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Chapter 25
Today’s event, prepared expressly for Chloe, seemed to have delighted her immensely. I could tell by the way she gazed at Aisen with such rapturous eyes. She appeared utterly smitten.
Yes, I truly supported them both.
Cherez regarded me with a relaxed expression, his lips curved in the faintest suggestion of a smile.
“You’ve won. Congratulations.”
It was a congratulation I found most gratifying.
“Thank you.”
I answered with a triumphant shrug of my shoulders. Truth be told, I hadn’t expected him to acknowledge me to this degree. Still, he could no longer dismiss me now.
“Congratulations to you as well, Cherez—on being free of Chloe. I hope you won’t allow her to torment you again under the guise of testing me.”
“….”
“For both our sakes. Understood?”
Cherez nodded, his expression oddly subtle. I noticed his earlobes had flushed crimson.
He turned his gaze forward and asked in a measured voice.
“Do you wish for my happiness?”
I nodded.
Perhaps because I knew how little time remained for Cherez, my heart grew tender. If his life was nearly spent….
“I truly wish for your happiness, Cherez.”
I hoped he would understand that this, at least, came from my heart. Cherez carried a debt of guilt over Elder Brother’s death.
If only he had lived his own life instead of remaining for the family.
If only he had died in Elder Brother’s stead.
Such burdens weighed upon Cherez’s shoulders and heart. Or so the original narrative described.
In the end, he never shed that guilt before his death.
「’…Hayden.’」
I thought of Hayden, whom I had no choice but to leave behind at the Mansion.
「’Elder Brother, I am sorry.’」
How heartbreaking those words were as his final testament. When Hayden learned of them and wept, I wept alongside him.
So I truly wished for Cherez to know happiness, even if only for a moment.
Cherez asked with that peculiar expression.
“Why?”
“We are family…and husband and wife. So it’s only natural that I wish for your happiness.”
Cherez stared at me with a dazed expression. I could see the tendons in his neck tense. He wouldn’t believe it easily.
The daughter of a Rival House wishes for his happiness merely because they married? I wouldn’t believe it either. Marriage was merely a pretext, and my wish for his happiness was my own selfish desire.
Still, I intended to tell him whenever the opportunity arose.
“Please be happy, Cherez.”
I didn’t expect him to understand my sincerity. I wasn’t asking him to trust me completely.
Just to get along. Nothing more than that.
* * *
The next day.
“The Duchess has no idea how happy I was yesterday. Then again, you’d need to have experienced such love at least once to truly understand what that feels like.”
She’d arrived earlier than usual, and now she lingered annoyingly in front of me as I fashioned a diaper for Hayden, rattling on about yesterday’s events.
“Do you know what happened after I received the proposal in the Banquet Hall yesterday, Duchess?”
I offered not a single word in response, yet Chloe prattled on ceaselessly—as if she hadn’t come seeking my reaction at all.
“Oh, our little Hayden. Did you have such a satisfying bowel movement? That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful! My baby poops so well, eats so well!”
“Kyaa! Kyaaaa!”
Hayden sprang up and showered my face with drool. I gently patted the baby’s bottom.
In truth, Diane couldn’t have cared for him well. Even his weaning food had been a disaster.
His bottom had suffered from severe diaper rash, causing him considerable discomfort for a time. I was grateful a urinary tract infection hadn’t developed.
Now his bottom was as pale and plump as a freshly steamed bun—utterly adorable.
“Ugh, what is that smell? Goodness! You do this yourself? You must be mad. That’s why I keep saying you need to find a good man. You should become a woman loved like me. That’s where you went wrong, Duchess. And what are you wearing?”
What was wrong with my clothes? Ttolmang, nestled in my arms, gripped my collar and rocked his body back and forth. The little one had grown so much stronger lately, his weight increasing noticeably—he simply couldn’t sit still.
“You’ll hurt yourself that way. Will you come down?”
“Dede dede, dede. Dettette! Abubuuuu!”
I had no idea what he was saying, but it was clear his belly felt better and he was delighted about it. The Maid who’d been assisting me with the diaper handled the cleanup with practiced efficiency.
Having emptied himself so thoroughly, he’d be hungry soon. What should I feed him this time?
Chloe cut through my thoughts.
“First, a woman must know how to cultivate herself. Listen well, Duchess. What I’m telling you now will become your foundation and flesh! That’s how you can live happily like me!”
Chloe continued her endless chatter, indifferent to whether I was listening or not. But here’s the thing—I’m actually very happy right now.
I earn money for the labor I do, I care for an adorable baby, and no one torments me except Chloe. Compared to the house where I used to live, this is nothing short of paradise.
As for being loved by a man and living happily? I’d rather be the one making myself happy.
Where does eternal love exist?
I need to be happy for my own happiness to be real.
But I respect the happiness Chloe seeks. As long as she doesn’t force it upon me!
While letting Chloe’s words go in one ear and out the other, her continued nitpicking and criticism gave me an idea.
I really should accelerate their marriage.
I need to write to Countess Maleight right away.
* * *
Four days had passed since the banquet ended.
The marriage discussions between Chloe and Aisen began circulating officially. Malate said she would expedite the wedding preparations, and the Oyster Family was equally receptive.
Cherez had hastened to conclude the Trading Company matters and had Aisen affix his seal—this must have been the decisive factor in their decision.
And the effects were immediate.
Chloe stopped visiting.
Ah, who knew that the absence of just one person could bring such tranquility.
“My lady, a message has arrived from Miss Chloe. She says she’ll be visiting the Oyster Estate again today… apparently the wedding preparations are keeping her terribly busy.”
Yureain conveyed this carefully, but internally I was cheering with unbridled enthusiasm. Of course, outwardly I remained composed, merely sipping my tea.
“Marriage is no simple affair, so she must be occupied. I understand perfectly.”
“Yes. Between the wedding arrangements and fitting her ceremonial robes, she must be quite busy.”
“How delightful.”
Yureain smiled faintly and nodded.
“You’ve endured much, Duchess.”
Indeed, I truly have suffered.
With Chloe absent, the days had become so peaceful. No more shrill voice constantly grating on my ears, no more sudden upheaval about rearranging decorations. From morning to evening, blessed silence reigned.
This was peace. This was bliss.
“I’ll take Hayden for a stroll through the garden.”
Yureain nodded. At this hour, the sunlight was wonderfully warm when taking Hayden outside. The Southern Region’s winter was milder than the central or northern territories, so a thick coat was sufficient for a garden walk.
“Shall we go for a walk, my precious?”
“Da-da-da-da!”
“You’d like that?”
“Kyaa! Dye-eh-deh!”
“…Young Master has become much brighter. He speaks more too.”
“Indeed? Children change day by day at this age.”
Yureain smiled warmly. Of course, dressing him remained a battlefield unto itself.
I’d learned since arriving here that children were children, no matter where you went.
“If you stay still, we’ll get your clothes on much faster, yes~?”
“Da-da, da-da-da, waaahhh-waaahhh!”
I grabbed his flailing arms and forcibly dressed him, at which point Hayden began squeezing out tears and snot.
Sigh, I wish summer would come already. Then I could just take him around in his indoor clothes.
