The next morning, breakfast was served in the dining room on the first floor of the Grand Duke’s residence.
The moment she woke up, Ibel changed into a comfortable indoor dress and wandered through the corridors, experiencing a small but persistent shock.
It's this dark? Even though it's morning?
No one opened the curtains. No one opened the windows.
When she asked Eloy about it, she learned that the windows were only opened briefly at the exact time the sun stood highest in the sky, then immediately shut again.
Are they trying to invite mold to move in and start a family?
Clicking her tongue, she arrived at the dining room. At least this place was brighter.
The curtains were actually open.
“Did you sleep well, Lady Ibel?”
“Yes. I don't even remember falling asleep.”
She had been so exhausted that she'd practically blacked out the moment her head touched the pillow.
While she sat there absentmindedly waiting for her soup, Genevieve appeared. The twins, unsurprisingly, were nowhere to be seen.
“Oh dear, the weather grows hotter by the day.”
Using that as an opening, Genevieve glanced toward Ibel before heading to her usual seat.
The seat to the left of the family head belonged to the eldest and most respected elder of the household.
That seat is still mine.
The thought soothed her somewhat.
She had slept poorly and remained irritable after tossing and turning all night, but there was no way she would leave Victor alone with some young woman of unknown origins.
Who knew what schemes they might hatch together?
To begin with, Victor’s recent changes were undoubtedly this woman's doing. He was still a man in the prime of his life, after all.
“Did you rest well?”
“Yes. Have you recovered from your travels?”
At least the greetings were smooth enough.
Though Genevieve disliked the absence of any honorific title, she knew her own position was rather ambiguous.
She held no title in her own right.
She had no profession.
She was not the mistress of this house.
Nor was she married and entitled to be called “Madam.”
Knowing this, she reluctantly let it slide.
Meanwhile, Victor quietly pulled the large salad bowl toward himself.
In most grand ducal households, a servant would have done even this much, but he disliked excessive attendance.
“Anselm is confined to the house, and Damian isn't feeling well, so his meal has been sent to his room.”
As he spoke, Victor served salad onto Ibel’s plate first.
Carefully leaving out the kohlrabi.
He knew she disliked it.
“I see. You're not starving them, are you?”
“Of course not. Anselm will be eating in his room as well.”
Genevieve listened silently, eyes sharp.
The most important question for her was simple:
How much influence did this mysterious young woman have over Victor?
“Of all things, Anselm had to cause such an incident! I do hope you weren't terribly frightened.”
Genevieve adopted a gentle tone and continued.
“You weren't hurt, were you? If a young unmarried woman were left with a scar, imagine how heartbroken her parents would be.”
Now then.
Tell me who your parents are.
Let's see what sort of family produced you.
Thinking this, Genevieve lifted her spoon.
The answer she received left her speechless.
“It wasn't a serious matter, so it's fine. The child was only playing a prank.”
A prank?
Shooting a steel ball at someone counted as a prank?
Tsk.
Clicking her tongue deliberately, Genevieve raised her voice.
“You truly don't know how to handle children. It seems I have much to teach you.”
“I would be grateful to learn from you. As for the children, though, I'll work together with my adoptive mother and find a wise way to guide them.”
“What?”
Adoptive mother?
And more importantly, she had casually declared that she intended to involve her family in these matters.
Genevieve was so stunned she didn't even know where to begin criticizing.
“I don't particularly enjoy long discussions during meals. May I start eating now?”
Having waited patiently long enough, Ibel tilted her head and pointed toward the pumpkin soup sitting before her.
Watching the entire exchange unfold, Victor had to struggle to suppress his laughter.
She truly was remarkable.
Even in the past, Ibel had possessed a talent for unintentionally knocking people off balance.
“The answer to the question Aunt is most curious about is this: Ibel is the adopted daughter of the Evershtein family.”
“Evershtein? Lady Evershtein has a second daughter?”
“That's correct. Now that your curiosity has been satisfied, shall we continue breakfast?”
No.
Absolutely nothing had been resolved.
At least not from Genevieve's perspective.
But Victor had abandoned all aristocratic subtlety and essentially said, Let's eat.
If she continued pressing the matter, only her own dignity would suffer.
Good heavens. He's completely bewitched. And Lady Evershtein... I need to contact her immediately. An adopted daughter? That woman shut herself away in grief after losing her child. What is she plotting now?
Victor's marriage had fallen into Genevieve's peaceful life like a thunderbolt.
She couldn't simply sit back and watch.
If Lady Evershtein truly intended to meddle in the internal affairs of the House of Bayern, then Genevieve needed to meet her before the wedding and make a few things very clear.
The management of Bayern's household belonged to her.
And no one else.
After breakfast, Ibel decided to take a walk around the estate grounds to aid digestion.
Victor had to return immediately to his office due to work, but she wasn't the sort of fragile woman who couldn't walk around by herself.
Not that she was entirely alone.
“I'm Dawson, the head gardener. It's a pleasure to meet you, milady.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
Removing his worn straw hat, Dawson revealed himself to be a middle-aged man with a thick beard.
The deep wrinkles around his eyes spoke of a man who smiled often.
Following him, Ibel toured several fruit trees—peach, apple, and lemon.
All of them were healthy and thriving, without a trace of insect damage.
There was even a small vegetable garden nearby.
Beside it stood a rabbit hutch.
The vegetables grown there were apparently fed directly to the rabbits.
“His Grace instructed that, whatever the case, the estate should be capable of supporting itself. If we walk a bit farther, you'll find the vineyard. I manage that as well.”
“You handle all of that by yourself?”
“I've got a few helpers. During the busy seasons, we hire workers from the village.”
Naturally.
No one could possibly manage all of that alone.
Whoosh—
A distant breeze swept across the vineyard, rustling the grape leaves.
Beneath them hung healthy summer grapes, shining with life as they awaited autumn ripening.
Sunlight pressed gently against her eyelids.
Even that felt pleasant.
Surrounded by the fragrance of wildflowers and grapes, she found herself unexpectedly happy.
“Um... my daughter told me. About how you protected her when the young masters played another cruel prank...”
At that moment, Dawson spoke hesitantly.
Then he lowered his head deeply.
“Thank you. Eloy is my only daughter. When I heard what happened, I was truly grateful.”
“All parents feel the same way. I simply did what I could.”
So Eloy is Dawson's daughter.
Storing the new information away, Ibel continued her leisurely stroll through the vineyard.
What happened yesterday had been accidental.
But if the rumors spreading among the servants were favorable...
Winning their support might not be difficult at all.
The incident occurred just as she was returning to the mansion after her walk.
“Young Master, please stop and come inside— AAH!”
“Grrrrrrrr!”
Hearing a commotion near the entrance, Ibel looked over—
And witnessed a mud-covered boy sinking his teeth into a servant's arm.
Fortunately, the servant was wearing a thick leather arm guard, likely because this was not the first time such a thing had happened.
“Catch the Second Young Master!”
“Don't let him get away!”
