ITPMHFN39

Chapter 39

Inside the neatly bound folder were several unfamiliar names, each accompanied by brief backgrounds and work histories.

“…Are these résumés for potential aides?”

After the recent collateral branch incident, I had suggested that he consider hiring a new aide.
It seemed he had been quietly preparing for that ever since.

What puzzled me, though, was—

This… isn’t exactly something urgent that needs to be dealt with immediately.

There had been plenty of opportunities to discuss work-related matters. There was no real need to bring this up now.

Yet, here we were.

“…There’s a lot to be done,” he replied. “I thought it best to prepare in advance.”

Well, from his perspective, it made sense. He would want to restore his family’s standing as soon as possible.
Accepting his reasoning, I began flipping through the pages one by one.

There were three candidates in total.

“Their credentials… none of them look bad.”
“Yes. Which is why—”

He glanced down at the names on the page before raising his head to look at me.

“What do you think about inviting them to stay at the estate for a day?”
“Stay here?”
“All three seem highly capable, both in experience and skills.”
“Yes, I saw that.”
“But in the end, character can only be judged in person. If we observe their spouses as well, we can learn even more.”
“…Their spouses?”
“Edith, would you be willing to host and spend time with the wives?”

I blinked in mild surprise at the unexpected request. He added an explanation:

“I will deal with the husbands, assessing their personalities and abilities, while you spend time with their wives to get a sense of their private circumstances and temperaments.”

Come to think of it, it was a rather logical approach.
A person’s character is often revealed more clearly through the behavior of the one closest to them. Especially the unguarded side—things they would never show in public—often surfaced before a spouse.

“At the final dinner, we can make a combined assessment before deciding.”
“That’s a great idea.”

I smiled and nodded. It was a little surprising to see that he had thought this far ahead. For someone who used to show little interest in the outside world, coming up with such a delicate strategy was unexpected.

At my reaction, Denok’s lips curved faintly.

“Then I’ll arrange for the invitations to go out for a week from now.”

Of course, there would be quite a bit of preparation—formal meals, reception rooms, and guest quarters in the annex.

Which meant… I now had a perfectly valid excuse to avoid Rachel’s lessons.

“For that reason, Rachel, I’d like to suspend the lessons for a while.”

The hand that was pouring tea trembled almost imperceptibly. The smile on her lips felt just a touch unnatural.

“…That’s rather sudden.”
“We’re expecting guests soon—potential aides and their spouses.”
“…”
“As the lady of the house, I can’t afford to appear unprepared.”

I took a sip of tea as if nothing were amiss.
After a brief silence, she finally spoke.

“Understood. I will postpone the lessons. However…”

Her words trailed off. I set down my cup and looked up. Rachel’s hands were folded neatly in her lap as she gazed at me with a quiet, deliberate expression.

The smile at her lips seemed sly… almost calculating.

“Did you truly spend the night with His Grace?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

I asked in a low voice. She tilted her head slightly, her polite smile unchanged, though her eyes gleamed sharply.

“I’m merely curious. The Duke never accepted you wholeheartedly from the start.”

Indeed, our first meeting had been under the influence of a drug, and our marriage was little more than coercion, exploiting his bouts of madness.

“And yet, strangely enough, your marriage appears smoother than expected. He is even entrusting you with the practical management of the ducal affairs. That is… rather unexpected.”
“…And why is that surprising?”
“It’s simply… not what I anticipated.”

She was assessing me.
Trying to decide whether I had deceived them and joined hands with Denok for my own purposes.

I narrowed my eyes over the rim of my cup.

…Sharper than I thought.

I had always been cautious of Rachel, though admittedly, I had underestimated her.
With her busy overseeing the household and the false information I’d been feeding her, I had assumed she wouldn’t notice.

But after the last incident, I had come prepared.

“True. I’m surprised sometimes too,” I said lightly, almost humming.
“That he would trust me so completely and follow my lead.”

A faint grimace flickered over her face.

“What do you mean by that?”
“The reason is simple.”

I let the corners of my lips lift slowly.

“He loves me.”

“As you know, Rachel… I have mermaid blood in me.”
“…”
“I used that ability to make him love me.”

Lies.

Rachel’s brow twitched at Edith’s words. It was nonsense.

She had heard about Edith using her powers on the Duke—and it was true that there were no nightly scandals or disturbances as rumor might expect—but emotions were an entirely different matter.

If such a thing were possible…

Her mind wandered briefly to an old memory.

A golden-haired woman, radiant as though bathed in sunlight.
Roaming through the Ducal estate with a bright, innocent smile.
Her hair, gently tousled, carried the scent of the sea.
Her flushed cheeks as she rested in the Duke’s arms—

That same woman had ended up with dead, lifeless eyes, locked away in a cold underground cell.

Rachel knew the truth.
That woman’s ability could compel actions, yes—but it could not touch emotions.

No feeling could be forced—especially not love.

If it had been possible, the Duke would never have turned away from her with such cruelty. She had been destroyed in the end, erased from the ducal records.

And now, this one dares to speak of love…

Rachel’s eyes traced over Edith’s calm smile, certain that something was hidden behind it.