I just took a wild guess, but the reaction was stronger than I expected.
Helene’s eyes widened for a moment, then quickly returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
It was such a subtle change that you’d miss it if you weren’t paying close attention, but its meaning was all too clear.
I had several candidates in mind, but judging from her reaction, I was spot on.
“Looks like the Emperor tipped her off.”
Come to think of it, didn’t the new Emperor ascend the throne just last year?
And I’d heard he was aligned with the Eastern faction. They were instrumental in his rise to power.
“Whereas Leighton is the head of the Western nobility. Helene is the eldest daughter of the late first Empress, and the current Emperor is the son of the second Empress.”
The late first Empress gave birth to the First Prince and Helene before she passed away.
The new Empress that followed gave birth to the Second Prince—now the current Emperor.
That Second Prince overthrew the First Prince, the former Crown Prince, to claim the throne.
Helene and the First Prince were full siblings.
Which means, to the Emperor’s eyes, the Leighton family and Helene would clearly appear as political rivals.
But Leighton is a powerful house, with a firm hold on their territory and great wealth, commanding considerable influence in high society.
They’re not called the leaders of the Western nobility for nothing. The newly crowned Emperor couldn’t easily make a move against such a heavyweight.
Trying to tarnish such a house or manipulate them politically wouldn’t be easy.
…That is, if the previous Duke hadn’t died so suddenly.
His death left a vulnerability.
That gap is what let someone like me—a stain on the Leighton family—come into the spotlight.
“Judging by Helene’s reaction, the Emperor is definitely behind this. The picture is coming together.”
The previous Duke, known for his brutality and for killing four wives, had suddenly died.
And now, the Leighton family that had purchased a fifth wife was trying to discard her as if she were no longer needed.
For an Emperor who oversees the noble registry, it was ample reason to interfere.
And unless one was as powerful as the Emperor, who would dare suggest making the disgraced daughter of a fallen noble family the “matron” of a ducal house?
In the end, the Layton family must have decided it was better to keep the leech—me—rather than anger the Emperor and give him an excuse to meddle.
Even if it sparked gossip in social circles, they must have judged that this was the wiser move for the family’s future.
“Even if the Emperor didn’t hint at anything, maybe the Duke’s family got scared on their own.”
It just showed how sensitive the Leighton were to the Empire’s political currents.
Now, instead of kicking me out, they had to make sure I didn’t escape.
I’d been worried about being thrown out, and yet here I was, being asked to stay on as the Lady of the house.
“Interesting.”
“……”
It was interesting. So this is what political maneuvering felt like.
Helene made no reply to my brief observation. She simply looked at me.
“…Life in the annex has been comfortable. I don’t expect any issues going forward.”
A polite way of saying I intended to stay in the annex.
“I’ll attend the ball since you asked, Helene. But I’m lacking in many ways, so I’d appreciate your help.”
I didn’t even have a dress or jewelry. Even I, who knew nothing about noble events, knew better than to show up in a nightgown. So—buy me something.
“And also…”
I hesitated for a moment.
It was a silence asking whether this much was acceptable, and Helene seemed to understand it immediately. She slowly nodded.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“…I’ve heard winters are cold in the West. Some outerwear would be nice.”
“I’ll send a tailor right away.”
“No, not for me. For the workers at the annex. Maybe thirty outfits or so?”
“……”
Helene’s eyes widened again. This time, her reaction was far more intense.
“The servants’ clothes looked way too thin.”
I could tell the fabric was high quality, but in prioritizing appearance, they had sacrificed warmth.
It wasn’t hard to guess who was behind the decision to dress the maids in such tight-fitting tops.
I remembered how Anna would enter my room each morning, murmuring how warm it was inside.
They had worked hard looking after me, so this much was the least I could do.
“That should be enough.”
“…Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
She seemed genuinely at a loss for words, clearly surprised that I hadn’t asked for more.
Did she expect me to demand money or jewels, now that the tables had turned?
“Greed leads to ruin.”
Even if things had shifted in my favor, I was still a powerless outsider with no connections.
If I overplayed my hand, they could easily reduce me to a mere figurehead of a duchess.
Or maybe one day, someone else would show up, claiming to be Wilhelmina.
I needed to accept the Duke family’s kindness in moderation.
A new life motto.
“Well then, I’ll be off. I have a morning appointment.”
It was about time the girls working in the laundry made their way to my room to warm themselves by the fire.
This was a world where magic existed. Why hadn’t anyone invented a washing machine that poured out warm water?
As I turned, the butler was already waiting by the door to escort me out.
Just before stepping out, I suddenly remembered something and turned back.
“Oh, and…”
Helene was lost in thought, resting her chin on her hand.
I gave her a small smile and said,
“You’re quite an impressive daughter-in-law.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“It’s not just flattery—it’s a compliment.”
Calling someone you despise ‘mother’ is no easy task.
The sheer strength it must take to wear a mask for your family’s sake—she was admirable.
I swallowed the rest of my words and left the room.
Helene’s faint sigh followed me, then vanished as the door shut behind me.
* * *
Helene’s private office.
She sat alone in the darkened room, curtains drawn, recalling the report on Wilhelmina.
“She’s kinder than she looks.”
“She treats the staff with great care. She memorized all our names in just two days.”
“Her tone can be sharp sometimes, but really, she’s just worried about us…”
Those were the answers from the servants working in the annex.
There was no doubt about their loyalty to House Leighton.
To them, Wilhelmina should have been no more than a filthy stain on their house, yet every single comment about her was positive.
The most objective reports came from the baker and the gardener, but even those simply noted that she had a neat personality and liked a certain kind of bread.
“Could she really just be a kind woman?”
No. That couldn’t be it. Wilhelmina had firmly denied the assumption Helene had made.
She hadn’t tried to hide anything, and yet in their brief conversation, she had grasped the political landscape and pinpointed Leighton’s precarious position.
Her status may have been low, but she clearly had a keen grasp of situations. Didn’t she study politics at the Academy?
Anyone who understands politics cannot remain innocent.
That was wisdom Helene had learned through 27 years of life as a member of the Imperial Family.
“It could all be an act.”
If she had envisioned this situation from the moment she arrived, it was possible she had prepped the staff in advance to ensure their loyalty.
A mother-in-law who was accepted into the family even at the cost of tarnishing House Layton’s honor…
She had to be thoroughly investigated and distrusted.
Helene considered dispatching someone who could view her objectively, not a servant easily swayed by appearances.
“Perhaps I’ll send the butler.”
The man who had escorted Wilhelmina to the capital was Helene’s personal butler, a trusted aide she had brought from the imperial palace.
Officially, she needed the Duke’s permission for internal personnel matters, but the Duke had left all matters concerning Wilhelmina to Helene.
Despite the tense political climate of the Empire, the Duke remained nonchalant as ever.
He was kind and fair to everyone—admirable traits, yet utterly unreliable in times like this.
The inner affairs of the household fell squarely on Helene’s shoulders as the mistress of the house.
She stood and walked over to the window.
Peeking through the curtain, she spotted her children taking a walk in the autumn garden.
She remembered she had a meeting with them scheduled in thirty minutes.
“It was supposed to be an hour, but I’ll have to cut it short. I’ve wasted too much time.”
She had spent too long mulling over Wilhelmina.
“But why are they outside so early? I’ll have to remind the nanny to stick to the schedule.”
The children had come out early out of excitement to see their mother—but Helene didn’t know that.
Closing the curtain again, she turned to leave her office.
Just then, she recalled the cryptic remark Wilhelmina had made before leaving the parlor.
“…Quite the impressive daughter-in-law.”
She couldn’t make sense of the words.
She had wanted to ask, When did you ever see me clearly enough to make that judgment? But it wasn’t something she could say to her mother-in-law.
Eyes a shade deeper than her own flashed in her memory.
So young, yet with an intellectual gaze that seemed to see straight through her.
