Chapter 189: Enter the In-Laws
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 189: Enter the In-Laws
A frantic week had passed.
Instead of facing execution, Meisel had been disowned by her family and sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor in the waste mines.
“Just between us, some people say it’s better to die than to work there,” Cecilia remarked, clicking her tongue. She added that, compared to those mines, a monastery might as well be a summer villa.
Word was that Countess Arbor had left the estate and returned to her maiden home. This was a bit of gossip Reta had whispered to me, mentioning that the servants of the Arbor household were spreading the news far and wide. As for the Count, he was reportedly holed up in the mansion like a recluse, doing nothing but drinking.
My mind was troubled, but I didn't have the luxury of dwelling on Meisel any longer. I had a much more immediate problem right in front of me.
A hand adorned with jewels on every finger elegantly set down a teacup.
Countess Asellino.
She was the cousin of both the Emperor and the late Grand Duke of Blenheim, a godmother of high society once known as the "Dream Chaperone." In the original novel, she was the one who acted as the chaperone for the heroine, Constine, during her debut at the imperial ball, effectively putting the Empress in her place. And now, that very woman was sitting across from me, sipping tea.
In the original story, she wasn't supposed to make her appearance until the imperial ball in late autumn.
‘Isn't she supposed to be in seclusion at her estate right now?’
As far as I knew, she hadn't shown her face to the world until she returned to society to help Constine.
‘So why is she here in Blenheim now?’
– “Annette, it seems we will be receiving a guest soon.”
Last night, Loik had shown me a letter from Countess Asellino.
– “She says she’s coming to see us all of a sudden.”
The letter was a notification, thinly veiled in polite language, stating that she intended to stop by Blenheim during her travels and expected to stay for a few days.
– “Annette, if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll find a way to refuse her.”
– “Why would I be uncomfortable?”
– “Well, I heard that the noblewomen of the family often make things difficult for the wife...”
Apparently, the vassals who happened to be in a meeting when the news of the Countess’s visit arrived had dropped a few warnings about the "in-law experience."
– “You don’t need to worry so much. Besides, she’s your family, Loik. I want to treat her well.”
– “She is not family,” Loik said firmly. “I haven't seen her face since I was a child... and I have no idea what her ulterior motives are for coming here. So, there’s no need for you to go out of your way to be kind to her.”
Anyway...
Loik had gently taken my hand.
– “In this world, Annette, you are my only family.”
Family.
Hearing that word made my heart feel soft and warm.
– “For me, too... Loik, you’re my only real family.”
The moment I said that, Loik couldn't contain himself and began undressing me right then and there. My cheeks flushed as I recalled the sensation of his firm, muscular waist moving fluidly above me all night long.
‘Right, it’s not like the Countess raised Loik or anything...’
Was she the daughter of the late Empress’s older sister? At that distance, she was practically a stranger. There was no need to feel pressured.
‘I’ll just think of it as hosting a guest for a short while.’
However, the Countess seemed to have a different idea. She scrutinized me from head to toe with sharp eyes, as if she were my mother-in-law herself. It felt like she was searching for any possible excuse to find fault with me.
To make matters worse, the Countess arrived at the Grand Duke's Castle the very day after her letter arrived. Naturally, nothing was prepared for a proper reception.
‘Did she barge in like this on purpose to judge how I handle guests?’
The Countess’s eyes swept over every corner of the drawing room, and she watched the movements of the butler and the maids with obsessive intensity.
“Does the Grand Duke often leave the castle?” the Countess asked, staring at me intently.
“The monster activity season is approaching, so there is much to prepare. He should be back by evening.”
At the mention of "monsters," her thinly drawn eyebrows twitched. If Loik had known the Countess was arriving today, he wouldn't have left the castle.
‘She definitely has an ulterior motive for this visit.’
After all, a distant relative who was practically an aunt wouldn't just show up out of the blue because she suddenly missed him.
The Countess kept her mouth shut tight like a clam. It was a situation where I should have stepped in to lighten the mood, but my long-honed intuition warned me that trying to strike up a conversation now would only backfire.
‘I’ll just give a brief greeting and excuse myself.’
I was just picking the right words when I heard a sharp knock.
‘That must be Cecilia.’
I was about to give her permission to enter. But Cecilia, as usual, swung the door wide open and stepped inside, only to freeze when she spotted the Countess.
“Who is that child?”
The Countess’s face turned cold as she set her teacup down with a sharp clack.
Ugh, Cecilia. Couldn't you have waited just a few more seconds?
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize there was a guest.”
At Cecilia’s flustered reply, the Countess spoke in a voice laced with anger.
“Who gave you permission to speak?”
“I apologize on behalf of my maid for her rudeness.”
The Countess frowned at my apology.
“Maid? Are you saying that a maid of the Grand Duchess has such abysmal etiquette?”
The atmosphere in the drawing room instantly turned frigid.
“To barge in like a common street ruffian... one would think she was the one in charge here.”
“I called for her in a hurry to prepare for your arrival, Countess. It seems my maid made a mistake in her haste.”
“Are you suggesting, Grand Duchess, that her rudeness is ultimately my fault?”
I knew I should bow my head further, but for some reason, I didn't want to. Where had the subservient slave mentality that had been ingrained in my very bones gone?
“I only ask that you look upon her mistake with leniency.”
I was forcing out the words of apology when she spoke again.
“How do you intend to punish her?” the Countess asked, watching me closely. “A maid who doesn't even know basic etiquette must be properly disciplined.”
Honestly, I didn't care if she was an elder. Why was she telling me whether or not to punish my maid? Especially when she was the one who rudely barged into someone else's castle without warning.
It was true that Cecilia was naturally impulsive and often acted without thinking. I had heard that even her mother, Lady Terito, scolded her constantly but couldn't fix it.
– “It’s not my place to say, but since she was a child, more than a few etiquette teachers have thrown up their hands and run away. I am so grateful that Her Highness the Consort looks upon that child with such a generous heart...”
In truth, my own etiquette wasn't exactly stellar, so I couldn't help but be lenient with Cecilia. Though even I, with my limited knowledge, could see that Cecilia’s manners were a mess.
“It seems you have never properly punished her before,” the Countess said, narrowing her eyes when I didn't immediately respond. “Issue a Silence Order for one week.”
“...A Silence Order?”
Did she mean I should forbid her from speaking?
“I’ve tried many things, but this is the most effective,” the Countess said, as if lecturing me. “If she is a maid who knows shame, she will be too embarrassed to ever make the same mistake again.”
Hearing that, I could guess the reasoning behind a Silence Order. The frustration of not being able to speak was one thing, but every time someone spoke to her, she would have to suffer the ordeal of explaining why she couldn't answer. Everyone she met would know she was being punished. If she encountered someone of high status, she might even be scolded further for the "disrespect" of not speaking.
Ultimately, the goal was to use her silence to spread the word of her failure and humiliate her.
The Countess tilted her chin up, as if waiting to see how I would react. But a Silence Order felt far too inhumane. Besides, forbidding her from speaking? Cecilia had so much work to do.
Cecilia was trembling at the disaster she had caused.
Loik had said that I was his only family.
‘I’m giving up on getting along with the Countess.’
“With all due respect, Countess, how does remaining silent help educate my maid?”
“You’ll see once you try it,” the Countess said, her eyes thinning. “Within half a day, the news of what she did wrong will spread throughout the entire castle.”
“But I have no desire to humiliate my maid by broadcasting her mistake.”
“That is precisely why it is a punishment.” The Countess grimaced in disapproval. “The mistress of a house must know how to dispense proper discipline. I heard the Grand Duchess of Blenheim was famous for her generosity, but if you continue to be so lax, the discipline of this household will fall apart in no time.”
“I appreciate your concern, but every household has a different mistress with different circumstances.”
This is my castle; why are you trying to tell me how to run it?
“Even if a punishment is necessary, I believe it should be done in my own way.”
One corner of the Countess’s mouth curled up in a twisted smirk.
“Then I would like to hear what the Grand Duchess’s way is. How will you punish your maid?”
At those words, I pondered for a moment before turning to Cecilia.
“Do you know what you did wrong?”
“I am truly sorry. I will be careful to never let this happen again,” Cecilia said, her hands tightly clasped.
“Then, as a sign of your reflection, you shall stay by the Countess’s side and receive her teachings for the duration of her stay.”
“What is the meaning of this?” the Countess demanded, her anger flaring. “Are you... are you saying that receiving my guidance is a punishment for a maid?”