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Chapter 16
It seemed she had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t heard the knock, because Victor’s voice came through softly.
Realizing what state she was lying in, Ivel sprang up as if jolted. Fortunately, the door wasn’t wide open.
As expected of a courteous man, it was only slightly ajar.
“I was going to leave if you were asleep. But it seems that won’t be necessary.”
“P-please, come in.”
“Excuse me.”
The tall shadow that had been blocking the light streaming in moved forward.
A handsome man, dressed lightly in a thin shirt appropriate for the season, stood there holding a tray and a beer in one hand.
To be completely honest, it was quite a pleasant sight.
“How did you know I’d be looking for beer?”
Ivel’s voice lifted slightly with excitement. Noticing the change quickly, Victor shrugged.
“Well, it seems you have a habit like that.”
“What kind of habit?”
“A habit of drinking heavily when you’re startled, like a rabbit.”
How on earth did he know that?
She grumbled inwardly, but since the beer was welcome, Ivel gladly made space beside her on the couch.
“We’ll be visiting the Eberstein household soon. Lady Eberstein wishes to discuss the wedding together—things like the fabric of the wedding dress and jewelry.”
“Alright.”
“Lady Eberstein is one of the most influential figures in the social circle around here. She’ll be of great help.”
He had said she already thought of her like a daughter.
Though she hadn’t met her yet, Ivel felt a sense of familiarity.
Perhaps it was because Colonel Konrad, a devoted husband, always spoke about his wife.
“I want to meet her soon.”
“You will. Lady Eberstein is also eagerly awaiting the day she meets you, so everything should proceed smoothly.”
“We also need to make a guest list for the wedding, right?”
“Yes. Lady Eberstein will help appropriately with that as well.”
That was a relief. She didn’t know how to handle things like that.
Of course, she had learned by watching her mother from the sidelines—but she had never done it herself.
After all, she had run away to university before she could be sold off!
From a young age, Ivel hated the idea of becoming the wife of a man she didn’t love and having to manage his household.
‘It’s like living as an accessory.’
She wanted to do things considered the domain of men—studying, hunting, horseback riding, billiards.
That hadn’t changed even now.
She didn’t mind wearing dresses.
What mattered was whether she could continue doing what she wanted.
Victor had said he needed her medical skills and had given her a job.
Though that job took the form of being a ‘wife’…
“…Life feels a bit ironic. I struggled so much to avoid becoming the lady of some household, and yet here I am. Ah, it’s not that I dislike it. Just in case you misunderstand.”
“I don’t misunderstand.”
The man replied briefly and handed her the beer. After taking a few small sips, she felt like pouring it straight down her throat, but Ivel restrained herself.
Tomorrow was the day she would formally be introduced to the servants. She didn’t want to suffer from a hangover from the morning.
“Since I was young, I’ve always been told I was strange. Why are women’s roles and men’s roles separated? Why can’t I roll around in the mud like Abel? Why can’t I learn numbers and instead have to read poetry collections?”
Victor looked at her calmly and listened attentively.
It was not a hardship he understood.
Serzana had a gentle and fragile nature and had never once thought of stepping outside the protection of her home.
Victor, as the heir of his family, had naturally gone out into the world.
There had been no one who ever told him, “You can’t.”
“It was suffocating. And now I’m becoming a wife. It feels like all the things I avoided—cutting my hair and living like a man—are being forced back onto me.”
“That’s understandable.”
“…I’m sorry. I complained too much, didn’t I?”
It was the beer’s fault.
Yes, let’s go with that.
As she stopped speaking, Ivel suddenly felt embarrassed.
It wasn’t Victor who had pressured her.
She had run away without saying any of this to her family, yet here she was, complaining.
“It’s alright, Ivel.”
And to her, Victor responded carefully.
“If there is something you dislike, whatever it may be, do not do it. If there is something you wish to change, then change it.”
“……”
“There will still be many things you cannot resolve on your own. If someone says ‘you can’t’ or ‘stop,’ then invoke the name of Bayern. This may sound like deception, but… I will stand behind you.”
Every word he spoke was sincere.
There was a famous saying among the Richter nobility:
A lady must guard the drawing room fireplace, and a gentleman must learn the gun.
Ladies are emotional, their moods fickle, and thus unsuited in body and mind for great tasks.
Ladies must always be protected like flowers.
And yet, here stood someone who directly opposed all of that.
Watching Ivel, listening to her… it truly seemed so.
Managing not just a household but an entire territory, overseeing revenues, deciding where to invest, attending university to study law or diplomacy—
These had always been the domain of men, but perhaps Ivel could do all of it as well.
After all, she had served in the military and survived.
Even when many had deserted, Ivel had stayed until the end and endured.
“And you know how much I’ll take advantage of that.”
“Take advantage of it as much as you like. I’ve placed someone who didn’t want to be a wife into the position of one, haven’t I?”
Ivel stared into Victor’s blue eyes for a long moment.
Victor Bayern never spoke lightly.
He truly meant he would protect her no matter what trouble she caused.
“Alright. Look forward to it.”
If they had been friends, she might have punched him lightly in the chest here.
Instead, Ivel winked playfully.
Another layer of respect settled in her heart.
A marriage like this… yes.
Perhaps it wasn’t so bad.
“Oh, right. Even if it’s a fake wedding… could we invite Guieve?”
“He’ll probably be confused and feel burdened, but I don’t mind. I was planning to have him live safely within Bayern anyway.”
“I hope he comes.”
Among the final twelve, Guieve was the only one born a commoner.
Because they both had to earn their own living, they often understood each other without words.
“Let’s at least invite him. Guieve volunteered for his younger sister’s medicine expenses, didn’t he? I want to help his sister. I can make the medicine myself.”
“I’ll come up with a suitable excuse. Perhaps he was selected for a support program of the Grand Duke’s residence, or he came to receive aid and it just happened to coincide with the wedding period.”
In this life, even if war broke out again, she hoped he wouldn’t volunteer.
And—
“I hope Guieve becomes a poet this time.”
“While you’re the Grand Duchess, try supporting artists as well.”
“Power really is nice. You can do whatever you want.”
“That’s precisely why I live like this.”
After that, their conversation continued as they pondered how to gather and invite people who were now living their own lives.
Lucas was already a soldier and had been Victor’s friend since childhood, so there was no problem. His status was high as well.
The others were also nobles, so they could be invited even without prior contact.
After chatting for quite a while, Ivel fell quiet, and Victor silently moved a little closer.
Thud.
Soon enough, without much waiting, Ivel leaned her head against his shoulder—more accurately, she swayed and ended up resting against him.
Victor set down the remaining beer and stayed still in that position.
Until she fell into a very, very deep sleep.
After all, he hadn’t come today to drink beer, but to help Ivel—who would be unable to sleep due to bad memories—fall asleep.
