Chapter 22
“It seems I’ve done a thorough job of sorting things out, so from now on, I trust you’ll handle everything well, Madam.”
While I was debating whether to thank him or not, Stefan had already walked off into the distance. His footsteps were those of someone who believed they had finished their task without any lingering attachments.
Watching him go made my blood boil for no reason.
“I had already taken care of everything myself, you know? You just butted in and took all the credit… Did I ask for your help?”
***
As expected, Rita did not show up for dinner. Instead, as if determined to avenge the insult their mother had received, Stella, who looked about to burst, and the haughty Susan entered the dining room.
When they saw me sitting alone at the large table, Stella, wearing a disapproving smile, childishly picked a fight.
“Get up from our mother’s seat right now!”
“Miss, this is the Duchess’s seat.”
“The Duchess is still our mother!”
“Since yesterday, I am the Duchess of Edmond. Mother will now be addressed as the Duchess Dowager.”
“The Duchess Dowager is higher than the Duchess. So that seat still belongs to our mother. Get up now!”
Stella’s tantrum was so cute and amusing that I couldn’t help but laugh a little. But now it was time to shake this immature little sister-in-law.
“Miss, you heard everything earlier, didn’t you?”
“Heard what… what did I hear?”
“The conversation between His Grace and your mother. How he told her that she’s worked hard enough and should now pass the household management to her daughter-in-law….”
“I… I didn’t hear anything like that. Where do you think I heard that?”
“You heard it all while you were in the room next to your mother’s bedroom.”
“Wh-what are you talking about?”
As Stella’s face turned red with embarrassment, Susan quickly intervened. Now it was time to rattle the older sister-in-law.
“Dear sister-in-law, don’t accuse people without evidence.”
“I don’t have evidence, but I do have a witness, Miss.”
“You can’t be the witness.”
“The witness isn’t me… it’s His Grace.”
“…Are you making this up just because my brother isn’t here?”
“His Grace clearly heard everything from outside the door. Including Miss Susan blaming your brother.”
“……”
Susan’s face flushed bright red. She must have remembered the things she blurted out as soon as she entered her mother’s bedroom.
“Being quick on your feet isn’t always a good thing, Miss. It’s best to speak less.”
Unable to come up with a retort, Susan hastily grabbed Stella’s hand.
“S-sister…”
“Stella, let’s sit here.”
“O-okay…”
I expected Susan to storm out of the dining room, but she took a seat across from me. It seemed she was still in the mood to have dinner with me.
I gave a relaxed smile to my sisters-in-law across the table as the servants began to bring out the meal. Shortly after, the butler quietly approached.
“His Grace will be having a light meal in the study.”
Caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, I noticed the corners of my sisters-in-law’s mouths curl into the same smug smirk.
“From now on, I trust you’ll handle everything well, Madam.”
Gripping the napkin tightly under the table, I recalled Stefan’s face, devoid of even a speck of consideration.
“So that’s why you spouted that nonsense. Just wait and see. I’ll show you how well I can handle things on my own…”
After flashing a bright smile at the butler, I asked sweetly, “Thomas, has His Grace’s meal already been sent up to the study?”
“It’s currently being prepared in the kitchen.”
“Then bring it here instead. From now on, I’ll handle everything personally.”
“Pardon?”
The butler’s green eyes widened rapidly. They were so wide that I could even see the black pupils within them. It meant he had no idea what I was talking about.
“Taking care of my husband’s meals is the most basic duty of a wife. So always bring His Grace’s meals to me first.”
“…Yes, Madam.”
As the butler hurriedly disappeared into the kitchen, Susan asked with a meaningful smile, “Have you already figured out my brother’s preferences? As far as I know, you’ve only had one meal with him this morning…”
“Is it really necessary to tailor a meal exactly to his preferences? His Grace isn’t a child… hohoho.”
I deliberately laughed loudly, which made Susan’s expression turn sour again. She clearly didn’t like how I never let her get the last word.
In my previous life, I had personally taken care of Stefan’s meals, so I knew his tastes inside and out. Matching his picky preferences was as easy as pie.
However, this time, I planned to suggest foods that were conducive to pregnancy. I needed to start feeding him foods that improved male fertility in advance so that the effects would be seen when the time came.
‘I’ll need to be especially mindful during the three nights we’ll be sharing a bed.’
A moment later, the butler returned with a golden trolley. On the main dish, a freshly cooked, mouthwatering filet steak was placed. It was accompanied by fried eggplant and steamed asparagus as garnishes, with red wine prepared to complement the meat dish.
“From now on, don’t fry the vegetables that are served as garnishes. Either lightly grill or steam them.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“And replace the red wine with fruit juice. Preferably something with berries.”
“His Grace usually has wine with his steak…”
“Just for the next three days, don’t serve him wine. I’ll explain the reason to His Grace myself.”
“Understood, Madam.”
Even though he didn’t understand the reason behind my instructions, the butler obediently followed my orders. In contrast, Susan looked as if she had just tasted something bitter, and then she began to lecture me.
“Sister-in-law, my brother’s favorite drink is wine.”
“I’m aware of that, Miss.”
“Even Mother doesn’t meddle in his eating habits, so why are you…?”
“Because I’m the one responsible for His Grace’s health as his wife.”
“Mother is especially concerned about my brother’s health too…”
“This is what it means to support your husband, Miss. Supporting a husband is a completely different role from a mother looking after her son.”
“…How is it different?”
This time, Susan’s question sounded genuinely curious. Perhaps she wanted to learn what supporting a husband meant since she’d be getting married soon as well.
“There are many aspects to supporting a husband, but I’m particularly focused on His Grace’s health. He’s been away from the country for a long time.”
“My brother stayed at the best hotels abroad. So he probably had much better food than we did back home.”
“Adapting to a new environment can be very tiring. It’s hard to find fresh and healthy food, and changing beds can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep.”
“……”
“And most importantly, he probably didn’t have a place where he could truly rest. No matter how luxurious a hotel might be, there’s no place as comfortable as your own home, your own bed.”
“……”
Susan was silent for a while. Then, after a brief pause, she resumed eating and muttered quietly to herself.
“You really don’t understand, sister-in-law. My brother has no affection for his homeland or even the duke’s estate. That’s why he spends years abroad.”
“The more someone travels abroad, the more their patriotism tends to stand out, Miss.”
“That’s just a hasty generalization. My brother is always the exception that breaks the rules. He thinks completely differently from ordinary people. That’s probably why he’s accumulated such wealth.”
Susan wasn’t entirely wrong. They said Stefan increased the Edmond family’s wealth a hundredfold after inheriting it. There were even rumors that the Duke of Edmond possessed some sort of superhuman ability when making deals—apparently, he had an uncanny knack for knowing exactly what the other party wanted.
‘If he has such a talent, couldn’t he share it with my brother? Doesn’t it bother him that his brother-in-law is floundering in business?’
Though the loan secured through his sister’s marriage would temporarily prevent the bankruptcy of the Burke family, Leopold, who lacked business acumen, would still face great difficulties managing the trading company in this lifetime.
I started to resent Stefan again, thinking that if he shared some of Edmond’s key information or introduced solid business partners, the Burke trading company might recover quickly.
‘Yes, this time I shouldn’t just wait. I should confidently demand that he teach me his business know-how.’
Susan must have assumed that I was feeling down because I seemed preoccupied with worries about the Burke trading company. With the air of someone giving charity to a poor beggar, she proudly offered her advice.
“Instead of wasting your energy on things like supporting him, why not focus all your efforts on producing an heir? That’s the biggest and most important thing you could do for the ducal family, after all.”
“Don’t worry, Miss. One of the reasons I’m taking care of His Grace’s health is precisely to help with producing an heir.”
“You really think that just managing a few meals will make that possible?”
Susan asked with a sneer, but I responded with a calm smile.
“No matter how fertile the land, you can’t grow a tree if the seed is weak. So, I must make sure the seed is strong.”
“…!”
Susan’s face flushed red again. She had perfectly understood my implication that her brother might be lacking in that area.
