IOBTML 43

The next morning, after the stormy night had passed, Fiora and her husband visited Penelope in the drawing room. They acted as if nothing had happened, their expressions unnervingly calm.

Despite her annoyance, Penelope received them with a polite smile, though she didn’t forget to deliver a pointed remark.

“You still haven’t visited the baron’s grave, I see. Do you perhaps have more to say before going?”

The question, implying that they were lazy even in fulfilling their stated purpose, almost made Fiora’s expression falter.

But instead, Fiora tilted her chin upward and made a demand.

“I would like you to sponsor Jake’s nephew. He’s an exceptionally bright child, and with a tutor, he could attend the academy. With just a little help, he’ll quickly become a pride of the family.”

Penelope didn’t bother hiding her incredulous expression.

“…Are you saying I should take over raising your son?”

“Jake’s nephew is your nephew as well, isn’t he? He’s already ten years old, and if you support him, he’ll surely grow up to be of great benefit to you.”

Wow, the nerve. Penelope marveled. They want me to raise their son and then quietly leech off me?

Once again, she was astounded by Fiora’s shamelessness. It was one thing to harbor such intentions, but to brazenly voice them to her face was something else entirely.

At this level, shamelessness must be considered a talent.

Penelope couldn’t help but feel a begrudging sense of admiration. No wonder people loved melodramas so much.

At that moment, the drawing room door burst open with a loud bang.

Fiora flinched and turned her head in shock. Penelope, too, was startled. Standing in the doorway was the administrative officer, his face red with fury, followed by the treasurer and several other retainers.

Fiora recognized the administrative officer and attempted to greet him.

“Isn’t this the administrative officer? What brings you here—”

“How dare you!” he roared, cutting her off. “How dare you treat the acting lord of Halo as if she’s your subordinate!”

“W-what are you talking about—!”

The administrative officer strode forward, his fists clenched tightly. The treasurer tried to hold him back, but it was no use.

“Calm down, man,” the treasurer urged.

“How can I calm down in the face of such insolence?”

Veins bulged on the administrative officer’s neck as he shouted, “This lady is the rightful master of Halo! You will show her the respect she is due!”

“I—I’m Jake’s aunt! How could I possibly bow to Jake’s wife—”

“One more word of disrespect to the acting lord, and I will not stand by idly!”

The administrative officer’s face was red with fury, his jaw rigid and his veins throbbing. His cold, seething rage made Fiora grit her teeth in frustration. It was clear she hadn’t expected to be treated this way.

“H-how dare a mere retainer address me in such a manner—”

The treasurer, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up.

“You said you came to visit the late baron’s grave. Allow me to escort you.”

At his signal, the maids quickly exited the room.

Fiora flinched as she turned her gaze to the corridor. Lined up outside were knights in gleaming armor, their polished plates reflecting the light ominously.

“Right this way, madam,” the treasurer said, his voice calm but firm.

“H-husband…” Fiora stammered, looking at Kendal with a pale face. He, too, looked visibly shaken. They hadn’t anticipated the retainers would stand so firmly against them.

The treasurer, observing them silently, gave a curt order to the knights.

“Escort them.”

“Yes, sir!” the knights responded in unison, their voices sharp and resolute.

The knights, swords strapped to their waists, encircled the couple as if escorting dangerous criminals.

What crime have I committed to be treated with such disrespect?

Fiora bit her lip until it lost all color, then stood from her seat. She shot a glare at Penelope and delivered a final retort.

“Do you think treating us this way won’t have consequences?”

“It’s best to avoid making statements you might regret later, Lady Elaik,” Penelope replied calmly, her tone as sharp as her words.

Fiora flinched, her eyes betraying a flicker of panic, as though she had heard something she wasn’t prepared to face.

Penelope continued, “Let me offer you one more piece of advice. Here, it’s clear to everyone who holds power.”

She pointed to herself with one hand and then gestured toward Fiora.

“And who doesn’t.”

“……!”

Penelope smiled sweetly, delivering the final blow.

“If you’re going to bare your teeth, make sure you have enough strength to back it up. Otherwise, someone stronger might just sink their teeth into your vulnerable neck.”

Fiora’s face turned ghostly pale. Penelope observed her with a faint sense of pity.

Has no one ever told her this before?

Even if this world didn’t have dramas, surely plays or pulp novels featured countless tales like this. Yet Fiora, lacking intelligence and burdened by an inflated ego, had managed to push things this far.

Fiora’s lips trembled with rage as she stammered, “A-are you saying… you mean to harm us?”

“Not you. It’s ‘acting lord,’ Lady Elaik. Or have you still not grasped what I’ve been saying?”

“You…!”

“From this point on, choose your words carefully. You don’t want to live with regrets,” Penelope warned softly, her tone cold.

Unable to retort, Fiora remained silent as Penelope motioned to the knights. They urged the couple forward.

“Let’s go.”

This… this is outrageous!

It was only then that Fiora realized the retainers and knights alike were fully aligned with Penelope.

Her initial assumption, that the retainers could be swayed by the legitimacy of her bloodline, had been flawed from the start.

How did that little girl manage to win them over?

Fiora had always believed Penelope to be a nominal acting lord, someone temporarily holding the title because of Jake’s untimely death.

She had assumed that the retainers and knights would kneel before the true bloodline of the Halo family if presented. But now it was clear how mistaken she had been.

This is absurd!

It was then that an unexpected voice rang out.

“What’s going on here?”

“…….”

“…….”

Fiora and Kendal froze.

A breathtakingly handsome young man stood at the doorway, his presence so overwhelming that everyone in the drawing room momentarily forgot the tense situation and stared at him in awe.

The man frowned at the sudden attention and said, “Why is it so noisy? What’s all this commotion about?”

Penelope snapped out of her daze and addressed him.

“Already awake?”

“How could I sleep with all this racket? And who are these people?”

“Don’t worry about them,” Penelope said with a dismissive wave. “They were just leaving.”

“Is that so?”

The young man strode across the drawing room and casually sat on the sofa. Fiora couldn’t take her eyes off his face.

Penelope turned to Fiora with a polite smile.

“As you can see, I have another guest, so I won’t be able to see you off, Lady Elaik. Farewell.”

“Off you go,” the knights urged again, their tone firm.

Fiora and Kendal, practically forced out of the drawing room, were finally gone, leaving behind an eerie silence.

Penelope felt an enormous sense of relief.

The absurdity of Fiora asking her to raise her son had been infuriating, but seeing the couple silenced and escorted out was undeniably satisfying.

Even shamelessness has its limits when faced with knights armed with swords.

Still, Penelope hadn’t expected the retainers to become so enraged over the couple’s antics.

She had instructed the knights to wait in the corridor to intimidate Fiora and Kendal into leaving. However, she hadn’t anticipated the retainers’ proactive outrage.

Clearly, they were deeply concerned about the damage Fiora could do to the estate if given the chance.

“Where did all the maids go?”

Penelope looked up at the question from the young man now lounging on the sofa—Ahwin. Despite having seen him countless times, his beauty still left her momentarily speechless.

Today, he was dressed in a luxurious shirt, trousers, and polished shoes, exuding the air of a noble from a neighboring kingdom.

“That was quick. I didn’t expect you to return so soon,” she said.

“I only grabbed what I needed and came back as fast as I could. There are too many people—no, wizards—I’d rather not run into,” Ahwin muttered, avoiding her gaze as though embarrassed.

Penelope decided not to pry further and simply nodded.

Ahwin tilted his head slightly. “And those people just now? Who were they?”

“Oh, the late Baron Halo’s aunt and uncle,” Penelope replied.

Ahwin raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Why were they here? Did they come to see you?”

“They said they were here to mourn my late husband,” she answered.

“And they left in such a dramatic fashion?”

Penelope shrugged without a word, feeling a bit embarrassed to share the sordid details of her late husband’s relatives.

Ahwin’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing through them.