I Was Happy to Be Dumped by My Fiancé, But Something Seems Off - Episode 41

Five days had already passed since I began assisting my father with his work in place of my severely injured brother. Though I was astonished by the volume of petitions sent from the territory, the steward explained that various circumstances had caused administrative duties to fall behind before five days ago. Accepting this explanation, I started by organizing the petitions.

I read each one, summarized the contents concisely, and after finishing all the petitions, handed the summarized documents to my father. It was the first time I had personally delivered paperwork to my father in his office. Though I had been summoned many times before to discuss matters.

On this fifth day, the tasks involved calculating the cost and duration for repairing a bridge in the territory, determining how to return benefits to the residents due to higher-than-usual income from a bumper crop of the specialty apples, and dealing with my paternal grandparents living in the territory.

Upon hearing about the recent commotion, they rushed to the main residence and immediately demanded that my father save Agnes. Unlike Bertina, who was dumbfounded, my father seemed to understand and calmly refused, sending the former lord and his wife away.

Bertina was indignant, insisting he should have been angrier, but my father remained composed, shaking his head and saying it was pointless.

“Those two originally wanted a daughter. They only wanted a son for the sake of an heir, but they doted excessively on their daughter Agnes.”

“Tracing it back, wouldn’t you say Grandfather and Grandmother are the reason Aunt Agnes became so arrogant?”

“Perhaps.”

Argent said something surprising.

“The former lord and his wife don’t seem to be under a charm.”

After staring intently at the clamoring former couple, Argent stated that they showed no symptoms of being charmed. Bertina and my father were surprised but not particularly shocked. They realized the favoritism toward Agnes wasn’t due to a charm but came from their genuine feelings.

However, my father seemed somewhat relieved. If the reason for all the cold treatment he’d endured had been due to a charm, his feelings would have been terribly complicated. Knowing it was their true feelings made it easier to cut ties without reservation.

When Argent whispered to Bertina that he had played a trick on the departing former couple, she didn’t scold him but instead smirked defiantly and poked his cheek with her finger.

On the journey back to the territory, there were almost no places to stop. They would be trapped in an inescapable carriage, forced to endure stomach troubles until they reached their estate.

As a duke with immense pride, the two would absolutely never allow themselves to make such an indiscretion, he predicted.

But since the outcome, whatever it might be, was none of our concern, he said no report was necessary.

“Yes. I’ll take this to Father.”

Carrying the summarized documents, I headed to my father’s office. Inside, my father was silently signing papers with a well-worn pen, the steward by his side. And, Milaria fluttering around and around my father.

Once before, I had asked my father why he didn’t go to my mother, whose mind had collapsed. Though he seemed hesitant to say, he told me what he thought might be the reason.

As a baby, Bertina was frail and prone to falling ill if left unattended. Having lost one twin and fearing that if the surviving one died too, my mother wouldn’t be able to bear it, he actively cared for Bertina. During that time, he tried to forget about Milaria and bury his grief.

Whenever he tried to discuss it, my mother would refuse using Bertina as an excuse or start crying, making conversation impossible. To protect my mother’s mental state, he stopped bringing up Milaria. He had resolved to talk thoroughly if my mother ever mentioned Milaria’s name herself, but due to Agnes’s charm, that became an impossible dream.

Even if he wanted to help my father, who remembered him, he couldn’t muster the will to help my mother, who had forgotten him.

Thinking that, it seemed very human, and very like his twin sister.

“Well done.”

After checking through the documents, my father looked up and announced he would be going to the royal castle.

“A summons has come from His Majesty. I’ll take the steward with me, so I’d like you, Bertina, to hold down the fort here.”

“Understood. Has a verdict already been reached in the deliberations concerning Aunt and Uncle?”

“It won’t conclude that quickly. The other party is the Moldio ducal house. They are likely still in the midst of careful discussions.”

Based on the testimony and evidence from the high priest managing the Grand Cathedral, and the submitted interrogation records of the couple, deliberations were still ongoing.

However, my father’s opinion was that they probably wouldn’t avoid confiscation of their property and territory.

“I wonder which noble house would be chosen if it falls to managing the Moldio territory.”

“The royal family might manage it directly. If that happens, there will surely be some who make a fuss.”

“Like the Spade ducal house, perhaps?”

“Yes.”

The Spade Duke, who wanted his daughter to become crown princess and then queen, was an ambitious man. It seemed he was fully intent on interfering with the royal family once a child was born. Now that his scheme had failed, he was pretending to be docile while constantly watching for an opportunity.

If the Spade Duke tried to make a move regarding the territory, my father said the royal family had a card up their sleeve to keep him in check.

“A card?”

“It seems Lady Inanna informed His Majesty.”

“Some misdeed that can never be made public…?”

“Nothing that grand. The Spade ducal house itself holds no influence. But it’s something that could deal a significant blow to the Duke himself.”

Curious about what kind of information they had, I asked, but it turned out even my father didn’t know the details.

Still curious, Bertina left the office and returned to her private room, where she happened to see Argent bringing tea.

“Smells wonderful.”

“I just brewed it. Let’s take a break.”

“Yes.”

Accepting the mug from Argent, she sat on the sofa. He sat beside her, and after blowing on it a few times, she took a sip.

“Delicious.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Father and the steward are going to the castle later, so we’re on guard duty.”

“Did you have plans to go out?”

“No! Hey, Argent.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you think too much has happened since the crown prince broke off our engagement? At first, I decided that since he dumped me, I’d just quickly leave this house behind. But somehow, I’m still here, and it feels strange.”

“Then let’s just leave quickly.”

Even as he said this, Argent knew Bertina wouldn’t actually go.

Bertina shook her head lightly. She couldn’t bring herself to abandon everything and leave now. If she were to leave, it would be after her brother’s injury fully healed.

That’s what she wanted to say, but…

“Even if Brother’s injury heals completely, I can only picture an uncertain future.”

“Me too.”

Three days ago, upon hearing that Bianco, who had been unconscious, had awoken, Bertina rushed to the hospital with Argent in place of her father. His body and face were covered in bandages, enveloped in a strong medicinal smell.

His bandaged appearance aside, his consciousness was clear, there were no issues with his bones, and the rest depended on his own healing ability, according to the doctor’s assessment. The moment the doctor finished the examination and left the room, Bianco, who had been silent, suddenly started making a commotion.

‘Bertina, where’s Clarissa!? Where is Clarissa!?’

‘Clarissa is hospitalized in this same facility. Brother, do you have any awareness that your irresponsible actions have caused trouble for everyone around you?’

‘Irresponsible? Are you saying I should have refused Clarissa’s request!? This is why you have no charm!’

Even when she tried to suppress her irritation and explain that he should consider the time and place, it didn’t reach the excited Bianco at all. Annoyed, Bertina gripped his bandaged arm with all her strength.

Hearing Bianco’s scream, the doctor came running. She tossed him aside, took Argent, and returned to the estate. To her father, she only reported that he seemed surprisingly energetic for someone with his injuries.

“After seeing you helping the Duke, I started thinking.”

“About what?”

“Bertina. Don’t you intend to inherit the dukedom?”

Stunned by words she had never once considered, Bertina was at a loss for words.