MHOW 12

Chapter 12

After about an hour’s drive along the well-paved road, the coachman announced that they had arrived at the Nerita Ducal Estate.
Herina followed the estate staff who came to greet her into the meticulously maintained garden.

“Herina!”
Thanks to the stones carefully laid between the grass, her expensive shoes didn’t even get a speck of dirt as she walked up to where Lady Lauren, the Duchess, was waiting.
As soon as Lauren spotted Herina’s figure in the distance, she ran forward in a single bound.

“Lady! Waaah, I’ve missed you!”
Just as Lauren had thrown formalities aside and ran, Herina, too, coquettishly leapt into the lady’s embrace.
After lightly hugging Herina, Lauren held her cheeks and examined her carefully from every angle.

“My goodness, have you been having a hard time lately? Your cute chubby cheeks have disappeared. Though, I must admit, you’ve become even more beautiful—but feeling Herina’s soft cheeks was my greatest joy.”
Herina let out a soft giggle at the affectionate exaggeration in Lauren’s hands.

“Lauren, I’m already twenty-two. Chubby cheeks naturally disappear as you grow up. Where I come from, they call them ‘milk cheeks’—the fat babies get from drinking milk. It usually goes away when you become an adult.”

“Where you come from?”
Lauren asked curiously, and Herina quickly corrected herself.

“Oh! I mean, my estate! That’s something I heard while at the Obelia household.”
Lauren pretended to swoon at the adorably innocent remark.
Herina felt relieved that Lauren didn’t take it too seriously.
Perhaps because Lauren treated her like a mother or older sister, she often made little slip-ups around her.

“So that’s why Herina is so adorable. Coming from a place full of such cute words, it makes sense you’d be this lovable. Ah, look at me rambling. Are you hungry? How about we eat in the greenhouse today? The weather isn’t too cold, and the roses you love are blooming beautifully.”

Herina smiled and followed Lauren inside.
Had she tried to refuse, she would have been missing out: the table set in the center of the greenhouse was filled with freshly prepared dishes radiating warmth.

“What is all this? Oh! This is…”
Lauren proudly displayed her work with a smug expression.

“Peach preserves, Herina’s favorite! How’s this? I tried it the way you showed me—do you think it turned out okay?”

“Wha—? It’s not even the season yet! Where did you get all these ingredients? Oh my, did you make this yourself, Lady Lauren? With your own hands?”
Herina was deeply moved; what duchess would make a dish, let alone one she herself was unfamiliar with?
It was something only someone who truly cared could do.

“Compared to saving my life, this is nothing. Eat quickly before it gets cold. And after we’re done, we’ll have plenty to talk about.”

As she enjoyed the meal Lauren had prepared with such care, Herina reflected on how glad she was to have become close to her and recalled their first meeting.

“If you hadn’t saved my child back then… I probably wouldn’t even be in this world today.”
About two years ago, while trying to get close to Ares, Herina had accidentally witnessed a kidnapping.
The tiny, toddling princess was the Nerita couple’s long-awaited daughter and was well-known in society, so Herina recognized her immediately.

“Miss, please stay with this person for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

A woman holding the child alone seemed suspicious, so Herina followed her and saw a bribed nanny handing the child over to the kidnappers.
If she hadn’t asked Ares for help at that moment, she realized, her path with Lauren might never have crossed.
That incident also gave Ares a new perspective on her.

“It was only natural. Anyone in my place would have done the same.”
This was the truth. But Lauren didn’t think that way.
No one wants to get caught in a dangerous situation.
Seeing Herina calmly reassure her trembling self and take control after rescuing the child had even made Lauren feel a hint of admiration.

“Oh, but you said there was something you wanted to tell me. What is it?”
At Herina’s question, Lauren suddenly composed herself and gave a meaningful smile.

“Herina, there’s something you didn’t tell me, right? Something happened right before the wedding, didn’t it?”
Herina instinctively covered her mouth with a soft gasp.
Lauren laughed lightly.

“How did you know? So it’s true—the rumor that even a ghost can’t trick the Duchess of Nerita.”

Despite handling most of the estate’s affairs for the ailing Duke of Nerita, nothing ever went wrong, thanks to her keen awareness, quick thinking, and intelligence.
The two women shared many similarities.

“You once bragged to me about how grand the wedding would be, remember? That I should expect an extravagant celebration.”
Herina nodded, recalling the memory.

“You remembered all that? Truly, your memory is… Ah, did it seem like I made it up on the spot? I tried to make it subtle, though.”
Lauren shook her head with a gentle smile.

“No, not at all. If it weren’t for what you told me, I wouldn’t have known either. But seriously, what happened? I hadn’t heard of any sudden changes like this, and that’s not your style either.”
Herina hesitated for a moment before deciding to keep silent.
She could seek advice or help from Lauren, but it would carry risk.
Even someone trustworthy could change.
Herina smiled lightly, brushing it off.

“As you know, I have quite a few enemies. Though the plan is unconventional, creating such an event would earn me the favor of nobles who appreciate someone preventing potential conflicts. That was my strategy.”

Lauren looked surprised.
“Herina, you care about that? Somehow you seem different before and after the wedding.”
Herina smiled as innocently as possible.

“I don’t usually care, but since I became part of the Havinant household, it’s better to reduce rivals. And I didn’t want to bring shame to you. Everyone in society knows how much you favor me.”
Lauren patted Herina with an expression of pride.

“Oh, by the way, have you heard of Marquis Erman? I heard his punishment is over and he’s returning to the capital. As you know, he’s the most interested in the Havinant family. He’s about the same age, and he still complains that if it weren’t for the Havinant dukedom, his family could have been among the empire’s top five.”

Hearing this, Herina already felt a sense of foreboding.
A few years ago, after the punishment, he lost all decision-making power to his vassals and retained only the title of marquis, so the poison he harbored was unpredictable.

“Marquis Erman’s punishment is already over? So, while one rival is gone, another returns! Is this the law of preservation of enemies?”
Lauren patted Herina’s slight back sympathetically.

“You must be worried. If there’s anything I can do to help, just say so. For anything involving you, I’ll step in without hesitation.”
Herina nodded.

After exchanging a few words of concern and lament, Herina left Lauren’s worries behind and got into the carriage sent by Ares.