<Chapter 3>
“Now that I’m sitting still and receiving treatment, it doesn’t feel so bad anymore. Kar, you must be the one who’s tired—you spent the whole day receiving guests in my place. Why don’t you rest a bit?”
“I took breaks in between, so please don’t worry.”
As he said that, Cardiel handed me a glass of water. My throat had been a little dry, so the gesture felt especially thoughtful.
I thanked him and looked around.
Even if there weren’t many mourners left, it felt unusually quiet. It didn’t take long to realize why.
“Come to think of it, I don’t see Chelsea or Yupi. Do you know where they are?”
Chelsea is the youngest son. His full name is Chersion Tudor Diern, and he’s now eleven.
Yupi is a fourteen-year-old girl, one year younger than Kar. Her full name is Euphemina Sichel Diern—a very pretty name.
“Chelsea cried himself to sleep earlier, so I laid him down in his room. Yupi looked like she might cause trouble, so I told her to stay beside him.”
“I see. Good thinking.”
Now that I thought about it, Chersion had cried throughout the entire funeral.
Even if their father had tormented his children, the sense of loss would still be significant for an eleven-year-old.
On the other hand, Euphemina hadn’t shown a single expression the entire time.
She naturally had a somewhat absent look about her, but at times it almost seemed like she was smiling, which worried me greatly.
Still, it’s a relief that Kar handled it well.
At times like this, Cardiel was such a reliable son that it was hard to believe he wasn’t yet an adult.
Looking at him filled me with pride, and I lightly patted the seat beside me.
“Then will you sit next to me?”
“I’m fine, Stepmother.”
“I want to sit with my son.”
“….”
Only then did Cardiel reluctantly sit beside me. With that stiff face of his, his nature was truly kind.
Even though we now faced the same direction, no conversation naturally followed between us.
Like Cardiel, I wasn’t exactly a lively or affectionate person either.
Perhaps because of that, the silence between us didn’t feel awkward at all—
“Stepmother.”
“Yes?”
I hadn’t expected Cardiel to speak first, so I was slightly startled.
When I turned my head, our eyes met. It seemed he had been looking at me for quite a while.
“What is it?”
“Perhaps…”
When I asked, Cardiel frowned slightly and hesitated to speak.
“It’s alright. Go ahead.”
Only after I urged him did he finally open his mouth.
“Do you truly intend to remarry soon?”
“What?”
The question was unexpected, and I blinked instead of answering right away.
Cardiel continued,
“The mourners were whispering that it was obvious you would remarry before long. They also said that the man who becomes our stepfather would take the title of Duke Diern. And even if not, any child born between you and him would certainly become the next duke. So I…”
“Wait.”
I rarely interrupted the children, but I couldn’t bear to hear any more.
“Who said such a thing?”
“I’m not sure exactly. But many of the mourners seemed to assume it, even those who didn’t come in groups.”
They must have been people determined to ruin someone else’s household.
Or perhaps a group trying to paint me as the wicked stepmother from a fairy tale.
There are already three children at such a sensitive age—why are people so careless with their words?
Even if it were true, it wasn’t something that should be said.
I turned my body toward Cardiel and gently took both his hands.
“I was planning to tell you all after the funeral ended. But since this has come up… I’ll tell you first, Kar.”
Cardiel looked at me silently, his gaze focused.
But somehow…
I felt unease in his eyes.
It was only natural.
No matter how mature Cardiel seemed, he was still at an age where he needed emotional stability and a guardian by his side.
In other words, he wasn’t yet mature enough to completely dismiss such rumors.
Perhaps he even thought I might abandon him and his siblings.
I couldn’t let him feel that way.
At times like this, I knew I had to be firm.
“To put it simply, no matter what happens, I will make sure the title of Duke Diern is passed to you in three years.”
“….”
“No matter what others say, or how my circumstances change—it doesn’t matter. Not even once have I ever considered anyone other than you, Kar, becoming the next duke.”
“Is that truly so?”
“Yes. You will absolutely become the next Duke Diern. If you don’t believe me, I can even write you a formal pledge.”
That neither I, nor any future husband, nor any child of mine would ever have anything to do with the title.
Of course, writing such a pledge might instead give others a reason to target me.
Because it would imply the possibility of remarriage and having children.
Whether he had thought that far or not, Cardiel slowly shook his head.
“No, that won’t be necessary. Your words are more than enough.”
Only then did the anxiety fade from his clear blue eyes.
His face still bore no smile, but I could tell he felt much better.
“However, Stepmother… my question was slightly different.”
“Hm?”
I thought I had answered him properly—what was missing?
Just as I was about to ask—
Knock, knock.
The butler entered.
“A visitor has arrived.”
Even though we were still receiving condolences until sunset, I hadn’t expected more guests.
Still, I straightened my posture to greet them.
At that moment, Cardiel’s brows briefly furrowed.
He’s annoyed the conversation was interrupted.
I lightly patted his back, signaling we’d talk later, and helped him stand.
A mourner had arrived—the heir should greet them.
“Who has come?”
The butler mentioned an unexpected name.
“Count Alpheron, Sir Yusef Obreim Alpheron.”
My eyes widened without realizing.
Why is he here?
* * *
“My condolences, Duchess. And young Duke.”
“Welcome, Sir Yusef. Thank you for coming to see my husband off. This is Cardiel Diak, the young Duke of Diern.”
“Thank you for receiving my condolences, Count Alpheron.”
I hadn’t expected him to come, so I was surprised.
After all, we weren’t particularly close.
Of course, attending a funeral could also be a way to establish future relations, regardless of current familiarity.
…but suddenly, something felt strange.
Didn’t he call Cardiel ‘young duke’ even before I introduced him?
Was he really someone so thorough and well-mannered as to prepare that much in advance?
The more I looked at him, the more favorable my impression became.
Especially since he addressed Cardiel properly first.
“I will pay my respects to the deceased.”
After briefly greeting us, Yusef approached my husband’s coffin for a moment of silence.
My gaze naturally followed his back.
Perhaps because of his black mourning attire, he felt completely different from when I saw him at the banquet the other day.
Back then, he had seemed like a mysterious, dazzling king of fairies.
Today, he felt more like a calm, subdued spirit of mist.
Though his unreal appearance remains the same.
Smiling at a funeral would be highly inappropriate, so his expression was different as well.
A faint, almost dry expression, with his smile stripped away.
Perhaps that’s why those red eyes stood out so vividly.
They were as brilliant as rubies, yet somehow gave off an ominous, blood-like impression…
“Your ankle seems to be the same as before, Duchess.”
“Ah.”
It seemed I had been lost in thought, watching him.
By the time I came back to myself, he had already placed a lily on the coffin and finished his silent prayer.
“It is recovering, at least. The physician says it should improve within a few days.”
“That is a relief.”
After saying that, Yusef received a small box—about the size of his palm—from his attendant and handed it to me.
“This is an ointment used in Alpheron. It is quite effective, so I thought it might help… though if you find it suspicious since it is unfamiliar, you need not use it. Simply accepting it is enough.”
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Sir Yusef.”
With him putting it that way, I couldn’t refuse.
I instructed the butler to store the box safely.
