Episode 37

Madam Claire did not become a good mother to Apollion; instead, she even plotted to make her own son the next Grand Duke.

She went to a sorcerer in the Kingdom of Caron, giving him a large sum of money to place a curse on Apollion.

The sorcerer warned her that cursing others comes with a great price. The curse, being one of the most brutal forms of black magic, would bring a severe consequence, and this price would return to the person who ordered the curse in the most cruel form.

However, Claire took this warning too lightly. She thought the worst consequence would be losing a limb or two.

The price of the curse came back to her in a way she never predicted, and she lost the most precious person in her life.

Two years after Apollion was cursed, her daughter Melissa began to suffer from madness.

Melissa’s condition worsened with each passing year.

Despite calling famous doctors and feeding her the best foods, nothing helped.

Seeing hallucinations and talking nonsense daily, Melissa ultimately took her own life at the age of 10.

She fell out of the window while chasing a hallucination that no one else could see.

Thus, Melissa’s death was concluded as an accident.

Before the grief from Melissa’s death could subside, Mateo also fell ill with an unknown disease.

Claire, remembering the sorcerer’s warning too late, hurried back to Caron, but the sorcerer had already disappeared.

Seven years had passed since Apollion was cursed, and it had been four years since Mateo had been bedridden.

Claire spent her nights regretting her actions, but her regret did not include any guilt towards Apollion.

When the former Grand Duke died in a carriage accident, she couldn’t fully rejoice. It was nearly impossible to put Mateo, who couldn’t even move a finger, in the position of the head of the family.

With a daughter who died from madness, a son bedridden with illness, a husband who died in a carriage accident, and a current Grand Duke cursed, a vicious rumor spread throughout the Empire that the Theabrite Grand Duchy was cursed. Some even believed the absurd rumor that the former Grand Duke had made a pact with the devil.

Despite these rumors, Claire was portrayed as an angel. She always maintained a gentle and kind demeanor and frequently attended public and private events.

The nobles claimed that the only reason the Theabrite Grand Duchy was still standing was because of Madam Claire.

None of them even dreamed that she was the one who had cast the curse.

Recalling these facts as I looked at the Nosier Mansion sent chills down my spine. In a way, Madam Claire was no different from a psychopath.

If she were an easy-to-read person, it might have been amusing. But dealing with someone so inscrutable made it all the more difficult. Moreover, her actions were subtly different from the original story.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped and jolted once. It seemed we had just passed through the gates of the Nosier Mansion.

I had no idea what Madam Claire was plotting, but remembering that she was the one who cursed Apollion put me in a foul mood.

I decided to be extra cautious about my actions and stood up.

With Creedman, who was responsible for my protection, escorting me, I got off the carriage. Ever since that drunken luncheon, it felt like I was encountering Creedman more often.

As I descended from the carriage, I saw the tops of the heads of the servants bowing respectfully toward me.

“Greetings, Your Grace.”

A man at the forefront of the group of servants approached me. The middle-aged man was a handsome figure with thick, dark brown hair and a beard, meticulously groomed to the point that not a single gray hair was visible.

“I am Jayden, the butler of the Nosier Mansion.”

“Nice to meet you.”

I responded in a calm voice, hiding my surprise. I nearly exclaimed, “Oh my, a handsome man!”

With the characteristic gentle smile of a handsome man, Jayden guided me to the main building of the Nosier Mansion.

As I followed Jayden, I surveyed the mansion with a view as wide as a soccer player’s.

As expected from the exterior, the Nosier Mansion exuded a very different atmosphere from the Pontus Mansion.

Located on higher ground, the main building offered a panoramic view of the bustling city below. The vibrant rooftops made the scene look like a painting.

Behind the mansion was a lush birch forest, just as Madam Claire had described, filled with a fresh and lively atmosphere.

Compared to the Pontus Mansion, where the wind and waves were constant, this place had a much brighter vibe.

Yet, I couldn’t shake off an inexplicable sense of unease. This unease undoubtedly stemmed from Madam Claire. It dawned on me that I was quite influenced by the original story.

I followed Jayden to the reception room. There, Madam Claire was waiting for me, sipping tea.

“Dear, you’ve come.”

Madam Claire stood up as she saw me.

“Mother, I greet you. How have you been?”

“It’s only been a few days since we were apart. Nothing much has happened. I’ve been well, as always. How about you, dear? Have you been well?”

“Thanks to you, I’m adapting well. I should have visited earlier; I apologize for coming so late.”

I continued the conversation with Madam Claire, spouting insincere words.

Visiting earlier, my foot. They say the farther the in-laws live, the better, and that there’s no such thing as a daughter-in-law like a daughter.

If I could, I would have preferred to communicate with her remotely. There were plenty of ways to send messages without facing her directly, like using a messenger or a carrier pigeon.

But I didn’t have the courage to say that out loud, so I had to play along with her and exchange a few more formal greetings.

After a few more rounds of pleasantries, we put down our teacups and began our real conversation.

“Apollion is so capable, isn’t he? As the head of the family, he’s incredibly responsible. Seeing him work so hard to protect this vast land and its many people makes me so proud.”

“Indeed.”

As Madam Claire said, Apollion was indeed a competent Grand Duke. He meticulously monitored the budget to ensure no money was wasted and always tried to listen to the voices of the people.

“Seeing him struggle alone makes me feel both sorry and proud.”

“…”

Lies. Do you think I don’t know you’re grinding your teeth because nothing is going your way?

I glanced at her over my teacup, hiding my face behind it. Her act of pretending to be a loving mother was truly despicable.

“A wise and prudent mistress is essential for maintaining order in the household. Although I’ve been managing the affairs until now, it has been incredibly challenging. The Grand Duchy is vast, and above all, rumors can be so… exhausting.”

“Yes.”

“I’m also lacking in many ways.”

Madam Claire lifted the corners of her mouth in a bitter smile, her face looking haggard. The smile looked so genuinely sad that I almost fell for it.

Everything happens for a reason; who is to blame for this mess?

“But now that you’re here, I feel relieved.”

“I’m glad I can be of help.”

I forced a smile, squinting my eyes. I couldn’t reveal my true feelings toward her.

“You know that managing the household is entirely the mistress’s responsibility, right? You need to think carefully about how many servants to assign to each area and how much to pay them.”

“Yes.”

“I will continue to manage the Nosier Mansion, but you will be in charge of the Pontus Mansion and the Lunatia Mansion in the central territory.”

“Yes.”

A heavy burden called the Lunatia Mansion landed on my already weighted shoulders with a thud. It felt like carrying a stone on my back.

I had struggled quite a bit to renovate the banquet hall at the Pontus Mansion. Math had always been my weak point since childhood. The thought of calculating the servants’ wages already gave me a headache.

Moreover, the Lunatia Mansion was the largest of the three mansions within the Grand Duchy. Although it wasn’t home to the family’s bloodline, it was managed by servants who commuted and was often used for important events.

“The Harvest Festival held during the harvest season and the New Year’s celebration in January are events that the mistress must oversee.”

Madam Claire took another sip of tea and continued.

“I heard you’ve been interested in welfare policies since you were young.”

“…Pardon?”

Startled, I put down my teacup with a clatter.

Experience had taught me that whenever such statements were made, the words that followed were rarely good.

“You enjoy reading and learning new things.”

Mother, that’s nothing but a rumor. Who in the world said that…?

“Count Incladove spoke so proudly of you. Oh, should I call him my in-law now?”

…That’s my father.

Indeed, fathers are the ones who love their daughters the most! Of course, they are!

Moved by the Count’s infinite love for Petunia, I forced a smile.

Yes, even if it wasn’t me, the real Petunia must have liked it. The original story wasn’t kind enough to describe the childhoods of mere supporting characters.

“Haha…”

I licked my dry lips, thinking a million times over how much I wanted to go home.