MHYFMAMD Ch 45

Dietrich couldn’t understand the current situation.

 

The sight of Tenesia gently stroking the child’s head, and Arden accepting her touch with natural ease, made it clear to anyone that they were close.

 

‘When was the last time Arden laughed so freely?’

 

As he tried to recall, he was suddenly struck by how much Arden had grown. The image of the baby, wrapped in cloth and giggling, flashed across his mind.

 

Moreover, it had only been yesterday that Arden was brought here. The time the two of them had spent together was barely more than a day in total.

 

“What kind of trick is this?”

 

“What do you mean…?”

 

“Why didn’t my sister take Arden with her?”

 

“Oh.”

 

The woman, who had been looking at him with round eyes in confusion, soon broke into a small smile.

 

“I asked for it.”

 

“What?”

 

“I told her that it wouldn’t be too late to resume training after the wedding. I also added that she seemed to need some rest.”

 

It was an absurd lie. Countess Olbeira was not someone who would retreat so easily over such a trivial matter.

 

She was particularly meticulous when it came to practical matters. There was no way she would waste her time for something so insignificant.

 

“Tenesia is right. She told me to practice hard and take care of myself…!”

 

“…I see.”

 

Instead of rebutting Tenesia’s words, he stroked Arden’s head.

 

It was something he could always ask her about later. For now, he didn’t want to take away Arden’s joy.

 

“Arden. You should get down now. The lady must  be feeling heavy.”

 

“It’s fine. This much is okay.”

 

“Am I really that heavy…?”

 

Arden looked like a typical five-year-old child. However, it was her wrist, which seemed too delicate to hold even this small child, that was the problem.

 

Perhaps sensing this, Arden’s face changed as he struggled and slipped out of Tenesia’s arms.

 

Even after escaping from Tenesia’s embrace, Arden continued to hover around her.

 

Dietrich wondered if he needed someone to follow but that wasn’t it. Despite the nanny being present, Arden seemed to prefer staying close to Tenesia in an oddly affectionate way.

 

To anyone watching them, it would seem as though they had been close friends since childhood.

 

“……”

 

This strange feeling wasn’t only coming from Arden. It had only been about two weeks since Tenesia arrived at the castle. Even so, not only Arden but even the servants in the castle seemed to hold a favorable view of her.

 

It wasn’t merely a show of respect between servant and master. They genuinely seemed comfortable with Tenesia.

 

“Have some tea.”

 

“Thank you, Shasha. Did the medicine help last time?”

 

“Yes! Thanks to you, my son’s face looks so much better now.”

 

It was scenes like this. Watching their carefree interactions, Dietrich suddenly recalled something the butler had told him.

 

“I have something to report…”

 

The butler, who usually never asked any questions apart from his assigned duties. At the rare request, he raised his head as he looked through the documents.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Madam… has Lady Blanchette visited here before?”

 

“No. Never.”

 

“I see.”

 

The butler ended the conversation with a somewhat unclear conclusion. After standing silently for a few moments, he hesitantly spoke again.

 

“Actually, madam seems to know the structure of the castle quite well. As if she’s stayed here before.”

 

“And?”

 

“She doesn’t make unreasonable requests of the servants. It’s almost as though she’s trying to understand our feelings.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Dietrich set the documents aside and clasped his hands together.

 

‘She used to be sick a lot, so maybe she stayed locked up in her room for a while.’

 

Dietrich came up with a simple hypothesis.

 

When you’re frequently ill, the people you interact with most are likely the doctor and the maid who attends to you. If she had been ill for a long time, it would be easy for her to understand their psychology.

 

Even if those around her might have looked down on Tenesia.

 

“For example?”

 

“One of those who serves her mentioned that she tries to do things on her own whenever possible, beyond what a servant would normally do. Like when she tried to tend to the greenhouse by herself.”

 

Dietrich knew that Tenesia had been trying to restore Grace’s garden. He also knew she had told not to change the soil.

 

“Is she uncomfortable being served?”

 

“It didn’t seem that way. She appeared completely natural receiving service.”

 

It was a contradictory aspect. She was uncomfortable using servants, yet being served was natural for her.

 

He briefly thought about the Blanchette family’s residence he had visited. The room was shabby compared to the others. Even the servants didn’t display an attitude of reverence.

 

Inside Baroness Blanchette’s residence, her position was truly pitiful.

 

“…And this is just something I feel personally, but…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Madam often stared at the ‘unused room.’ I wondered if she needed something, but she just said she needed nothing.”

 

“…Did she ever try to open it forcefully?”

 

“No. She didn’t do that. She asked if the room was being used, and when we told her it wasn’t, that was the end of it.”

 

“And yet, she kept staring at it.”

 

“Yes. Sometimes she even asks about things from years ago.”

 

Why?

 

Haberfeld Castle had several rooms that were forbidden to use. Most of them were related to Grace.

 

There were no valuables, no precious jewels. The rooms had been sealed simply to preserve whatever traces of Grace remained.

 

If she was searching for traces of Grace, it raised even more questions. If her memories with her were so dear, she should have at least visited Haberfeld while Grace was still alive.

 

He considered many possible scenarios, but they all ended with an unsettling conclusion. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t understand.

 

A strange woman.

 

“Continue reporting in the future. Since I can’t be at home often, I want to know what my wife might need in advance.”

 

“I understand.”

 

It had been just a few days ago that he reassured the butler with such a neutral explanation.

 

Those who asked for money were better. There was nothing more uncomfortable than not knowing someone’s intentions.

 

‘Please marry me.’

 

“……”

 

In his life, one person who was impossible to figure out would have been enough.