“Deborah, sister, you did not need to shout about being a decorative wife in front of His Majesty…”
Inside the carriage returning to the capital mansion, my younger brother, Edil, still looked like he had a headache. Father was riding home on a horse because “small spaces make me restless,” so he was not sharing this space with us.
“It is fine. In the end, he gave the royal decree anyway. His Majesty was worried about his younger half-brother who is much younger, from a lower-ranked family, and keeps breaking off engagements, so it is all for the best! The Duke of Durtal is the richest man in this country, has many special regional products, and great tax revenue, so our family can receive those benefits too.”
“Sister, you think things through like that, but the problem is that your ‘read-the-room/decorative wife’ comments ruin everything…”
“Even if I told His Majesty that I love the Duke of Durtal, His Majesty is a sensible person and would have talked me out of it. Instead, telling them that I just want the money might make the conversation go smoother.”
“…Sister, are you really sure about this? The Duke of Durtal is rich, but he has a mistress, right? Because of that, he has broken off engagements many times.”
My brother and I checked the list of single nobles in the country together, yet he starts saying things like this now. Father and I decided in a split second: “If we are aiming, we go for the top!” A brother who is not a musclehead seems to have a hard time living. I wonder if he will go bald from overthinking.
“Well, everyone else besides him had pretty big problems too.”
“Well, I guess so.”
“What was it again? The person with a collection of dolls who talks to a different doll every day, or the person who likes whipping, or the person with strange sexual habits.”
“Sister, you do not have to say all of them.”
“Actually, an older person would have been nice. You know, if I care for them a little bit and they pass away peacefully.”
“If that happens, there is a chance the property will not be left to you, sister.”
“That is true~. So, as I thought, if we are aiming, we go for the top. The Duke is still young, so his financial support will last a long time.”
Edil let out a big sigh.
“I am not interested in romance or marriage. It would be sad if the Blanchard Count family fell into ruin before Edil inherits it. If I marry, draw out the money, and use it to rebuild our family, that is fine. The Duke has to marry someone eventually, so having a sensible wife like me should be an advantage. He can have as many mistresses as he wants, and I will never, ever say ‘please love only me,’ not even if the world turns upside down.”
“Sister, your confidence is amazing. You look like fragile, silver-haired beauty, but on the inside, you are just an unfortunate musclehead.”
“Did you say something?”
“No. Sister, I am grateful you are marrying for the sake of the Count family, but please do not push yourself. If you get bullied, come right back home.”
“Oh, it will be fine. If he bullies me and chases me away, that means he is going against the royal decree. You understand that much, right? If you do not understand, I can just make you understand, right?”
“Somehow… I should not think this, but I am starting to feel like you will be okay.”
“It will be fine, leave the money matters to your older sister.”
“You cannot even read documents, so why are you so full of confidence?”
Just like that, the royal decree was successfully issued, and the day I married into the Duke of Durtal’s family arrived quickly.
I rode in the carriage sent to pick me up and arrived at the Duke’s estate.
The Duke of Durtal’s mansion is much, much bigger than the Blanchard Count’s mansion. Can we hold an equestrian competition in this garden?
I was led into the mansion by a butler named Sebastian. From the looks of it, he is around forty years old. Judging by the atmosphere of Sebastian and the other servants, they do not seem to warmly welcome me, but they also do not look like they openly see me as a nuisance. Hmm, it is hard to tell.
“His Lordship is waiting here.”
“Oh, the Duke is at the mansion. I thought he was out.”
The fact that the Duke is in the mansion and did not come out to greet me is quite bad. This is the pattern where I am not welcome, but it seems he will at least meet me. That means—based on what my brother and I discussed, this is probably Pattern 2.
Beyond the open door was the Duke sitting on a magnificent single-seat sofa, and a beautiful woman wearing a very revealing dress was sitting on the armrest of the sofa.
Eh, making a woman sit in such an unstable place. If they want to be close, she should sit on his lap or they could squeeze together on the same seat. Or rather, what is wrong with this Duke? They should have just sat close together on a two-seater sofa from the beginning. Besides, the woman’s chest is almost showing. If she falls off the armrest, a slip is guaranteed. I am getting more nervous than she is.
Ah, I stared at the woman too much. I shifted my gaze to the Duke, who lacked presence compared to the woman.
Long, smooth blonde hair and blue eyes. A young, twenty-five-year-old Duke with a sharp atmosphere that somehow resembled His Majesty the King.
“Are you the daughter of the Silver Demon?”
“? My name is Deborah Blanchard.”
The Silver Demon? What is that? In this context, it must mean Father. But did Father have a nickname like that? Apparently, he laughed out loud on the battlefield and captured an enemy general as a prisoner this time, so did he get it recently? Ah, or maybe someone mistook Father’s hair color and build, “Silver Bear,” for a demon.
“To even bring out a royal decree for marriage. Both father and child are silver demons.”
I have the same silver hair as Father, but His Majesty the King is the one who gave me the choice of a marriage partner because we have no money. If the country had a ton of money, I would have just taken the cash and called it a day.
“Hah.”
“I will never love you. In the first place, I do not need a marriage partner. Having this Iris is enough for me.”
The beautiful, plump lady seems to be named Iris. The woman sitting on the armrest of the sofa smiled prettily at me, then reached out and touched the Duke intimately. Oh my, that sticky way of touching makes me nervous. Just stroking his arm exudes amazing allure.
“Yes, I am aware of that.”
Since it was well known that the Duke had a mistress, I nodded, and he narrowed his eyes. As expected, this was Pattern 2, just like my brother and I discussed. He is trying to chase me away.
“I just want money. The Duke must have a hard time with young ladies swarming you all the time, right? As long as I receive financial support, I will spend my days as an ‘air wife,’ so please flirt with that pretty lady over there as much as you like.”
“…Huh? An air wife?”
Eh? Did His Majesty not tell this person anything? Should I have written a letter in advance saying, “I aim to be an air wife, so please don’t worry, it will be fine”? Or is he bothered by the minor difference in expression between a decorative wife and an air wife? I am definitely rooting for the “air wife.” A wife like air who reads the room and knows her place!
“Yes, please give me the allowance as the Duchess. Shall we call it a dignity maintenance fee? As long as I receive that, I will read the room and become an obedient wife like air. I will never ask you to go to parties with me or ask you to love only me. The Duke has to marry someone eventually anyway, so you might as well settle for someone like me. It is a royal decree anyway, so His Majesty will not nag you if you just get married.”
Even if you look at me with such suspicious eyes, I have nothing more to give. I understand it was hard being popular, but the Duke is a bit full of himself. His mistress must have it hard too.
I looked at the mistress named Iris and smiled brightly. She blinked a few times and smiled back at me the same way. Her age is hard to tell, but she is probably older than me. I feel like I can get along better with this person than with the Duke.