ASDEF 20

Chapter 20

After watching Wally lost in thought for a moment, unable to contain my curiosity, I carefully asked.

“By the way… earlier the Duke mentioned lifting the entail. What exactly is an entail…?”

Wally, who had been deep in thought, finally turned his gaze toward me at the unexpected question.

A look of ‘you don’t know even that?’ briefly flickered across his face, but soon catching himself, he diligently answered.

“Most of the Benson family’s territories are under entail. Land under entail cannot be sold, transferred, or mortgaged until it’s passed down to the next generation. His Grace lifting the entail on the Bournemouth territory means he is immediately transferring the disposal rights to the young master.”

I nodded at Wally’s detailed explanation.

In short, it meant the Duke was entrusting Daniel with all authority over the territory while he was still alive.

Then, I just need to stay quiet until the day Daniel returns from battle and renegotiates with the Duke to inherit Wilhelm, right? Just scribbling away at the account books for a month.

‘Right. It’s much better to live a life writing account books than to be torn apart by monsters. Look at Daniel. So what if he’s the heir to a wealthy ducal house and a sub-male lead? He just keeps fighting fierce battles and ends up dying anyway.’

Suddenly, Daniel’s image from the train station came to mind.

Daniel standing there expressionless, hands in his pockets, staring at the station.

His eyes, which seemed even more vivid in the sunlight, his sharp nose and jawline. And his shoulders, firmly packed with subtle muscles.

He was like a delicate painting crafted by a master.

It’s a pity that someone like that has less than a year to live, but the fates of the main characters won’t change…

‘Hmm, thinking like this makes me feel oddly sorry for Daniel. It’s like I’m holding a memorial service for him.’

Just as I was shaking my head in pity, a sudden voice snapped me back to reality.

“As you said, my lady, what His Grace has instructed isn’t simply keeping household accounts.”

Wally paced back and forth, his hand on his chin.

“His Grace entrusting the account books. You probably don’t know what that signifies here, my lady.”

“No, I think I know. Harsh in-law treatment.”

“Yes, that’s right. Harsh in-law… Wait, yes?”

Wally stared at me with wide eyes.

I answered with my gaze. It’s true. Harsh in-law treatment.

Instead of answering, he cleared his throat and continued.

“Ahem! I wanted to say that His Grace has never entrusted the account books to anyone other than the late Duchess and the accountant before.”

“Wait. So you’re saying he’s entrusting me with the account books that he didn’t even entrust to the young master?”

“Yes, that’s exactly right.”

What the. Why is he entrusting such a professionally demanding task to his newly married daughter-in-law? Why on earth?!

Wally scratched the back of his head and carefully added.

“It seems His Grace’s condition for granting the Wilhelm territory now includes you, my lady…”

“Me? What does that mean?”

“He means he’ll decide after observing how well you, my lady, fulfill the role and duties of the lady of the house over the month.”

“What…?!”

Only then did I understand why Duke Benson had suddenly entrusted me with the account books. And I grasped the Duke’s underlying intention as well.

‘So he’s using the territory as leverage to keep Daniel from going to battle…’

In the original story, Daniel wanted to lay down the title of young master and leave the Benson family.

To a free-spirited mage, the position of young master was nothing but a tight noose that constrained him.

That’s why, as soon as he received a lower title and territory, he flauntingly left his father’s side.

When I heard Daniel and the Duke’s conversation this morning, the condition seemed to be placed solely on the marriage itself, but now my existence has become entangled.

If I happen to make a mistake…

—

*’How can I entrust the Benson family to the likes of you when you’re this incompetent! You’re out! Out of the Benson family forever!’*

If that happens, Daniel won’t let me off easy.

Snapping back to my senses, I asked with a strong resolve to swallow the entire Benson household whole.

“This won’t do. Should I just cook the books right away?”

“E-Excuse me…?”

“Oh, never mind. You don’t have to answer, Wally. Since whatever I do will be clumsy, could you introduce me to a competent accountant? Preferably someone specializing in creative accounting.”

“Heugh. My lady, I’m afraid that’s…”

“Why? It’s so practical. Everyone does it these days, creative accounting.”

Wally hurriedly tried to dissuade me.

“First of all, this isn’t the time. The head maid will be arriving soon. We need to finish our discussion before that…”

Oh, right, I forgot about the head maid.

At my darkening expression, Wally sighed and lowered his voice.

“Listen carefully, my lady. The head maid will try to assign a personal maid to you. Pushing forward the maids she recommends.”

“A personal maid…?”

Wally, looking at my confused face, quickly hinted.

“The head maid is His Grace’s most trusted subordinate. The maids she recommends are all connected to her, and that means…”

“Surely you don’t mean all my actions will be reported to the Duke?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Good heavens. As far as I know, a noble lady’s maid is like an extension of herself, someone with whom she discusses and shares everything.

Living together is suffocating enough, and now even the maid beside me has to be one of the Duke’s people…

If I’m not careful, I’ll be under Duke Benson’s constant surveillance for a whole year.

Unlike me, my mouth agape, Wally put on a composed face.

“There’s absolutely no need to be afraid. Just do as the young master instructs.”

“As he instructs…?”

“His Grace anticipated this, so the young master gave me instructions beforehand. So you need not worry too much about this, my lady.”

Just then.

A knock was heard from outside.

“This is the head maid, Abigail Jones. May I have a moment with you in the study?”

At the chilling voice and message, I tensed up and pressed myself against the back of the chair. And I urgently asked Wally.

“S-So what exactly did the young master instruct you to do…?!”

Unlike my confused eyes, Wally’s gaze was steady and unwavering.

As if this entire situation was all playing out in the palm of Daniel’s hand.

The second floor, my study, filled to the brim with books.

It wasn’t just the books that were suffocating me in this stifling space.

Seated at the desk, I had been listening to the head maid’s explanations for a full three hours.

At first, I tried my best to listen attentively, but at some point, my eyes were fixed only on the numerous instruction papers on the desk. Occasionally dozing off.

“My lady, as I mentioned earlier, the lady of the house’s morning begins with reading the newspapers and instruction papers…”

Yes, especially that ‘as I mentioned earlier’ – she repeated it so many times I was getting calluses on my ears.

“Also, as I mentioned, after finishing your morning meal, you call me to inspect the various ledgers and issue instructions…”

Yes, yes. I even memorized the next words that would follow.

After thoroughly checking the menu submitted by the chef, you approve it – that is the lady of the house’s morning routine…

“After thoroughly checking the menu submitted by the chef…”

Once a month, you check the servants’ wages, and if any servant has damaged something, you deduct it from their salary.

“Once a month, you check the servants’ wages…”

“Oh, and if servants damage something, you deduct it from their salary, right? Probably?”

Growing weary of listening, I occasionally cut her off like this.

“Excellent. Then I will explain the roles and daily routines of the Benson household servants once more. As I mentioned earlier…”

The head maid, Mrs. Jones, with a listener who actually paid attention to her words for the first time in a while, held her head even higher and continued her explanations.

With the skill of a principal’s speech you’d only hear at an elementary school entrance ceremony, I had to test the limits of my patience.

Turning my stiff neck, I saw the intense sunlight already pouring down into the garden outside the window.