MHPUW 18

Chapter : 18

Damian frowned at the food I had eaten. He realized what was happening because of the way Briseis was looking at me.

He could tell whose idea it was to make food so salty it could bring tears to someone’s eyes.

His gaze fell on my mother. She looked at Damian apologetically.

Damian chewed and swallowed the food with resignation.

“The cooking… is really good.”

Briseis looked at him as if she had no more disappointment left. Damian, in turn, thought she was looking at him with pride.

He mistakenly thought that Briseis’ slight smile was because she admired his way of mediating between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. In reality, she was just disappointed in him and couldn’t help but smirk.

“Eat a lot, Damian.”
“You too, Bree.”

Briseis smiled and cut the veal steak in front of her. Her appetite had strangely returned, thinking he had eaten something salty.

“That… some lady I know made up after a fight with her husband by going to bed together.”

Lady Abenr tried to change the topic. Damian slowly chewed and swallowed the very salty veal with water, resigned.

“Marriage has its special ways. I’ve often heard stories of couples reconciling like that.”

Delilah nodded, agreeing with Lady Abenr. Lady Abenr, excited by the support, continued.

“Then, then. When young, you must please your husband. It’s not easy when you get older. A woman’s age is like a flower—once it withers, it loses beauty.”

Briseis snorted, looking at Lady Abenr with a hint of mockery.

“So when we age, we’re just withered flowers?”

Lady Abenr realized her mistake and blushed.

“You’re saying I’m a withered flower?”
“When did I say that? That was you, Mother.”
“You always pick on words, even when you’re not remarkable.”

Briseis sighed, no longer wishing to continue the conversation.

“I can’t stay here any longer.”
“Sit!”
“No.”

She stood up. Damian tried to speak, but his mouth was too salty from the food, so he couldn’t react quickly.

“See you next time, Bree.”

Only Delilah waved cheerfully.

❖ ❖ ❖

It was a day off at the academy.

Of all days, Mikhail Filia decided to visit.

“Have you been well, Bree?”
“Ah, brother. Have you been well?”

Mikhail was the eldest son of the Filia Marquess family, a minor marquis, and ten years older than Briseis.

Briseis had been born because the Marchioness, after having three sons, wanted a daughter. The age gap was unavoidable.

“Shall we walk in the garden?”
“Alright.”

Briseis left the main hall with him, trying to appear at ease. Mikhail knew the garden well from previous visits.

He walked slowly, looking at the roses.

“It seems you learned a lot from your mother. You manage the staff well.”
“Yes, I do.”

Briseis answered honestly. She had business sense and could judge servants well. She just didn’t know Damian properly yet—but that was because she had been thoroughly deceived.

Seeing the glass greenhouse, Mikhail smiled.

“Can we go inside? I want to see if the hydrangeas are blooming well.”
“Sure.”

Briseis knew he might be checking if anyone was nearby before entering. Inside, the greenhouse smelled of fresh flowers.

“The hydrangeas are really blooming a lot.”
“Yes.”
“Are those freesias?”
“Yes.”

Mikhail approached the freesias, smiling. He seemed to smell the flowers but clearly wanted privacy to talk. Mikhail was cautious—he knew eavesdropping happened often.

Briseis didn’t fully trust Mikhail. Maybe she had followed him as a child, but after his cold reaction to Gael’s death, he no longer seemed the same. She knew he saw her not just as a sister, but as a future duchess, yet still treated her as a younger sister to manipulate her.

“I heard it got awkward after the duke returned.”

Briseis lowered her eyes, mocking his behavior.

“As you know, the first rule in my marriage vow with Damian is not to have a mistress.”
“I know that too.”

She realized he had come to persuade her, but she couldn’t do anything. If Mikhail came, the third sibling Elcias might follow.

“The duke is decent. Consider it—he went to war. There, it’s impossible to resist temptation. Women can seduce men easily in a battlefield where blood and flesh fly.”
“……”
“Luckily, the mistress the duke brought isn’t particularly striking.”

Briseis wondered when he had even seen Delilah. Perhaps during a ceremony she hadn’t attended. She lowered her eyes again.

“Now he probably likes her because of the war.”
“Brother.”
“But he’s a man. He’ll soon realize she’s plain and boring. He will get tired of her.”
“……”

“So, you should get pregnant with the duke’s child quickly.”
“Brother Mikhail…”
“If you have a son first, the duke will let go of that lowly mistress.”
“Did Father send you?”
“Yes. Mother asked about you, so she sent me.”

Briseis thought of the Marchioness in another country and sighed.

“Mother is far away. That’s why she worried about you.”
“Not enough to come personally, I guess.”
“Bree, act your part. You should be grateful just to give birth and raise his child.”
“…Alright.”

She didn’t want to discuss this further—it wouldn’t change anything.

“Remember what I said. We need the duke’s family, Bree.”
“…Yes.”
“Our family will no longer remain neutral. We need the duke’s power.”
“……Yes.”
“The emperor hasn’t decided who will inherit the throne yet.”

The loyal nobles of the empress acted as the emperor’s supporters, pretending to be neutral.

“We will support Calisten. He will become emperor.”

Briseis thought that maybe everything had been inevitable since Calisten killed the Viaten Emperor and unified the two empires. He would become emperor, Damian would choose Delilah, and she would become the villain. She quietly felt anger that the story she tried to change hadn’t changed at all.

“Tell her not to worry.”
“I will trust that.”

Mikhail patted her shoulder encouragingly and left, enforcing the family’s will.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Do you have to meet me even on a day off from the academy?”
“Yes, I want to see you every day.”

That night, after Mikhail left, Calisten came. Briseis sat cross-armed, holding her teacup, wishing he would leave quickly.

“Go quickly. I need to study.”
“Alright.”

He sat on the floor in his uniform.

“What are you doing?”

Then he rested his head on her thigh.

“I worked so hard today. Say I did well.”
“I’m holding hot tea. If you talk nonsense, be careful.”
“It would be fine if you gave me burn marks too.”

Briseis stayed silent.

“Did Mikhail visit? Is that why you’re upset?”

She frowned, surprised he knew her mood so well.

“Should I scold you?”