MDHIC 11🔐

                                                                                                         Chapter 011:

“There’s no key in this key box that matches that safe.”

I pointed to the safe placed in one corner of the Countess’s office and spoke to Mrs. Perede.

“…That safe contains important items, so I keep the key separately.”

She lowered her head as she answered, but made no move to retrieve or offer the key.

“If it’s that important, then as the Countess, I should be the one managing it.”

I looked at her steadily as I spoke.

“…Yes, of course.”

Mrs. Perede, who had been silently meeting my gaze, answered with a slight twitch at the corner of her lips.

“And about this ledger—why is it completely empty?”

I held up the file that had been blank for almost two years. Though it was called a ledger, this massive estate functioned more like a business. The amount of money involved was hardly something you’d call small.

“That’s the ledger managed by the mistress of the Camellia estate. Since the previous Countess passed away, no one has been overseeing it.”

“Oh, really? Then I guess I’ll be managing it from now on.”

I nodded as if I understood her explanation.

“If no one’s been managing it for two years, then you haven’t been spending large sums either, right? So the estate’s assets must be about the same as two years ago?”

“Well, a fair amount would’ve gone into basic upkeep of the estate and salaries for the staff.”

“But considering the estate’s income during that time—and the salary of Lord Winchester, who’s not only the captain of the Imperial Knights but also the Crown Prince’s swordsmanship instructor—shouldn’t that have balanced things out? According to what you said, there’s been no one to manage or spend the money.”

“…”

Mrs. Perede pressed her lips together in silence. I already had a feeling from the lack of records of income and expenses, but her silence only confirmed it. This sly fox had played queen of the forest while the tiger was away—and had been using all the forest’s resources as if they were her own.

“I’m not really sure about that.”

“Why not? Shouldn’t the housekeeper of this estate know those details better than anyone?”

“I sincerely apologize for my shortcomings in not fulfilling my duties.”

So that’s your plan—to weasel out of it, huh?

“Well~ it happens. Life’s like that.”

I smiled sweetly. I wasn’t about to let her off the hook just yet.

“Daniel’s treatment didn’t seem all that good. Any reason for that?”

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to.”

“She’s still a child. Why doesn’t she have a nanny?”

“That’s how it’s been since the previous Countess’s time.”

“Then who’s been raising Daniel?”

“The maids have taken turns caring for her.”

What a joke—too busy to feed her, kicking her out of her room for cleaning?

“Why does her room not look like a child’s room, and why is she wearing old, small clothes?”

“We tried our best within the budget the previous Countess allocated, but… the amount was quite small…”

So you’re going to dump all the blame on the dead, since she can’t defend herself?

I couldn’t help but scoff at the clear schemes in Mrs. Perede’s response.

“Then I’ll increase Daniel’s budget. Significantly.”

“T-That would be difficult.”

“Why?”

“The previous Countess…”

“She’s dead.”

“…”

“And I’m the living Countess.”

I hadn’t accepted the marriage with Lord Winchester just because I was flustered and went along with it. Well, maybe 70% of it was like that—but the other 30% was a calculated decision.

“Prepare for a shopping trip with Daniel.”

Even if the story was meant to end happily, Daniel still had a long road of hardship ahead. As an impatient Korean, was I supposed to just sit around and wait for all that?

My daughter’s flowery path would begin right now.

* * *

“Um…”

Hearing Daniel speak cautiously, I realized something.

“Oh, sorry. Was I staring too hard?”

I quickly turned my head. The passing scenery outside the carriage window finally caught my eye.

“N-No, that’s not it.”

“Oh, really? Then can I keep staring?”

At Daniel’s words, I turned my head back sharply and looked at her. Our eyes met, and her eyes widened before her cheeks flushed red. She looked so adorable like that.

“…Yes.”

Daniel? If you lower your head like that, how am I supposed to keep looking at you?

“Did you want to say something?”

I gently tilted my head, trying to read her expression. She lifted her head just slightly.

“Where are we going right now?”

She nervously fidgeted with her fingers as she asked. It seemed no one had told her where we were going after getting her ready.

“Hmm… we’re stopping at a few places. A children’s clothing store, a shoe shop, a furniture store… and maybe a good restaurant? Oh! Is there anything you can’t eat? Any allergies?”

“N-No, I don’t have any.”

She shook her head as she replied.

Tsk. She doesn’t even have food preferences, yet she’s that skinny? At that age, kids should have chubby wrists, puffy cheeks, and round bellies!

Alright! I’ll feed her three delicious meals a day and give her tons of snacks until she’s all nice and plump.

“At the end… we’re going home, right?”

“Well…”

I hadn’t exactly planned the route, but I had been considering stopping by the Pomots. I hadn’t formally introduced Daniel yet.

Still, taking such a small, fragile child shopping here and there, trying on clothes and shoes, testing out furniture—it might tire her out too much. Maybe I should save that for another time.

“W-We’re not… going home?”

Suddenly, Daniel’s face went pale.

“Are… are we going to an orphanage?”

“Huh?”

“Or maybe… a boarding school?”

“No, wait—Daniel. What are you saying?”

I quickly stopped her. Orphanage? Boarding school? What nonsense. She has living parents—why would she be sent to an orphanage? She’s not even school-aged yet!

“The Countess said so before.”

“The Countess? You mean the late Countess Winchester?”

Daniel nodded.

“You didn’t call her ‘grandmother’?”

“No. She told me to call her Countess. If I called her grandmother, she’d get very angry. Said a child of unknown origin shouldn’t dare call her that…”

I was speechless. Was Daniel’s full name Gil-dong de Winchester or something? Raised without being allowed to call her own grandmother ‘grandma’?

And since the old Countess died two years ago, that meant Daniel was only four at the time. And she got scolded for calling her grandmother grandmother? That woman must’ve been something else.

Wait. Hold on. No way…

“Do you also call Lord Winchester ‘the Count’ or ‘Lord Winchester’ instead of father?”

Daniel shook her head side to side.

Phew… at least it’s not that bad. Not a total disaster, right?

“I’ve… never called him anything.”

Huh?

“I’ve just never really had a chance to call him anything…”

Okay, not a disaster—this is a full-on train wreck. Disaster would be solid. This is just a puddle of emotional tofu.

“Daniel?”

I tried calling her gently, but she didn’t lift her head. She just pressed her lips together, fighting back tears.

“You’re not going to any orphanage or boarding school. We’ll return home at the end.”

“Really?”

Her bright eyes were still filled with doubt as she asked.

“Yes. When I said we might go somewhere else, I meant to introduce you to some wonderful people. Not weird places like that.”

“R-Really…?”

Only then did she raise her head a little more and look at me. I smiled and nodded.

“The servants said… that when the new Countess came, I’d be kicked out right away.”

“Who? Which servant said that?”

“I don’t know. It wasn’t just one or two…”

Haa… I wish I could root out every last one of those who said such things.

“They said stepmothers hate children, so you’d send me off to an orphanage or girls’ school. The previous Countess tried to do that too…”

As she recalled past sorrows, Daniel’s voice trembled, on the verge of tears again. To threaten a four-year-old with that kind of thing—the former Countess must’ve been truly something. No wonder people have such prejudice against stepmothers.

“Daniel.”

It was the kindest voice I could muster.

“I am your stepmother.”

At the word ‘stepmother,’ her shoulders flinched.

“But I really, really like you.”

How much more must I say for Daniel to understand my feelings?

No—she didn’t even need to understand. I just wished that tearful little face would break into a bright smile.