Chapter 33 : An Unwelcome Guest
A gift had arrived from Damian.
It was a newspaper featuring an article about the Vandermir couple’s weekend date, along with a small box.
The Duchess opened the box—only to gasp in shock and drop it.
Inside was a bundle of golden hair, roughly severed—a color she recognized all too well.
Ha! No wonder I never got a response.
Her lips twisted. It had been over ten days since she lost contact with a certain spy—one who had seemed promising, given her attractive appearance and usefulness.
She had expected great things from her, as the woman had shown surprising competence. But in the end, she had been discovered and eliminated.
And this…
The Duchess spotted a letter buried beneath the severed hair and carefully pulled it out with her fingertips.
The paper bore the seal of the Red Hawk, and the contents were brief: a formal greeting, a notice that many of the estate’s servants had been replaced, and—more than anything—a warning.
“Regrettably, even the head maid had to resign due to personal circumstances. How unfortunate that you won’t be seeing her again.”
All the connections she had planted in the estate had been completely uprooted.
The Duchess clenched the letter so tightly that it crumpled in her grasp.
“That vile bastard.”
She muttered through gritted teeth, trembling with rage, before ordering a maid to dispose of the box.
She had barely settled into the sofa to rest when the Vandermir Matriarch arrived.
Despite her age, the older woman stood rigid and upright, her neatly tied gray hair adding to her severe presence. Her sharp eyes made her already strict expression even harsher.
“You’ve come, Mother.”
The Duchess hurriedly stood and bowed her head.
The Matriarch’s gaze swept over her in silent disapproval.
“What’s happening with Damian? You claimed you’d handle it, yet there’s been no progress.”
“Ah, well…”
Caught off guard by the sharp question, the Duchess hesitated.
She had orchestrated the planting of the spy maid in the Vandermir estate herself.
Her husband had some idea of her schemes, but the rest of the family knew nothing.
She had spoken so confidently about having a plan—now, admitting her failure was far too humiliating.
But the Matriarch was not a woman known for patience or understanding.
“Stop stammering and speak already!”
“…I sent a spy into the estate to stir up conflict, but it failed. I apologize, Mother.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, the Duchess confessed.
The Matriarch’s face grew icy cold.
“N-Next time, I’ll approach it more carefully—”
“Do you not realize that the longer we wait, the more advantageous it becomes for him?!”
The Matriarch’s thunderous rebuke made the Duchess shrink back.
She had never been able to assert herself before her husband’s mother.
“How utterly incompetent. You’re of no use to my Alex at all.”
The Matriarch let out a deep sigh, clicking her tongue in disappointment.
She had never been fond of any of her son’s wives.
His first wife—the former Duchess—had been too frail and timid, while his current wife was from a low-ranking family, unworthy of her son.
But in truth, no daughter-in-law would ever meet her standards.
The Duke of Vandermir, Alex, was her only son, born after countless struggles.
To her, he was everything—a child so precious that even keeping him by her side for a lifetime would not be enough.
Regardless of how noble a woman was, she could never see them as anything more than leeches, seeking to drain her son’s worth.
Even with two grandsons, Alex was still, in her eyes, just a boy.
“If Damian inherits the family title, Alex will suffer. No matter what, we must prevent that!”
Her bony fingers clenched with resolve.
Years ago, she had seen something terrifying in Damian’s eyes—the moment he lost his mother.
Rage. Resentment. Sorrow. Hatred.
His eyes had blazed with those emotions, as if they were fueling a fire that would one day consume everything in its path.
If left unchecked, she had no doubt that fire would devour her son.
He’s been working to secure his position within the family… He’s been at odds with Alex, directly and indirectly, for years… His mother was too foolish, but he’s too cunning and persistent.
The thought of Damian, a young man who bore her son’s face but his mother’s eyes, sent a shiver down her spine.
To the Matriarch, Damian was not a beloved grandson.
He was a threat—one that could harm her son.
“I agree completely, Mother. That’s why I’ve been working hard on this—”
“Enough! How can I entrust such an important matter to someone so slow and incompetent?”
The Duchess fell silent, her throat tightening under the Matriarch’s withering glare.
But the older woman wasn’t finished.
“You couldn’t even handle a mere young noble girl before the wedding, and now look where we are. How pathetic.”
“…”
Aracila Hugo was not just any ordinary noble girl.
The Duchess wanted to argue how unfair the accusation was, but she knew better than to protest.
Even if she did, the Matriarch would simply accuse her of talking back.
“I can no longer sit idly by and trust you to handle this. If someone threatens my Alex’s future, as his mother, it is my duty to eliminate them.”
She had lived her entire life with that mindset—and it was precisely why her son had been able to rise as the Duke of Vandermir.
Even if the one in the way was her own grandson, she would not hesitate to strike him down.
As long as she could protect her son, nothing else mattered.
“I’m going to the capital.”
The Matriarch declared, her voice heavy with finality.
The Duchess’s face lit up with relief for more reasons than one.
“Truly, Mother?”
“Yes. It’s time that Hugo’s granddaughter learned exactly what kind of family she’s dealing with.”
As the Vandermir Matriarch and the grandmother of her husband, she would make sure Aracila understood.
Her lips curled into a smile—one as cold and venomous as a snake’s.
“I’ll be away on a long mission soon.”
Damian made this announcement during breakfast.
They had both forced themselves to wake up early to keep their agreement of having at least one meal together per day.
Unlike Damian, who merely picked at his food due to his lack of appetite in the morning, Aracila was steadily eating, accustomed to having breakfast from a young age.
“What kind of mission?”
“There have been reports of a large-scale movement of monsters in the eastern Etar Mountains. The imperial family has ordered us to investigate.”
The Red Hawk Knights were a force comparable to the Imperial Knights, so it was common for them to receive such orders.
However, it was unusual for the Red Hawk Knights to be assigned this mission when the Imperial Knights had no active assignments of their own.
Briefly recalling the seal of the Crown Prince stamped on the order, Damian took a sip of water.
There was no need to trouble his wife with such details.
“Be careful while you’re away.”
“Understood. You stay well too, my lady.”
“When do you leave?”
Damian hesitated for a moment before answering.
“This afternoon.”
“…That’s not ‘soon.’ That’s just ‘today.’”
Aracila’s face clearly showed how absurd she found this.
Feeling slightly awkward, Damian cleared his throat.
With the suddenness of the order and the rush to prepare, he had forgotten to inform her earlier.
“Tell me exactly what time and from where you’re departing. That way, I can come see you off.”
She wasn’t about to let her husband leave for a mission without even showing her face.
Especially when they had to maintain the appearance of a harmonious couple in the eyes of others.
“We’re gathering at the knights’ training grounds at 3 PM and departing from there.”
“Alright, I’ll be there.”
Aracila reviewed her schedule and nodded.
3 PM wasn’t too inconvenient—she could step away for a moment to see him off.
“Then, I’ll see you later.”
“Yes, take care.”
After checking his pocket watch, Damian rose from his seat first.
Aracila finished her meal before heading to the Mage Tower for work.
The training grounds were filled with dozens of knights, all standing in formation.
As Aracila entered, wearing her Mage Tower uniform with confidence, she could feel their subtle glances.
Everyone knew that the Knight Commander’s wife was a mage, but it was still unusual for her to appear at the knight order in her full mage’s attire.
“You wore your uniform.”
Damian’s gaze immediately fell on her outfit as soon as he saw her.
Amidst a sea of black and red knight uniforms, her white and blue mage’s uniform stood out prominently.
“I’m already busy enough—did you really expect me to go home and change into a dress just for this?”
She spoke in a quiet voice, just loud enough for only Damian to hear.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect you to change either.”
“Good. It’s nice when neither of us has unnecessary expectations.”
For a normal couple, such an exchange might have been a bad sign—but for a contractual couple, it was ideal.
Better to set low expectations than to be disappointed later.
“How long will you be gone?”
“It should take about fifteen days. If anything happens, send a letter.”
“You’re going east, right? By the time I send a letter, you’d already be done.”
The Etar Mountains were quite far from the capital.
Of course, as a mage, Aracila could send messages via enchanted messenger birds, but that wouldn’t change how long it took for Damian to return physically.
“A monster investigation shouldn’t be dangerous for a knight, right?”
“Please don’t confuse your personal wishes with reality.”
“A shame.”
Even while exchanging morbid jokes, they looked like a happy couple.
They must have a great relationship.
The gathered knights whispered among themselves, observing the pair with interest.
After a brief hesitation, Damian reached out and took Aracila’s hand.
“Try not to cause trouble while I’m gone.”
“That’s an odd thing to say. If someone heard, they’d think I was your troublemaking seven-year-old daughter.”
Aracila laughed incredulously, but quickly switched to a bright, affectionate smile.
“Has the Marquis ever said something like this to you?”
“Are you kidding? All the time.”
Morning, noon, and night.
‘Aracila, please, don’t cause any trouble while I’m away.’
She had heard that countless times from her father—but unfortunately, she had never once obeyed.
“I’ll miss you, Damian. Come back soon, okay?”
She deliberately raised her voice so that everyone nearby could hear.
Damian played along effortlessly.
“I’ll think of you every day. Please don’t forget me and wait for my return.”
It was ridiculous, considering they were only parting for fifteen days.
But at least it made them look like a loving couple.
Since a hug was too much, they simply clasped hands tightly.
As Aracila leaned in closer, she whispered,
“Work hard, and don’t get hurt too much.”
“And you, please take care of your mental health.”
Exchanging truly heartfelt well-wishes, the two finally released each other’s hands when it was time for departure.
Aracila watched as her husband left in a carriage with his knights before turning away.
So that means… I have fifteen days of freedom?
She never felt particularly restricted before, but having the house to herself made the idea of freedom feel different.
Humming softly, she walked away lightly.
‘Maybe I should visit home for a bit?’
With the Hugo family maids now working at Vandermir Estate, the atmosphere had become more familiar—but it was still not quite the same as the real thing.
As she happily planned her evening, she noticed Audrey waiting for her with a carriage outside the Mage Tower.
Her personal maid, who hadn’t come to pick her up in a while, was waving excitedly and shouting from a distance.
“Madam… The Grand… She’s here!”
What?
Did she say ‘the pig’ arrived?
Aracila frowned, utterly confused.
Had a wild boar escaped somewhere and attacked the estate?
“Madam! Madam! There’s big trouble!”
“What is it, Audrey? Did a wild boar really attack?”
“What? No, no! That’s not it—”
Eyes wide, Audrey shook her head frantically before shouting urgently.
“The Grand Duchess is here at the estate right now!”
“Which Grand Duchess?”
“The Vandermir Grand Duchess!”
…Ah.
Ah.
Ah?!
Aracila blinked slowly.
A vivid memory of the cold-faced Grand Duchess of Vandermir from the wedding resurfaced.
An unannounced visit from such an unwelcome guest?
A harsh realization struck her like a blow to the back of the head.
Her fifteen days of freedom had just turned into hell.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───
