see Casione right away—to confirm he was all right.

“The palace? All of a sudden? Miss, maybe you should wipe your nose first. And the palace isn’t somewhere you can just walk into because you feel like it.”
I took the handkerchief Zenis offered and blew my nose loudly.

They were the aftereffects of the tears I’d shed, overwhelmed with relief at finding a way to protect the family without appointing a guardian.

“Hmph, sniff—places for nobles are always open.”
“But that applies to adult nobles. It’s not a place for a child like you, miss.”

Annoyingly, she was right.

By the rules, a thirteen-year-old like me, without a guardian, would have to formally request entry to the palace and wait for permission.

Only the heads of influential noble families and their spouses could come and go from the palace freely.

If I were the head of House Irenver, I’d walk into the palace as if it were my own home. Unfortunately, I was nothing more than an heir without even a guardian.

“I really don’t think you should go.”
Zenis tried to stop me, worried I’d be thrown out. In truth, showing up unprepared would result in exactly that.

But I’ve got my own way.