LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 34
At that moment, as Alexei was feeling bewildered by the unexpected competence his wife had shown, the carriage came to a smooth stop.
“We have arrived, Duke.”
“Oh, thank you.”
He had been so engrossed in the documents that he hadn’t realized they had reached the palace.
As he gathered the papers and stepped out of the carriage, an unwelcome voice called out.
“Isn’t this the Duke of Valois?”
Instantly, Alexei’s expression turned cold.
The person speaking was none other than…
“The Duke of Saxony.”
Anri-che’s younger brother, the Duke of Saxony, stood before him.
He bore little resemblance to his sister, with a somewhat sneaky appearance and eyes gleaming with greed.
“What brings you to the nobility meeting?”
Alexei asked with a somewhat sharp tone.
It was no wonder; the Duke of Saxony had hardly ever attended a meeting of the nobility before.
While attendance at these meetings is generally left to the nobles’ discretion unless it was a session presided over by the Emperor,
‘Still, isn’t it a bit much to not have shown your face in nearly a year?’
The Duke of Saxony was one of the high-ranking nobles in the Empire.
This meant he was expected to set an example in front of others.
However, the Duke had always been negligent, showing not a trace of responsibility for his position.
Because Alexei valued principles and rules, he couldn’t help but despise the Duke even more.
“Well, I came to see you, Duke, while also taking care of a few other matters.”
Despite Alexei’s openly displeased expression, the Duke of Saxony continued to attach himself with a friendly demeanor.
“Why are you looking for me?”
“Oh, that’s…”
The Duke of Saxony rubbed his hands together gently as he spoke,
looking like a fly nervously rubbing its legs together.
“Uh, well… recently, the money my sister used to send has stopped.”
What?
Alexei was taken aback by this statement.
Although Anri-che had been rude to everyone, she had always treated her family with the utmost respect.
Yet now, she had cut off funding?
The Duke of Saxony smiled with a sly expression.
“The Valois family is the wealthiest in the Empire, isn’t it?”
“So, what are you trying to say?”
“To be honest, the money my sister sends is probably less than a drop in the bucket for the Valois.”
The Duke of Saxony glanced at Alexei, gauging his reaction.
His small, darting eyes reminded Alexei of a sewer rat.
“Could you persuade my sister to start sending money again?”
…Is he really saying that?
Alexei stared at the Duke in disbelief.
However, the Duke misinterpreted Alexei’s silence as encouragement.
“As you know, I’ve made some investments in business.”
“So?”
“Trust me, Duke! This will bring in enormous profits!”
The Duke of Saxony declared confidently.
To be honest, Alexei was curious where the Duke’s confidence came from.
From what Alexei knew, the Duke had failed in investments more than five times.
“Well, if my business does well, it would benefit you and my sister too, wouldn’t it?”
At the Duke’s brazen attitude, Alexei’s eyes grew cold.
The reason the Duke could strut around so arrogantly was entirely due to Anri-che.
She had consistently sent him money, allowing him to continue living like this even after numerous failed investments.
And yet, he couldn’t even express gratitude, spewing out nonsense instead…
“What does family mean? Isn’t it about helping each other in times of need?”
“Did you just say ‘family’?”
“Yes, family! Wahaha!”
The Duke of Saxony burst into hearty laughter.
Is he only talking about family now?
Suddenly, Alexei recalled the way the Duke treated his sister.
Every time he faced Anri-che, the Duke always put on airs as if he were superior, puffing up his chest.
‘You’re just a woman; you should support me, the man and head of the family.’
It was almost as if he were saying that.
And while he treated everyone else arrogantly, Anri-che always seemed to grovel before her younger brother.
Alexei opened his mouth with a sarcastic tone.
“Well, from what I can see, it seems that you’ve never helped my sister even once.”
“…What?”
“Isn’t that right? My wife has been giving all of her allowance to the Duke.”
Alexei spoke sharply, his tone unmistakable.
The Duke of Saxony momentarily wore a blank expression, but he quickly attempted to mask the situation with a smile.
“W-What do you mean? She’s family; it’s only natural for my sister to take care of her younger brother…”
“Well, from the outside, that’s called ‘exploitation.’”
“W-What do you mean by that?”
The Duke’s face turned beet red.
But Alexei’s words were far from over.
“What have you ever done for my wife?”
He was caught off guard.
The Duke blinked in confusion.
Alexei continued in a harsh tone, “Not a single trinket, not a book… not even a handkerchief have you ever gifted her, have you?”
It had been eight years since he had married Anri-che.
In all that time, Alexei had never seen her receive anything from her family.
“It’s a bit amusing that a Duke like you would suddenly bring up family.”
“D-Duke!”
“The allowance given to the Duchess of Valois belongs solely to my wife.”
Alexei stated firmly.
“Therefore, she should be the one to decide how to use those funds.”
“But you’re my sister’s husband! So…!”
“It seems you still don’t understand what I’m saying.”
Alexei leaned in slightly, his bright blue eyes glinting like the winter sky.
“Instead of clinging to me, you should try begging at my wife’s skirts.”
A smile formed on Alexei’s lips, a distinct smirk.
“Even a mute beast shows gratitude when kindness is given.”
“What?! How dare you say that to me!”
The Duke of Saxony’s eyes widened involuntarily.
Alexei was now pointing out that the Duke was even worse than a beast.
“I never expected to see the saying ‘kindness becomes a right’ come to life like this.”
“Duke, wait…!”
“If you have no more to say, I’ll be on my way.”
With that, Alexei brushed past the Duke of Saxony.
“I hope you’ll focus on the meeting this time. Don’t fall asleep.”
With a faintly mocking tone, Alexei disappeared into the distance.
The Duke of Saxony glared at his retreating figure, grinding his teeth in frustration.
“Damn it, I know the money is just sitting there… Why is he being so stingy!”
The Duke spat curses under his breath.
“I need to tell Mother and get some money out of her.”
His eyes gleamed maliciously.
He knew his sister was always thirsty for familial affection.
To be seen as a ‘useful person,’ she wouldn’t hesitate to bring funds from the Valois family.
So, if his mother stepped in… there was no doubt she would give them money.
Before long, the Duke of Saxony was even humming a tune.
***
To distance himself from the detestable Duke of Saxony, Alexei hurriedly moved along.
Suddenly, he came to a halt.
He heard the sound of paper rustling as it brushed against something.
‘Oh no.’
In his haste to get out of the carriage, he had brought the documents along without realizing it.
Alexei stared blankly at the papers.
He noticed meticulous notes scribbled across the pages, along with underlines in red and blue ink.
‘…My wife.’
He thought of Anri-che, who had been indifferent to the affairs of Valois but had actively participated in the matters of her family.
Despite sacrificing herself for her family, her brother still didn’t see her as anything more than a water source…
This must be what unreciprocated love felt like.
“……”
Alexei pressed his lips tightly together.
For the first time, he felt a twinge of pity for his wife.
***
Liliana and Elliot were sitting side by side in the garden, basking in the warm sunlight.
The gentle spring breeze swayed the clusters of red and yellow pansies that had just begun to bloom.
However, unfortunately for Elliot, he had no interest in the cute pansy flowers at all.
A girl far cuter and prettier than those pansies sat beside him.
‘…How can she be so beautiful?’
Elliot kept sneaking glances at Liliana’s profile.
Her golden hair fluttered softly in the breeze.
Beneath her long, lowered eyelashes, her lovely green eyes sparkled like jewels.
Just then, she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, I miss Mother.”
“……”
At that unexpected statement, Elliot couldn’t help but make a sullen expression.
It was understandable…
“Liliana, do you realize you’ve said that twenty times?”
He had heard her say “I miss Mother” over and over throughout their time in the garden.