Chapter 41

The next day, I sat in my office as usual and stamped the duchess’s seal on the last document.  

“Phew.”  

That was the end of the urgent work. Normally, I divided my tasks between morning and afternoon, but since I finished quickly today, the morning workload should be enough for a while.  

Adel was busy every day, training in swordsmanship in the mornings and studying with his tutor in the afternoons in preparation for entering Dragonia Academy. Roana was also immersed in training with the knights, so no one would come looking for me in the afternoons.  

In other words, the entire afternoon was free for me to use as I pleased.  

I quickly tidied up my desk and moved to the sitting area. I was expecting a guest.  

Just as Annie set down a pot of tea before me, someone knocked at the door.  

Knock, knock.

“Come in.”  

“I was told you wished to see me.”  

I had cleared my afternoon schedule to act on the resolution I made last night.  

The problem, however, was that I knew very little about Lady Kate—the former duchess, my mother-in-law.  

‘Come to think of it, isn’t finding the first clue to a problem always Van’s specialty?’

At that thought, I gestured for him to sit. My dependable ally and head butler, Van—who knew everything about the ducal household—sat down across from me with a warm laugh.  

“I feel guilty for always asking you these things, but there’s really no one else I can turn to.”  

There was no point in delaying. As I toyed with my teacup and began to speak, Van asked eagerly, as though waiting for me.  

“What is it you’re curious about this time?”  

“This time it’s about Ka—”  

“You wish to know about the Duke, don’t you?”  

“…?”  

Van, seemingly unaware he had cut me off, leaned forward, eyes shining with excitement.  

“If Lady Chacha wishes, I can tell you everything—from his childhood stories to his favorite teas and desserts!”  

“Uh… what?”  

Van declared with such passion that I instinctively recoiled in surprise.  

“The Duke is—”  

“W-wait a moment.”  

It was painfully obvious what he was expecting. Before he could launch into an endless flood of Nine’s information, I quickly stopped him.  

“What I meant to ask about was Lady Kate.”  

“…Pardon?”  

“Lady Kate, the former duchess.”  

A brief silence fell between us. Then, realizing his mistake, Van coughed awkwardly.  

“Ahem, Lady Kate, you say?”  

“Yes. If possible, I’d like to hear her story—from the day she married into this house up until now.”  

His embarrassment faded quickly. Adjusting his monocle, Van straightened and gazed off into the distance, his eyes filled with recollection. I calmly sipped my tea, waiting for him to continue.  

Van’s account was more or less what I had expected.  

“Lady Kate was the daughter of a wealthy and illustrious southern count.”  

The reason she had come all the way to the harsh northern lands, where she had no ties, was an arranged marriage to Milo, the former duke.  

Raised in the warmth and splendor of the South, she struggled to adjust to the northern cold and the unfamiliar customs of her new home.  

What’s more, she had received little training, so she failed to fulfill her duties as duchess for quite some time. Naturally, the eyes turned toward her were less than kind.  

Given her gentle heart, it was no wonder Kate shrank beneath the weight of such disapproval.  

“But Duke Milo, who fell in love with her at first sight, devoted himself to her with all his heart.”  

It was thanks to his tireless affection that Kate eventually adjusted to life in the North.  

Awkward though he was, his sincerity touched her, and in time she opened her heart to him and embraced her role as duchess.  

Van’s expression softened as if he himself were reliving those happy days.  

“As the years passed, Lady Kate became indispensable to the North. Everyone found comfort in her warmth.”  

She bore a healthy daughter and son, basking in her husband’s love. Then she conceived once more. Surely those were the happiest days of her life.  

Had that happiness continued, I wouldn’t be here now, asking Van to tell me this story.  

“To Lady Kate, the duke must have filled an enormous place in her heart.”  

I didn’t need to hear the rest to know what came after.  

Not long after Adel’s birth, she received news of her husband’s death. The shock shattered her, and she shut herself away once more.  

To her, Duke Milo had been an anchor.  

‘But then, what of the children?*’ 

Roana, Nine, Adel—were none of them able to serve as her anchor?  

I was lost in thought when Van’s voice broke through.  

“Perhaps the one who would understand your feelings best, Lady Chacha, is none other than Lady Kate.”  

“…”  

At his words, a bitter smile tugged at my lips.  

Certainly, there were similarities between her and me. Both of us had come to the North without ties. Both had faced unkind gazes.  

‘But the difference is far too great. ‘ 

I concealed my bitterness, asked Van a few more questions about Kate’s preferences, and then dismissed him.  

The weight on my shoulders grew heavier. Leaning back against the sofa, I stared blankly at the ceiling.  

“This isn’t something that can be solved overnight…”  

***

By the time lunch ended, I still hadn’t come up with a way to help Kate.  

The situation was unlike before. With Adel, all I had to do was fill in his missing pieces. With Roana, the problem had been solved almost by accident when I challenged her to a duel.  

But Kate was different. I could not fill her emptiness, nor could I drag her out of her shell by force.  

After all, there’s no such thing as a clever trick to change someone’s heart.  

I decided to stop searching for a perfect solution and instead do what I could.  

If her heart’s door was firmly shut, then I would keep knocking until it opened. That was all I could do.  

‘At the very least, I need to help her step outside her room.’ 

Someone depressed and locked away alone would only worsen in body and mind.  

But there was another problem.  

‘Next week the preparations for the social season begin…’

Of all times, it had to overlap with the social season—a duty I couldn’t avoid. The timing couldn’t have been worse.  

‘Hmm… for now, I should find out how she usually spends her days.’

Come to think of it, every time I’d met Kate, it had been at night. And at night, in her sleepwalking state, conversation was impossible. In truth, I had never really spoken with her.  

I didn’t know how she was during the day, but perhaps she was more lucid then?  

Since she so rarely left her room, even the servants had nothing to report. I would have to check for myself.  

I headed straight to her chambers. The maid standing outside looked startled at my approach, clearly not expecting me.  

She was about Van’s age, and I addressed her politely.  

“I’d like to share a cup of tea with Lady Kate. Could you let her know?”  

The elderly maid looked surprised again but quickly composed herself, then knocked lightly at the door.  

“Lady Kate, the duchess has come to see you.”  

It seemed even her own maid wasn’t permitted to enter the room.  

If it were me, Annie would’ve already knocked and come in to check on me had I stayed in my room this long. But this maid had simply stood guard outside, waiting.  

‘So she won’t even allow her maid to see her…’

If this maid had served her since Duke Milo’s time, then Kate was refusing even those who had been with her the longest.  

“Lady Kate.”  

The maid called once more, but no reply came from within. 

Looking unsurprised, she turned to me with an apologetic expression.  

“I’m sorry, my lady. I believe she may be taking a nap.”  

“It’s all right. I should’ve sent word ahead.”  

I hadn’t expected things to go smoothly, but still, my first attempt had failed completely.  

I handed the maid some treats Kate was said to enjoy, along with a letter I had written myself.  

‘There’s still time before the divorce. No need to rush—forcing it won’t solve anything.’ 

After all, I was an unexpected daughter-in-law. It would take more time and effort than with anyone else.  

At least now I knew it was difficult to speak with her even in the daytime.  

As expected, Kate’s avoidance of people was severe. It seemed best to begin gently—with letters.  

‘Yes. Writing those letters in advance was the right choice.’ 

If I kept knocking at her heart through written words, then perhaps before I left this place, she would at least agree to meet me.  

Smiling faintly, I accepted the beginning of what would surely be a long wait.  

“Please tell her I hope we can share tea together next time.”