12. He’s Not Your Brother, He’s My Husband  

“Since he claims he’s not that young, I don’t have to let this slide. Brother Darius? Miss Temeri, watch your language. What exactly is the relationship between you and His Grace the Grand Duke?”  

“You!”  

I snatched Rose Temeri’s fan and opened it.  

Oh, this is a feathered fan. Quite fancy, isn’t it?  

Raising my head languidly and covering my face with the fan, I perfectly embodied the image of a painted villainess.  

“Such improper words again. I am the Grand Duchess, am I not? Don’t look down on me just because I arrived today. If you continue to speak so rudely, I’ll ban you from entering the Grand Duke’s castle.”  

“Who do you think you are!”  

“Ha… For the crime of disrespectful speech, Miss Temeri is banned from entering the castle for one week. Go home and reflect on your actions. When we meet again, I hope you’ll speak like a proper young lady from a noble family.”  

I reached for the bell rope to summon a maid. It was then—  

“Lady Annette, please forgive Miss Rose’s rudeness.”  

The door burst open, and a woman entered with a sorrowful expression.  

“Lady Ygret!”  

“My apologies for greeting you like this. I am Ygret. I assist His Grace the Grand Duke in managing the affairs of this castle. Please call me Lady Ygret, Lady Annette.”  

‘Oh, what impeccable timing.’  

It was as if she had been waiting for the perfect moment to intervene. Rose, who had been on the verge of tears, now looked triumphant, as though reinforcements had arrived.  

“I’ve heard about you, Lady Ygret.”  

Ygret appeared to be in her thirties or forties. Her face was so beautiful that it was hard to guess her exact age.  

When Darius became the Grand Duke, the relatives of the Inkheart family claimed he was too young and appointed a guardian. Ygret was the woman chosen during that family meeting. She had been managing the household affairs of the castle on behalf of the busy Darius.  

In typical romantic fantasy stories, when a lonely Northern Grand Duke brings a heroine like sunlight into his castle, characters like Ygret usually say, “I always believed there was warmth in my lord’s heart. The heroine will find it. Please bring spring to this cold castle!” offering encouragement and support.  

‘But she doesn’t look like that type at all.’  

Her sudden appearance when Rose was cornered was telling.  

She probably sent Rose to my room to provoke me while she watched from the sidelines.  

‘In fact, in the original story, this woman…’  

Ah, that’s a spoiler.  

“Miss Temeri has been cherished as the young lady of this castle for a long time, as there were no daughters here. She’s still at an age where she’s immature. I will guide her well, so please show her some leniency, Lady Annette.”  

“Even if Miss Rose is young, you, Lady Ygret, are older than me. Yet you’ve forced me, an adult, into this unpleasant situation.”  

Did she think I, the newlywed bride, would meekly bow my head and say, ‘Yes, I’ll do that,’ after a single word from her?  

Lady Ygret’s face stiffened.  

“The servants are watching. This is the first time the new lady of the castle has arrived, and it’s crucial to establish her authority. Yet Miss Rose openly undermined my authority. My first decree after arriving in this castle was for her to reflect on her actions, but now Lady Ygret is asking me to retract that order.”  

I lowered my gaze, looking disappointed.  

“His Grace the Grand Duke told me that Lady Ygret would assist me, but it seems that’s not the case at all.”  

“Lady Annette, that’s absolutely not true.”  

“What do you mean by ‘not true’? You didn’t consider my authority at all and immediately asked for Miss Rose’s forgiveness.”  

“I apologize for causing you distress, Lady Annette. I also ask for punishment for both myself and Miss Rose.”  

“Lady Ygret?”  

As expected of a more cunning antagonist than Rose. I was slightly impressed. Yes, an apology without action is meaningless.  

“Since I work in the castle, I cannot be punished by being banned from entering it like Miss Rose. Instead, I will copy out a book of etiquette as a reflection of my mistake.”  

Then Lady Ygret turned to Rose with a benevolent expression.  

“Miss Rose, I won’t force you, but if you also copy out a book of etiquette, it could help you cultivate your mind and spirit.”  

“But, but…!”  

Rose, who was at an age where sitting at a desk was the last thing she wanted, looked as if she were about to cry at this unexpected turn of events.  

Was this a strategy to burden me emotionally by imposing a harsher punishment on herself than I had given?  

“You’re making me look like a very strict lady from the first day of my arrival. If rumors spread that I made Lady Ygret copy out a book of etiquette, what will people think of me?”  

“No, regardless of rank, one must reflect on their mistakes.”  

“Is that so?”  

If she insists, I can’t refuse… I wasn’t planning to punish her seriously, but…  

“I can’t ignore your sincerity because of my reputation. Although I’ll be criticized, I’ll accept your etiquette book, Lady Ygret.”  

I tapped Rose’s villainess fan against my hand.  

“I’ll make sure to choose the thickest etiquette book for your self-cultivation. Ah, it seems I’ll be reading books from the moment I arrive.”  

Did you think I wouldn’t punish you? Nope, that’s not happening.  

“Miss Rose?”  

Rose, who had been trying to tiptoe out of the room, froze and turned her head stiffly at my call. Her face screamed, ‘If Lady Ygret is getting a thick etiquette book, what about me? I’m banned from the castle and now I have to copy books too?!’

Oh, did you think running away would make it all go away?  

She was like a child who didn’t realize that the scolding letter sent home by the teacher was even scarier.  

“Miss Rose, at first, I was angry with you. But now that Lady Ygret has asked for your forgiveness, and since I believe you’re still young and have room to reflect, I might lift your punishment.”  

Rose’s eyes lit up with hope.  

“But you’ll have to apologize, won’t you?”  

Her face fell into despair immediately.  

“Thank you so much, Lady Annette. Miss Rose, what are you doing? Hurry and apologize to Lady Annette for her mercy.”  

“A lady shouldn’t speak unpleasant words. Apologize for your insolent remarks, for speaking to me, the Grand Duchess, in such a manner. If you reflect deeply, I’ll revoke both the ban and the copying punishment.”  

“I… I…”  

Rose lowered her head, her face red, and squeezed out her words. From her voice and the back of her head, I could tell exactly what she was thinking.  

I really hate that woman, but I also hate being banned from the castle and having to copy books!

I don’t want to be banned from seeing Brother Darius.

But apologizing means admitting defeat to that woman!

“I… I’m so…”  

“What’s that, Miss Rose? I can’t hear you.”  

“I’m sorry!”  

Rose shouted, biting her lip hard.  

Lady Ygret’s face hardened, and I smiled brightly. Yes, lying is bad, after all.  

“Oh my, how honest of you.”  

Rose’s punishment was decided: copying one etiquette book every day for a week—a total of seven books.  

* * *  

“M-M-Madam! It’s truly an honor to meet you! Uh, uh, I mean, it’s an honor for the family! I’ll serve you with all my heart, Madam!”  

Freckles. A low nose. Hair tied up. The maid in front of me looked like she could win first prize in a Romance Fantasy Maid Contest.

In other words, she had a friendly and plain appearance that perfectly suited the role of a maid.  

“There’s no need to be so nervous. Are you alone? Where are the others?”  

“The other maids are busy preparing the bridal chamber for you and His Grace, so I came alone.”  

“How long have you worked here?”  

“Not long. I was lucky to get a position because one of the castle maids suddenly quit!”  

‘Not long, huh.’  

Considering the hostile environment of the North, I had assumed any servant assigned to me would be a spy.  

‘But instead, they sent a new hire who doesn’t know any better.’  

Even for a struggling Grand Ducal household, having only one maid to serve the Grand Duchess is absurd.  

The senior maids probably avoided me and sent her instead, but she didn’t seem to realize it and looked genuinely happy. She lacked awareness but seemed kind enough.  

“So, what’s your name?”  

“The Madam asked for my name…! Oh, I mean, it’s Apple Green, Madam.”  

“Apple? Like the fruit?”  

“Yes! I thought it would be easy to remember.”  

Her voice trembled a bit, but she was a cheerful girl.  

Still, isn’t it rude to comment on someone’s parents’ naming sense during a first meeting?  

“…Anyway, Apple, I don’t have any maids from the South.”  

“Yes, that’s true!”  

“‘Yes, that’s true,’ isn’t the response I’m looking for. Think about it. Who will help me wash and dry my hair? Who will assist with my morning dressing? Entertaining guests?”  

“I’ll do my best with the other maids to ensure you don’t feel any inconvenience!”  

“Sure, sure. You can help with most things, but it’s hard to find someone trustworthy for my more personal matters. For example, who will manage my jewelry box? I can’t entrust that to just anyone, can I?”  

Attention, maids of the castle: The position of the Grand Duchess’s chief lady-in-waiting is currently vacant. Other maid positions are also open.  

Applicants with connections to the Grand Duke’s household are encouraged to apply promptly.  

Applications will close once positions are filled.  

“Make sure to let the others know about this, okay?”  

I smiled brightly and patted Apple’s shoulder.  

As a romance fantasy protagonist—or rather, as the Grand Duchess—I needed at least one loyal lady-in-waiting who would act as my right hand.  

But judging by her appearance, Apple seemed like she could naturally fill that role without the need for a formal selection process.