~CHAPTER 39~
Leaving the Duke’s residence.
I had wanted to greet Duke Callard separately after the meeting, but he refused.
As a result, I was the last to leave and spotted a small shadow wandering in the garden near the meeting hall.
I walked over and tapped his shoulder. Startled, he turned to face me.
“What are you doing here, Mathias?”
“Ah, I, um… I was just taking a walk because I was bored.”
“I see.”
A boy standing behind Mathias added quietly.
“Actually, the young master has been wandering nearby because he was worried after hearing about the Countess.”
“To, Tommy! Why would you say that!”
Mathias’ face turned red instantly, and he snapped.
I had already noticed without him saying anything.
I gave a small chuckle and looked at Tommy.
“So you’re Tommy? I’ve heard a lot about you from Mathias. How is Anna doing?”
“Ah, yes…! Thanks to the Countess, my sister and I are living well. I should have greeted you earlier, I’m sorry.”
“What are you saying? I’m just happy to hear you’re doing well.”
I ruffled Tommy’s hair, and he looked up at me with a bright smile.
If Mathias was a cat, this boy was definitely a puppy.
His gentle, cute face made me squat down and stroke his cheek.
“Aww, so cute.”
“Hehe.”
While we were enjoying the moment, a sudden thump sounded.
Mathias, clearly annoyed, stomped his foot heavily.
“Mathias? What’s wrong?”
“…I don’t know. I’m leaving.”
“What? Wait—”
I wanted to tell him to thank him for worrying, that I was fine, and to tell his uncle I was grateful, but Mathias, already sulking, ignored me and ran off.
Flustered, Tommy followed with a timid “O-oh.”
I tried to catch up but lost sight of the quick little kids.
Why are they so fast?
‘I don’t know the inside layout of the Duke’s residence…’
I tried retracing my steps, but all I saw were unfamiliar surroundings.
What should I do? As I wandered, I spotted someone familiar in the distance.
‘Huh? Aizen!’
I headed toward my handsome and adorable husband, only to realize he wasn’t alone.
‘Who’s that beside him…?’
A man held Aizen’s arm, and Aizen rested his hand on the man’s shoulder.
The man tilted his head gently, looking at Aizen’s face with a soft expression.
“Oh!”
“Darling!”
Shouting Aizen’s name loudly, the two of them looked at me in surprise.
I cautiously asked while standing in front of them.
“Are you two… about to kiss?”
Their posture was just a moment away from leaning in.
The man, startled by my unbiased question, stepped away from Aizen.
As I stepped closer, I noticed his face looked familiar.
Feeling my gaze, he tried to cover his face and step back, but I had already recognized him.
“Ah! Duke Callard!”
I gasped and covered my mouth with both hands.
He looked different from the last time I saw him—his bangs were down, and he dressed plainly, so I didn’t recognize him immediately.
He looked like a proper knight. But why was the Duke with Aizen?
Curiously scanning him, I tilted my head.
“Why are you speaking so formally all of a sudden?”
“…Ah, well… I, um…”
The Duke’s eyes flickered roughly. He stammered, asking how I knew who he was, before finally regaining composure.
“I was momentarily flustered seeing you, madam, that’s all.”
So Duke Callard uses formal speech when flustered.
“But… I didn’t know you were so close to my husband. You’re standing so closely…”
“Uh… we’re not really acquainted. Just met by chance and exchanged a few words, nothing more.”
“What did you talk about?”
Assuming it was trivial, I asked. The Duke, sweating profusely, glanced at Aizen.
I turned to look at Aizen. Today, he smiled awkwardly with a particularly pale face, swallowing hard.
“…Actually, I came to pick you up, happened to see the Duke, and was informed about the meeting results.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Luckily, your innocence was proven, and the Duke sided with you, so I came to express my thanks.”
“Ah, I also wanted to thank him.”
It was the perfect opportunity. I clasped my hands politely and bowed to the Duke.
“Nonsense. It was my duty as the Duke.”
“By the way, when did you change clothes? You look different from the meeting.”
“…I usually dress comfortably at home. Besides, I’m a little busy right now.”
When the Duke showed a hint of discomfort, Aizen took the chance to speak.
“Ah, we’ve taken too much of your time. We should go now.”
The Duke waved, quickly correcting his earlier formal tone.
“Farewell.”
Why does he seem so awkward today?
I followed Aizen to the carriage, noticing his face looked unusually tired.
“Darling, are you okay? You don’t look well.”
“Just a bit tired.”
“Then you should have rested at home. No need to push yourself to come get me.”
I adjusted his sweat-dampened bangs and noticed my guilt—while focusing on other matters, his health had worsened.
“I was going to tell you anyway. Don’t tell my parents; I don’t want to worry them unnecessarily.”
“Understood. But please don’t hide your illness from me. Tell me immediately.”
Like my father, never suffer alone.
“I want to worry about you. So it’s okay if I do. We’re married, after all.”
I pursed my lips, looking at him with a determined gaze.
“…Understood.”
“Good.”
I exhaled shakily and clenched my fists. From now on, I must focus more on developing Aizen’s treatment. Money means nothing if he’s gone.
He is my precious family.
5. Declaration of Emergency in the Duchy of Callard
The storm that was young Lady Hoffman left much behind.
First, the Hoffman family’s compensation.
After the meeting, they approached me to negotiate. If Lady Hoffman were permanently expelled from society, it would be troublesome, so they offered double the amount I requested, in exchange for a year of self-restraint.
I agreed: one year of seclusion and 1,000 gold.
‘That secures two years of budget!’
Thanks to that, all funds from business could go entirely to Aizen’s treatment research.
Moreover, Lady Hoffman’s misdeeds were revealed, generating temporary sympathy toward me.
Of course, it didn’t improve my standing in society. Most people consumed the incident as gossip or stayed cautious around me due to the powerful Hoffman family.
Some feared my thorough evidence presentation, while others simply enjoyed Lady Hoffman’s downfall.
But my two friends were reliable.
“The group has been reorganized, shall we reintroduce ourselves? I’m Nelle Wagner.”
“I’m Karin Fischer.”
“I’m Jena Kreutz!”
After the Hoffman incident, Mrs. Wagner’s gathering disbanded and reformed with the three of us.
Despite everyone avoiding me for no fault of my own, Mrs. Fischer and Mrs. Wagner approached me warmly.
“I heard Lady Hoffman left the capital the other day. Thankfully, you won’t have to cross paths.”
“She tried to ruin someone else but ended up punished herself. She won’t dare raise her head in the capital.”
I smiled at their words. Lady Hoffman would return after a year, but it felt good for now.
After the gathering, I visited Til, the merchant handling my sales.
“Lady Kreutz! You’re here!”
Til ran excitedly, showing me the sales report proudly.
“Sales have increased again from last week! Not monthly, but weekly records are being broken. Amazing!”
People’s behavior is strange—seeing my name everywhere made customers eager to buy my goods.
Even if they weren’t close to me, noble clients wanted the products I used.
I praised Til, who was thrilled.
“It’s thanks to your hard work selling them.”
“Oh, not at all. At first, I couldn’t sell a thing.”
His humble denial showed he truly had skill in timing and effort.
Finally, Til carefully spoke.
“Lady Kreutz, may I suggest something?”
