TLDWAE 08

Chapter 8

When she made a face that said she couldn’t understand, the little golem got excited and began chattering away about all it had learned while she was asleep.

<Andeon said so. Since Master gave birth to me, you’re like my mother. And he said I should listen well to my mother.>

“–Andeon said that?”

<So I cleaned. It’s clean now.>

At the golem’s words, she looked around and realized she was in the Lord’s chamber of the castle—exactly the room she had ordered to be cleaned before she lost consciousness.

Karia’s body was laid on the bed, but the sheets and cushions were gone, leaving only the frame and the hard base.

Just as she had instructed, the cobwebs and dust had been cleared away, but nothing more.

When her body shivered with cold, she glanced toward the window. It had been flung wide open—apparently, the little one had even listened to her order to air the place out. Though the broken furniture still looked shabby, at least it wasn’t the worst scene she had imagined.

<Happy? Are you happy because it’s clean?>

“Well, yes. At least you got rid of the dust.”

Karia replied reluctantly in a sour tone, but the golem was overjoyed, bouncing all around the room.

“You look happier than I do.”

<I’m happy when Mom smiles! I’ll clean more!>

Without being ordered, the golem scurried about poking into every corner. Each time it finished something, it would glance back at her expectantly.

Karia couldn’t hold back a sudden burst of laughter. It wasn’t like a golem at all—it was like a puppy wagging its tail, begging for praise.

Yes, it had been greedy of her to hope that a newborn child could be like Andeon. The golem might be a failure in some sense, but wasn’t it at least as endearing as she could have wished?

“Mother, huh…”

<Master, you’re awake?>

As she sat up against the bed, watching the little golem with fond amusement, Andeon spoke from outside the window. He bent at the waist, poking only his head inside to look in.

Seeing him—who must have had to persuade an uncomprehending creature all alone after she’d collapsed—Karia felt both touched and sorry.

“Andeon, you must have had a hard time.”

<Not at all. I’d do anything for you, Master…>

<What about me?>

The mini golem, who had been busy moving about the room—cleaning or maybe just making a mess—ran over quickly when Karia and Andeon began talking.

Thinking it wanted praise, she patted its head. But the golem jerked its head violently, sulking.

<That’s not it! Andeon is Andeon, and Master is Mom—but what about me? What am I?>

“Do you mean… a name?”

The golem’s eyes sparkled. Karia hesitated. Naming things had never been her strong suit.

Normally, golems vanished after completing their assigned task, so there was rarely any need to give them an individual name.

As for Andeon, he’d been arbitrarily named after one of the most common names at the time, simply because he had to guard the castle and deal with visitors.

So Karia saw no real reason to name this golem.

“A name, huh…”

But not everything in the world runs on strict necessity. It wasn’t a difficult task, and since it had tried to be helpful in its own way, perhaps a reward was only fair.

Karia gazed at the golem, let out a long hum, then finally snapped her fingers and spoke.

“Alice.”

<Alice?>

“It’s the name of a curious little girl. It suits you perfectly.”

A girl so curious that she followed a rabbit she’d never seen before, ate food given by strangers, and caused trouble in another land.

Karia admired her own wit—yes, this mischievous thing before her was exactly like that.

She completely overlooked the fact that Alice’s story was a century-old classic, and that all the girls once given that name had long since become old women.

<Alice, Alice… Yes, I’m Alice!>

The mini golem leapt with joy, humming tunelessly. Its pitch and rhythm were terrible, but its happiness was unmistakable.

Alice was so thrilled that Karia, who had named her, couldn’t help feeling good as well.

Yes—when she left Lubaltberh Castle that evening, Karia was in an excellent mood.

Until she returned to the Pandheon mansion and faced that stubborn old woman.

“You must be out of your mind.”

The Dowager Duchess of Pandheon glared at her.

“How dare the Duchess of this house spend the night away without even leaving word? Do you wish to be thrown out?”

“What a fierce greeting, Grand Madam.”

“Vulgar thing. You don’t even know when not to jest.”

Karia lifted her head and met the dowager’s eyes. In her memories, this woman had been terrifying enough to make her knees shake. But looking with her own eyes now—well.

She saw the truth.

An old, frail body; threats that were empty words, for it was clear she couldn’t actually throw her out; a face plastered only with irritation—her scolding was pathetic, not frightening.

“To think I lived trembling before this…”

The dowager always held her head high, collar stiffly fastened up to her neck, parading about in false dignity. She never stopped boasting about how ancient and glorious Pandheon’s lineage was, how many great men it had produced.

Yes, as someone who had served the house for more than thirty years, pride was natural.

The problem was how she constantly compared Karia to her family, belittling her.

She would sneer that Karia was a bastard of uncertain birth, that she was no better than common trash who knew nothing of manners.

‘My poor son, forced into marriage with the likes of you. If not for the royal family’s command, such a ridiculous union would never have happened. You should be forever grateful for your husband and live obediently.’

What the dowager wanted was a single word: obedience.

‘You may be lucky enough to be a duchess, but the position is far too much for you. Don’t you dare think of wielding the family’s power.’

She had tormented Karia out of fear of losing her own meager authority to the young new mistress—authority Karia had never even tried to take.

Now, watching the dowager’s every exaggerated gesture meant to appear dignified, Karia could only laugh.

“What did you just say?”

“Oh dear, I was speaking to myself. Did you hear?”

Karia had no intention of hiding her true feelings anymore. She smiled radiantly as she replied. The dowager’s face twisted with fury.

Once, Karia would have read that slight change of expression and bowed her head. But no longer.

Pandheon could never discard her. Her dowry alone was a mountain of gold, the only reason the house hadn’t already collapsed.

If she divorced, the dukedom would lose all direct and indirect support from both the royal family and the grand ducal house.

Pandheon had no ability to survive on its own—the land was barren, winters long, income scarce, wealth impossible to build.

If they’d had any prosperity, they’d never have accepted this unwelcome marriage in the first place.

“You asked why I stayed out overnight, didn’t you? After lying in bed so long, my body ached, so I went for a walk. It just took longer than I expected. As for not informing anyone, well—everyone seemed too busy to care about a duchess who woke up after five days.”

“What?”

“I heard Pandheon’s motto is, ‘Do your own work yourself.’ So as the mistress, I thought I’d try following it.”

“Don’t you think I did well?” Karia smiled sweetly. Her smile made the dowager’s insides twist in rage. The woman who had never dared talk back was suddenly acting like this—what on earth had she eaten?

The dowager’s voice rose to a shriek that echoed against the ceiling.

“Dressed like that, talking nonsense—do you think I’m playing games? Oh, ancestors! Why burden the family with such a vulgar, lacking creature?!”

“Grand Madam, you needn’t feel ashamed. I came into this house only because your forebears squandered the fortune bit by bit, and the late duke failed utterly at managing the finances. None of this is your fault.”

“What?!”

Smack!

The sharp sound of flesh against flesh cracked through the air.

A slap, swift and unhesitating. The room froze. The servants held their breath, shrinking back lest sparks fly their way; the maids clicked their tongues silently, as if they’d expected this.

“Say that again.”

“Ha… you actually raised your hand against me?”

“What is that insolent look in your eyes?!”

A bitter taste spread in her mouth—her lip must have split. Karia spat blood onto the floor without a care.

But instead of falling silent as expected, she glared back, her eyes blazing.

The dowager flinched at the fiery red gleam in her gaze.

‘She fell down the stairs, they said—did she hit her head as well?’

Ashamed to have been cowed even for a moment, the dowager bit her lip hard and raised her hand again. But this time, Karia didn’t meekly take it.

“–You, you dare not let go?!”

“I won’t.”

Before the hand could strike her, Karia seized the dowager’s wrist, gripping the frail arm as if to crush it.

Of course, she wasn’t actually strong enough to break bone, but the pressure was enough to throw the dowager into panic.

“Steward! Steward! Call the knights immediately—hurry!”