Chapter 55. A Man Prostrates Before His Father-in-Law’s Fence Post If His Wife Is Beautiful

2023.11.24.

“This was made by us… I mean, if the people of Roxenhardt made and sold it, wouldn’t our finances improve a little?”

Yuan had observed the White Forest over time—it was barren and remote, with few visitors, making it rich in rare medicinal herbs.

Moreover, the green mint growing abundantly, nearly tripping over itself, was more than sufficient as an ingredient for cleaning solution.

In addition, after researching with Hille, she had added several other herbs, and these minor supplementary ingredients were also plentiful in the White Forest, if nowhere else.

Clade skimmed the neat handwriting, so similar to hers, with a subtle expression.

Judging by the numerous patches of white paper pasted over the original text, rewritten sections layered like rags, this was clearly no ordinary effort.

“Why are you giving this to me? Do you want me to tell you to go earn money by putting you to work?”

“No!”

“Then what?”

“Why would it be like that…? It’s absolutely not! I just wanted to help…”

“So, why?”

Why?

Clade wasn’t scolding her, nor was he angry.

Yuan struggled to interpret his low voice, so gently probing, trying to guess what answer he wanted—her head felt like it might burst.

Judging by how visibly reluctant he was to even utter each word in the phrase “put you to work to earn money,” was he perhaps uncomfortable with the idea of making her earn money?

Even though logically he should know she wouldn’t be doing the labor herself, but rather assigning the work?

‘It was the same before.’

When he asked why she endured suffering just to share his bed.

When he questioned why she worked so diligently on cleaning the West Pavilion, even though he never asked her to.

Each time, he had asked with that same expression.

Always that languid face, as if facing something tedious, yet somehow persistently waiting for a particular answer.

Yuan’s head spun, her eyes darting, until she focused on his gaze—those grape-flavored candy-like eyes—and answered.

Strangely, her mouth went dry. She had to swallow hard to suppress the urge to take that sweet, tangy-looking thing into her mouth and roll it around.

“I want Your Highness to be happy.”

“……”

“If Your Highness is happy, then I’m happy too.”

“……”

“Is that not a good enough reason?”

For some reason, a suffocating silence fell.

It was always like this when she was with him.

There were moments of peaceful silence, where just being together wordlessly felt like having everything.

And then there were these sudden, suffocating silences that made her wonder if her heart had somehow attached itself to her ears, prompting absurd thoughts.

Clade remained silent for a long while, then finally spoke just as Yuan’s heart felt ready to burst.

“I already said you could do anything.”

“Then…!”

“But the person in charge won’t be you—it’ll be Hille or that twig-headed kid.”

With that, Clade stood up.

“You’re allowing it?”

“Do I have to repeat myself? I said you can do anything.”

“As long as no one dies?”

When Yuan smiled brightly, Clade briefly frowned, then quickly reached out and lightly tousled her hair.

Stunned by the sudden gesture, Yuan stood frozen, wondering what had just passed between them.

By now, Clade had already strolled casually to the door and was waiting with it open.

“What are you doing?”

He had already created space for her to step out first.

“Let’s go for a walk.”

Yuan led Clade’s hand and stepped outside, feeling as if she were walking on clouds.

As the perfectly cleaned West Pavilion finally stood before them, glaringly radiant, Clade abruptly stopped just before reaching the entrance.

Yuan, who had let go of his hand to open the gate first, turned back in wide-eyed surprise upon realizing he hadn’t released her hand, then looked down at their still-joined hands before lifting her gaze to meet his.

And she watched the master of this estate—this part of the red-brick mansion once called “The Mansion”—quietly admire what they had reclaimed.

Between their still-joined palms, a sensation surged again—hot, tingling, like a tide rolling in and receding, strong enough to make her shiver once more.

****

One month later.

A brief article in the newspaper reported that the , distributed through the trading company operated by Marquis Rev, had become wildly popular throughout Euphris, even reaching the capital.

The rumor that this dull trading house, which usually maintained noble dignity by selling only moderately high-end goods, had suddenly hit it big with an unheard-of product like and was raking in gold was now inevitably making its way to the Pelliese mansion, located at the outskirts of the capital.

***

Count Gerret Pelliese was barely suppressing his anger amid the string of incoming news.

Not until he saw that the Marquis Rev Trading Company—previously operating lackluster businesses, incomparable in scale to his wife’s family business, the Pelt Trading Company (though now severed from any ties)—was sweeping in gold.

Or rather, not until he began to reasonably suspect that Yuan Pelliese was the one who had created this suddenly appearing .

“Impossible!”

Count Pelliese finally hurled the newspaper aside upon reading the part stating that noble families in the capital of Cielo were now flooding Marquis Rev’s company with requests to regularly supply them.

‘Yuan. Yuan Pelliese… It has to be Yuan Pelliese.’

Noble-run trading companies dealt only in exclusive valuables; they didn’t handle such trivial goods themselves, instead acquiring or investing in commoner-operated companies for such items.

Could the Marquis Rev family really be selling such a product—however profitable—without Yuan Pelliese’s involvement?

‘When did that proud Marquis Rev family ever research and make a medicine like this? Nonsense!’

Furious, Gerret Pelliese gulped down cold water repeatedly, then stomped on the discarded newspaper as he paced in circles around the parlor, suddenly glaring at a letter Priscilla was happily reading.

It was the reply confirming that the Marquis Rev family and the monstrous Crown Prince willingly accepted his excessive dowry demands.

“Why on earth did they agree to all of this?”

These were the very items Gerret Pelliese had confidently listed, thinking to himself, ‘Even if a national beauty came as a bride, they couldn’t possibly offer more than this, no.’

Naturally, the groom’s side should have sent someone to negotiate, claiming the demands were excessive. Count Pelliese had been fully prepared to stubbornly demand that if they couldn’t meet this dowry, they should return Yuan and grant a divorce.

“A man prostrates before his father-in-law’s fence post if his wife is beautiful, right?”

Priscilla replied contentedly, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

Since Yuan left, the storerooms, which had been draining as if cursed, were now packed full. She had temporarily stopped pressuring her husband or humiliating herself by borrowing money from her娘家, the Pelt Trading Company, using the name of the First Prince Bollonico.

Seeing his wife laugh so brightly despite the bitterness still burning inside him, Count Pelliese sneered immediately.

“Oh, so that’s it—Yuan was that stunning, is that what you’re saying?”

“She’s presentable enough. Sure, she’s gloomy and always frowning, but fairly… You always bragged about using your decent looks to entertain guests, didn’t you?”

“So what? Are you saying the monstrous Crown Prince has now stopped his mad antics in public and settled down with Yuan?”

“Men and women are always like that, aren’t they? If everything were predictable, who would enjoy reading novels or plays? Look at us. You, a nobleman with no title, and me, the daughter of a wealthy merchant—we met, married, and now we’re making money and holding a title. Who knows? Maybe that timid girl Yuan behaves like a centuries-old fox in front of men. Remember how she fled without looking back, desperate to save herself? That ungrateful wretch.”

“The Crown Prince was once engaged to Her Highness Ariesta! Can’t you imagine how discerning his taste must be? And what about all those girls who entered that ominous mansion and met misfortune? Do you think the Imperial Family sent just anyone? He has standards!”

“Anyway, now that it’s happened, we should be grateful. Don’t you see how much easier our breathing has become thanks to this dowry? It’s a thousand times better than getting nothing at all.”

Priscilla smiled smugly, admiring the rings glittering on her fingers.

The gold that poured in as Yuan left—perhaps she had cursed them as she departed—had arrived just as their family’s fortunes were declining.

At this point, she was even considering pretending to forgive her husband’s nephew, who had selfishly abandoned the household and left a gap in their workforce.

“Regina’s relationship with His Highness the First Prince is going well. Frederic is about to graduate from the military academy. Now that our storerooms are fully stocked, we should use this to prepare a dowry to present to the Imperial Family when Regina marries.”

“You’re still dreaming such foolish dreams?”

Count Pelliese scowled deeply and scoffed as if she were pathetic.

It was true—the absurd dowry had indeed eased their financial strain.

He no longer had to see his wife constantly contacting her troublesome in-laws. He could now pay more attention to Regina’s debutante ball. He wouldn’t have to pull his eldest son, who was at least passable with a sword, out of the expensive military academy midway.

Moreover, he could now proudly show powerful nobles who demanded immediate research results on profitable medicines: “Your money is in good hands—I’m not wasting it.”

How fortunate.

But what he truly desired wasn’t the gold right before his eyes, but the goose that laid the golden eggs—Yuan Pelliese.

As long as Yuan remained confined in the side chamber, everything would be within his grasp.

The gold to marry Regina to a suitable man from a suitable family—one who could bring a territory as a groom’s dowry.

The gold to support Frederic after his military academy graduation, when he officially received his knighthood, and later, when he became the next Count Pelliese, to bring in a noble daughter—again, one who could bring even a small territory as her bride’s dowry.

With Yuan under his control, such impossible dreams wouldn’t be so far-fetched.