Selected as the New Stepmother - Chapter 53

Uneventful days were passing. The Duke was busy with the management of the territory and affairs of the Artenbach family, and I was also busy looking for talent.

We exchanged conversations about how to proceed with the wedding and where to go for the honeymoon when we ate meals or had tea together, but nothing had been clearly decided yet.

Ah, come to think of it, there was also an incident where Rublion was startled when the Duke asked what kind of proposal he would like to receive. It was cute to see him patting his chest with his small fist, asking why he would ask such a thing outright.

I fidgeted with the invitation sent by Baroness Tirel. I should try on the dress I had fitted last time too.

‘It feels somehow peaceful.’

The spring in Artenbach seems to make people serene.

The expressions of people coming and going in the shopping district were gentle, and the flowers along the street were in full bloom and beautiful.

The horses of the carriages were also full of energy. The streets were filled with the sound of children laughing.

“Young lady! Good news!”

Anna, who had gone on an errand, burst through the door of Black Swan. Startled, Ranson poked his head out from between the curtains of the workshop.

“What news could it be for you to be like this?”

Anna gulped down water, breathing heavily.

“A house has come up at the real estate office, and it seems the owner is offering it for rent at a very low price!”

“A house has come up? Where?”

“12 Helinga Street.”

“That’s close to here. It hasn’t been taken yet, right?”

“No! They said they’ve only told a few people so far, so if we’re interested, we should hurry to the office.”

Ranson, who had only been visible by his head, was now fully out. I hastily stood up, knocking over the books stacked on the desk. I quickly picked up only the books nearby and roughly put them back.

He approached and picked up the books meticulously.

“Thank you, Ranson. But I’ll be out for a moment.”

“Yes, have a safe trip.”

My heart was racing too much to properly express my gratitude. I rushed outside without even properly putting on my hat.

Anna walked ahead, relaying the words of the real estate manager. The price was much lower than I had thought. It was an amount worth considering even if the environment was just like the Black Swan workshop.

When we arrived at the real estate office, an employee was waiting outside. Upon seeing me, he said to wait a moment and went inside, then came out with the manager.

“I heard the story. It hasn’t been taken yet, right?”

“One person has gone to see it… Would you like to go now?”

“Yes.”

I followed the manager towards 12 Helinga Street. Turning into a street one block away from the main road where carriages pass, the smell of people living their lives wafted strongly.

“There, that’s the house.”

A row of houses with identical long windows up and down. The gap between neighboring houses was narrow enough for just one person to pass through, but unlike other residential areas, there were no homeless people staying there.

Knee-high fences uniquely divided the areas. In the small private spaces too small to be called yards, I saw a man sitting on a wooden chair smoking a cigarette and a woman stomping laundry in a tub of water.

The real estate manager greeted them warmly. It was fortunate that the atmosphere of the people here didn’t seem too bleak.

After looking around the house with the manager, I decided to contract it immediately. The two-story house had an ideal structure that could clearly separate living and working spaces.

“Ranson will like it too, right?”

Anna nodded vigorously in response to my question.

“If I could, I’d like to move in and live here myself!”

The small furnace and cooking stove were quite impressive. Though I’m not sure if Ranson will use them.

We stopped by the real estate office and signed the rental contract in Black Swan’s name. A big advantage was that the house was empty, so we could move in right away.

When I returned to the office with the contract, Ranson was sitting in the waiting room.

“Is your work finished?”

“I’ve applied varnish, so I’m waiting for it to dry.”

“Can I go see?”

“Yes.”

I had told him to act freely until a commission came in, and he had made a bunch of wooden animal models.

Entering the workshop, animal models were lined up in the shade under the window where potted plants were placed. As I got closer, there was a sour smell of oil.

‘How cute.’

From rabbit models half the size of a finger to what looked like a chicken coop, they were all gathered together. If there was a world of fairy tale animals, wouldn’t it have this kind of atmosphere?

“How did your outing go?”

Ranson, who had come inside, asked. I said let’s sit down and talk for a moment, and we went outside the workshop together.

“Ranson, I’ve finally found a house for you to stay in.”

“Ah…”

“I went to see it with Anna, and there’s a small yard and a kitchen too. Let’s go see it together when you have time.”

I’m not sure if he’ll like it, but finding such a house at that price was truly a stroke of luck.

“You found one earlier than expected.”

“Yes. It’s really fortunate, isn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

Anna was looking curiously at him, who responded glumly despite the good news. I could roughly guess why he was acting like this.

‘We need to be apart.’

He must have been lonely, coming here alone from his hometown. So he probably misunderstood my kindness.

“I was thinking of turning the Black Swan workshop into a shared workspace for affiliated artists. It seems a waste to use such a well-decorated place as a warehouse again.”

Ranson just nodded silently.

“It must have been uncomfortable, but you’ve endured well until now. I’ll come visit after you move.”

“Yes.”

I smiled brightly. I was satisfied that things were progressing smoothly in the direction I wanted.

I hoped this peace would continue.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Mother?”

Mabel, who was sitting at her vanity choosing earrings, frowned at the information brought by the family knight.

“Yes, the young Duke of Artenbach called the Baron’s daughter ‘mother’.”

“…So it wasn’t just the Duke who stabbed me in the back.”

She recalled the pink-haired woman she had seen at the car test drive. She had carelessly chattered about how the woman didn’t look like a man because it wasn’t to her taste.

“I clearly warned that it’s safest when she’s smiling, but…”

Crack.

A sharp sound was heard as the earring ornament broke. It was because she had gripped it tightly while holding it.

“Anything else?”

“Nothing yet.”

A widely smiling face with narrowly opened eyes was reflected in the vanity mirror. Mabel thought she looked quite beautiful like this.

“Troublesome, but an interesting young lady.”

The knight took a step back from her, who was muttering to herself in a way he couldn’t understand. From long experience, he knew that although she was smiling, she was intensely angry.

“Say, how many businesses does the Deli Baronial family operate?”

“There’s one office called Black Swan. When Baroness Deli was alive, it was a comprehensive arts institute, and after the Baroness’s death, it seemed to close due to poor management, but it appears to have revived recently.”

“Hmm.”

Mabel raised her hand in the air. Then she spread her long, straight fingers wide and held them up to the light.

“She only has a father for family, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“She must have lived relying only on her father, without a mother.”

She caressed her spread fingers with her other hand. The silver powder sprinkled on the back of her hand sparkled.

“The human mind is truly fragile. It crumbles just by lightly touching a sore spot.”

The smile that had filled her lips slowly disappeared. It seemed as if icy thorns might burst out from her entire body.

“For now… should I let it slide this once? Or would it be better to take action in my own way?”

“I will follow whatever is for the glory of Rumps.”

The loyal knight knelt on the floor. Mabel, stroking her sparkling silver hair, said,

“Find out what Baron Deli has been up to lately.”

[This is the timeline separator]

On the day of Baroness Tirel’s gathering.

The newly ordered dress provided a comfort that was on a different level from ready-made clothes. The fabric itself was of incomparable quality, so it seemed impossible to go back to ready-made clothes once accustomed to such attire.

“Don’t worry about Black Swan and have a good time, young lady.”

Today, a maid who had learned the techniques from Anna was to do the makeup instead. With brush and cosmetics in hand, she was exhaling forcefully through her nose with eyes that said she would successfully complete the task.

“I’ll go as soon as the gathering ends. Did you send Mürtang’s work to the Baroness’s salon?”

“Yes, we also received a reply that it arrived safely.”

“Good. You’ve worked hard.”

Anna smiled broadly. I responded with a smile in my eyes as well.

After finishing the awkward but not bad makeup, I went down to the lobby, where the Duke was also out, seemingly on his way to the government office.

“It’s today.”

“Yes, it’s today.”

He stared at me intently. I felt embarrassed for a moment.

“It’s rude to stare like that.”

“…Your neck looks empty.”

I fingered my necklace. It was a plain design without a pendant, but I had worn it because I couldn’t go without anything.

Being pointed out made me feel awkward for no reason.

The Duke looked me over briefly and then brought his fist to his mouth.

“Ahem.”

He cleared his throat. Then he took out a red velvet box from his inner jacket pocket.

“I thought it would be good to use on a day like today.”

He held out the box while slightly averting his gaze. I just stared blankly for a while before asking.

“What is this?”

“A necklace.”

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“…Won’t you accept it?”

Only then did I notice his reddened face.

Is this man, who was blushing so red he looked like he might burst if touched, and offering a gift without being able to make eye contact, really the Duke of Artenbach?

‘Why is my heart acting up again.’

Forcibly pushing away the thumping sound that filled my ears, I accepted the box. When I opened it, inside was a pink diamond necklace.

“It’s beautiful…”

I meant it sincerely. It showed that a craftsman had put all their effort into the work.

“I thought it would suit you well. And since it’s the diamond that connected Rublion, me, and you, it has a special meaning.”

“Huh? Is this perhaps that pink diamond?”

“That’s right.”

The Duke, whose redness had subsided significantly, suggested trying it on.

I was about to ask him to put it on for me, but then I thought his face might explode if I did, so I held back.

I called over a passing maid and asked her to put the necklace around my neck.

“It suits you well.”

The Duke smiled softly. I fingered the pink diamond and said,

“Thank you, Askal. I’ll treasure it.”

Without answering, he nodded, his ears turning red. I felt my face heating up as well.