Chapter 18

Demian was making a terrible face because of the food he had eaten. He realized what was happening because of Briseyes looking at him.

He could tell whose doing it was that the food tasted so salty it brought physiological tears to his eyes.

His eyes were directed at his mother. The matriarch looked at Demian with an expression that seemed apologetic.

Demian chewed and swallowed the food as if he had no choice and said:

“The cooking… is really delicious.”

Briseyes looked at Demian as if she couldn’t be disappointed anymore. Meanwhile, Demian thought she was looking at him with admiration.

He mistakenly believed that Briseyes’s expression had improved because she saw him mediating well between his mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. In reality, she had just involuntarily smirked out of disappointment in him.

“Eat a lot, Demian.”

“You too, Bri.”

Briseyes smiled at his words and cut the veal steak in front of her. Strangely, her appetite had returned. At the thought that he would be eating food full of salt.

“That…! I know a certain wife who made up with her husband after a fight by going to bed with him.”

Matriarch Abenr tried to change the subject by saying this. Demian was cutting the salt-soaked veal very slowly and chewing it with water as if he had no choice.

“There must be something special about marital relations. I think I’ve heard stories about reconciling that way too.”

Delilah nodded in agreement with Matriarch Abenr’s words. The matriarch continued speaking excitedly at her response.

“Yes, yes. You should please your husband when you’re young. It’s not easy to do so when you’re old. A woman’s age is like a flower, once it withers it becomes unsightly.”

“Pfft.”

At those words, Briseyes looked at Matriarch Abenr mockingly.

“So when you get older, you’re a withered flower?”

Matriarch Abenr suddenly realized her mistake and blushed.

“Are you saying I’m a withered flower?”

“When did I say that? You’re the one who said it, Mother.”

“You always nitpick like that? Despite having nothing to be proud of.”

Briseyes sighed, no longer wanting to continue the conversation.

“I can’t stay here anymore.”

“Sit down!”

“I hate to.”

With those words, Briseyes stood up from her seat. Demian tried to say something but couldn’t respond quickly because his mouth was too salty and he was drinking water.

“See you next time, Bri.”

Only Delilah was waving her hand with a bright smile.

⁕⁕⁕

It was a day off from the Academy.

It was also the day Mihail Philia happened to visit.

“Have you been well, Bri?”

“Ah, Brother. Have you been well?”

Mihail was the eldest son of the Marquis Philia family. He was also a young marquis and ten years older than Briseyes.

Originally, the Marchioness, who had fallen into depression after having three sons, had given birth to Bri because she wanted a daughter. The large age gap was unavoidable.

“Of course.”

Briseyes felt uncomfortable around Mihail. Though he was her eldest brother, there was a big age difference, and he always said uncomfortable things.

“Shall we walk in the garden?”

“That sounds good.”

Briseyes left the main building and went outside with him. She walked beside Mihail, pretending not to be uncomfortable.

Mihail had visited the Grand Duke’s residence several times even when the Grand Duke was away at war, so he knew well where the garden was.

He spoke slowly as he looked at the roses that filled the garden.

“It seems you’re managing the servants well, having learned a lot from Mother.”

“I suppose so.”

Briseyes answered honestly. She had business acumen and a good eye for selecting servants.

The only thing she didn’t know was what kind of person Demian was. But that was because she had been thoroughly deceived.

When the glass greenhouse came into view, Mihail smiled and said:

“Can we go inside? I’m curious if the hydrangeas are blooming well.”

“Sure.”

Briseyes was well aware that he actually wanted to enter the greenhouse to check if there were other ears listening.

When they opened the door to the glass greenhouse and entered, the fresh scent of flowers was in full bloom.

“The hydrangeas have really bloomed a lot.”

“Indeed.”

“Is that freesia?”

“Yes.”

Mihail smiled as he went near the freesia. He appeared to be smelling the flowers, but it was obvious he had come there because it was in the center of the greenhouse where conversations couldn’t be heard unless someone entered the greenhouse.

Mihail was a cautious person.

Conversations in the reception room were frequently overheard.

It was obvious he had come all the way to the greenhouse pretending to care for his sister.

Briseyes didn’t trust Mihail much. She might have followed him when she was young.

‘Gael is a disgrace to the family. Dying on the battlefield is shameful.’

From the moment he showed such a cold reaction to Gael’s death, he no longer appeared the same to Briseyes.

She knew that to Mihail, she wasn’t just a sister but was thought of as the Grand Duchess. Yet he still treated her as a little sister. Because that made her easier to control.

“I hear things have been awkward since the Grand Duke returned.”

As expected, the main point came out as soon as he confirmed there were no listening ears.

Briseyes lowered her gaze as if mocking his behavior.

“As you know, Brother, the first clause in my marriage vow with Demian was not to bring in a mistress.”

“I know that too.”

Hearing his tone, Briseyes immediately realized he had come to persuade her and no longer wanted to talk. But there was nothing she could do. Mihail’s visit meant that the third brother, the rogue Elkias, might come next.

“Still.”

Since she expected him to say that, Briseyes sighed.

“A Grand Duke is relatively good. Think about it. He went to the battlefield, so it’s a natural progression, isn’t it? That place is truly where blood and flesh fly. It’s not easy to resist a woman’s seduction there.”

“……”

“And fortunately, the mistress the Grand Duke brought isn’t particularly outstanding in appearance.”

Briseyes wondered when he had seen Delilah. Then she thought he might have seen her at the victory ceremony she hadn’t attended, and lowered her gaze again.

“The Grand Duke must be fond of that mistress now because of his attachment from the battlefield.”

“Brother.”

“But the Grand Duke is a man with eyes, so he’ll soon come to his senses. He’s bound to get tired of her plain face without any dignity.”

Briseyes felt suffocated by his words. She sensed the main point was coming.

“So quickly bear the Grand Duke’s child.”

“Brother Mihail.”

“If you get pregnant first and give birth to a son, the Grand Duke will let go of that lowly mistress.”

“Did Father send you?”

“Yes. Mother asked about your well-being, so she sent me.”

Briseyes sighed even more deeply when she thought of the Marchioness Philia who had left for another country due to depression.

“Mother is far away. She must have been worried about you.”

“Not worried enough to come herself, I suppose.”

“Bri. Don’t act like a child. Don’t you know you should be grateful just for being born and raised?”

“…I understand.”

Briseyes didn’t want to talk about this topic again. Nothing would change by talking. The more she talked, the more frustrated she would become, and she would only hate herself for not letting go of this relationship.

“Remember what I said. We need the Grand Duke’s family, Bri.”

“…Yes.”

“Our family will no longer remain neutral. For that, we need the Grand Duke’s power too.”

“……Yes.”

“His Majesty the Emperor has not yet decided who to pass the throne to.”

That’s why the aristocratic faction loyal to the Empress seemed to be getting along well as the Emperor’s right hand. Those who pretended to be neutral while supporting the Crown Prince were pretending not to be interested in politics.

“We will…”

“Support Callisten. We’ll make that child Emperor.”

Briseyes thought that perhaps everything had been inevitable since Callisten killed the Emperor of the Biaten Empire and unified the two empires.

He would become Emperor just like in the original work. As if no matter how much the original work changed, the important things remained unchanged.

He would become Emperor, and Demian would choose Delilah, not her. In the process, she would become the villain.

Briseyes quietly raged at the fact that the original work she had tried so hard to change had actually not changed at all, and said:

“Tell them not to worry.”

“I will. I trust you.”

With that, Mihail patted Briseyes on the shoulder as if encouraging her, urged the family’s will, and left.

⁕⁕⁕

“Do you have to see me even on the Academy’s day off?”

“Yeah, I want to see you every day.”

It was the night after Mihail had visited and left.

Briseyes stood with her arms crossed, looking at Callisten who had come saying he had something urgent to give her.

They were in the reception room on the first floor.

She held a teacup filled with black tea while sitting on the sofa, thinking she wished he would leave quickly.

“I need to study, so go quickly.”

“Okay, I will.”

He said this and sat down on the floor in his uniform.

“What are you doing?”

Then he leaned his head against her thigh and said:

“I did too much work today. Tell me I did well.”

“I’m holding hot tea right now. If you’re going to talk nonsense, you should be careful.”

“If you give me a burn mark, that might be good too.”

Briseyes remained silent at his words. Then he said:

“I heard Mihail came and left. Is that why you’re in a bad mood?”

She involuntarily frowned, wondering how he always knew exactly how she was feeling.

“Should I scold him for you?”