“We’re considering several possibilities. It happened during the king’s birthday celebration. I remember attending it myself. I left early, so I only heard about what happened afterward... but that’s when the incident supposedly took place.”
To the west lay France, and to the east, Richter.
The two nations shared a border.
Richter’s southern region stretched diagonally across the continent, with the Grand Duchy of Bavaria directly adjoining France.
Both were great powers of the continent, and they had been locked in a battle of pride for generations.
Their national temperaments could not have been more different, and despite being neighbors, they spoke entirely different languages. That was likely the root of the problem.
“So I’ll be attending the party as well?”
“Yes. This time, you’ll be accompanying me.”
“I want to help somehow. If there’s anything I can do. Maybe stay until the end of the party and stop the incident before it happens.”
At her words, Victor conveyed his gratitude with nothing more than a glance.
“As I recall, the French king’s position was this: it was merely the result of drunkenness, and Richter’s king lacked generosity. In fact, it was France that had been insulted.”
“Hah.”
“But no one who truly knows the French king would believe that. He planned it from the beginning. Even now, France is probably preparing for war beneath the surface.”
His tone remained casual, but Victor’s thoughts were anything but.
If he were to plant a specially trained intelligence agent in France, where would be the best place?
How could they uncover proof that France was preparing for war?
And even if they found evidence, would Richter’s king believe it and make preparations?
The current royal family of Richter was rotten to the core.
To be honest, Victor sometimes felt it would be better if every last one of them simply disappeared.
But there was no heir.
If the royal family collapsed, the nation would descend into chaos.
Nor could Bavaria simply separate itself and ignore the matter.
France would inevitably march across Bavarian land when war came.
“...But the party is still a long way off. For now, it would be best to settle matters at home first. Ah, we’ve arrived.”
“Is this Bavaria?”
“It is.”
A faint smile appeared on Victor’s lips.
Through the open carriage window drifted the sweet scent of peaches.
As Yvel admired the peach trees planted along the outskirts of the territory, her gaze soon settled upon an old church, drawing a quiet gasp of admiration.
The people looked relaxed and peaceful.
Even the children’s faces were free of dirt and hunger.
That alone meant the people had enough to eat.
In other words, Victor and his administrators genuinely cared about the lives of their subjects.
Yvel found herself liking this atmosphere of unforced tranquility.
“This is the estate.”
After passing through a gate marked as private property and traveling some distance farther, a grand mansion came into view.
Its walls were covered in white and blue tiles.
Servants stood lined up before it.
My name is Yvel Eberstein.
Before stepping down from the carriage, Yvel silently repeated her new surname several times.
Just doing so made it feel as though the axis of her future had shifted entirely.
“The master has returned!”
Willen, the butler who had served the Bavarian Grand Ducal household for many years, raised his voice while standing with his hands clasped behind his back.
At once, the assembled servants bowed in unison.
Everyone present already knew through the butler that the future mistress of the house would be arriving alongside their master today.
Who in the world is she to make the master decide on marriage so suddenly?
She must be the lady from the newspaper, right?
What family does she belong to...?
Do you think she’s beautiful?
Honestly, the entire situation was shockingly abrupt.
Normally, rumors about a noble marriage candidate would circulate long before anything became official.
After all, noble families could hardly hide their names.
Yet there had been no formal visits with chaperones.
No matchmaker.
No mention of her family at all.
From the servants’ perspective, they knew absolutely nothing about the woman who would soon hold their lives in her hands.
At the very least, they needed to know her tastes.
Difficult mistresses were common enough.
Then—
“Careful.”
“Thank you.”
A voice as calm as moonlight on still water drifted into everyone’s ears.
The faint rustling of skirts followed.
The moment the lord and lady entered through the front doors, the servants immediately lifted their heads and stared at their backs.
“Welcome. I am Willen, the butler who has served the Bavarian Grand Ducal House for many years. I look forward to learning from you in the future.”
“Learning from me? I’m the one who has much to learn. Please take care of me as well.”
“Your kindness is appreciated. For now, a room has been prepared for you on the second floor. It receives wonderful sunlight. I hope it pleases you.”
The servants were already stunned.
The butler—a figure they all regarded with equal parts fear and respect—was smiling from ear to ear.
But then they noticed something else.
Their master and his future wife were holding hands.
Tightly.
The servants nearly screamed without making a sound.
The Grand Duke is holding her hand!
And he won’t let go!
I never thought I’d live long enough to witness His Grace in love!
Among all forms of entertainment in a noble household, nothing surpassed the private life of one’s master.
Victor had never once brought a lady to the estate before.
The servants’ curiosity skyrocketed.
Not even the butler’s stern glare could suppress it.
“Oh my! Victor, you’re already here!”
At that moment, Genevieve appeared, descending the stairs with one hand on the railing.
“Aunt.”
“You must have had a difficult journey again. So, is this the young lady you’ve been seeing? Which family does she belong to?”
Moving at a leisurely pace, Genevieve greeted the pair with a strained smile after taking note of the servants’ increasingly positive reactions.
Naturally, she did not forget to begin her interrogation.
But the moment Yvel finished introducing herself, Victor stepped forward.
“She’s feeling carsick after the long carriage ride. Perhaps the details can wait until she’s rested. We can discuss everything over dinner. This isn’t exactly the proper place for a lengthy conversation.”
Something was clearly wrong with Victor.
It was obvious.
The man was completely intoxicated by his first experience with love.
Genevieve clenched her fists out of sight and decided to retreat for now.
The woman Victor had brought...
Well, she was absurdly beautiful on the outside, but her personality seemed modest enough.
Perhaps she wasn’t much of a threat.
“Ah, of course! Look at me. I was simply so surprised. You understand, don’t you?”
“Where are the children?”
Ignoring Genevieve’s attempt at conversation, Victor slowly swept his gaze across the room.
The faces he expected to see were nowhere to be found.
No small heads peeking out from behind flower vases.
No feet sticking out from behind curtains.
They had apparently run off somewhere.
Before he could dismiss it as unimportant, Genevieve immediately launched into a complaint.
“Honestly, even Anselm has become troublesome lately. He ignores everything I say! Just a few days ago—”
“So where are they?”
Cutting off her lament, Victor rubbed a hand over his face, exhaustion evident in the gesture.
Pouting, Genevieve pointed toward the upper floor.
“You know the room at the far end of the second floor? I locked Damian in there. He needed punishment. As for Anselm, he said he’d come, but since he hasn’t shown up, that child clearly needs discipline too.”
“I understand. Then I’ll see you at dinner.”
Having grasped the situation, Victor offered only a curt response before guiding Yvel upstairs.
There were far too many ears and mouths around.
He could not allow Yvel to continue treating Genevieve with unnecessary respect.
That was precisely why he had brought her here.
From now on, the servants needed to understand that Yvel ranked above Genevieve.
Intervening earlier had been the most natural way to establish that fact.
“She seemed like the daughter of some powerful family, didn’t she?”
“Mhm, I thought so too! Somehow her aura felt similar to His Grace’s.”
“You thought that too? So did I! There was something alike about them.”
As soon as the masters disappeared from sight, the younger maids immediately began chattering.
Only after the butler cleared his throat did silence return.
The servants dispersed in small groups to resume their duties.
All the while, they envied Eloy—the maid chosen to become the future mistress’s personal attendant and serve by her side every day.
