80. Don’t Come Near Our Sister Anette

Many lords and armies of the North brought their families with them when they gathered.

Although Count Spinel had secretly brought young master Emil.

After Darius’s victory in the tournament, the families of various lords suddenly wanted to become friends with me. Especially young ladies around my age.

With people flooding around me, Rose’s mood these days is terrible.

“The seat next to my lady is my place. No one else should sit there.”

“Miss Temeri is still the same.”

“When you visited the North before, you were shouting at everyone not to wag their tails at His Grace the Grand Duke.”

Hearing that many young noble ladies had accompanied the army, I thought they were preparing for marriage.

But surprisingly, what they were after was the position of my lady-in-waiting.

Unlike maids who do menial work, a lady-in-waiting is a cultured companion to a noble lady. It’s a position where one stays as a friend to the noble lady, learns social etiquette, and expands connections during one’s maiden years.

“Lady Anette, even though you’ve only been married for a short time, there are many stories about your wisdom. I really want to be by your side and learn from your dignity.”

The one saying this was the daughter of Viscount Weizen, who was part of Inkheart’s friendly faction.

“I’ll consider it.”

“My lady!”

When I responded positively, Rose immediately made a tearful face and clung to me.

“We don’t need any new lady-in-waiting. Rose is closest to my lady. When Rose is here, my lady doesn’t need to favor anyone else.”

“My, Miss Rose. Are you still acting so narrow-minded like a child?”

“I hate foxes like you clinging to our lady! Since when have you known our sister!”

“Do you know why there are no other young ladies around Lady Anette’s age in Castle Inkheart? It’s because of Miss Rose’s jealousy. She wouldn’t let anyone near. Acting like it’s her castle.”

I recalled what the ladies in the castle had said about Rose.

That Rose was particularly attached to Darius because there were no peers suitable for her in Castle Inkheart. That because there were no other girls besides Rose, everyone in the castle spoiled her.

‘I see now it wasn’t the world shunning Rose, but Rose shunning the world……’

Rose, this frightening child.

To think she had personally cleared out the young women in the castle for the future female protagonist.

“Miss Rose called me a fox, but Lady Anette, please look at Rose objectively.”

The young ladies attending the luncheon were clamoring, clearly displeased with Rose who was keeping them at bay.

“Hmm.”

Not knowing what to say, I awkwardly smiled and drank my tea when Rose forcefully covered both my ears.

“My lady, don’t listen to them. They’re all lying. You know I’m nice, right?”

“She’s been following the Grand Duke around since she was little, not letting any of us get close!”

Boo, jeers erupted.

It’s true that Rose can be willful and throw tantrums.

“But Rose is cute, so……”

“Yes, Rose is cute. Rose is cute so she can do no wrong.”

“You won’t do it again, right?”

“I won’t do it next time.”

“She says she won’t do it next time.”

“But I didn’t say anything about this time, so I’ll keep staying by my lady’s side.”

Then Rose stuck close to me and growled at the other young ladies.

The ladies looked at me as if to say ‘See?’

Still…… Rose is cute. Even Darius gives in to her. Last time when Rose came running in crying, Darius even gave up the pudding he was eating and left.

“Come to think of it, it’s about time for Rose’s fiancé to arrive.”

Rose’s prospective fiancé, the heir to the Eastern Count, is coming to Castle Inkheart to meet her in person.

This winter, Castle Inkheart was expected to be bustling with people.

* * *

The carriage wheel was stuck in mud. While waiting for the driver to extract the wheel, Alexei Rusiloff expressed his irritation.

“Nothing works properly in this rural place.”

“I’m sorry for making you take this troublesome journey, godfather.”

“You’re my godson. It’s natural for me to accompany you on your journey. But it’s true that I don’t like your engagement.”

Tsk, Alexei clicked his tongue at the polite young man, clearly displeased.

“Even if you have no parents, as the heir to an eastern count family, to be engaged to a knight’s family from the North.”

“I’ve heard that Miss Rose’s brother, Sir Lucion, is a remarkable knight who entered Sword Aura at a young age. The Temeri family is also an old, established family in the North.”

“Hmph, your uncle who pushed for this marriage must dislike the idea of your future success.”

Alexei continued to pour out complaints about the North. He was dissatisfied with the freezing and thawing ground, with wild beasts frequently appearing on the journey, with everything.

But knowing that his godfather had a personal inferiority complex towards Darius Inkheart, the young man didn’t pay much attention. The engagement was already decided anyway.

Alexei took out a letter he had received hastily before boarding the carriage. It was unwelcome news for him.

To Count Rusiloff. I report the current situation at Castle Inkheart.

Count Spinel, who was expected to form anti-Inkheart sentiment in the North, has unexpectedly sided with Inkheart. The plan to smoothly divide the castle before your arrival has become difficult to proceed with.

“What’s with that stubborn woman changing her mind like that……”

Alexei roughly stuffed the letter back into his pocket. The plan wasn’t disrupted anyway. It just meant that what had been an easy plan would be a little less easy.

* * *

‘Phew, finally in bed.’

〈My lady, please look at this.〉

〈I heard you’re interested in growing plants. I happen to have brought a good fertilizer……〉

〈My lady, my lady!〉

I’m getting people-sick to the point of nausea.

How fortunate that the marital bedroom is a private space. Otherwise, people trying to claim the spot next to me would have driven me crazy here too.

Darius was just as busy. Even though we shared the same marital bedroom, our interactions were limited to eye greetings exchanged between our busy schedules and hands briefly touching as we passed by. That was all.

We clearly had breakfast together, and dinner together.

But among all those people, we were really just sitting in the same place.

‘Come to think of it, yesterday too, and the day before……’

Had I had a proper conversation with Darius recently? Since people flooded into Castle Inkheart.

〈Let’s live well today too.〉

〈From breakfast meetings to knight training to castle administration work piling up, but don’t die!〉

〈Ugh, we can do it. Both the Grand Duke and I!〉

‘This sounds more like conversations between comrades than a married couple.’

It’s like encouragement between workplace colleagues facing a crunch at a company where work is overwhelming.

‘We agreed to share a bedroom while the Northern lords stay at the castle to maintain an image of an intimate ducal couple because of others’ eyes.’

Intimate? Is this really intimate? If we’re a couple, shouldn’t there be more…….

“No, no! I should like this, right? This is what I wanted, right?”

Outwardly, we share a marital bedroom and meals as a good couple, but in reality, nothing happens between us, literally just sleeping together! What more is there to think about!

“What did you want, Anette?”

“Eek!”

Thump thump, I was startled by Darius’s sudden voice even though I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Ah, I’m tired,” Darius said as he gently rested his head on my shoulder.

“It feels like I haven’t seen your face in a long time.”

Even though I thought ‘This guy?’, seeing Darius’s tired face as he leaned on me, I let it slide.

“We saw each other at dinner time too?”

“That was seeing you with other people.”

Darius closed his eyes quietly with his face resting on my shoulder. I was about to push him away but found myself stroking his head without realizing it. Below his raven-black hair was a jawline that had become slightly sharper.

‘He’s lost weight.’

We’re always together, but when I suddenly look at him again, he’s changed significantly. Just past twenty years old, he seemed to grow every day. How long would I be able to stay by his side and watch him grow and change?

“Anette, what are you thinking about?”

“……Wondering how my husband can be so handsome, something like that?”

“You’re lying.”

“Why is that a lie? Where else could I find such a handsome man?”

“Then why aren’t you focusing on your handsome husband who’s right in front of you?”

Darius noticed I was lost in thought and scolded me. I laughed a little because his words were funny.

“Yes, yes, you’re handsome.”

I looked at Darius’s face intently as he wished. Clean, beautiful, and harmonious features were contained in his face.

“You really are handsome.”

I unconsciously muttered that again. I had gotten used to seeing him all the time, but he was a handsome man of my taste.

“A married man only needs to look handsome to his wife.”

This time Darius seemed satisfied with my attitude and looked pleased.

“Just one wife? You’re the kind of handsome man that people would stop and stare at rudely on the street, not knowing it’s impolite.”

“No, that’s not necessary. It would feel unpleasant if strangers stared at me.”

“It can’t be helped! You have to understand being a rare handsome man! Do you think handsome men like you are common! Try to understand the feelings of ordinary people whose eyes naturally follow you!”

My nonsense about how beautiful people bring peace of mind and therefore Darius should generously show his face for everyone’s emotional stability and stress relief made his expression darken.

Somehow he looked even more tired than when he first lay on the bed.

“Do you have something on your mind? You’ve been looking tired.”

“I’m worried about where you might run off to next.”

“But beautiful people……”

“Alright, that’s enough now. Shh.”

Darius, who finally stopped my praise of beauty by raising his finger, looked at my face and sighed as if troubled.

“Actually, there’s something I want to ask of you, Anette. Will you listen?”

“What is it?”

Darius, who had been hesitant to speak, whispered what he wanted to ask as if it were truly a secret into my ear.

“Huh?”

My eyes widened like saucers at Darius’s words.

“Really?”

“Really.”

When I asked again as if I couldn’t believe it, Darius gave a straightforward confirmation.

“If it helps, I’ll do anything, but…… are you really planning to do something like that?”

Really?