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Chapter 06
At the academy for elementary school students, I ended up doing all sorts of odd jobs.
Organizing newsletters, checking the notification app, buying supplies on behalf of parents, and so on…
Some of the work even required sewing.
Mending the clothes of children who had fallen down, embroidering names onto indoor shoe bags, things like that.
For the record, the best seamstress at our academy was actually the driver. He was the one who taught me everything I knew about sewing.
Anyway, staring at the fireplace was getting boring, so I slipped a heated stone into a little cloth pouch I had sewn.
It turned into a surprisingly practical portable hand warmer.
The reason I made it wasn’t anything special.
One day someone mentioned that their hands hurt from the cold while doing laundry after autumn arrived, so I made one out of boredom.
Once I made one, everyone wanted one too.
Before I knew it, there were twenty hand warmers.
The stones cooled off pretty quickly, but since everyone took turns using them, they became quite popular.
“…You really are skilled with your hands.”
“Doesn’t everyone know how to do this much?”
“Yes, embroidery is considered part of a lady’s education. But not everyone is kind enough to put those skills to good use.”
Baroness Rollan rolled the hand warmer around in her hands before removing her gloves and holding it directly with her bare hands.
She closed her eyes, as though savoring its warmth.
“Was this tea chosen by the Dowager Duchess?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I glanced at the tea in my cup.
It was a medicinal brew made with ginger and dried fruit.
In this world, ginger was an incredibly expensive medicinal ingredient.
But the detached residence had enough herbs stocked away to last for decades even if we drank them every day, so I didn’t hesitate to use it.
“Because you dislike the cold, don’t you, Baroness?”
“…”
Looking at Baroness Rollan’s clothes alone was enough to tell what the weather was like.
The western region was colder than the capital.
Though it was technically autumn, the temperature felt closer to early winter in the capital.
I hated the cold too, so even without ever discussing it, I could tell.
When I looked more closely, it seemed the socks hidden inside her shoes were thickly padded with cotton.
Poor thing. Cold hands and feet on top of being sensitive to the cold… that’s miserable.
I couldn’t empathize with losing a husband.
But I could certainly empathize with hating the cold.
Baroness Rollan set the hand warmer on her lap and lifted her teacup.
After taking a sip of the still-warm ginger tea, she let out a warm breath.
“…For the past several decades, I have taught etiquette to young ladies. How to hold a fan, which hand should remain free while walking beside a gentleman, which wines may be drunk and which foods should never be eaten… Those were the things I taught.”
“Ah… yes.”
Why was she suddenly talking about this while drinking ginger tea?
I had expected her to continue lecturing me, so hearing her speak about the past caught me off guard.
“But after devoting so many years to this work, I came to realize that true education cannot be conveyed through words alone.”
“Ah…”
I thought I understood what she meant.
As a teacher, there were many things I wanted to teach my students, but whenever my lessons failed to get through to them, the sense of helplessness could feel overwhelming.
You’ll hurt your ankle if you wear your shoes on the wrong feet.
Don’t keep your smartphone inside your pencil case.
Do you really think I can’t tell you’re listening to music just because your earphones are hidden under your hair?
…Wait a second.
Now that I thought about it, my struggles as a teacher were a bit too trivial compared to Baroness Rollan’s profound reflections.
“People say I teach the manners of a lady, but in truth, what I have always wished to teach is how to serve as an example worthy of a noble. The duties and bearing expected of those who stand above others.”
She gently took my hand, wearing a kindness I had never seen from her before.
Her wrinkled hand, warmed by the hand warmer, softly stroked mine.
“In that respect, Dowager Duchess Wilhelmina, you lack nothing. You possess a mindset that I myself cannot teach.”
“…You flatter me.”
Were the hand warmer and ginger tea really that touching?
Maybe I should wrap some up for her to take home.
“No, I do not flatter you. During these past three days, I have witnessed the kindness you have shown.”
When?
“The expressions of your maids, the eyes of the pages watching me from the doorway whenever I scolded you, and your unwavering consideration for everyone around you… You possess the most important quality required of a lady of the house.”
It felt rather strange to be praised as the perfect lady of the house when I had never even been married in my previous life.
Of course, I couldn’t let that show.
I quietly lowered my eyes and listened.
“Therefore, our lessons end here. If your manners truly come from your heart, then you will overcome any hardship.”
“Ah… yes.”
…Was she telling me to bring ginger tea to the celebration banquet?
Not understanding what she found so remarkable about me, all I could do was nod.
Only about forty nobles would be attending the Margrave’s celebration banquet.
Considering the Margrave’s status, it was surprisingly small.
A Margrave of the western frontier belonged to a family nearly as ancient as a ducal house and was a prestigious family of knights respected by swordsmen throughout the kingdom.
If Leighton carried the image of a dignified elder, then the Margrave was the type of warrior who had built everything with nothing but his sword.
I couldn’t understand why the banquet was being held on such a small scale, but Baroness Rollan explained it for me.
“Officially, the western territory is still in its mourning period.”
She placed particular emphasis on the word officially.
In other words, no one actually felt that way.
Holding a lavish celebration openly would attract criticism, so they had simply scaled it down.
Hearing that, I couldn’t help clapping my hands together.
It reminded me that it hadn’t even been two months since the previous Duke had died.
Now that I think about it, throwing a grand year-end celebration during mourning really is strange. The late Duke must not have been very well liked.
I could understand why the servants hated the former Duke.
After all, how many employees genuinely liked their boss?
And from what I’d heard, he had an awful personality too.
If they weren’t spitting on his grave, that was already showing restraint.
Come to think of it, I only wore mourning clothes for a week. In this world, widows sometimes wear mourning for one or even two years. It’s certainly more convenient for me, but…
Still, I hadn’t expected even the nobles who had lived off the Duke’s patronage to ignore the mourning period.
…Helene really endured a lot.
The first person who came to mind was my daughter-in-law, Helene.
She had suffered under a father-in-law who had changed wives five different times.
As her mother-in-law, I ought to set a good example.
For the record, my idea of a model mother-in-law was someone who did absolutely nothing.
When the elders interfered, everything only became more exhausting.
The best thing to do was stay out of it.
That’s what the dramas always said.
“Madam.”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
Lost in thought, I heard Anna call for me.
The celebration banquet was about to begin.
Ordinarily, given the Duke’s status, the ducal family would have made a grand entrance midway through the banquet.
But since the Margrave was the guest of honor today, the Leighton family would enter first to greet the arriving guests.
When we reached the entrance hall, I spotted a man adjusting his clothes.
The Duke.
Judging by the numerous attendants, butlers, and retainers surrounding him, there was no mistaking his identity.
He was young.
His brilliant platinum-blond hair was neatly swept back, exposing his broad forehead, yet he didn’t look old in the slightest.
His well-defined eyebrows and slightly upturned lips seemed to reveal his confident personality, while his blue eyes—just a shade darker than Helene’s—were full of life.
Rather than the head of an ancient noble family, he looked more like the CEO of a startup company.
They did say the Leighton family branched off from the imperial family long ago. You can tell just from their coloring.
I slowly approached the man.
Mikhail Phil Leighton.
Come to think of it, this is officially our first meeting, isn’t it?
We had attended the funeral together, but back then I had been more of a spectator than a member of the ducal family.
I barely understood what was happening.
It was rather ironic.
The first official occasion where I met my stepson as family was at someone else’s celebration banquet.
Of course, I wasn’t expecting a warm family welcome.
Even if I were living in modern times, accepting a stepmother younger than yourself would be difficult.
So I had assumed Mikhail would be uncomfortable around me…
“Ah, Mother!”
He greeted me with a bright smile.
“So this is our first proper meeting. I am Mikhail Phil Leighton.”
“Wilhelmina…”
“Leighton!”
“…Leighton. It’s nice to meet you.”
I was so flustered that I stumbled over my words.
I hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic welcome, and before I knew it, he was extending his hand for a handshake without the slightest hesitation.
Rather than greeting a new stepmother, he felt like a class representative welcoming a transfer student.
It had been a long time since I’d encountered such overwhelming friendliness.
“I must ask your forgiveness for not being able to welcome you properly. Given today’s circumstances…”
“…It’s all right. I heard you’ve been very busy.”
“In truth, I told my wife that I ought to pay my respects to you sooner. But she said you would need some time to adjust, Mother, so I refrained from visiting.”
“That…”
Wouldn’t it have been better not to say that?
If he wasn’t careful, it could easily sound like he was speaking ill of his own wife.
…Though he doesn’t seem to have any bad intentions.
