Did You Call Me, Darling?
There was a flaw in the Grand Madam’s words. Milena would not become the lady of the household, and the Grand Madam wasn’t even old.
“Please don’t say that. How could I possibly fill the role of the mistress…?”
“There’s no need to feel pressured. Just get familiar with things, and learn bit by bit.”
Right, she was just helping with the clerical work. She had wanted to be of help to this family anyway, so Milena nodded, deciding to give it a try.
Just then, the chief butler appeared in the corridor connected to the study, though she hadn’t noticed when he arrived.
“What is it?”
“The invitations have been piling up. How shall we handle them?”
“Hm. Dear, what would you like to do?”
“Do I have to attend them?”
She showed willingness, if necessary. But truthfully, she had no desire to go to such exhausting social gatherings.
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. None of the invitations are from particularly influential families yet.”
She wondered if that was really okay, but this was the center of power. The other noble families were treading carefully around House Silvert.
“Then reply that we must decline due to the young madam’s pregnancy.”
“Yes, I’ll send that reply.”
“Is that really alright?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? You are the daughter-in-law of House Silvert. Do as you wish with confidence. I’ll take responsibility.”
Watching the bold and reliable Grand Madam, Milena couldn’t help but smile—Claudia’s image briefly came to mind. The more time she spent with them, the more she felt herself falling for this family.
“Let’s start by sorting the papers on the desk.”
“Yes, I’ll do my best, Mother.”
“Don’t overdo it, dear.”
Leaving behind a word to ring the bell if anything was needed, the Grand Madam quietly stepped out, letting Milena work in peace.
Milena took her seat as the lady of the house and began working. It wasn’t difficult. The more sensitive matters were still in the Grand Madam’s hands, so all she had to do was manage the small clerical tasks.
She had acted as the lady of the Grand Duchy in Lariat’s absence for five years, so this much was quite easy.
The only difference now was the environment. The scale of property managed through internal affairs was similar between the Grand Duchy and the Duchy, but she took a moment to observe the surroundings from her seat.
Back at the Grand Duchy, she had worked in a dark, windowless storage room, staring at documents all day.
But here, simply sitting in place seemed to melt away tension.
The soft winter sunlight poured into the serene office, mingling with the pleasant scent of paper.
The well-used feather pen, the high-quality documents, the antique ink bottle—everything on the desk exuded warmth.
And from the adjacent study, the occasional rustling of papers and quiet murmur of aides discussing business drifted in.
“Hm?”
As she listened quietly, she noticed the murmur was tinged with distress—it was clearly not an ordinary situation.
“W-What do we do?”
“Hey! That’s a document the head of the house signed himself!”
“I—I was just distracted for a moment, and the ink smudged…”
“Don’t lie. You fell asleep, didn’t you?!”
“What’s going on?”
Gasp. They had been so flustered that they didn’t even notice her approaching from behind. The two clerks jumped in surprise at the sight of Milena.
“Young madam! Ah—it’s nothing, really.”
She glanced at the stained document. The letters were all smudged from someone trying to rub it off in a panic.
“This doesn’t look like nothing.”
At her words, the clerk who had been scolding the other stepped forward.
“This pertains to external affairs. It would be best if the young madam didn’t see it.”
In other words—don’t meddle.
Milena fixed her gaze on the clerk. No one could tell what she was thinking. The nearby attendants grew visibly uneasy.
‘How could he talk to the young madam like that?!’
The clerk who had made the mistake tugged his friend’s sleeve with his ink-stained hand, trying to calm him down. But the one who had spoken remained firm.
“Fine, I won’t look. But could you tell me what made you panic like that?”
The flustered clerk quickly answered.
“Well, documents that the head personally reviews and signs are incredibly rare. Since his health is so poor, it’s hard to even get an approval. So this was really precious… and now it’s ruined…”
“What do you mean, what do we do? Archer-nim will scold us, that’s what.”
“Shut up! Watch your mouth. We’re in front of the young madam!”
Now that she thought about it, Archer and the aides weren’t around the head’s desk. Perhaps they were in a meeting, leaving only these unskilled clerks behind.
“Would you like me to restore it?”
“Pardon?”
How?
The two clerks stared at her in disbelief.
“Paper and pen.”
As Milena sat at their desk, the skeptical staff hesitated, but followed her instructions.
She lifted the smudged paper and carefully examined the handwriting of the head of the house.
The flowing yet neat strokes reflected Sharpeil’s personality.
She began copying it exactly, mimicking even the pressure and strokes he typically used.
“Gasp! This—it’s a miracle!”
Before long, the document was perfectly copied.
The clerk who had made the mess lifted the freshly written copy high above his head.
The room, which had been silent while watching her, burst into loud cheers.
“Amazing, young madam!”
“You’re incredible!” said one attendant after another, all of whom had been silently observing.
“Huehh… you’re my savior, young madam. The document practically glows!”
Feeling bashful from the sudden praise, Milena scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“Just a small trick…”
She mumbled, but at that moment, Archer appeared out of nowhere and snatched up the document. His eyes glinted sharply beneath his glasses.
“Did you really write this, Lady Milena?”
This was near-perfect—even a handwriting expert might not be able to tell the difference.
“Oh, sorry. It just seemed like it contained minor instructions to the territories, so I stepped in.”
If it had been something more important, she wouldn’t have touched it.
“Not at all. Thank you for your help. You have an extraordinary skill.”
Ah. It was a strange feeling—being acknowledged.
She had never received this kind of recognition before.
It was the kind of praise she thought she would never experience—joy and validation that left her a little dizzy, as if she were seasick.
“Well then, I’ll get back to sorting the ledgers…”
Fleeing as if to escape, she returned to the lady’s desk.
Maybe she’d gotten a little carried away without realizing.
By the end of the day, she had finished all the assigned tasks.
“Heavens, you’re already done?”
The Grand Madam was astonished. Milena couldn’t hide the joy swelling inside her.
She had spent her life struggling to be acknowledged. There had been no happiness anywhere.
Life had always been heavy, and the more she tried, the deeper she sank into the mud.
But here—it was different.
Even small efforts were recognized and respected.
It was like the life she had always dreamed of as a child—the one she had yearned for so desperately.
Before she knew it, she was holding an armful of documents.
Milena blinked, confused, as if unsure why she was standing in front of Sharpeil.
“Hehe, it looks like you’ve finally been recognized, Milena.”
Sharpeil, who was like a kind older brother, smiled.
He was entrusting her with reports that needed approval—something he wouldn’t do lightly.
When she stood before the Grand Madam or Sharpeil, she felt like a child again.
Their affectionate gazes and warm words made her feel all fuzzy inside.
“I didn’t do much… everyone’s just exaggerating.”
“Still, it’s an incredible ability.”
She had once been so envious of Lariat’s books that she had secretly copied them—and ended up mimicking her handwriting.
Who would have thought that small hobby would prove so useful?
“Thank you for the kind words.”
“Still, it’d be best to keep your ability hidden. It could be misused.”
Archer had already issued a gag order regarding her skills.
“Yes.”
Sharpeil looked at her fondly, clearly amused by how flustered she got from praise.
Then he spoke like it was a spell:
“Milena, I hope this becomes your home.”
Amidst the gentle, drowsy comfort, she was being treated with warmth and care.
It felt like waking from a nightmare and stepping into the light.
All of this was thanks to Lexion.
Meeting him at the Grand Duchy had been a stroke of luck.
“But really… where is Lexion, and what is he even doing?”
“Did you call me, darling?”
She froze mid-stretch in front of the desk set up in the corner of their bedroom.
The tightly shut window opened and closed with a rush of wind.
Before she could react, her body was wrapped in a familiar, strong embrace.
“Lexion…?”
His scent had changed.
Gone was the sweet aroma—he now carried the cold, crisp scent of winter on the wind.
