<Chapter 5>
“Hmm.”
Even after that, my brother kept stalling for quite a while. However, he didn’t bother to hide the way his gaze swept over me unpleasantly.
If it weren’t for Sir Yuzef’s warning, I probably still wouldn’t have realized his intentions even now.
I decided to speak first.
“If you intend to suggest that I remarry, don’t say a single word, brother.”
“What?”
“Of course, even you—who sold your own sister to that violent man for your own gain—must at least know basic manners. So I assume you wouldn’t bring up remarriage in front of my husband’s coffin when it hasn’t even been three days since his death.”
“N-no, that time… I didn’t know the Duke of Daieren was that kind of man. There’s no way I would have intentionally married you off to someone like that—”
“That doesn’t matter anymore. I’m not talking about the past, but the present, brother.”
The face of the man who resembled me slowly—yet unmistakably—turned pale.
Seeing that reaction, I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
I had hoped it wouldn’t be the case, but it seemed Sir Yuzef had been right after all.
“Let me make this clear, brother. Whether it’s a business partner close to you or some newly knighted baronet, the only time you were ever allowed to control my marriage was once—ten years ago. That was more than enough.”
“W-wait, Liselotte. Are you saying you already knew who I had in mind?”
That reaction alone confirmed it.
“Unlike back then, I am now both the Duchess and the acting head of the duchy, while you are merely Baron Landgritz. Do you understand what that means?”
“B-but Liselotte, think about it carefully. Your remarriage partner should be a low-ranking noble, so that later the Ducal title of Daieren can pass into the bloodline of our Landgritz family—”
“In short, it means you have absolutely no right to interfere in my marriage.”
My brother had probably intended to provoke me and naturally seize control of the conversation.
But since I had already anticipated his reaction, I had no intention of allowing that.
“I trust you understand what I’m saying, Baron Landgritz.”
“……”
With that, I finished everything I had to say.
My brother, clearly not expecting such a cold response, stood there flustered, his lips moving without sound.
To be honest, it was true.
If I had heard him bring up remarriage without any prior warning, I wouldn’t have been able to suppress the anger that would have shot to my head.
And once you lose your temper, you’ve already lost. It was fortunate I had been prepared for his nonsense in advance.
I deliberately curled my lips into a deep smile and continued.
“…But surely you didn’t call me here just to say something so inappropriate, brother? Now then, go ahead—what was it you wanted to discuss with me so secretly?”
Honestly, where else would he find such a considerate sister? I was even giving him a way out so he wouldn’t be embarrassed in the end.
In the end, my brother had no choice but to offer an obviously awkward excuse.
“…I just… wanted to tell you to visit home once the social season ends. Even if you’re married, the Landgritz barony is still your hometown, isn’t it?”
“Hehe, you’re still as timid as ever, brother. Even if it’s a personal matter, there was no need to call me out separately for that.”
My victory.
“Well, I’ll try to make time, but as you know, until the eldest officially inherits the ducal title, I’ll need to focus on managing the Duchy of Daieren. So I can’t promise anything.”
“I-I see. Let’s discuss that another time.”
Another time, my foot.
At that moment, I resolved not to meet my brother again until I had fully secured the ducal title for Kardiel.
Meanwhile, Kardiel was sitting in the adjoining reception room with Viscount Baden.
To be honest, Kardiel found this situation—being alone in the same space with Viscount Baden—extremely unpleasant.
He said he wanted to speak with me privately?
He couldn’t understand why that was necessary. They weren’t even close.
If not for what his stepmother had told him beforehand, Kardiel would have already asked him to leave.
“Ahem, so you are Kardiel. It’s our first meeting, but you resemble your father, the Duke of Daieren, so closely—you must be quite clever. I am the representative of the collateral branch of the Daieren family, and your father’s most trusted cousin in life. You may call me uncle.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Viscount Baden.”
“If ‘uncle’ feels too distant, how about just calling me ‘uncle’ in a more familiar sense?”
“Would you prefer I call you Viscount Baden, or perhaps Chairman of the Privy Council?”
“Ahem. How stiff, even among family.”
At Kardiel’s firm line-drawing, Viscount Baden repeatedly cleared his throat and stroked his long mustache.
It was a gesture to hide his embarrassment.
In truth, this was the first time Kardiel had ever met Viscount Baden.
The viscount had never once visited Daieren—not the duchy, nor the ducal estate.
Though I’ve heard his name occasionally, it seems he had some contact with my late father.
But that was that.
Even so, he was someone who had never shown his face when Kardiel and his siblings were born.
He hadn’t even come to pay respects when their birth mother passed away.
Someone like that showing up now—his intentions are obvious.
He was aiming to take advantage of the vacant ducal seat. Perhaps even hoping to claim it himself.
And he probably thinks a child like me would be easy to manipulate.
Kardiel was only fifteen—a minor.
But children who grow up in hardship mature early.
To protect himself and his younger siblings, Kardiel had long since carved out the heart of a child and taken on the role of the eldest.
Because of that, he was far more mature than his peers, thoughtful, and distrustful of adults.
He also understood quite well how the world worked.
Most of all, he was perceptive—something close to a survival instinct.
Someone like him was not so easily deceived.
“There’s something I’m curious about, Ka— ahem. Anyway, child.”
“My name is Kardiel Diak Daieren.”
“Yes, Kardiel.”
He couldn’t even remember his nephew’s name.
“I’ve heard that the relationship between your father and the duchess wasn’t very good. Is that correct?”
The moment he heard that first question, Kardiel immediately saw through Viscount Baden’s intentions.
Since he didn’t want to prolong the conversation, Kardiel decided to answer the question the man was ultimately aiming for right away.
“It seems you’re considering the possibility that my stepmother murdered my father, but you are completely mistaken. My father fell while intoxicated and causing a disturbance on his own. My stepmother was at least several meters away at the time, so pushing him would have been impossible. As you saw, she also has an injured ankle.”
“Hmm. I-I see… That’s… fortunate. Hahaha. I-I was only asking because I was worried the duchess might get caught up in rumors later!”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
When Kardiel gave a lukewarm response, Viscount Baden, perhaps embarrassed, began rambling unprompted.
“As you know, the one who benefits most from this incident is your stepmother. To outsiders, it’s only natural that suspicions of murder might arise.”
“I’ve heard that rumors in high society tend to die down quickly anyway. As an elder of the collateral branch, you shouldn’t concern yourself with such talk. Aren’t you supposed to protect Daieren?”
“Y-yes, of course. That’s right… Ahem!”
Viscount Baden quickly changed the subject.
“Still, there is something you must clearly understand. Your stepmother is now a complete outsider—not only to you, but to the House of Daieren as well.”
That, it seemed, was his main point.
A shadow fell over Kardiel’s expressionless face and deep blue eyes.
“Think about it. Your stepmother has not borne a child of the ducal family. Until now, you may have been mother and son, but that was only while your father was alive. In other words…”
Adjusting his posture, Viscount Baden continued in a grave tone.
“She has no reason to treat you well anymore. On the contrary, she’ll likely see you as thorns in her side. She may even be plotting something vicious to harm you as we speak.”
“That’s an excessive statement.”
“Excessive? That just proves you don’t understand how serious the situation is. Do you even know what kind of scheme she might be plotting right now with your maternal uncle, Baron Landgritz?”
Kardiel’s rebuttal seemed to act like a fuse.
Viscount Baden’s face flushed red, and his words spilled out faster.
“She’s planning to remarry some insignificant nobleman and then hand over the ducal title to the child born between them—swallowing the entire Duchy of Daieren whole!”
