It hasn’t been a year since my mother and father divorced. No, maybe three months have passed.

“Meet your new stepmother, Lize.”

“…”

My father, returning to the mansion after a long time, brought a woman he called his new wife. The brown-haired woman is someone I already know.

Stiana. More precisely, Stiana Catholier.

I thought she was a commoner, but she was the daughter of an unnamed noble, exactly twelve years younger than me.

Although a significant age difference between spouses is common in this era, it hasn’t even been a year since my father divorced my mother.

‘What about Lady Vakus?’

From some point, I haven’t seen Lady Vakus, who my father was so wrapped up with. It’s not like I hoped Lady Vakus and my father would remarry, but this was a bit unexpected.

It was absurd.

“As heard, you are very beautiful, Lize. I want to have a good relationship with you. Since the age difference isn’t much, our interests should be similar. If you want, I’d even like to brush your hair. So… I want to be a good mother.”

Stiana faced me as if seeing me for the first time. She smiled and extended her hand to me.

“Do you know, mother?”

Ignoring Stiana’s hand, I looked at my father.

Before signing the engagement contract, I knew why my father introduced Stiana to me. It was because it was written in the judgment document.

“Isabel is no longer with us. There is no obligation for her to be informed.”

Literally, my father introducing Stiana to me was an obligation. Not letting my mother know meant my siblings didn’t know either. If my siblings knew about this news, they would rush to Marson Mansion to grab my father by the collar.

“…”

There was a lot I wanted to say to my father, but I swallowed it.

My father, who seemed impatient and wanted to go to the room quickly after fulfilling his duty, made me speechless when I saw his face. He was frowning, probably finding the atmosphere in the mansion, which he visited after a long time, unpleasant.

“Do as you wish, Father. I’ll go to my room now.”

My father, who was not the type to be stopped from marrying, was not himself. Not wanting to waste unnecessary emotions, I stood up. Stiana, who had extended her hand to me, finally withdrew her arm.

“Sit down. There’s something to talk about.”

I thought my father, who must have wanted me to go to the room quickly, grabbed me. He was staring at me with a threatening look. The buttocks that had been separated were sitting back on the sofa.

“I heard from the maid. You play chess almost every day, don’t you?”

“…”

“It’s a waste of time. I’ll send a few portraits to the mansion later, so pay attention.”

“Portraits?”

“People who show interest in you. It’s better to look at them in advance since they might be your future husbands.”

If there hadn’t been a marriage clause in the judgment, my father would have sold me to someone long ago.
Although I haven’t seen the portraits yet, the faces of the men are already vivid in my imagination. They are at least ten years older than me, with thick beards and a large build.

Their personalities can be deduced. Men who show interest in an eleven-year-old like me can’t be normal!

“Count, you’re right. From now on, you can get to know good men and maybe marry one. My sister got married at twelve. She was only two years older than you at the time and is still happily living.”

Stiana seemed to strengthen her father’s opinion.

“I’m two years older. I’m eleven.”

“…Huh? I heard you were ten.”

She gave her father a puzzled look. My father didn’t care whether I was ten or eleven. I expected it, but my father probably didn’t know about my birthday a few weeks ago. Even if he did, the result would be the same.

Now I wanted to get up from my seat.

“And you’ve been going out often lately? Don’t tell me you’re going to Pollon Street?”

“…You can only go to Pollon once a week. I’m keeping my promises.”

“Then where are you secretly going?”

“Bakus Mansion. I thought Roger might come today, so I always go.”

My father, who hadn’t been very dignified like before, at least seemed to have some conscience left. Still, he closed his mouth as soon as the topic of Bakus came up.

Feeling that I could get up now, I stood up.

“Anyway, don’t wander around too much. It’s already noisy with the divorce issue, and it won’t be good if you’re seen by the townspeople.”

“…”

‘He says that and marries another woman right away.’

I just nodded slightly and went up to my room. Every day since Yurik went to Grandpa’s mansion has been the worst.

Pollen scattered from the sky. I knew the enthusiasm for chess was high, but I didn’t expect it to be this intense.

“Excuse me for a moment! I’ll pass by!”

“The owner hasn’t come down yet!”

In front of the palace where the final game was about to begin, there was a commotion of carriages.

Some nobles, tired of waiting, got off before the carriage arrived at the entrance. As the road narrowed and the crowd grew, the order almost collapsed.