11. Brother Darius is Mine!  

“This is ridiculous, Lady Ygret! That woman is coming here!”  

The main castle of the Northern Grand Duke’s household, Inkheart.  

Rose Temeri, the youngest daughter of the Temeri family, known for their unwavering loyalty among the Inkheart retainers, sobbed as she buried her face in Lady Ygret’s lap.  

Her young face was filled with anger and jealousy.  

“You said there was no way this could happen. You told me it was just a marriage, that His Grace had no feelings for that woman at all! Then why is she coming to our castle?”  

“I distinctly remember making it clear that while the marriage would happen, the woman from the Poche family would not be allowed into this castle.”  

Lady Ygret sighed as if she too found the situation frustrating and gently patted Rose’s back.  

“I warned him so many times to be wary of the South. His Grace is still too young, after all.”  

Her tone conveyed concern for the North, but she was also belittling Darius’s decision as immature.  

The still-young and naive Rose Temeri didn’t catch the deeper meaning behind Ygret’s words.  

Ygret was the lady in charge of managing the household affairs of the North. She was a respected woman of the Inkheart family.  

When Darius inherited the title of Grand Duke following his father’s sudden death, the relatives of the Inkheart family opposed him, claiming he was too young to take on the role.  

Thus, during a family council, Ygret, a distant relative of Darius, was chosen to assist him. Her role was to help Darius manage the household affairs of the Grand Duke’s estate.  

“I couldn’t accept it when Darius married such a woman, but I endured it because it was his duty as the lord! But now, that woman, who only married him out of obligation, dares to enter this castle as if she’s the real mistress!”  

“Rose, a castle of this size without a mistress is unthinkable. In a way, this might be a good thing. Now I can finally step back and retire to the rear chambers.”  

“What are you saying! This castle has been run by you, Lady Ygret!”  

Rose was appalled. A vision of Inkheart Castle without Lady Ygret was unimaginable.  

“I was only temporarily in charge of the castle. The true mistress is the newly arrived Lady Annette.”  

Rose ground her teeth at Ygret’s bitter smile.  

That woman, after taking His Grace, now even wants Lady Ygret’s place. Who does she think she is?  

“I can’t forgive her!”  

* * *  

“Don’t you dare think that His Grace brought you to this castle himself! The Poche family is the enemy of the North, and as their daughter, so are you!”  

A boldly pointed finger jabbed towards my chest.  

Golden hair tied into twin tails, blue eyes, and fair skin—a dainty young lady who seemed to have grown up in comfort.  

I had just arrived in the North and hadn’t done anything to earn this girl’s resentment. Yet, the moment she saw me, she bared her teeth like an enraged cat.  

‘She was purring like a contented cat in front of Darius just moments ago.’  

Ha, I couldn’t help but laugh.  

The girl pointing her finger at me, the Grand Duchess, on the first day of my arrival, was Rose Temeri. She was a character I remembered reading about in the original story.  

The youngest daughter of the loyal knightly Temeri family, she had adored Darius since she was very young. She was even considered as a potential remarriage candidate after Annette’s death left the position of Grand Duchess vacant.  

‘Even without marrying Rose, the Temeri family had already sworn generations of loyalty to Darius. Besides, the true female lead eventually appeared, so that story never came to pass.’  

“This is all I have to say. Don’t shamelessly show your face around here and live quietly, like a mouse!”  

In a way, Rose Temeri and I, Annette Poche, were comrades. Both of us were supporting female characters who either married the male lead or loved him but were not chosen.  

With few people and no social events in the North, Rose, the young lady of the Temeri family, had no place to go and often visited the Grand Duke’s household.  

While other young ladies would attend or host tea parties, learning the ways of society, Rose spent her time watching her brother and Darius spar in the training grounds.  

In a household with no special lady or other owners besides the Grand Duke and Darius, Rose was adored like the young lady of the house. Most of her whims were indulged.  

‘In the original story, Rose reacted the same way when she first met the female lead.’  

<Don’t get the wrong idea just because brother Darius was a little kind to you.>  

<Do you think a commoner girl like you is suitable for the Grand Duke of the North?>  

<A woman abandoned even by the temple!>  

Yes, the quintessential villainous supporting character.  

Just moments ago, when Darius brought me here, she acted differently.  

<You must have had a hard journey, brother Darius. Is this Lady Annette? You must feel unfamiliar here, so let me guide you to your room!>  

Her eyes sparkled in front of Darius, but the moment we were alone, this is how she acted.  

Was it her confidence from having lived in this castle longer than the newly arrived Grand Duchess?  

“You’re like a little acorn; I can’t even get angry at you.”  

“What, what did you just say?”  

Oops, I accidentally said my thoughts out loud, and Rose’s face turned bright red.  

Well, it made sense. Rose Temeri was only 15 years old. She looked more like a 13-year-old, with her still-developing frame.  

Even if she stood on her tiptoes and wore heels, her head wouldn’t reach my chest.  

How old was she when she met the female lead?  

“At 15, everything feels like a romantic fantasy. I envy you. The springtime of life.”  

At that age, you can do anything. If you’re going to be a villainess, you might as well consider other career options while you’re at it.  

“Are you mocking me right now?”  

Rose snapped open her fan. Oh, nice. A proper villainess should at least know how to wield a fan.  

Though she lacked age and development, she had already equipped herself with the right props. Keep it up. Take it out on me now and properly crush your destined rival, the female lead, later.  

“You think I’m joking because I’m young, but this is a serious warning!”  

Rose gave a triumphant smile.  

“Let me tell you something you didn’t know. I don’t know why my brother suddenly changed his mind, but you weren’t originally supposed to set foot in this castle. A woman sent from the South like you was supposed to be locked away in some gloomy, faraway castle!”  

It was a psychological attack, implying I was meant to be discarded and that my current status was no better.  

“How did you know that?”  

“Well, I overheard the adults talking… I mean, of course I knew! I’m that important of a person!”  

“Darius told me himself.”  

That too, just before I met you.  

<I apologize. Truly. For deciding to send you away without even meeting you, despite your desperation to escape the Poche family.>  

<Alright. I’ll accept your apology. But surely you’re not just going to apologize with words, right? I’ll consider it a debt. Pay it back later.>  

At the castle gates, I heard it clearly from none other than Darius himself, along with his apology for the mistake.  

If Darius hadn’t told me this, what would I have done? Would I have bitten my nails and fainted pitifully, exclaiming, ‘How could this be… I trusted only His Grace!’?  

‘Not that I would’ve done that even if I didn’t know.’  

“D-Darius? H-His Grace’s name, how dare you—!”  

Watching Rose turn red and flail at my words was far more entertaining than pretending to faint.  

Truthfully, we weren’t on a first-name basis yet, but seeing her flustered face was amusing. She was still too young to hide her expressions.  

“You may not understand yet, Miss Temeri, but His Grace and I are married. It’s a term of endearment between husband and wife.”  

Rose’s face instantly turned pale.  

“That… that can’t be… Brother would never…!”  

Did she go around saying, ‘When I grow up, I’ll marry brother Darius!’ as a child?  

If so, Darius needs to be scolded. Male leads in romantic fantasies should uphold proper chastity from a young age.  

Even if a girl who’s like a little sister clings to him saying, “Brother!” he should coldly push her away.  

Male leads shouldn’t have past girlfriends. No little sister figures either.  

The male lead’s relationships should revolve entirely around the female lead, and his world should revolve around her.  

‘Of course, the female lead can have childhood promises with other men, attend festivals with someone she met there, or have an older brother figure who’s been a longtime friend.’  

Anyway, Rose Temeri’s anger was, in a sense, justified.  

It was true that I was originally supposed to be locked away in a remote castle, unable to even show my face as Darius’s wife.  

It was also true that Rose Temeri shouldn’t have had to boil with jealousy over seeing her beloved brother’s wife.  

If she were to yell, ‘Why are you here when you shouldn’t be!’ it would surprisingly be a valid grievance.  

‘Originally, she held the title of the closest woman to her beloved brother Darius until the female lead appeared, so it’s understandable she feels wronged.’  

Though she doesn’t realize it herself.  

“Miss Temeri, I refrained from getting angry at a young girl who hasn’t even debuted in society yet, thinking it would be foolish of me as an adult.”  

Rose Temeri was, in a way, similar to the original Annette. Both desired to have a romantic relationship with the male lead but were ultimately unrequited.  

Also, the Temeri family was an ally of the male lead, so it was a family worth maintaining good relations with.  

‘No matter how hard she tries, she’ll ultimately be coldly rejected by the male lead as a supporting character.’  

Thinking of her ending did soften my heart a bit…  

But that doesn’t mean I have to go easy on her, right?