Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

Thanks to the collection wall of the previous dukes, the library of the Anthemion family was lined with precious old books that were not even found in the Imperial library.

So, if you are Viscount Espenser, a great scholar among scholars, it must be a suggestion that you have no choice but to accept it.

Viscount Espenser, who had been stubbornly refusing as expected, said as he bit his lip and let go.

“… Please tell me.”

That’s right.

I smiled and asked questions.

“As you know, it’s the Duke’s birthday in ten days, and the empire is in a mess, so I was worried that I might get pointed at a banquet. What do you think, Viscount?”

“No need to worry. Of course you have to hold it.”

Viscount Espenser answered firmly.

“Someone else would have told you not to hold it. But the Duchess has to go ahead.”

“Why?”

“Currently, madam is receiving a lot of attention from the social world. Madam doesn’t show up at any events, so the interest is growing.”

“……”

“As you may know, this has changed the public opinion surrounding Madam. Now is the right time for madam to make an appearance in the social world.”

It meant that even those who cursed me for being swept away by Marquis Melks’ public opinion had to rethink that incident.

“And for Escalium, this banquet will be a big turning point.”

“Oh, I see.”

Viscount Espenser pointed out things I hadn’t even thought of.

Escal, like me, had never appeared in public before.

If Escal goes to the public to celebrate Helios’ birthday, people will think of Escal as the heir to Duke Anthemion.

It was clear that it was a good opportunity for both me and Escal.

“But I have never held such a large banquet, and I know very few aristocrats. If I send an invitation and no one comes….”

“The banquet doesn’t have to be large. Durability is important.”

Viscount Espenser’s eyes shone sharply.

“Only send invitations to very few nobles.”

“Only for a few nobles?”

“Yes. Make your invitation to the banquet something to be proud of. It’s important to get people who didn’t get an invitation to get jealous.”

“But if that happens, the back story may come out….”

“There has to be a backstory.”

“Yes?”

As I tilted my head at the words I could not understand at all, the Viscount kindly added an explanation.

“Currently, madam doesn’t have any allies.”

“That’s correct.”

“As I said, a lot of nobles are showing interest in madam because of that incident. Now is your chance to recruit them and make them your allies.”

“But, Viscount, there is no way that curiosity always develops into liking.”

“So it’s important to invite someone who will like you. Choose among the nobles of high rank those who are neutral to madam.”

When I choose someone to be on my side, I wonder if there is such a person.

I nodded, thinking that sending an invitation would not be easy.

The Viscount’s advice did not end there.

“I told you that internal stability is important. Please prepare the invitation and return gift with the utmost care. So that the person who received it can’t help but come.”

He’s telling me to send something that they can’t refuse even if they’re greedy.

Indeed, it was advice that turned each word into blood and flesh.

“And last but not least, the most effective and the most difficult…”

Viscount Espenser hesitated, stretching his words.

“Please speak.”

“Invite a very special guest. If it succeeds, other guests will have no choice but to come.”

“A very special guest?”

Glup, I swallowed dry saliva, waiting for the answer to follow.

The Viscount, who had been waiting for an answer without being able to breathe, suddenly stood up.

“Sir?”

“My advice ends here. If you knew, there could be sparks.”

Viscount Espenser left the drawing room abruptly after telling me to solve the last riddle myself.

I looked at the back of the Viscount as he headed straight to the library, and then slumped down on the table.

Well, if you’re going to tell me, you should have taught me to the end.

‘A very special guest’. who is that?

No matter how much I roll my head, there is no one who comes to mind because I don’t have a single aristocrat I’m close to.

Of course Mary wouldn’t know. Does Helios know?

But I can’t ask Helios.

“Oh, my head hurts… ”

“Do you have a headache?”

“Escal?”

As I lifted my head, Escal looked at me with a worried face.

“Are you very sick?”

“Oh, no. it’s okay.”

I hurriedly waved my hand, saying it wasn’t like that, but Escal reached out a hand and touched my forehead.

“Huh.”

Escal, who was alternately checking my forehead, tilted his head left and right.

I held back my laughter and put the child on my lap.

From the day he received the sword, he had practiced swordsmanship every day, and the hand of the child was full of calluses.

“I was a little sick before, but I am no longer in pain because Escal has taken care of me. Does Escal’s hand hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Don’t overdo it, take it easy. Escal is young, so it’s okay to take it slow.”

“But I want to learn quickly and become strong.”

“Why?”

“I can only protect you when I’m strong.”

What should I do with this wonderful boy?

I hugged Escal tightly because of the uncontrollable emotion.

Is there any other man in the world who is so handsome and kind?

I thought it was cool because it was a novel, but rather, in the novel they didn’t fully express Escal’s kindness.

How happy was Tiaris who was loved by such a man… uh?

‘How happy would a woman be who is loved by a man like the Duke of Anthemion.’

At that moment, I remembered.

Viscount Espenser’s ‘very special guest’.

****

“I will be back.”

“Is it really okay if we don’t go together?”

Helios, who came out to see me off to the front of the carriage, seemed not to be relieved.

I smiled and pointed to the escort knights lined up behind the carriage.

“These people are enough. Butler said you would enter the Imperial Palace today too.”

“Yeah, but it would be better to go with me tomorrow…”

sI covered Helios’ lips with my lips.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I might be a little late.”

“Be careful.”

In the end, Helios, unable to break my stubbornness, opened the carriage door by hand.

“Let’s go.”

At the command to depart, the carriage began to move.

I waved until I couldn’t see Helios but only after I left the house did I close the window.

“You didn’t miss anything, did you?”

“Yes. I got everything you said.”

Not relieved by Mary’s answer, I opened the box and checked the contents myself.

What was in the box was Helios’ birthday banquet invitation and invitation gift.

“Isn’t there an answer to the visit?”

“… Yes.”

Mary replied with a puzzled face. I looked at the invitation with a nonchalant expression.

On the outside of the invitation, my name and the name of the person to be invited were written side by side.

[Your Majesty Grand Duchess Crawford]

The handwritten letters written by a skilled scribe with gold ink had as much weight as the recipient of the invitation.

Grand Duchess Crawford was the emperor’s sister and wife of the deceased Archduke Crawford, and was the highest-ranking woman other than the Empress.

She married Archduke Crawford at the age of sixteen and had two daughters.

And when the grown-up daughters married, they left the Duchy to their son-in-law and returned to the Empire.

Unlike his indecisive younger brother, Archduke Crawford, who had the same personality as his father, was a figure respected by all.

The ‘very special guest’ that Viscount Espenser refers to must be Grand Duchess Crawford.

“Can I come to her like this without making an appointment?”

“You sent a letter yesterday morning.”

“She didn’t even give me an answer.”

“There was no mention of not coming.”

If she really didn’t want to see me, she would have sent me a message not to come.

Being silent even after receiving a letter of visit means that I will watch how you come out.

Maybe I’ll be kicked out of the door, but as Viscount Espenser advises, it would be very helpful to build an acquaintance with Grand Duchess Crawford, so it was worth the risk.

More than anything.

‘How happy would a woman be who is loved by a man like the Duke of Anthemion.’

In the original, Archduke Crawford was very fond of Escal.

It was also Grand Duchess Crawford who promoted the marriage of Escal, who returned as a hero, and the second princess.

Of course, the marriage didn’t happen because Escal had only Tiaris, but even after the marriage broke up, the Grand Duchess treated Escal like her own child.

Things should go well.

With half anticipation and half worry, I repeated what I had to say to the Grand Duchess.

“Madam, we have arrived.”